Windows System Restore creates what are known as restore points. A restore point is a snapshot of the most important settings and system files on your Windows computer.
It’s like a quick backup. Not a proper full backup, because it only records your system settings, programs and drivers, not your own files.
The idea is that whenever a big change is about to happen to your computer, such as installing Windows updates or new software, a restore point is created first.
If something then goes wrong, you can restore your computer to an earlier date, rolling back to the restore point made just before the problem started. That undoes whatever caused it. Hopefully.
System Restore doesn’t always work, but because it’s automatic and doesn’t use much space, you might as well have it switched on.
The Short Version
- Click Start, type system restore and click Create a restore point.
- Click the System Restore button, then Next.
- Pick a restore point from before the problem started and click Next.
- Click Finish, then Yes. Your computer restarts and puts things back.
Table of contents
How to Use System Restore in Windows 10 and Windows 11
In both Windows 10 and Windows 11, open System Restore by clicking the Start button and typing system restore.
Click Create a restore point (Control Panel), which should appear at the top of the search results.
A Quicker Way In
Press the Windows key and R together, type this and press Enter. It goes straight to the System Restore window:
rstruiSystem Protection Settings
On many Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers, System Restore is turned off. That makes sense on computers with small drives, because restore points do take up space.
On a computer with space to spare, it’s much better to have System Restore switched on.
The System Properties window opens. From here you can:
- turn System Restore on or off
- set how much disk space restore points can use
- create a restore point yourself
- use a restore point to take your computer back to an earlier time
To turn System Restore on, click the Configure button.
Enable System Restore
The System Protection settings window opens. This is where you turn System Restore on or off.
Click Turn on system protection.
Then set how much disk space restore points can use. As a general guide, allow around 10% of your drive. For example, on a 500 GB drive, set Max Usage to 50 GB.
Click OK and System Restore is switched on.
Disk Space Usage
Don’t treat 10% as a hard and fast rule. It’s a guideline. Anything between 5% and 15% is fine, depending on how much spare space you have.
When the space fills up, Windows deletes the oldest restore points to make room for new ones.
How to Create a System Restore Point
Windows creates restore points by itself whenever it spots a big change, such as installing new drivers, updates or programs.
All of those make changes to the Windows registry, which is one of the things System Restore protects.
But automatic restore points don’t always happen, and they may not happen for changes you make yourself. So it’s worth creating one before you do anything risky, such as installing an unfamiliar program or changing a setting you’re not sure about.
In the System Properties window, click the Create button.
Name the Restore Point
Give the restore point a name that describes what you were about to do, such as before installing printer software. The date and time are added automatically. Click Create.
You’ll see a progress message while the restore point is made. It usually only takes a minute.
Check It
Once the restore point has been created, you can check it’s there:
- Click the System Restore button.
- Click Next.
- You’ll see a list of all the restore points on your computer.
Click Cancel to go back to the System Protection window.
How Long Does Windows Keep Restore Points?
Not forever. Since an update in June 2025, Windows 11 keeps restore points for up to 60 days, then deletes them. Windows 10 keeps them for up to 90 days.
Windows also deletes the oldest ones when they run out of the space you gave them. So if something goes wrong, don’t leave it too long before you use System Restore.
How to Use System Restore
Now that System Restore is working on your computer, here’s how to use it to restore your computer to an earlier date, when it was working properly.
- Click the Start button and type system restore, then click Create a restore point.
- In the System Properties window, click the System Restore button.
- On the next screen, click Next.
Will I Lose My Files?
No. System Restore doesn’t touch your personal files, such as documents, photos and emails. It can remove programs, drivers and updates that were installed after the restore point was made, and you may need to reinstall those.
Scan for Affected Programs
You’ll see a list of the restore points you can use. For each one it shows:
- the date and time it was created, newest at the top
- a description of what created it, which is where the name you gave your own restore points appears
- the type, which tells you whether it was made automatically or by hand
Select the restore point you want to go back to, then click Next.
Affected Programs
Click Scan for affected programs to see which programs and drivers would be removed, or rolled back to an earlier version, by using that restore point.
Confirm Your Restore Point
Next, a confirmation window shows the restore point you’ve picked. Click Finish.
A box pops up warning you that once started, System Restore can’t be interrupted. It means exactly what it says. Once it’s running you mustn’t switch off your computer, so make sure you’ve got time to let it finish.
If you’re using a laptop, plug it in.
Ready? Click Yes.
System Restore then does its thing. You’ll see a few screens, and your computer restarts. There’s nothing for you to do except leave it switched on.
Eventually, if all goes well, Windows starts up and tells you the restore was successful.
How Long Does System Restore Take?
There’s no set time. It depends on how much has changed since the restore point and how fast your computer is. A restore often finishes within half an hour, but an hour or more isn’t unusual on an older computer.
If it looks stuck, be patient. As long as the computer is still busy, give it at least an hour before you decide something’s wrong. Switching off part way through is the one thing most likely to cause real trouble.
Undo a System Restore
Sometimes System Restore doesn’t fix the problem you were trying to sort out. It might even cause new problems.
Either way, you can undo it, or try a different restore point.
- Open System Restore as shown above.
- Click the System Restore button.
- On the first screen you now have two choices: Undo System Restore, or Choose a different restore point.
One Exception
If you ran System Restore from Safe Mode or from the recovery screens (see below), you can’t undo it. You can still pick a different restore point.
How to Use System Restore When Windows Won’t Start
System Restore is often most useful when Windows won’t start properly, for example after a bad update or a new driver. You can still run it from the Windows Recovery Environment, a set of blue repair screens that sits outside Windows.
If Windows Still Starts
- Windows 11: open Settings, System, Recovery, and click Restart now next to Advanced startup.
- Windows 10: open Settings, Update & Security, Recovery, and click Restart now under Advanced startup.
- Or hold down Shift while you click Restart in the Start menu.
If Windows Won’t Start at All
If Windows fails to start twice in a row, it usually opens the recovery screens by itself on the third try. Click Advanced options when you see them.
If that doesn’t happen, start the computer from a recovery USB drive instead.
Then Run System Restore
- Click Troubleshoot.
- Click Advanced options.
- Click System Restore, and choose your account if it asks.
- Pick a restore point and follow the steps, just as you would in Windows.
If you can get into Safe Mode, you can also run System Restore from there in the normal way.
Point-in-Time Restore: Windows 11’s New Rewind Button
In 2026 Microsoft added a second, bigger rewind button to Windows 11, called point-in-time restore. It’s not the same as System Restore, and it’s worth knowing the difference.
- It saves a snapshot of the whole computer once a day: Windows, programs, settings and your files.
- It only keeps those snapshots for 72 hours, so it’s for undoing something that went wrong in the last day or two, such as a bad update.
- It’s switched on by default on Windows 11 computers with a drive of 200 GB or more. You’ll find it under Settings, System, Recovery.
- You use it from the Troubleshoot menu in the Windows Recovery Environment, the same blue screens as above.
Careful With Your Files
Because point-in-time restore rolls back your files too, anything you’ve saved or changed since the snapshot goes back as well. Copy anything new to a USB stick or OneDrive before you use it. System Restore doesn’t have this problem, because it leaves your files alone.
System Restore Not Working?
There Are No Restore Points
If the list is empty, or says no restore points have been created, check these:
- System Restore is switched off. Turn it on as shown above. It can only use restore points made after that.
- They’ve expired. Windows 11 deletes restore points after 60 days, Windows 10 after 90.
- They’ve been squeezed out. If the Max Usage setting is very small, Windows deletes old restore points to make room. Give it more space.
System Restore Did Not Complete Successfully
If Windows says System Restore didn’t complete, your files and settings haven’t been changed. Try these in order:
- Try a different restore point, an older one if you have it.
- Run System Restore from Safe Mode or from the recovery screens, where fewer programs can get in the way.
- Run the System File Checker to repair damaged Windows files, then try again.
It Fixed Nothing
System Restore only rolls back settings, programs, drivers and updates. If the problem came from somewhere else, such as a faulty drive or a virus, it can’t help. For a problem caused by a Windows update, you can also uninstall the update itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does System Restore delete my files?
A: No. Your documents, photos, music and other personal files aren’t touched. System Restore can remove programs, drivers and updates installed after the restore point was made.
Q: How long does System Restore take?
A: There’s no set time. A restore often takes under half an hour, but an hour or more isn’t unusual on an older computer. Give it at least an hour before deciding it’s stuck, and never switch off part way through.
Q: How far back can I restore my computer?
A: As far back as your oldest restore point. Windows 11 keeps restore points for up to 60 days, and Windows 10 for up to 90, as long as there’s enough space set aside for them.
Q: Can I undo a System Restore?
A: Yes. Open System Restore again and choose Undo System Restore. The exception is a restore run from Safe Mode or the recovery screens, which can’t be undone.
Q: Does Windows create restore points automatically?
A: Yes, before big changes such as Windows updates and new drivers, as long as System Restore is switched on. It’s still worth making your own before anything risky.
Q: Is System Restore the same as resetting my PC?
A: No. System Restore rolls back settings and programs to an earlier date and keeps everything else. Reset this PC reinstalls Windows and can remove all your programs and files.
Q: Is System Restore a backup?
A: No. It doesn’t save your personal files, so it can’t get back a file you’ve deleted. For that you need a proper backup of your files or a full system image.
Summary
If you’ve got enough space on your computer’s drive, I’d definitely switch System Restore on. It can rescue your computer from all sorts of problems, and with a recovery drive it works even when your computer won’t start.
It comes with Windows, it’s free, and it runs quietly in the background. Just remember it isn’t a backup of your files, and that Windows 11 only keeps restore points for 60 days.
If things are really bad, a system image backup can put back everything, and Reset this PC is the last resort.
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