Here's a link to a microsoft page ... Troubleshooting steps for issues when you try to use the System Restore tool in Windows XP Here is a link that might be useful: Troubles, Restore n Windows XP

As Mikie notes it seems you CMOS battery is dead, they are quite cheap and very easy to install. Until you are able to buy one you could rub both sides on your shirt to clean the built up crud off. If you look on the motherboard the battery is close to the size of a quarter, REMOVE the power cord before touching things.

Absolutely owbist, back up everything and do an image if you can with Acronis. And follow all the download and install directions to the letter which means turning off all antivirus programs, firewalls, spyware protection and any other running programs, even better install it in safe mode where you have only minimal processes running. Using the cd or the full version is much better than doing it through update from everything I have seen and read on all the tech forums, you get the full install and it seems to go easier. So having the cd is a good thing plus you have it to keep should you ever need to format your pc and need it again. There just are no guarantees that things will go well, many thought they did have a good install and things are now showing up, why that is who knows, it could be specific to something they have on their pc that sp3 was not compatible with, think of how many programs there are out there, it is impossible to make any thing compatible with all. (however the big companies work with microsoft to make these things work prior to release that is why the beta testing for so long, so it doing what it is with programs like Norton and some of the other big names is not a good reflection) Unfortunately there were more people that had their restore points disappear than just that one instance and they had not changed anything so it is definitely affecting restore points on some computers. I have kept my pc fully updated since sp2 so there fore I have pretty much everything I need from sp3 already, at this point my decision is not to install with a wait and see point of view. What each person choses to do is up to them, it is however essential to know all the information so you can do so in an educated manner. That is why I am posting when something new has been discovered that they did not know, that way we stay educated as to what needs to be done and what to expect. But then you also have to expect the unexpected! LOL

It's very nice to share the kind comments, but there are many situations when there are better information sources to turn to than this forum. Which is what I said in the other recent post concerning the ipad setup question. We're all just fellow users here.