I'm serious
system restore will not clear the registry but you can run
msconfig to do that.
Msconfig/startup/cleanup
Anyway, if the virus is in the restore folder your antivirus program will find it but won't be able to get rid of it.
So you can either use system restore - as I do - or disable system restore and use your antivirus program. ( but I found it a very bulky and time-consuming software )
It all depends how many programs you have on your computer. If you only need a few programs and you do not install - uninstall programs all the time, having a starting point ( and using system restore ) is ok, cause if it's for one of two programs you can always go back every now and then.
But using system restore and creating restore points all the time will eventually wipe out the entry of your original restore point.
What I do is this: I have a starting point with all the programs I need and if I run into any sort of trouble I go back. Then I clear all restore points and make only one where I can go back to.
It all depends on the operational system ( I think that with Win XP you can erase restore points at will, right? ) Cause I've got ME so everytime I go back I clear the hard disk space that the system restore takes up by disabling, enabling it back and making another restore point.
the whole process takes five minutes. I just luv system restore
edit: Maybe you need an antivirus program, all I know is that using Norton was a pain in the butt for me, took ages to scan my files ( my computer is old and slow ) then find viruses that wouldn't be able to erase.
Stinger? well, that one never found any viruses for me , maybe it works better for XP. From a point on it started freezing when scanning a specific file. So...my opinion is that you don't need any antivirus programs
