If your computer is used by multiple users you might not want anyone to make lasting changes. Or you might be a parent and you want your child to install nothing on the PC. If you simply want your computer to stay the way you want it, you can download and install a tool to reset your computer to a locked state every time you reboot it. It is a very easy process and you only really need to configure it once and then forget about it.
1. Reboot Restore Rx
This program will let you lock the settings on your computer to a certain point and will then automatically restore your PC to that point when you restart. This process is done automatically and you will see a splash screen when you boot your computer about the restoration. Furthermore, you can easily pause the program and then make any changes you want in your computer, either from the system tray or by pressing the Home button when you see the program’s splash screen. If you do not want anyone to access it from the System Tray, simply disable it from running automatically via the Startup window of msconfig. You can then run it manually again from its installation folder.
2. Toolwiz Time Freeze
Toolwiz offers some additional features on top of what Reboot Restore Rx already offers. First of all, you will not see a splash screen so you will not have to waste any time there. In addition to that, you can set up a password so that you can leave it out in the system tray but no one will be able to access it except you. You can even set a toolbar in the desktop so that you can see when the Time Freeze feature is on. Finally, you can exclude specific files and folders from being reset. That way, you can set limits to what users can do without having all of the data being reset when you restart your computer.
These are the two top contenders at the market right now and they are both completely free for personal use. They will both work on Windows XP and later but Reboot Restore RX also works on 2000. Uninstalling them is also very easy and you will simply need to restart your computer one last time.
