As always, before rushing to totally wipe and re-install your system
in case of a sudden software malfunction, make absolutely sure that you
do need to go all the way. In many cases a wrong registry setting, a bad
driver, a missing system file – all these might be repaired by
performing a boot as Safe Mode, or if need arises, a system repair.
However, if nothing else works, it’s time to bring in the heavy cannons
and restore your system from a previously backed-up System Image.
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In my
Working with System Image Backups in Windows 7
article I described the steps needed to be taken in order to
successfully create a System Image backup of your Windows 7 computer.
Note: Remember, Windows 7 is still under
development. The version used for these screenshots is beta build 7000,
and things might (and probably will) change with RTM.
So first thing first – you must make be 100% sure that this is the
only means to repair your system. Why? Well that’s because when you
restore your computer from a system image, it's always a complete
restoration. You cannot choose individual items to restore, and all of
your programs, system settings, and files are replaced with those on the
system image.
If you’re perfectly sure that a restore is the only way to get your
computer back to business, you now have 3 options to start the restore
operation:
Option 1: Restore using Recovery
This only works if your computer is still working and you can access
Control Panel > Backup and Restore, or if you want to restore your
system image backup onto a different computer.
Option 2: Restore Using a Windows Installation or System Repair Disk
If you cannot access Control Panel > Backup and Restore, you can
restore your computer using a Windows installation DVD or a system
repair disk (if you have previously created one).
To use this option, insert the installation disk or system repair disk into your computer’s CD/DVD drive.
Next, restart your computer using the computer's power button.
If prompted, press any key to start Windows from the installation
disk or system repair disk. If your computer is not configured to start
from a CD or DVD, check the information that came with your computer.
You may need to change your computer's BIOS settings.
