How to create, restore, and delete system restore points

System Restore is a feature that backs up and restores the current state of your system.

By creating a restore point using System Restore, you can restore your system to that point if something goes wrong.

We recommend creating a restore point before installing new apps, drivers, changing the registry, etc.

* In Windows, restore points are created automatically in certain situations, such as when installing updates.

System Restore can only be created and restored if System Protection is enabled, so please read "How to create a restore point" and make sure System Protection is enabled.

Creating a restore point has the advantage that even if Windows cannot be started, you can open the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) and perform a system restore.

How to open the Recovery Environment (WinRE) in Windows 11

I have performed system restore several times and have found that there was a bug in Windows 11 system restore before July 2024.

If you have installed the July 2024 update or later, the System Restore bug has been fixed and there is no problem.

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How to create a restore point

1. Press Windows key + R to open Run, type "control" and press Enter.

2. The Control Panel will open. Change the view to "Large icons" and click "Recovery."

3. Click Configure System Restore.

4. Select the C drive or another drive with protection enabled and click the "Create" button below.

Typically, Windows is installed on the C drive, so select the C drive.

If the protection is "Disabled", select the C drive and click the "Configure" button.

Select Turn on system protection and click OK.

5. Enter a name of your choice and click Create.

6. Once the restore point has been created, click Close to exit System Properties.

What to do if you can't create a system restore point in Windows 11

How to restore

Before performing a system restore,Why System Restore Fails in Win10/Win11? How to Prevent ItI recommend you read it.

Restoring your computer won't affect your personal files, but it will remove any apps, drivers, or updates that were installed after the restore point was created.

If you are using a laptop, make sure to plug in the power cord before proceeding, as the system may be damaged if the battery runs out during the restore.

1. Press Windows key + R to open Run, type "control" and press Enter.

2. The Control Panel will open. Change the view to "Large icons" and click "Recovery."

3. Click Configure System Restore.

4. Click the "System Restore" button.

5. System Restore will open. Select "Recommended Restore" or "Choose a different restore point" and click "Next".

*If there is no option for "Recommended Restore" or "Choose a different restore point", click "Next" and then "If you select "Choose a different restore point""Please proceed to ".

If you select "Recommended Restore", the "Confirm Restore Point" screen will appear. Click "Finish" and follow the on-screen instructions to begin the restoration.

If you select "Choose a different restore point", a screen will appear stating "Restore your computer to a state before the event you selected."

*Relatively recent restore points will be displayed, but if you check "Show other restore points", restore points from a little earlier will be displayed (if there are restore points).

6. Select the restore point you want to restore and click "Next".

7. Click Finish and follow the on-screen instructions to restart the computer and begin system restore.

Depending on the environment, restoration may take more than an hour.

Why previous restore points are deleted automatically?

The maximum amount of disk space that can be used to create restore points is determined automatically by the system.

You can also change the maximum usage amount yourself by moving the slider.

When a restore point exceeds its maximum usage, older restore points are deleted to free up disk space and new restore points are created.

If the "Current Usage" has already exceeded the maximum usage, as shown in the image above, when you create the next restore point, the old restore point will first be deleted to free up disk space before creating the new restore point.

How to delete restore points

1. Open System Properties by following steps 1 to 4 in "How to create a restore point."

2. If you want to delete restore points for the C drive, select the C drive and click the "Configure" button.

3. Click the "Delete" button.

4. A confirmation screen will appear saying, "Unwanted changes made to your system on this drive will no longer be able to be undone. Do you want to continue?" Click "Continue."

5. When you see the message "The restore point has been deleted," click "Close."

All restore points have now been deleted, so make sure that "Current Usage" shows "0 bytes."

After deleting a restore point, we recommend that you create a new restore point.