If I choose to restore my XP to a certain date, will my files that I downloaded since then be gone?

Question

I keep extending on this one big problem I'm having with my PC. So, this being the second extension, I'll just tell you everything that I'm having trouble with:
So this all started a few days ago when this big malware thing called Windows Police Pro put itself on my computer. I figured out how to disable and remove most of it so it would stop working, but then another problem arose. When the virus hit, and after the virus hit, my .exe files were screwed up. Whenever I try to launch a program, a window pops up asking me what program I want to use. No matter how many times I launched the same program it would always ask me that. And not only that, but my Windows Command Prompt won't work because it says that it cannot find a certain file. And every little application also won't work. And now I'm thinking of restoring my computer, which now that I'm typing this whole darn thing I'm thinking it over and it doesn't sound too bad seeing as I haven't done a whole lot on my computer since the badness happened... But now I have a different question: The Windows Police Pro virus came out of virtually, nowhere. So if I restore my PC to a day or two before that happened, will it happen again? Or was it just random that I got it from the internet? If something was put on my computer to trigger the "installation" then what's a fast way that can detect it and remove it before it infects my PC again? Thanks for any help in advance.

(If anyone has enough patience to read that whole thing AND give me a thorough answer to fix my problem, you're a hero. Which also means Chosen for Best Answer, as well... Just sayin'...)

? · Accepted Answer

Be careful here.  System Restore is far different from System Recovery.  System Restore is using a Windows utility to jump a few days or weeks back in time (sorta) to a hopefully better point.  System Recovery (which isn't really a recovery) works before Windows is running, and puts your machine back to what it was like right after you powered it on the first time. 

System Restore could well restore the bad stuff with the good.  System Recovery won't.

But System Recovery has some hidden gotchas.  First, lots of stuff you never think about will have to be reinstalled and re-updated (service packs, Microsoft Updates, ...).  This includes Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, ...) and all games and programs you've installed.  Some audio, video and Internet drivers may also disappear.

There is a sort of recover-in-place, but all it really does is not destroy existing files.  You still have the problem of reinstalling software because the operating system won't remember they've been installed, and of gaining access to your files again. (Even if you use the same username when you "Recover", Windows will give you a new internal user identifier that won't have access to them. There's a way to get access again, but it's a chore.)

So System Recovery is a last resort in my opinion.  Do everything you can to clean up the malware mess.

Sorry.

barrant · Answer

First pass to start Then pass to ALL classes Then upload-ons Then device equipment Then device restoration click on the circle that has restoration MY computing gadget TO AN earlier TIME Then click next Then elect A MONTH Then elect a date Then elect a action you probably did interior the previous which you particularly elect to undo EG. Intalled .internet Framework After that click next in a roundabout way you computing gadget might desire to be shutting down and asserting restoring balh balh balh. Then it is going to restrt it is going to take slightly longer then it is going to says restoration sucessful or something.

? · Answer

The files will still be there they just will not be accessable. Anything actually installed will be gone. As to the infestations. You got it once you will get it again. There is no protection that is 100%. Er well I switched to Linux, so far so good.

Trending News

If I choose to restore my XP to a certain date, will my files that I downloaded since then be gone?

3 Answers