Who says you can't go back?

Software that lets you revert to a time before your PC crashed

You just finished installing a new software program you purchased. You hit run, but nothing happens; the program isn't working. In desperation and frustration you try to uninstall it, only to discover that you accidentally erased the driver for your fax modem. Or maybe you just downloaded something from the Net and--wouldn't you know it?--you have a virus.

It's at times like these that you wish you could just start all over and restore your hard drive to the way it was minutes before that fatal error. GoBack, a system recovery tool from Wild File Inc., lets you do just that. Like insurance, you hope you'll never need GoBack, but it's sure convenient to have it when things go wrong.

When a "glitch" occurs, simply pick an arbitrary point in time that you want to go back to. The program looks for the last time there was a lull in disk activity. With most systems, you can go back a week or more. You press a button to revert or see the hard drive as it appeared at that time. GoBack's version of your hard drive appears in Windows Explorer--like any other drive. From here you can pick and choose files or programs to view or restore. GoBack lets you retrieve individual overwritten or deleted files, including those tossed from the recycle bin.

There are several backup/restoration utilities on the market that will help you retrieve files. However, GoBack is unlike any of these. The main difference is that GoBack is integrated into your computer's operating system. In essence, GoBack stores data on your computer's hard drive. It typically eats up 10% of your hard drive (user selectable). It runs automatically and seamlessly in the background. When you turn your computer on, GoBack starts before your operating system does. So, GoBack can intervene and take over in the event your operating systems crashes and the computer won't boot.

A number of utility programs provide emergency boot disks, which attempt to repair damage done to your hard disk. But with GoBack, you don't need them.

Keep in mind that you can't use GoBack if you have enabled disk compression. And, GoBack is not meant to replace traditional backup units. You should make sure you back up your computer's data periodically.

However, it does make for a nice recovery tool in the event of system crashes, virus attacks or unforeseen glitches.

GoBack is Windows 95/98 compatible only. To run, the program requires a 486 or higher IBM/IBM compatible PC; 16 MB minimum of RAM; 256 color VGA video or better and a CD-ROM drive. You can also download GoBack from the company's Website. The suggested retail price is $69.95; 888-945-3345; www.goback.com.