Explained: System Restore vs System Recovery, and When to Use It

Infopackets Reader Fred L. writes:

" Dear Dennis,

I own an HP computer with Windows 7 and many of my programs keep crashing for no apparent reason. One of the biggest problems I have is that Windows Explorer crashes, then my desktop is reset; this happens over and over again, making it impossible to use the computer. I've scanned for viruses and malware and nothing as turned up. As such, I would like to reset the computer to factory settings and wipe out the entire hard drive, similar to when I first purchased the computer. There is something called HP Recovery Manager, but I don't fully understand what is the difference between a system restore and system recovery? Can you help? "

My response:

Rolling back a Windows Restore Point (also sometimes referred to as a "system restore") allows you to partially revert the system back to a time when it was working properly. Reverting a restore point usually only affects the system registry, drivers, and some DLL files - and not all the data on the hard disk (C drive). As such, reverting a restore point may not 'fix' your problem. In contrast, a System Recovery will wipe out the entire drive and all user data and reset everything to 'factory specifications', allowing the system to operate from a previously 100% working state, just as when you first purchased it.

If your computer is extremely problematic and you cannot revert a Windows Restore point, or if you don't have any disk image backups to restore, then running the HP System Recovery is definitely what you want to do - but only after you backup your data, first. For those of us without an HP system, a "windows reset" whereby you select the option to "remove everything and reinstall Windows" is the same as a "system recovery".

What to do if the PC Crashes after a System Recovery

If you still have errors with programs crashing after a System Recovery is issued, then you most likely have a hardware problem - at this point it's usually a bad motherboard or RAM, or possibly a heat dissipation issue. It is extremely rare that the CPU is defective, though it's possible.

By far the best program used to test the stability of the system hardware is called Prime95, which runs from within the Windows desktop. The design of this program is to run complex math calculations; if the computer is unstable, then this program will report an error in its calculations, which then means you have a hardware problem. Simply run the program for 24 hours using the 'torture test' using the "In-place Large FFTs (maximum heat, power consumption, some RAM tested)" setting.

If you want to test the RAM exclusively, then you can download the Memtest x86 .ISO file (free edition) and burn it to CD, then boot from the CD and let that run for a day. If you have any errors running that test, then you definitely have bad RAM and will need to replace one of the modules. I suggest you run this program after running Prime95 as it focuses strictly on RAM.

In either case, a bad motherboard or RAM or even heat dissipation issues will cause repeated program crashes in Windows, especially after you have done a factory reset. You can think of the factory reset (or System Recovery) as a 'base foundation' to which Windows should work properly from. If it still doesn't work after the System Recovery has been issued, then there is a very, very good chance you have a hardware problem.

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About the author: Dennis Faas is the owner and operator of Infopackets.com. With over 30 years of computing experience, Dennis' areas of expertise are a broad range and include PC hardware, Microsoft Windows, Linux, network administration, and virtualization. Dennis holds a Bachelors degree in Computer Science (1999) and has authored 6 books on the topics of MS Windows and PC Security. If you like the advice you received on this page, please up-vote / Like this page and share it with friends. For technical support inquiries, Dennis can be reached via Live chat online this site using the Zopim Chat service (currently located at the bottom left of the screen); optionally, you can contact Dennis through the website contact form.