How to Create a Restore Point in Windows 11

The restore point feature in Windows 11 is one of the many recovery options available. Whether you want to make changes to your registry entries, install new Windows updates, or just fix issues with your PC, a restore point can help when things go awry. Here, we show you how to enable and create a restore point in Windows 11.

Should You Create a Restore Point in Windows 11?

The Windows operating system can save a working backup image of your system at a given date and time, which are known as restore points. If something goes wrong, you can use a restore point to undo any changes and revert your system to its last working state.

A restore point comprises Windows system files, installed programs, registry settings, and system drivers. However, it does not back up your personal files and folders, so you'll need alternative backup options for your data. Once configured, Windows automatically creates a new restore point before making any significant changes to your system, such as installing or uninstalling a Windows update.

By default, Windows creates a new restore point on a weekly basis and replaces it with the oldest one to manage storage space. However, you can also manually create new restore points as frequently as you want.

Having multiple restore points is useful for troubleshooting system-related issues. For example, if a bad driver update causes your system to malfunction and uninstalling it does not help, you can use the system restore to restore your PC to an earlier point when the problem did not exist.

Does a System Restore Affect My Personal Files and Programs?

No, using a restore point does not affect your personal files. However, it will uninstall any apps, hardware drivers, and system updates installed after the restore point was created. This also applies to any modifications you made at the system level, including system settings and other advanced modifications.

Similarly, any app or driver deleted after creating the restore point will be brought back. Some apps, however, may need a reinstall to work properly.

How to Enable Restore Points in Windows 11

System Restore isn't enabled by default. So you'll need to manually set up and configure it to create restore points for each partition/drive. To enable System Restore:

1. Press Win + S to open Windows search.
2. Type restore point and click on Create a restore point from the search results.

   

3. In the System Properties window, open the System Protection tab.
4. Under Protection Settings, check if Protection is set to On or Off.
   
5. If it is set to Off, then click the Configure button.
6. Choose Turn on System Protection under Restore Settings.
7. Under Disk Space Usage, drag the slider to allocate the maximum disk space to save restore points.
8. Click Apply and OK to save the changes.

Repeat the steps if you want to enable system restore for other available drives on your system. We recommend doing so if you install apps on a different drive other than the C:\ drive.

How to Create a Restore Point in Windows 11

While you can create and use a restore point using Command Prompt, a simpler way involves using the System Protection dialog. Here's how you can manually create a restore point in Windows 11:

1. Press the Win key, type System Restore, and click Create a Restore Point.

   

2. Click the Create button.

   

3. Type a description or name for the restore point and click Create. System Protection will start creating the restore point and display a success message if successful. It may take a few seconds, so wait till it is completed.
   
4. Click Close.

Using restore points to fix issues with your computer is easy. In the System Restore dialog, select the most recent restore point, read the description, and click Next. Windows will restart and attempt to restore to the selected point. If your computer can't boot or you are unable to log in, you can access system restore through the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).

System Restore is a handy utility for Windows users. It is more viable than other recovery options that involve resets or full reinstallations. If you end up with too many restore points and run into disk space issues, you can use the Disk Cleanup tool or manually delete restore points from your PC.