See if this helps you start System Restore:
Make sure that System Restore is enabled on the drives where you want System Restore enabled
To do this follow these steps:
Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
Click the System Restore tab.
If the System Restore is enabled, the Status column of a drive will show Monitoring.
If not, you can clear to clear the Turn off System Restore on all drives, and then click OK to enable it..
If that solves your problem, smile and stop testing new programs.The next time you may not be so lucky.
Help in using Windows 7 Backup is covered in the following video:
http://youtu.be/llb2gKKoFiI