System software

System software (or systems software) is an operating system designed to operate and control the computer hardware and to provide a platform for running application software.[1][2] Device drivers such as computer BIOS and device firmware provide basic functionality to operate and control the hardware connected to or built into the computer. The operating system (prominent examples being z/OS, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Linux), allows the parts of a computer to work together by performing tasks like transferring data between memory and disks or rendering output onto a display device. It also provides a platform to run high-level system software and application software. Window systems are components of a graphical user interface (GUI), and more specifically of a desktop environment, which supports the implementation of window managers, and provides basic support for graphics hardware, pointing devices such as mouse, and keyboards. The mouse cursor is also generally drawn by the windowing system. Utility software helps to analyze, configure, optimize and maintain the computer. Servers are computer programs running to serve the requests of other programs. The server performs some computational task on behalf of the software which may run on either the same computer or on other computers connected through a network. In some publications, the term system software also includes software development tools (like a compiler, linker or debugger).[3] In contrast to system software, software that allows users to do things like create text documents, play games, listen to music, or surf the web is called application software The operating system and utility programs are the two major categories of system software. Just as the processor is the nucleus of the computer system, the operating system is the nucleus of all software activity. The operating system is the most important program that runs on a computer. Every generalpurpose computer must have an operating system to run other programs. Operating systems perform basic tasks, such as

recognizing input from the keyboard sending output to the display screen keeping track of files and directories on the disk controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers.

It is the first program loaded into memory when the computer is turned on and, in a sense, brings life to the computer hardware. Without it, you cannot use your word processing software, spreadsheet software, or any other applications.

Without an operating system, you cannot communicate with your computer. When you give the computer a command, the operating system relays the instructions to the 'brain' of the computer, called the microprocessor or CPU. You cannot speak directly to the CPU because it only understands machine language. When you are working in an application software program, such as Microsoft Word, commands that you give the application are sent through the operating system to the CPU. Windows2000, Window95/98, Mac OS, Unix and DOS are all examples of operating systems.

Utility programs help manage, maintain and control computer resources. These programs are available to help you with the day-to-day chores associated with personal computing and to keep your system running at peak performance. Some examples of utility programs include:

Virus scanning software Backup software Scandisk Disk defragmenter

Virus Scanning Software are utility programs designed to protect your computer from computer viruses. Virus scanning software is critical to uses, due to the number of computer viruses (small computer programs created to disrupt and destroy computer files and/or operating system software). Virus scanning software scans your disk each time you insert it into a computer at Alverno. If you receive a warning that there is a virus suspected on your disk - contact the lab assistant to

help you eliminate the virus. If you own your own computer, you should have a good virus scanning software package installed. Remember - virus scanning software needs to be updated on a regular basis (usually monthly). Updates insure that your virus scanning software will protect you from the most recent viruses. Virus scanning packages come with directions on how to receive updates to your software! Backup software is software that assists you in backing up your files and even the entire computer hard drive. It is important for you to back up your files regularly (see the File Management Tutorial for more information). If you own your own computer, you should think about how to backup your valuable data on your hard drive. At Alverno, the server that houses your Home Folder is backed up regularly! Scandisk is a utility provided with Windows computers. Scandisk scans your disks to see if there are any potential problems on the disk, such as bad disk areas. Since disks are magnetic media, all disks, including your hard drive can be corrupted. Disk Defragmenter software assists you in keep reorganizing your disk drives. After files are saved, deleted and resaved again, the disk can become fragmented --- available space is in small blocks located throughout the disk. Disk defragmenters gather those free spots and put them together to enable you to continue to save your data in the most efficient manner.

What is a User Interface?

The user interface is the junction between a user and a computer program. An interface is a set of commands or menus through which a user communicates with a program. It is how you interact with the computer. There are two common user interfaces:

A command-driven interface is one in which you type in commands to make the computer do something. You have to know the commands and what they do and they have to be typed correctly. DOS and Unix are examples of command-driven interfaces. A graphical user interface (GUI) is one in which you select command choices from various menus, buttons and icons using a mouse. It is a user-friendly interface. The Windows and Mac OS are both graphical user interfaces.

Do you think it is easier to click on menus and icons to make the computer do something or to memorize many commands that you have to type without error to make the computer do the same thing? The graphical representation of commands is much easier for people to understand and use and therefore, is called user-friendly. In 1984, the Apple Company introduced the first GUI computer, the Macintosh. Windows 95/98, NT, ME, 2000 and XP are all GUI operating systems.

Application software is all the computer software that causes a computer to perform useful tasks (compare with Computer viruses) beyond the running of the computer itself. A specific instance of such software is called a software application, application or app. The term is used to contrast such software with system software, which manages and integrates a computer's capabilities but does not directly perform tasks that benefit the user. The system software serves the application, which in turn serves the user. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with documents. Applications may be bundled with the computer and its system software or published separately, and can be coded as university projects.

Memory Test in Windows XP

The Windows Memory Diagnostic tests the Random Access Memory (RAM) on your computer for errors. The diagnostic includes a comprehensive set of memory tests. If you are experiencing problems while running Windows, you can use the diagnostic to determine whether the problems are caused by failing hardware, such as RAM or the memory system of your motherboard. Windows Memory Diagnostic is designed to be easy and fast. On most configurations, you can download the diagnostic, read the documentation, run the test and complete the first test pass in less than 30 minutes. To run Windows Memory Diagnostic, you must reboot your computer with the disk or CD-ROM on which you installed Windows Memory Diagnostic in the drive. After the reboot, Windows Memory Diagnostic will load and its interface will appear. After loading, the first test pass will begin, using the default standard test suite, and continue until complete, unless Windows Memory Diagnostic is either paused or exited. Once the first test pass is complete, Windows Memory Diagnostic will begin a second test pass using the same settings as before. Windows Memory Diagnostic will continue to run test passes until you exit. System requirements: Windows Memory Diagnostic supports x86-based computers with the following microprocessors: - Intel(tm) - Pentium or Celeron families - AMD - K6, Athlon, or Duron families - Microprocessors compatible with those listed You can test all types of RAM that run on x86-based computers with the supported microprocessors. However, if you have error checking and correcting (ECC) RAM, Windows Memory Diagnostic may not report any errors because the ECC mechanism automatically detects and corrects the error. It might still be useful to run Windows Memory Diagnostic if you have ECC RAM because it may detect errors that the ECC RAM is unable to correct (which indicates problems with the RAM). Windows Memory Diagnostic is limited to testing only the first 4 gigabytes (GB) of RAM. If you have more than 4 GB of RAM, the remaining RAM after the first 4 GB will not be tested by Windows Memory Diagnostic. Memory tests: Windows Memory Diagnostic includes a comprehensive set of memory tests that provide varying degrees of testing thoroughness. The tests are organized into three predefined test suites: basic, standard, and extended. These categories reflect, in increasing order, the time for each test to run as well as the probability of the test detecting errors. The standard test suite includes all of the tests in the basic and standard categories. The extended test suite includes all of the tests in the standard test suite plus the tests from the extended category. The extended test suite takes the longest time to run and is the most thorough test suite.

Each test consists of a testing algorithm, a microprocessor cache setting of either on or off, and a test pattern. Each algorithm is designed to identify a certain type of memory error. The algorithms are combined with different microprocessor cache settings and test patterns to identify different types of errors

http://support.microsoft.com

How to restore Windows XP to a previous state

INTRODUCTION
This article describes how to use the System Restore tool to return your computer to a previous state. System Restore takes "snapshots" of critical system files and some program files and registry settings, and then it stores this information as restore points. If your computer is not functioning correctly, you can use these restore points to return Windows XP to a previous state when your computer was functioning correctly. It can also change scripts, batch files, and other kinds of executable files on your computer.

Note System Restore does not affect personal files, such as email messages, documents, or photos. You can only restore files that you have deleted if you have made backups of those files.

Note To perform the System Restore, you must be logged on to Windows as an administrator. If your computer is part of a network, you might have to ask the system administrator for help.

More information

Note To perform the System Restore, you must be logged on to Windows as an administrator. If your computer is part of a network, you might have to ask the system administrator for help. To verify that you are logged on to Windows as an administrator, follow these steps

1. Open the Date and Time dialog box. a. Click Start, and then click Run. b. Type the following command in the Run dialog box, and then click OK: timedate.cpl

2. Use one of the appropriate steps, depending on the result. o If the Date and Time Properties dialog box appears, you are already logged on as an administrator. Click Cancel to close the Date and TimeProperties dialog box.

If you receive the following message, you are not logged on as an administrator.

How to use System Restore to restore Windows XP to a previous state To use System Restore to restore Windows XP to a previous state, follow these steps: 1. Log on to Windows as an administrator. 2. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Restore.

3. On the Welcome to System Restore page, click to select the Restore my computer to an earlier time option, and then click Next.

4. On the Select a Restore Point page, click the most recent system restore point in the On this list, click a restore point list, and then click Next.

Note A System Restore message may appear that lists configuration changes that System Restore will make. Click OK.

5. On the Confirm Restore Point Selection page, click Next. System Restore restores the previous Windows XP configuration, and then restarts the computer. 6. Log on to the computer as an administrator. Then, click OK on the System Restore Restoration Complete page.

If you successfully restored your computer to a previous state and the computer runs as expected, you are finished.

How to undo a system restoration after you perform a System Restore You may have unintentionally restored Windows XP to a previous configuration that you do not want. To undo the restoration, follow these steps:

1. Log on to Windows as an administrator. 2. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Restore.

3. On the Welcome to System Restore page, click to select the Undo my last restoration option, and then click Next.

Note A System Restore message may appear that lists configuration changes that System Restore will make. Click OK.

4. On the Confirm Restoration Undo page, click Next. System Restore restores the original Windows XP configuration and then restarts the computer. 5. Log on to the computer as an administrator. The System Restore Undo Complete page appears.

6. Click OK. You can now run System Restore again from a different restore point.

How to start the System Restore tool by using the safe mode option with the Command prompt in Windows XP
This article describes how to start the System Restore tool in safe mode by using the Command prompt (SAFEBOOT_OPTION=Minimal(AlternateShell)). This option is used when you cannot start Windows XP. System Restore is a tool that automatically monitors and records any changes that are made to the core Windows system files and to the registry. If a change causes your system to become unstable, System Restore can undo (or "roll back") the system to a point in time when your computer was known to function correctly.

More information
How to start System Restore by using the Command prompt Note You must be logged on to Windows with a user account that is a computer administrator to complete these steps.

If a new program has made your computer behave unpredictably, and uninstalling the new program did not help, you can try the Windows XP System Restore tool.

Important If you have not previously set a restore point in System Restore, you cannot restore your computer to a previous state. If you are not sure, or if you have not previously set a restore point, contact Support. To start System Restore using the Command prompt, follow these steps: 1. Restart your computer, and then press and hold F8 during the initial startup to start your computer in safe mode with a Command prompt. 2. Use the arrow keys to select the Safe mode with a Command prompt option. 3. If you are prompted to select an operating system, use the arrow keys to select the appropriate operating system for your computer, and then press ENTER. 4. Log on as an administrator or with an account that has administrator credentials. 5. At the command prompt, type %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe, and then press ENTER. 6. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to restore your computer to a functional state.

A description of the Safe Mode Boot options in Windows XP

This article discusses the several Safe Boot options that Windows supports. These options load a minimal set of drivers. You can use these options to start Windows so that you can modify the registry or load or remove drivers.

More information
To use a Safe Boot option, follow these steps: 1. Restart your computer and start pressing the F8 key on your keyboard. On a computer that is configured for booting to multiple operating systems, you can press the F8 key when the Boot Menu appears. 2. Select an option when the Windows Advanced Options menu appears, and then press ENTER. 3. When the Boot menu appears again, and the words "Safe Mode" appear in blue at the bottom, select the installation that you want to start, and then press ENTER. Description of Safe Boot options

Safe Mode (SAFEBOOT_OPTION=Minimal): This option uses a minimal set of device drivers and services to start Windows. Safe Mode with Networking (SAFEBOOT_OPTION=Network): This option uses a minimal set of device drivers and services to start Windows together with the drivers that you must have to load networking. Safe Mode with Command Prompt (SAFEBOOT_OPTION=Minimal(AlternateShell)): This option is the same as Safe mode, except that Cmd.exe starts instead of Windows Explorer.

Enable VGA Mode: This option starts Windows in 640 x 480 mode by using the current video driver (not Vga.sys). This mode is useful if the display is configured for a setting that the monitor cannot display. Note Safe mode and Safe mode with Networking load the Vga.sys driver instead. Last Known Good Configuration: This option starts Windows by using the previous good configuration. Directory Service Restore Mode: This mode is valid only for Windows-based domain controllers. This mode performs a directory service repair. Debugging Mode: This option turns on debug mode in Windows. Debugging information can be sent across a serial cable to another computer that is running a debugger. This mode is configured to use COM2. Enable Boot Logging: This option turns on logging when the computer is started with any of the Safe Boot options except Last Known Good Configuration. The Boot Logging text is recorded in the Ntbtlog.txt file in the %SystemRoot% folder. Starts Windows Normally: This option starts Windows in its normal mode. Reboot: This option restarts the computer. Return to OS Choices Menu: On a computer that is configured to starting to more than one operating system, this option returns to the Boot menu.

An environment variable is set when you use one of the Safe Boot options. The environment variable is SAFEBOOT_OPTION. This variable is set to either Network or to Minimal. The default Microsoft VGA driver is used for display at 640 x 480 resolution and in 16 colors. You must log on in all modes by a domain or by the local Security Accounts Manager, depending on which Safe Boot mode you select.

System Restore "restore points" are missing or deleted

SYMPTOMS
When you start the System Restore tool and view the "Select a Restore Point" page, some of your restore points may be missing.

CAUSE
The deletion of restore points may be caused by any one of the following by-design conditions:

You run out of disk space on the system drive or on any one of the available non-system drives, and System Restore stops responding and stops monitoring your system. This behavior causes the system to delete all restore points in an attempt to free up disk space. However, you have probably already received a warning about running low in disk space prior to

this point. In this case, when sufficient disk space is freed, System Restore starts to monitor the system again. At this point, it creates an automatic System Checkpoint. Note If you have a multiple-partition computer with a drive that has almost no free space, this drive may cause System Restore to stop responding all across the system and to delete restore points. However, this only occurs if you have reached the minimum disk space that is allowed and if you perform operations on monitored file types. Examples of such operations are upgrading, uninstalling or installing programs, moving, and deleting or renaming files. If your drive has almost no free space but you only perform operations on non-monitored files, System Restore does not stop responding. You manually turn System Restore off. o If you manually turn System Restore off on the system drive, all restore points are deleted, and you receive the following warning message: You have chosen to turn off System Restore. If you continue, all existing restore points will be deleted, and you will not be able to track and undo changes to your computer. Do you want to turn off System Restore? Yes No
o

If you manually turn System Restore off on any non-system drive, all restore points on that specific drive are deleted, and you receive the following warning message: You have chosen to turn off System Restore on this drive. If you continue, you will not be able to track or undo harmful changes on this drive. Do you want to turn off System Restore on this drive? Yes No

When you turn System Restore on again on the system drive, it immediately creates a System Checkpoint. When you turn System Restore on again on a non-system drive, it does not immediately create a restore point on that drive, but monitoring resumes immediately on the drive. You upgrade from one operating system to another or you reinstall the operating system. The upgrade might be from Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition to Windows XP or from Windows XP to Windows XP. After you run the Setup program, you will have to run System Checkpoint, but the restore points you had under the previous operating system are gone. Windows does not let you return to an older version of the operating system by using System Restore. Note When you upgrade, you might still see some restore point files and folders in the <drive letter>:\System Volume Information in Windows XP or under the <System Drive>:\_RESTORE folder in Windows Millennium Edition. However, these restore points are obsolete and cannot be used as they do not appear on the Select a Restore Point list on the System Restore page. If you start the Disk Cleanup utility and you click the Disk Cleanup tab, a System Restore:

Obsolete Data Stores entry is available. These are files that were created before Windows was reformatted or reinstalled. They are obsolete and you can delete them. If you choose to clean up and delete these files, you will no longer see them under the folders that are mentioned earlier in this article, and the option to delete obsolete data stores will no longer appear on the Disk Cleanup utility. You start the Disk Cleanup utility, click the More Options tab, and then click Clean up under System Restore. When you do this, all restore points (except the most recent one) are deleted. You are running low on disk space, but not so low that System Restore stops performing. System Restore deletes some of the restore points, but not all of them. This occurs because System Restore uses a First In First Out (FIFO) process to decrease the size of the data store to approximately 75 percent of its maximum size when the data store reaches approximately 90 percent of its maximum size. The maximum size may be the default size, or it may be set by the user. System Restore performs this deletion regardless of how much disk space you have. A restore point reaches an age of 90 days. The restore point is then deleted because 90 days is the default time to live. You manually reduce the data store size. This triggers the FIFO process to delete some restore points to accommodate the newly-resized data store.

MORE INFORMATION
System Restore uses the FIFO process on restore points consistently across drives and always deletes full restore points. System Restore keeps restore point information about all drives. So when one drive causes System Restore to use the FIFO process on restore points because of low disk space, the restore point information is deleted on all drives. For additional information, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

The System Restore Utility May Be Suspended on a System Drive Even Though There Is Enough Disk Space
SYMPTOMS
When you examine the settings for the System Restore utility, you may observe that System Restore is suspended even though you have enough free disk space on the system drive. If you attempt to start System Restore, you may receive the following message: System Restore is suspended because there is not enough disk space available on the system drive (drive letter). To restart System Restore, ensure at least 200 megabytes (MB) of free disk space are available on this drive. Do you want to start Disk Cleanup to free more disk space now? Yes No

CAUSE
This behavior can occur when the following conditions are true:

A drive that is not a system drive that has System Restore enabled on it has reached less than 50 MB of free disk space. A copy, delete, modify operation was made to a file that is monitored by System Restore on such drive.

This will cause System Restore to suspend across the system.

RESOLUTION
To work around this behavior, use either of the following two methods: Method 1 If the drive that is running low on disk space does not need to be monitored, disable System Restore on that drive: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. On the System Properties dialog box, click the System Restore tab. Under Drive Settings, click Available drives to select the appropriate drive. Click Settings. Click to select the Turn off System Restore on this drive check box. Click OK, and then click OK on the System Properties dialog box.

Method 2 Start the Disk Cleanup tool and free up to 200 MB of space on the drive that has caused the problem. You can also free that space by deleting unnecessary files, folders, or programs from the drive. If you have freed at least 200 MB of disk space, the status of System Restore may be displayed as "Suspended" on the System Restore user interface. This behavior is by design as System Restore, by default, waits for 15 minutes after you have freed the disk space before System Restore restarts. After you have freed up the disk space, you can start System Restore to immediately restore its monitoring function on your computer if you click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, click System Tools, and then click System Restore.

How the System Restore Tool Handles HardDisk Space Usage

SUMMARY
This articles describes how the System Restore tool handles hard-disk space usage, particularly where low disk-space issues are concerned.

MORE INFORMATION
By default, System Restore is enabled on all hard-disk partitions upon the completion of Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional Setup. However, after installation of the operating system, System Restore is automatically suspended when there is less than 200 megabytes (MB) of free harddisk space on the system drive. The service automatically resumes its monitoring activities at the next system idle time -- as soon as 200 MB of hard-disk space is available. The same behavior is expected after Windows XP installation if any of the partitions become low on available hard-disk space. Additionally, if disk-space use encroaches on the data store size, with non-monitored files for example, System Restore always yields its data store space to the system. This is because the data store size is not a reserved space and is always calculated as effective size. For example, if the data store size is configured to 500 MB, of which 200 MB is already used, and the current free hard-disk space is only 150 MB, the effective size is 350 MB (200 + 150), not 500 MB. In other words, the data store size is always limited by the available free hard-disk space. Specifically, note the following conditions:

When a given hard disk has less than 80 MB of remaining free disk space, System Restore purges the data store down to 75 percent of its size, or purges at least one restore point (this is the case if the data store is already below 75 percent). System Restore does not stop restore point creation. It continues to create idle time check points as time demands, and keeps purging on a first in, first out (FIFO) basis, as space demands. When a disk has less than 50 MB of remaining free disk space, System Restore purges the data store completely and suspends System Restore on all drives (consistent freeze) until the minimum disk space (200 MB) is created again. Then, System Restore restarts monitoring. NOTE: 200 MB is required on the system drive only.

If any disk is suspended, System Restore is suspended on all disks. If you check the System Restore Properties user interface (UI), it shows the drives as suspended. The reason for this behavior is that, if System Restore performs an independent suspension (freeze), and then you perform a restore, you would restore some drives but not others if the end user did not explicitly disable those drives. This scenario would place the system in a very inconsistent state, especially if you are installing programs on a non-system drive. If you try to start System Restore when it is in the suspended state, you receive the following warning message: System Restore is suspended on Drive drive letter because there is not enough disk space available. To restart System Restore, free at least 200 MB of disk space. Do you want to start Disk Cleanup to free more disk space now? When the computer begins to get low on disk space, you receive a pop-out balloon warning in the System Tray (Systray), alerting you that your computer is running low, or is out of, disk space, as the thresholds are approached (which are 200 MB, 80 MB, and 50 MB, respectively). If you click the balloon, the Disk CleanUp utility (DCU) is automatically started in an attempt to free up additional disk space. If the space freed is not sufficient, you receive one of the warning messages listed in the following sections of this article. At that point, you have the opportunity to start the Add/Remove Programs utility to

uninstall some programs and create more space on the hard disk. You receive "low disk space" warning messages from Disk Cleanup when your disks become low on space and System Restore protection is at risk. If you choose to ignore the messages at the 200 MB threshold and become critically low on disk space, you will continue to receive the messages and warning messages at approximately 80 MB and 50 MB of free disk space. On non-system drives, you receive the warning, but not the additional warnings, after starting DCU. Balloon Messages You will receive various balloon messages regarding disk space. These include the following. At 200 MB of free disk space: Low Disk Space You are running out of disk space on Local Disk (drive letter). To free space on this drive by deleting old or unnecessary files, click here... At 80 MB and 50 MB of remaining free disk space: Low Disk Space You are running very low on disk space on Local Disk (drive letter). To free space on this drive by deleting old or unnecessary files, click here... Warning Messages You will receive various warning messages regarding disk space. These include the following. At 200-MB threshold of free disk space: Your Windows drive has only (amount MB) of free disk space available. It is recommended to have at least a minimum of 200 MB free on your Windows drive to ensure system reliability. You can free even more disk space by removing programs that you do not use. Would you like to do that now?

At 80-MB threshold of free disk space: Your Windows Drive has only (amount MB) of free disk space available. This is a critically low amount of disk space. If you do not free at least 200 MB, on this drive, System Restore may not be able to track or undo harmful changes to your computer. You can free even more disk space by removing programs that you do not use. Would you like to do that now? Note If the system reaches less than 80 MB of free hard-disk space, and you try to start System Restore, you receive the following message:

System Restore You do not have sufficient free disk space on the system drive (drive letter:\) to perform a restore. Please free at least 80 MB of disk space on this drive. Do you want to start Disk Cleanup to free more disk space now? At the 50-MB threshold of free disk space: Your Windows Drive has only (amount MB) of free disk space available. This is a critically low amount of disk space. System Restore has suspended tracking changes to your computer because there is not enough disk space available. This means that System Restore will not be able to undo harmful changes if they occur. To reactivate System Restore, free at least 200 MB of disk space. You can free even more disk space by removing programs that you do not use. Would you like to do that now? Note If you ignore the warning, the next time that you try to start System Restore, you receive the following message: System Restore is suspended because there is not enough disk space available on the system drive (drive letter). To restart System Restore, ensure that at least 200 MB of free disk space are available on this drive. Do you want to start Disk Cleanup to free more disk space now?

The Registry Keys and Values for the System Restore Utility
MORE INFORMATION
Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. In the registry, you can modify many values for System Restore. However, it is recommended that you use the user interface whenever possible to configure System Restore, as you may be unable to reverse the changes you made in the registry, which can place your computer into an unstable condition. In Windows XP, there are three registry keys that you can use to modify System Restore:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Sr This key is related to the System Restore filter. This key and its values must not be be modified under any circumstances as any modifications can cause the operating system to malfunction. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Srservice This key is related to the System Restore service. This key and its values must not be be modified under any circumstances as any modifications can cause the operating system to malfunction. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore

In this registry key, you can modify some DWORD values. However, in this key, there are some values that must not be modified under any circumstances. Values That Can Be Modified Without Risk of Harm to the Computer

CompressionBurst This value, listed in seconds, specifies the idle time compression: The amount of time to compress data after the computer reaches its idle time. A service can compress data for the amount of time that is specified in this value, and then stop. Then, at the next idle time compression, the computer can repeat the process. DiskPercent This value relates to the percentage of disk space that System Restore uses for its data store. The default value is 12 percent. The data store size is always calculated as "max(12 percent, DSMax)," regardless of the size of the hard disk. The maximum (max) size is what is specified in DSMax. For hard disk sizes that are less than 4 gigabytes (GB) in size, 12 percent is less than 400 megabytes (MB), so "max(12 percent, DSMax) equals 400 MB." For hard disk sizes that are greater than 4 GB, 12 percent is greater than 400 MB, so "max(12 percent, DSMax) equals 12 percent." This data store size is not a reserved disk space, and the data store size is used only on demand. DSMax This value specifies the maximum size for the System Restore data store. The default size of the data store is 400 MB. The data store size is always calculated as "max(12 percent, DSMax)," regardless of the size of the hard disk. The maximum (max) size is what is specified in DSMax. For hard disk sizes that are less than 4 GB, 12 percent is less than 400 MB, so "max(12 percent, DSMax) equals 400 MB." For hard disk sizes that are greater than 4 GB, 12 percent is greater than 400 MB, so "max(12 percent, DSMax) equals 12 percent." This data store size is not a reserved disk space, and the data store size is used only on demand. DSMin This value relates to the minimum amount of free disk space that System Restore needs so that it can function during the installation process. Also, this value relates to the minimum amount of free disk space that is needed for System Restore to reactivate and to resume the creation of restore points after System Restore has been disabled because of low disk space. RestoreStatus This value specifies if the last restore operation failed (0), succeeded (1), or had been interrupted (2). RPGlobalInterval This value specifies, in seconds, the amount of time that System Restore waits before it creates the automatic computer check points for elapsed time. The default value is 24 hours. RPLifeInterval This value specifies, in seconds, the restore points Time to Live (TTL). When a restore point

reaches this time and it is still on the system, it gets deleted. The default value is (7776000), which will be 90 days. RPSessionInterval This value specifies, in seconds, the amount of time that System Restore waits before it creates the automatic computer check points for session time (the amount of time that the computer has been on). The default value is zero (0), which means that this feature is turned off. ThawInterval This value specifies, in seconds, the amount of time that System Restore waits before it activates itself from a disabled state (after the conditions for this process to occur have been met). If you start the System Restore user interface, System Restore is activated immediately.

Values That Must Not Be Modified

CreateFirstRunRp This value instructs the computer to create the first restore point, for example, when System Restore is turned off, and then turned back on, or disabled, and then activated. This value must not be modified under any circumstances as a modification can place the computer in an unrecoverable situation (for example, the computer is unable to create a first restore point in any of the preceding situations). DisableSR This value turns System Restore either on or off. If you turn System Restore off in the registry, the existing restore points are not removed. This value must not be modified. System Restore must be turned either on or off only from the user interface. RestoreDiskSpaceError This value instructs the computer to produce an error message in case System Restore is unsuccessful because of problems related to disk space. This value functions as an informational value. RestoreSafeModeStatus This value specifies if the last restore operation had been performed from the Safe mode. TimerInterval This value is the pulling time specified in seconds. This value relates to the time that System Restore "wakes up" and checks for the condition of its disk space. The default value is 120, and it must not be modified as any modifications can affect overall computer performance.