Question : Problem: Back up and restore system state

I would like to know if I backup system state, does this include the application I installed? For example, if I removed office after the backup, when I do a restore will the office software be restored?

Answer : Problem: Back up and restore system state

When an application is installed it will usually write data to two or more areas, the two most common areas are the Registry and the "\Program Files" directory - additional areas include "\Documents and Settings\All Users", "\Users\All Users", "Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%" or "\Users\%USERNAME%" (for example Icons and Templates), \WINDOWS, \WINDOWS\System32 or System64, COM+ Database, and more.

When you do a system state backup the only areas that are backed up on a Workstation or Member Server are the Registry and the COM+ Database so if your application has written to one or both of these that portion of the application install will be backed up. To ensure you have a reliable backup of an application (and the system as a whole) you need to backup both the System State and other areas that the application installs to (i.e. \Program Files, \WINDOWS, \Documents and Settings, etc.).

To answer your questions more directly:

If you modify your boot files after the backup then restore your system state the boot files will be reverted to version that existed when you took the backup. Some backup systems give you the option of only restoring files that are missing, although this would not be advised for system state backups - as you could leave the boot files in an inconsistent state.

You are correct if you followed these steps:

1) Install Windows
2) Install Office
3) Take System State Backup
4) Uninstall Office
5) Restore System State

You would have a partially restored office, for example .doc (or .docx) files would appear in windows explorer as "Microsoft Word Document", however the icon would most likely be blank and double clicking the file would not result in word opening (because the files in "\Program Files\Microsoft Office" are missing).

If at step 3 you had taken a backup of "\Program Files" along with your system state, then also restored "\Program Files" at step 5, then you would have a more functional Office install. I word of warning however restoring bits and pieces of a system (specificly Operating System components, applications, Registry) can cause problems, unless you can't help it either restore the system as a whole or re-install the server from scratch, then restore data from backups.