Creating and Using a System Repair Disc

Viruses or other malware can attack system files and bring your Windows PC to its knees. One way to protect your PC is to prepare for the worst by creating a system repair disc and backing up your files. This section shows you how to create a system repair disc. The following section shows you how to back up and restore files.

To create a system repair disc, click Start, All Programs, Maintenance, Create a System Repair Disc. If you have more than one disc drive, open the Drive menu and click the drive you want to use. Insert a blank disc into the drive and click Create disc. When Windows has completed the disc, it displays a message instructing you to label the disc. Eject the disc, label it as instructed, click Close, and then click OK.
To use the repair disc, here's what you do:

1. Insert the repair disc into your PC's disc drive.
2. Restart your PC using your PC's power button and watch the screen carefully; it should display a message telling you to press a certain key to access the boot menu. (If you don't see such a message, check your PC's manual to determine how to boot from the disc drive.)
3. Press the designated key and then choose the option to boot from the disc drive instead of the hard drive.
4. Choose your language settings and click Next.
5. Choose the desired recovery option and click Next.
6. Follow the onscreen instructions to repair or restore your system.