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| System Restore |
If your pc boots up ok but for whatever reason it won't let you do anything follow this advice.
The simplest solution to regain control can sometimes be to use the System Restore service. It can rollback core Windows files
to a previous date, hopefully one where there is less malware controlling the system.
If your Windows installation has never been updated your system restore may not work properly, if so follow the advice here
or see Windows Update to download the Windows Service Packs you need.
System Restore from Bootup
The first time your system suffers a breakdown it will usually restart the pc automatically and then
show you a text screen in black and white telling you there has been a problem with Windows. If you have a restore point
you will have the option of restoring your system, select Last Known Good Configuration and Return. Your pc will hopefully
return to normal, and the cause of any problems can be narrowed down using Event Viewer. If your pc fails to return to normal,
breaks down and restarts again try loading up Safe Mode and running System Restore from the desktop as described below.
Once you have received this first option to restore your system, if restoring or starting windows normally doesn't work then
you no longer receive this first options screen - the pc will continually try to restart using the option you selected.
To open up these options again you must tap the F8 key while your pc is switching on until it stops on a screen called the
Windows Advanced Options Menu. Select Last Known Good Configuration to restore your system to the last working state.
This will usually be your latest system restore point. Hopefully this will give you a stable enough system to be able to start some
maintenance to clean the malware and fix the bugs.
If your pc is frozen and will not restart you can press the Reset button on your pc or you can switch it off manually by holding
the power button down for a few seconds.
System Restore from Desktop
If you have desktop access, click on Start and then Run. Type msconfig into the box and press Return.
In the System Configuration Utility under the General tab, click on Launch System Restore.
Or click Start and Run and type %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe into the box.
In the System Restore program select Restore my computer to an earlier time and click Next. If your system has been recording
restore points you are shown a calendar where dates in bold represent restore points. Select the most recent date that has a restore point,
called here a System Checkpoint, click Next and Next again and your pc will reboot and restore itself to those previous settings,
hopefully disabling any malware that hooked in to your system after that date, making it easier to clean it off your pc.
System restore affects Windows files, your data is unaffected. It is reversible if you want to go back to your current settings.
If you do restore your system you will need to reinstall any Windows updates you installed after the date of your restore point.
If you still have problems you can rollback the system to earlier and earlier restore points (if there are any) until your system is stable.
Obviously the further back you go the more software you've installed since that date may need reinstalling to work properly.
System Restore from Safe Mode
If you cannot access system restore from your desktop you may be able to access it under the Safe Mode account.
Reboot the pc and as it is starting up continually tap the F8 key every second until the boot-up process stops on the
Windows Advanced Options Menu screen asking you to select from a list of boot-up options.
Arrow down to Safe Mode and press Return. You will then be asked to confirm which operating system to use,
press Return if the only option is Windows (some people have dual-boot operating systems for Linux for example).
If it successfully boots up to show the account selection screen choose the Administrator account and enter the password if you know there is one.
If you have never made a password for the Safe Mode Administrator account then it will be blank by default,
thus pressing Return will boot you into the desktop.
Run system restore from the desktop as described above.
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