Windows XP Rebooting Issue

well I really really want to do that, but I am scared spitless lest something happen to those files They are just on the desktop.....are we "absolutley" sure they won't be deleted?? they are excell files
if I damage those files my husband will purely 'murder' me! LOL
katy

 

If they are very critical files, I would advise you not to do any further work on the system until they're backed up somehow. If you cannot back them up, it would be prudent to wait until they have served their purpose and can be put at risk without causing any great harm.

There can never be a complete guarantee when dealing with computers and even though the System Restore process is normally quite safe, I wouldn't guarantee anything about it. I generally have a high level of risk tolerance but I still keep current backups. You always need a plan "B. "

Let's cool it for now. Check into getting a data cable such as a cat5 cable to network this laptop with your desktop computer and transfer the critical files over to it for backups.

Best regards.

 

Upon review -

You said:

Which would mean that using System Restore wouldn't do any good since it wouldn't have any restore points that predated the problem.

I said:

You said:

I presume that this laptop doesn't have a floppy drive either.

Tinkering with the modem is low risk but when you do anything to alter the operating system files, you risk rendering it unbootable. From what I understand, you would be in a very tough spot if that happened.

I should have cautioned you again before advising you to use the System Restore utility. It may be chicken soup but you can choke on that stuff sometimes.

Let it go until times get better.

 

well we no longer have to worry about the restore points. All are gone with the exception of one for each of the last 3 days. The help file in there says that when turned off points will be deleted. it also says (which I didn't realize) when the space is used up, it stops making points. I thought it just "replaced" points when the space was full? Information says you have to turn off the backup for the scanner to clean the restore points....well, clean them it did LOL they are gone!
well I am now just waiting till the claims are finished up and then I am gonna run a restore from the discs on that baby.
I will be sure to check back in here when I do that and let you know if I have really fouled things up
thanks a lot to each of you......I doubt that I can ever repay the favor, but I sure do appreciate the help.
Katy
p.s. I have this place bookmarked...it really IS interesting reading!

 

I think you may have misunderstood how System Restore works.

MS says:

Further info about it can be had here.

 

well, I "thought" that I had seen where if you shut system restore off you would loose your backup points.....but the virus was in them anyway so I had to do it. The part I couldn't seem to understand was it saying that you had to disable it so it could "clean" the backup files. cleaning being the operative word here for deleting LOL and I certainly didn't realize that when the space was used, it quit making backups. so I guess you would have to either delete them all once in a while(if you wanted a current one) ? Not sure I think too much of the way that item works.
This computer (compaq) has a separate area where you can make a backup using Compaq program......you aren't supposed to delete it, but I do go in and delete the data file and make myself a new one when I feel the need to back the system up. It's come in handy a few times over the years!
I am gonna check into getting a rw drive in that laptop or getting a different one. or perhaps an "external" one to hook to it when you want to back things up?
well thanks so much for all the help.....I won't forget it!
Katy

 

No Katy, under normal circumstances, you don't have to delete them, the oldest ones will automatically be written over when the space allocated gets full. Read the link I posted more carefully.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/getstarted/ballew_03may19.mspx

You DO have to delete them if they become infected with a virus. To do that, as you already know, you merely turn System Restore off. You can immediately turn it back on and all Restore points will be gone, along with any infectors.