Hi lucyfur-ga:
There are several ways to interpret your question, so if my Answer
misses the perspective you are looking for, please let me know.
The most obvious difference between the System Restore feature of
Windows XP, and Norton GoBack, is the one that you are already aware
of; namely, System Restore comes as part of the Windows XP operating
system, while Norton GoBack is stand-alone software that you need to
purchase separately from Windows XP. I'm pretty confident that you are
not looking for that difference. :)
In terms of what the two programs do, the main function is the same;
they both take snapshots in time of your PC's configuration and system
files, so that you can choose to "roll back" the clock and restore a
previous configuration (including restoring any system files that were
replaced in the interim).
Where the two differ, is in the depth and breadth of what is included
in the snapshot, and the level of control you have over the restoring
of a previous snapshot.
From the Microsoft website, you can read about the main features of System Restore:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/xpsysrst.mspx
Essentially, the System Restore feature automatically makes an archive
of the system registry along with application-related file types such
as .exe, .dll, .sys. System Restore can be triggered automatically by
an installation program that is compatible, or can be triggered
manually by the user using the System Restore Wizard. When the user
wants to "roll back" the system configuration, they can use the Wizard
to select a previously-saved restore point, and use it to cause the
registry and application files to revert to the archived, previous
version. Data files are neither saved by System Restore, nor restored
by it; System Restore only protects settings and application programs.
Norton GoBack has more features, as described on the Norton GoBack webpage:
http://www.symantec.com/goback/features.html
Like System Restore, GoBack can be triggered automatically by an
installation program to take a snapshot of the system registry, and
system files. Unlike System Restore, GoBack also lets you protect
designated data files, and restore specific files without restoring a
complete saved configuration. GoBack also lets you specify a unique
password for each saved configuration, to prevent an unauthorized user
from arbitrarily restoring an older configuration. It also has a
feature called Automatic Revert, which allows the user to set the
system to automatically revert back to a pre-designated configuration
at a set time; as the Norton website mentions, this feature is great
for restoring a standard configuration every night, to undo any
changes that children might have accidentally made while playing on
the PC.
Most notably, System Restore is only available for Windows XP, whereas
Norton GoBack is available for XP, Windows 2000, and Windows 98.
I hope that this helps answer your question! If you have any need for
clarification, please use the "Request Clarification" button above to
let me know, prior to rating and closing this question.
Regards,
aht-ga
Google Answers Researcher |
