Don't you wish you could go back in time and "unopen" it?
Well with windows XP, you can do it.
There is feature in XP called "System Restore".
This takes a kind of "snapshot" of your pc to which you can revert later on.
So, if you opened an attachment only to realise it is a virus, you just revert to your previously saved "snapshot" and all the damage is undone. I wish I had that feature in life. Undo some of the dumb things I have said or done. Could have prevented lots of hangovers.
OK, so how do we do it. (I know this will seem pretty technical but it is worth taking the time to prevent headaches and paying big bucks to jerks like me to fix your "broken" pc.)
First, we will make a "Restore Point".
- Click "Start --> "All Programs" --> "Accessories"--> "System Tools" --> "System Restore".
- Choose "Create a restore point" and click next. Give it a good description so you will recognise it later and click "Create".
Now you can open attachments and install software without fear. If you got zapped with a virus, you just revert to the previous state. (If in the interim, you installed "good" software, and revert to a previous state, that will be gone so make a "Restore Point" every now and then.)
- Click "Start --> "All Programs" --> "Accessories"--> "System Tools" --> "System Restore".
- Choose 'Restore my computer to an earlier time"
- Find the date you created the "Restore Point" and click next.
- Read the warning and click next.
The system will reboot and you will be back at the point of the "Restore Point" Kind of like going back in time.
