Windows restore option

I have tried to restore MY pc to an earlier time.It keps telling me that it is unable to do system restore. I read in a post here somwhere that I could go to safe mode and do it WRONG! it still won't
Can anyone please help?

 

Try following the advise in this guide.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;302796

System Restore should work in safe mode, the service may be turned off or you have not created any restore points to go back to.

If following the guide does not resolve the problem, as Arie has asked, please tell us what problems you are having that has promted you to do a Retsore. We will then do our best to help you using other methods.

 

Reason for doing Restore operation

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Thank you to Arie and markmadras.

The reason I want toi do a system restore is that I regularly download rar video files. Up till last week I have never had troble when I have tried to unrar the files. All worked well.Froma abouta week ago every file I downloaded has come up with a "this file is corrupt " message and has not unrared properly. Others inthe forum have not had the same problem and are downloading and unzipping properly.

I got a friend of mine who lives locally to download and unrar one of the files file to his pc and it worked fine. He brought it over on a usb stick and I could unrar it perfectly on my pc.

When trying to analyse why my pc was giving me a problem I compared the two files by doing a right click and "properties "function.
I found that the size of both files were identical, (247MB (259,561,664bytes) however, the size on disk differed between them.
Mine read 247MB (259,563,520bytes), where his read 247MB (259,571,712bytes).
I was just wanting to restre the pc to a week back when I knew that everything had been workingcorrectly. Does this give anyone any idea as to what I may be able to do to corect this problem?

 

I believe you may have a virus or a malware infection, please follow the link below to have your PC checked for any infections.

Please make sure you follow the instructions and do not miss anything or you may not receive the help you need.


http://www.windowsbbs.com/malware-virus-removal/announcements.html

If it is an infection, system restore would probably not make any difference, you would need to perform a full format of the hard drive and a clean install of the OS.

 

Further information..

Thank you markmadras. Perhaps I should mention at this point ,that I have a home network of 2 desktop computers linked together via a serviceprovider modem (using adsl cabling ports and not wireless). I have already tried to download the same file through the other pc (that one is able to do system restore ok). I have the same problem . The file size is the same as using the troublesome pc.So I was thinkimg it may be a problem with rara.exe. itself so I removed it and then replaced it completely. it did not help. I was thinking perhaps I have a problem with the modem of My service provider not able to downlpoad the file properly ? could this be so? I am at completely at a loss to explain why this is happening.
I will wait for youyr reply before atempting to use the malware area on here.

 

OK, just for experimental purposes download this free RAR extractor and see what happens. If the result is the same the only other thing I can think off is that something is corrupting the download of the RAR file, maybe your ISP but I've not heard of that before. Is the RAR file from a torrent site?

http://download.cnet.com/Free-RAR-Extract-Frog/3000-2250_4-10804840.html

I am suggesting a virus because I can't think of any other logical explanation for the problem you have.

 

An update...

Firstly many thanks for all of your help. It is greatly appreciated.
1 The free RAR extractor could not open the files either.
2 My wife has a laptop (Vista o/s)which can be used via wireless through the same modem that the 2 desktops are cabled to. It downloaded and unrared the file ok.
3 I have done all teh steps that you suggested in "http://www.windowsbbs.com/malware-vi...uncements.html ".
The only problem was using the GMER .exe. It scanned ok but when I clicked on "save" it froze
and I had to reboot the pc by turning off the power to it (did this a lot) I even tried it under safe mode. The same problem.
Any suggestions?
I have the other logs saved. How do I attach them to this post f you want to check them out?
The rar files are not from a torrent site.

 

That has conviced me even more that you have an infection. The link I gave for the Virus and Malware forum instructs you to open a new thread in that forum which you need to do to get the help you require. There is an expert on that forum that will guide you through the scanning and cleaning process.

 

Yes >>I will do so very soon..

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Can you please tell Me how I actually attach the logs to the post?