System Restore should only be used as a last resort to return your system to a previously known "good" state. It was designed to be used for specific purposes and should not be used as a "cleanup" tool or a replacement for troubleshooting. It is always best to find what the problem is and use all other methods to fix the issue. If all else should fail, then a System Restore can be of great assistance.

I often receive questions from people who attempt to use System Restore for many purposes. As an example, a common use for System Restore for users who just don't know any better is to use it to uninstall a program. They will install a program, dislike it and use System Restore to attempt to uninstall it. The best method, obviously, would be to use the programs built-in uninstall feature. Or, use Add/Remove programs if the program doesn't have an uninstallation method.

Another common misconception is that it will restore deleted data. System Restore does not monitor changes to data files nor will it restore any data files. So, don't try to use System Restore as a backup tool.