Sorcha -

Except in the case of a verified reason to suspect infected backups, System Restore performs useful functions in keeping your system clean. In normal operation, you'll never see it do anything; but it can perform some "good things" invisibly, when needed. You won't suffer major harm from not having a current registry backup that it can access, but it can result, for example, in substitution of "generic" drivers and settings in place of the ones you want to have installed.

If your geek has told you to turn it off, then one must assume that your geek expects, and has explained how, you should be making manual registry backups on a regular schedule - or (s)he's just hoping for more business.

Maybe your geek is just lonesome.

John