To all those that think System Restore is the be-all, end-all. If you really want to test System Restore, set up a test computer like I did last week. I installed Windows XP and nothing else. When I was done playing with XP, I decided to get creative. I deleted a large number of files in the Windows\System and \INF folder. I also deleted a few registry entries. When I rebooted, I found I could not get back into Windows (Which I expected). System Restore could do nothing for me, only a full reinstall could.

So, Please do REGULAR backups early and often! It is the only truly fulproof way to recover from a disaster. Also, depending on how important your data is, I would make several copies of the backups, and store them in seprate locations. If the data is truly that important, think Lock Box, think Fire-Proof, ect...

But please do not rely on System Restore alone to save you. I'll admit, it's a nice feature, one that can save you from some accidental file deletion, or a bad driver install, but will not fully protect you.

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"I only know that I can change. Everything else just stays the same." -Staind, Fade
"So now the waves they have subsided. And my soul is bleeding. I can't take away all the shame I feel, forgive me." -Staind, Change
"I am nothing more than a little boy inside. That cries out for attention, though I always try to hide." "I'll do the right thing if the right thing is revealed. But it's always raining in my head" -Staind, Epiphany