To load System Restore, click Start➪Accessories➪System Tools➪
System Restore. On the left side of the panel you see an option for System
Restore Settings. You can turn off the utility. This isn’t something I ordinarily
recommend unless you suspect the System Restore utility itself is causing
problems.
Set a reasonable amount of space for use for System Restore storage points;
I’d recommend leaving at least 5 percent of your disk available for this pur-
pose. You’re not likely to use anything near that amount of space but it’s
better to have more possible space than less. On the right side of the panel
you can instruct the laptop to create a restore point right now. Choose this
option before making major changes like I just identified. And here is also the
place you can restore your computer to an earlier time; if you select that
option you see a calendar that lists all available restore points. Some are
listed as System Checkpoints, which are those automatically made by the
computer based on the schedule you established. If you go to the trouble
(as you should) of manually instructing the system to make a restore point
when changes are made, you see whatever notes you attached.
Some installation programs initiate a System Restore for you and make a note
as a precautionary step. This is a good thing.
Chapter 5: Surviving Basic Training 75