Restore point error

I can't really help you with the System Restore issue other than offering generalities.

I would consider all of the following:

Running system repair several times with a windows installation disc.

Using your recovery discs or recovery partition to restore your PC to the way it was the day it arrived, after backing up my data.

Reinstalling Windows completely using install discs if you have them.

I don't know which of those things you can do or are willing to do.

I do know that System Restore is valuable and works well for me.

The major lesson here is to get a good Windows installation, back up your data, and don't bother with "optimizations" as they can get you in trouble as you have learned.

Good luck.

Maybe someone else has other suggestions.

You say run system repair several tmes with a windows installation disc. Can you expand on how to do that?
There is no way I would take a chance and reinstall windows, I will screw it up more than I have already!!!
System Restore is very valuable which is why I am upset I can't get it to work. I would call in a tech, but if he has to reinstall windows, I am still stuck with all the work of reinstalling programs and thngs downloaded. I posted this on the backup and restore forum and got no replies. Thanks.

System Repair Disc - Create

If you have not made a set of recovery disks, you certainly should. All they would do is restore the PC to the way it was when you bought it. You would still have to reinstall any programs that were not on the PC when you bought it. You may have a recovery partition also. I don't know.

If you can't get System Repair to improve things, you may be forced to live with your problems unless you are willing to reinstall Windows and resolve not to "optimize".

Would I have to use that repair disc all the time. I want to restore my computer to a previous date. That is not the same thing as repair is it? When I asked you how to do it, I was thinking it was a restore fix.

PattiChati said:

Would I have to use that repair disc all the time. I want to restore my computer to a previous date. That is not the same thing as repair is it? When I asked you how to do it, I was thinking it was a restore fix.

No, you wouldn't have to do it all the time. If the repair works, you could then use system restore.

But I have no idea if it will fix your problems. All you can do is try it.

If you have recovery disks or a recovery partition, you can restore to a previous date---the date you bought the PC--but not to some other date, such as last week.

This might help also:

Repair Install

Boy that repair install sounds really scary. I don't think I could do it without really wrecking things. I have no recovery disks either.
Thanks so much for all your help.

You have a Dell PC.

If it did not come with recovery disks, you certainly should have a way to make your own (burn them with a CD burner).

Consult your manuals. It shouldn't take more than 30 minutes at most to go through the procedure to make the disks.

The recovery disks will restore you to the day you bought it.

Look here:

http://support.dell.com/support/topi.../backupcd_form

and here:

http://support.dell.com/support/topi...&isLegacy=true

You probably have a "recovery partition", which means you may not even have to burn discs to restore.

I just thought of something. When I bought this computer it had Vista on it. I changed it to Windows 7, so if it put it back to the factory settings, it would be Vista.
Also, how can I tell if I have a recovery partition?
I don't think I am capable of doing all this extensive stuff. I would probably lose info that is very important even though I would back up. I don't know why system restore won't work.

Type "disk management" into the start box at the lower left of your screen.

Go to the disk management link.

Disk management will show all of your partitions.

Post a screen shot of disk management if you can.

It is probably a fairly small partition. Somewhere around 10 GB. On the same drive as your C partition.

Consult your manual or look at the Dell links I previously provided for details on how to recover using the recovery partition.

Yes it would take you back to Vista.

You could then re-upgrade to Windows 7.

You say you "changed to Windows 7".

If you did that, you certainly know enough to install Windows or restore from a recovery partition.

I didn't change to windows, I had a tech do it. In doing more research it says that error is caused by a virus and I should put on spybot and some registry software. I am afraid to put anything on here, what do you think. Something is wrong with this computer, because the top and bottom toolbars are the color gray and no matter what I do they won't change. I used to be able to put them to any color. Thanks.