# Microsoft Windows Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 25, 2002, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-windows-question/144805 "2002-12-25T02:05:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ZooMetropolis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e480ec/32.png) [@ZooMetropolis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZooMetropolis)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-windows-question/144805/1 "2002-12-25T02:05:51Z")
I noticed there is a hidden folder called “\_RESTORE” On my hard drive boot. What is this folder for? what files are in there? ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-windows-question/144805/2 "2002-12-25T02:21:22Z")
You don’t mention the version but I gather it is not Win9X as I have not seen this. My guess is that the OS keeps backups there so it can restore later. What is the total size of files in there? ---
**Author:** ![ZooMetropolis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e480ec/32.png) [@ZooMetropolis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZooMetropolis)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-windows-question/144805/3 "2002-12-25T02:22:40Z")
The system is Windows ME, and the size of the folder is 700MB ---
**Author:** ![ZooMetropolis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e480ec/32.png) [@ZooMetropolis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZooMetropolis)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-windows-question/144805/4 "2002-12-25T02:24:32Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by me_ > I noticed there is a hidden folder called “\_RESTORE” On my hard drive boot. I meant hard drive root. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-windows-question/144805/5 "2002-12-25T02:49:29Z")
That’s so if you scramble your system, you can bring it back to the way it was before. ME has the problem, however, that some times the restore file can grow too large and eat up your hard drive space. MS does have a patch to fix that, however. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-windows-question/144805/6 "2002-12-25T02:54:09Z")
I believe that’s System Restore. This is a good feature in the event that you have to go back to a prior point in time, but it does eat up the hard drive. Go to your System Tools (Start-Accessories-System Tools) and you will find System Restore there. You can shut it off or keep it on, as you desire. I have ME but I shut it off as I also have Norton, which has a Go Back and that is better than Restore. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-windows-question/144805/7 "2002-12-25T05:13:08Z")
If you do choose to shut off the System Restore option, it would be a _real good idea_ to turn it back on, and make sure it creates a restore point, before you install anything new, update any software, remove any application, etc., so that, if what you’re doing louses things up, you have a place to retreat to. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-windows-question/144805/8 "2002-12-25T05:16:12Z")
To me, Ghost is better. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-windows-question/144805/9 "2002-12-25T16:24:33Z")
Restore uses 12% of your HD space. You can set it to use a smaller amount though. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-windows-question/144805/10 "2002-12-25T17:09:53Z")
::Hijack:: barbitu8 have you noticed a performance hit with GoBack? ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-windows-question/144805/11 "2002-12-25T18:16:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jake \* > \*\*::Hijack:: > > barbitu8 have you noticed a performance hit with GoBack? \*\* ???I don’t understand the question. Can you explain what you mean? I say it’s better, because it gives more backup points and it can rectify things that Restore cannot. **Urban Ranger** , what is Ghost? ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-windows-question/144805/12 "2002-12-25T19:54:28Z")
barbitu8, GoBack seemed to slow down my system because I think it has to copy everything (Almost) you do with the computer. Then again, I only have 64K of ram so maybe that’s my problem. After the holidays I’m upgrading to 256K, but I’m starting a new thread about that. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-windows-question/144805/13 "2002-12-25T20:09:46Z")
I upgraded to 256 and am considering 512. As long as you are upgrading, upgrade to 512 and be done with it. ---
**Author:** ![SavageNarce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@SavageNarce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SavageNarce)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-windows-question/144805/14 "2002-12-27T13:58:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by barbitu8 \* > [B **Urban Ranger** , what is Ghost? \*\* Ghost is software sold by Norton/Symantec for disk copying/ backup/ restoring. ---
**Author:** ![Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rex_fenestrarum/32/7265_2.png) [@Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rex_Fenestrarum)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-windows-question/144805/15 "2002-12-27T15:30:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Then again, I only have 64K of ram so maybe that’s my problem. Yes, 64 **k** of RAM would indeed be a problem. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-windows-question/144805/16 "2002-12-28T14:59:13Z")
Err… thats 64 Meg. :rolleyes: Anyway I’m now at 256 M and things are faster and better. barbitu8, think 512 is really necessary? Hell, the 256M chip is only 40 bucks, why not! ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-windows-question/144805/17 "2002-12-28T23:08:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jake \* > \*\*Err… thats 64 Meg. :rolleyes: Anyway I’m now at 256 M and things are faster and better. > barbitu8, think 512 is really necessary? > > \*\* Not really. All I have is 256 (two 128s), but sometimes when I’m on the computer for hours playing chess, my memory will be short (computer memory, that is). Is it really worth the extra expense to me, or to you? I may eventually do it, but it certainly is not necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-windows-question/144805/18 "2002-12-30T00:25:21Z")
These are all for sissies! Real men never back anything up and just shrug & re-install! 😉