When the computer starts having problems related to Windows configuration or in the execution of some programs or even following a virus or malware, there are several ways to return to a previous state, such as using a time machine that restores the situation when the computer worked well. The times of Windows XP are long gone, when the recovery options were rather limited and in most cases it became necessary to reinstall all over again.
The most modern versions of Windows, especially Windows 10, include many internal recovery tools and even if I had already talked about it, it is worth here to summarize all that can be done to bring the PC back to an earlier date .
1) System Restore
This option is the first to try, the simplest, the most immediate, the fastest, but also the least effective.
The Windows configuration restore allows you to choose to delete all changes to the system settings in order to go back to those of yesterday or a few days ago.
This feature does not remove or delete files, does not cancel changes made to documents and other files, has no effect if a malware infection is still active and has not been removed and corrected.
The uninstalled programs return to the PC, while those installed after the date chosen for recovery disappear.
The important thing is to make sure that recovery point creation is automatic, so you can use it when needed.
I refer, for more details, to the guide on how to use system recovery in Windows 7, 8 and 10 .
2) Restore from automatic backup
Restore from backup is the most effective way to get your PC back to a situation prior to the problem.
We have seen many ways of backing up your PC with Windows, but they must be activated and prepared immediately, in order to have it ready when you need it (and sooner or later there will always be a need to restore a backup).
3) Create a new PC user
In several cases, any computer configuration problem can be solved by simply creating a new user.
This method has a certain effectiveness in case you encounter problems with Windows 8 and Windows 10 applications, problems with the Start menu, with the Microsoft store, and in the case of unpacked custom configurations that you do not know how to reset.
With a new Windows user, he repeats the initial configuration of the PC, without deleting anything, not even the programs, files and documents that can be recovered from the folders of the previous user.
To know how to proceed, refer to the guide on how to reset the PC without formatting creating a new user .
4) Restore a PC with Windows 7
With Windows 7 you can still do a reset, trying to repair the existing installation or reinstalling everything from scratch, but without losing data.
To know how to proceed refer to the old guide on how to restore or reinstall Windows without losing personal data and settings.
5) Restore a PC with Windows 8 to a previous date
In the absence of a backup, in Windows 8 and 8.1 Microsoft has finally included an automatic tool to repair the system without deleting personal files on the PC.
The options to restore, reinstall or reinitialize Windows 8 are very effective, easy to use and safe.
The only thing that is lost with this recovery are the programs, which you can still download from the internet and reinstall.
Remember, in case you have paid programs, to save the license keys before the reset.
6) Recovery in Windows 10
With Windows 10, Microsoft has improved those Windows 8.1 recovery options and has also added a full Windows 10 reset tool, which performs a factory reset, without deleting personal files.
In some cases, when the PC no longer starts, it may be useful to have a Windows installation disk available, so as to start the PC from here, and use the recovery and recovery options seen above, or even to reinstall the system.
