Could someone please explain the difference between backing up your system and using the system restore to create a point on the computer? I assume Backup is safer. But why would you use each one? Are they for different things? I don't really get it.

I am assuming by backup you are referring to any number of programs that are not included with Windows XP. System Restore is a service that saves whole configuration files, application settings, and generally important and obvious things. It includes a lot of details. Windows then combines all this into one restore point, which you have to option of taking and over writing the existing configuration. It does not affect generic files (like your Word documents or emails). Backing up usually is meant as a an all or minimal approach. Either you save certain, important files or you save everything. These files can be whatever you choose - often backups are for data (like Word documents and emails), not configurations. Depending on the medium, you can overwrite old backups with new ones. In summary, System Restore is for returning the system, not your data, to a past configuration. Backup can be whatever you want to save, but most usually valuable files that you can recover on another computer if necessary.

They are practically the same thing, but system restore has been known NOT to work well, so backing up AS WELL, is usually a good idea.

I swear XP is nothing but a piece of confusing garbage. I should've stuck with Win98. So the question nobody can seem to help me with is how do I backup my system? I've read tons of stuff but it's all confusing and seems to take a whole lot of effort and it really shouldn't. I can't use the XP installation CD because mine was pre-installed so I didn't get one. I was going to use Norton Ghost 2003 but after reading tons of reviews about how it destroyed people's hard drive, I decided against it. I don't know what else to do to create a backup. Nobody has given me any good and understandable advice. I've searched the internet and that didn't help. Can't someone help me, please?

There's a backup program in the Start - All Programs - accessories menu. Windows restore does not always work. I've had it return a windows cannot restore to the restore point message. A backup is more user controllable, takes effort and is more reliable whereas restore is a one click quick option. A backup of your os setup and programs is reccomended and requires updating only when new programs are added. It is a good idea to archive data to removeable storage; i.e., documents and downloaded files to cd-r etc.

Mikey, If you have the XP Home edition, there is no backup program in the start>all programs>accessories. You have the pre-loaded XP, as I do, and other than using the restore, which has worked quite well for me, another option is to purchase a backup program. I had a hard drive failure, which caused a loss of data. I purchased a second hard drive and Norton Ghost in case my master hard drive fails. I use Ghost to backup onto my slave hard drive just in case of a hard drive failure. I have had to use system restore and it worked fine. The explanation anonproxy gave you is excellent.

Mikey. You say that you didn't get an XP cd,just pre-installed system. That sounds like an H/P computer. Been there, done that. You have system restore which has been described already. You also have System RECOVERY. There are two types of RECOVERY: Destructive which will put your system back to original state.(XP operating system with no third party programs).This has worked for me at the cost of giving up other programs that I installed. Non-destructive system recovery which allows to keep almost every program on your pc. At a cost!!! You may lose your Windows Update service patches and the ability to download and install them. Very buggy at best!!!!!! You may want to look at an imaging program such as Acronis True Image,Norton Ghost or Power Quest Drive Image which will cost you some cash. If you have Nero look it over real good.There is a "burn image" feature in the program that I haven't figured out yet. HTH, JB.