Restoring computer to an earlier date

[Charlene Flagg]

I contacted a worm a week ago and in getting rid of it my computer somehow restored itself to an eariler date of about a year ago. Now all the programs I have installed since that time are not functioning. How do I returm my computer to a time a few weeks prior to getting the worm. I hope I have made myself clear. I tend to write in run-on senetences.
I am runnning windows 98 2nd edition on an HP pavilion XE736

Thanks

[Bill Hassell]

Although this is a Unix forum, here's the answer: Win98 has no way to restore itself to a previous version. You protect your computer (like all computers) with regular backups. WindowsXP has a rudimentary snapshot capability that can restore the opsystem (not programs, datafiles, etc) to a previous state but it is designed to protect against bad drivers, not viruses or worms.

The only possibility is to run your antivirus program to get rid of the worm. If you don't have AV software, you might as well start over by erasing the disk and reloading from your original install CD. The add back all your datafiles from your backup tapes or CDs and reinstall all your applications.

[Steven E. Protter]

If you'd had a product called goback installed or others like it, you might be able to do this.

What you need to do is format the hard drive and start over. After of course carefully copying off any data you have.

Good Luck. Think about Linux or something.

SEP