System restore is good for going back to a previous OS/application state. Please remember to backup your personal data before going that route. My fault for not pointing that out to you earlier.
I ignore the standard windoz way of organizing user data "C:\Documents and Settings\user..." and just create a directory under root like c:\dmoolenaar\..." that I keep all my stuff inside of. Before I attempt a restore, or when I migrate to a new PC, I just copy that directory and I'm good to go.