He should never say never.....
There are a number of reasons why one might disable System Restore, both temporarily and permanently. Here are just a few:
1. When using Windows XP or Windows ME, and when a virus has infected the machine, the approved method for cleaning on both those operating systems is to temporarily disable System Restore, then run a full system scan. (In addition, after disabling System Restore, it can be beneficial to restart in "Safe Mode", then run a full system scan so the occasional "locked" file can be removed.)
2. When using Windows XP or Windows ME, over a long period of time, System Restore can become "bloated". It's not a bad idea to occasionally disable System Restore, to clean it out, then re-enable it again.
3. Some users of Windows ME have had enough problems with System Restore, including "resource" problems, will permanently disable System Restore. It is not a recommended procedure for all but some choose to use other programs such as "GoBack" or a Ghost to restore the computer if necessary.
In regards to starting in "Safe Mode", there are a number of reasons for using this procedure. The list below are just a few such reasons:
1. When using Windows ME, starting in Safe Mode is one of the safest ways to install a program. Although not all users do this because it takes longer, when you start the computer in "Safe Mode", it loads only the essential programs and drivers at start up. Because of this, program installations to run into conflicting antivirus and driver issues.
2. When using Windows ME, it can be the ONLY way in which some users are able to run Scandisk and Defrag because of the various conflicts mentioned above.
3. When attempting to delete "locked" files in WinXP and WinME, because of spyware, viruses, trojans, and the like, a good first step is to attempt deletion while in Safe Mode.
4. When using either Windows XP or Windows ME, restarting in Safe Mode can allow a user to identify software that is causing improper operations, such as spyware, etc.
Hope this helps.
Grif