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Using the same scenario but assuming you’re doing differential instead of incremental backups, you only need the weekly backup and then the Wednesday backup to restore your system. A differential backup always requires only two backups to restore a system. Suddenly, the differential backup looks better than the incremental! On the other hand, one big benefit of incremental over differential is backup file size. Differential backup files are massive compared to incremental ones.

Backup and Restore Center for Vista

One of the many changes between XP and Vista was the elimination of NTBackup, replaced with the Windows Backup and Restore Center. If you open this program, you’ll notice that you only have two options: back up everything or restore from a backup (Figure 17-46).

Figure 17-46 Backup and Restore Center

If you choose to back up your computer, you have another two choices: back up files or back up the entire computer. Back up files gives you a choice of the file types you wish to back up (Figure 17-47). Back up computer backs up the entire computer: every single file and folder. Vista no longer supports tape backups nor can you choose between differential or incremental backups. If you want these options, you need to buy a third-party backup tool.

Figure 17-47 Back up Files option

The Vista tool comes with a handy wizard that automatically configures when you want to back up. So although you lose some of the options from NTBackup, you’ll find this to be a powerful tool that works for most of your backup needs.

System Restore

Every technician has war stories about the user who likes to add the latest gadget and cool software to his computer. Then he’s amazed when things go very, very wrong: the system locks up, refuses to boot, or simply acts weird. This guy also can’t remember what he added or when. All he knows is that you should be able to fix it—fast.

This is not news to the folks at Microsoft, and they have a solution to this problem. It’s called System Restore, and they first introduced it in Windows Me, with further refinements in Windows XP. The System Restore tool enables you to create a restore point, a copy of your computer’s configuration at a specific point in time. If you later crash or have a corrupted OS, you can restore the system to its previous state.

To create a restore point, go to Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Restore. When the tool opens, select Create a restore point and then click Next (Figure 17-48). Type in a description on the next screen. There’s no need to include the date and time because the System Restore adds them automatically. Click Create and you’re finished.

Figure 17-48 Create a restore point

System Restore in Windows Vista is much more automatic, with the operating system making a number of restore points automatically. To make your own restore point, go to System Properties, select System Protection, and then click the Create button as shown in Figure 17-49.

If you click the System Restore button, you might be surprised at how many system restore points are already made for you (Figure 17-50). In most cases, one of these is all you’ll need to return your system to an earlier point.

The System Restore tool creates some of the restore points in time automatically. For instance, by default, every time you install new software, XP creates a restore point. Thus, if installation of a program causes your computer to malfunction, simply restore the system to a time point prior to that installation, and the computer should work again.

During the restore process, only settings and programs are changed. No data is lost. Your computer includes all programs and settings as of the restore date. This feature is absolutely invaluable for overworked techs. A simple restore fixes many user-generated problems.

Figure 17-49 Creating a manual System Restore in Vista

Figure 17-50 Restore points in Vista

To restore to a previous time point,