Could be a virus that has hijacked your system restore feature as it did to mine.  Had to do a factory image re-install to get back control.  A bit time consuming putting Vista sp1, and all the updates in and yet the computer seems to be running faster than ever.

Good luck. 

Looks as if System restore has been corrupted and you cannot go back to an earlier date.  Can turn restore off then back on again to reset it but that does not help you any for now.  However, others with the same issue just may have another solution so I would wait a bit to see what someone else may have to attempt a fix.

Your system should have come with a Symantec Restore Utility that can take you back to the date the system was shipped to you if you want to do this, but it will wipe out anything that you installed after you got the system. 

Vista Restore procedures

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/document?c=us&l=en&s=gen&docid=28C0548D825EB65DE040A68F5B2865A8&journalid =9D42756A2CC511DC8B29AF423EFDEB3D&Query=cGMrcmVzdG9yZStWaXN0YQ ==&SystemID=DIM_CEL_1100&ServiceTag=&contenttype=-1&os=-1&component=-1&lang=-1&doclang=en&toggle=false

Hi Patrick and SR45,

Thanks for your input.

I am considering using the Factory Image Restore,

but it can be a pain.

I will wait a tad to see if someone in the forums

has another answer. If not, then it's back to the

beginning.

arnmh1

Have you tried to do a restore from Safe Mode?

Reboot the computer.  When you see the Dell Logo press F8 several times to make sure it see it.

You should see a DOS screen and one of the multible options is to repair your computer.

Choose this, you should then see more options of which one is to use system restore to put your system at a point back in time.

If you do this, remember to let it do its thing as it may take several minutes before it list all the dates in which you can restore back to.

Hi Garred,

Yes, I did try it in Safe Mode on my second attempt.

Got the same reading, a successful install, but it was

not to an earlier date.

arnmh1

---

arnmh1 wrote:

Hi Garred,

Yes, I did try it in Safe Mode on my second attempt.

Got the same reading, a successful install, but it was

not to an earlier date.

arnmh1

---

Hi Banhien,

I went to Symantec when I received the message, "Restoration

incomplete. Your computer cannot be restored..........when you

run a System Restore."

Using an article with that title, I temporarily turned off my Internet

Security 2007 and that enabled the System Restore to function.

However, I was still unable to restore to an earlier date, and that

in turn brought me to the forums.

Thanks,

arnmh1

Hi Red Dawn,

Thanks, see my response to Banhein.

arnmh1

Hi Red Dawn,

Symantec has an instruction for turning off their

Auto-Protect by unchecking it in the Settings

section of Basic Security.

I did this to enable System Restore to work without 

interference from Symantec and to prevent Norton

files from being changed.

Unfortunately, the same result occurred: no return

to an earleir date.

Thanks.

arnmh1                                                                       

If all else fails you may have to do a complete reinstall of windows.  Do you have the OS DVD disk by chance.

If not.......

Request for back up CD's for Dell's operating system, and drivers form link

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dellcare/en/backupcd_form?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&redirect=1