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I have just completed a system recovery on my PC that’s running Windows XP, but I cannot get the PC to pick up the AGP slot with the video card in it, any advice?

Windows System Restore

As you might already realize, the System Restore function rolls your computer back to a previous state. This operation can be extremely useful if you have encountered recent problems but, along with removing any negative changes, System Restore will also remove any positive changes that you have made to your system. As a result, you will need to re-add the updates and software programs that you have added since the date you rolled your computer back to.

Device Drivers

You probably need to update your drivers to allow your computer to recognize the video card. Device drivers are small bits of software that allow the computer to recognize and communicate with different devices that you add to it, such as video and graphics cards. It’s likely that the system recovery you performed removed some added driver software and replacing it will hopefully solve the problem.

Use Device Manager to get Details of your Drivers

The first step is to find out the make and model of your video card. If you aren’t sure, you can use Device Manager to check using Windows XP.

1. Right click My Computer, choose Manage, and then Device Manager
2. Scroll through the list to find your video or graphics card
3. Double click the device listing
4. Right click the specific device and choose Properties
5. Under the Driver tab, choose Driver Details
6. Go to the manufacturer’s website and look for any available drivers

Update Device Drivers

To update the driver using Windows XP:

1. Double click the device listing that you want to update
2. Right click the device driver listing
3. Choose Update Driver
4. This will launch the Hardware Update Wizard
5. Follow the Wizard’s instructions to update the driver

Update Windows and Security Software

It is also a good idea to update the rest of your software programs because the System Restore most likely removed all your added updates. Use this link to check Windows Updates and re-install the recommended software. You should also go to the websites for your antivirus and malware security programs and get your defenses up to date.

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The answer to this question varies depending on your operating system as well as the backup utility that you used to create the restoration files. For example, if you are running Windows XP Professional, you may have used either the NTBACKUP utility or Automated System Recovery which is a sub-set of NTBACKUP. If you are running Windows Vista, the Backup Status and Configuration utility may have been used. To further complicate matters, third party backup software has its own set of instructions for recovering your data.

Let’s take a look at the built-in tools found in Windows XP and Vista and see if any of these solutions solve your problem. In the case of NTBACKUP, if you must restore the operating system, you will first need to reinstall your operating system before attempting to restore other programs, data, and files.

Automated System Recovery (ASR), which is part of NTBACKUP, allows you to restore data without having to reinstall the operating system. This option requires that you first have created the restoration using ASR. ASR then creates a restore floppy which is used when the time comes to restore the operating system. Keep in mind that this is only used to restore the system - not your applications and data. In addition, ASR is not available in Windows XP Home edition.

Moving on to Windows Vista, you’ll find that the Vista operating system has a built-in backup system in place which is found in the Start button >All Programs > Accessories > System Tools folder. This option is not turned on by default. The Backup Status and Configuration utility is designed to backup data files - not system or application files. In addition, it does not backup EFS files, FAT file system files, temporary files, Recycle Bin files, or files stored online such as web-based emails.

Both Windows XP and Vista feature a utility called System Restore that makes a backup of critical system settings and configurations. This utility is useful for restoring the system to a point in time where it was operating as expected. This utility does not make backups of applications and data. Restoring the system to a previous Restore Point does not overwrite or restore data.

Third party backup software allows you to backup a variety of file types to media types such as tapes, DVD-ROMs, CD-ROMs, and other hard drives. In addition, you can subscribe to online backup services where your files and data are stored online.

With all of these backup options (and this is just the tip of the iceberg), system recovery and restoring your files is dependent on the system you created the original backup with. No matter which utility you used to create the recovery files, you will likely need to launch that same utility in order to recover your system, data, or files. For example, most backup utilities have specific features for backing up files and restoring them.

Your best bet is to launch the original backup utility and look for a restore feature.

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