How To Do System Restore: Step by Step Guide

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Follow these procedures to utilise Windows System Recovery: Search “Restore” in Start and select “Create a Restore Point”. Enable C: drive Recovery Point and create a recovery point. If you want to use a recovery point, click on “System Restore” at the top of “Protection Settings” and choose a Recover Point.

System Restore is a built-in feature in Windows that can be very useful for fixing failures and other computer problems. This guide will describe how the system restore works, the configuration process and how to use it to fix computer problems on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Part 1: Understand System Restoration

When something goes wrong in your system due to a faulty software, such as an app with a problem or a driver that causes a major problem. Problem-solving is difficult. A system restore restores your Windows installation to its former working condition.

Periodically generating a “recovery point” restores the system. These recovery points photograph Windows system files, applications, log settings, and device drivers. Windows automatically creates a recovery point every week, but you may create one anytime. It also creates a restore point before important system events occur, such as installing a new app driver or running a Windows update.

If something goes wrong, you can run the system restore and select the most recent restore point. This will restore the file system and driver settings from a specific point at that time. Makes your Windows system return to its previous state efficiently. This feature is especially useful when fixing certain problems. For example, if you encounter an instability after installing a device driver. Selecting a restorepoint created before installing the driver can help restore your system files to a stable state.

System restore may be useful for removing damage caused by a problem app or Windows update. In some cases, an app or update may interfere with other software components or even the system itself. Just uninstalling the problem app may not be enough to solve the problem completely. However, restoring to a restore point created before installing an application can often solve this problem.

Part 2: Enable System Recovery on Windows 10 and Windows 11

By default, the system restore is usually enabled for the main system drive (C:) on most computers, while other drivers may not. The reason behind this difference is unclear and does not depend on factors such as how Windows is installed, available disk space or type of drive.

In order to make sure your system is protected by a system restore, it is recommended to activate at least for your system drive. In most cases this is enough because of the important components that security restore is usually on the system drives. However, if you want to extend protection to other drives such as where you install additional programs, you can do as well.

To validate system repair and drive enablement. Follow these steps:

  • Search “Restore” in Start.
  • Choose “Create Recovery Point”. Opens System Recovery Options without setting a recovery point.
  • The “System Protection” page lists your PC’s drives and their protection status. Choose the drive and click “Configuration” to enable protection. System restore is enabled for C: by default, however it should be enabled if it is not.
  • Show the “System Protection” dialogue. Choose “Enable System Protection”. Set the “Maximum Usage” slider to acquire system recover hard disc space and click “OK”.
  • Finally, click “OK” to close System Properties. Remember that the recovery mechanism creates one recovery point for all discs with engaged protection.

Part 3: Creating a refund point

Manual return points can be created in addition to automated ones. So how:

  • Click Start and type “Recover” to restore the system.
  • Access System Restore by selecting “Create Restore Point”.
  • Under “System Protection” select “Create”.
  • Define the recovery point to recall its function. Then click “Create”.
  • Recovery points may take 30 seconds. System recovery will verified once complete. Click “Close” to leave.

Part 4: Hurry your system back to its previous recovery point.

If your system encounters a problem and you want it back to its previous state, follow these steps:

  • Open the system recovery option by clicking Start and searching for “Recover”.
  • Enter the system restoration menu by selecting “Create Restore Point”.
  • Under “System Protection” click “Recover”.
  • The System Repair page summarises the process. Click “Next” to proceed.
  • See the recovery score on the following page. Automatic weekly refund points and manually made reimbursement points are displayed by default. Select “Show More Refund Points” before downloading a software or driver to view more recovery points.
  • Choose a recovery point and select “Scan for affected applications” to choose which apps to delete.
  • System Recovery displays two items: The top item shows the applications and drivers that will be erased if you recover to the specified recovery point, whereas the following item shows what may be retrieved. Even the recovered software and driver may not work till you reinstall.
  • Select a recovery point and click “Next” to begin. You can skip the scan, but verify the impacted applications first.
  • Check the selected point and click “Finished” to confirm recovery.
  • Warning: Recovery cannot be interrupted once started. Click “Yes” to proceed.
  • System recovery begins when Windows restarts. The restoration procedure takes 10–30 minutes, depending on the drive’s speed. Wait.
  • Your computer will use recovery point files after restarting. Verify that this issue is resolved on your system. System recovery automatically creates a fresh refund point. Before recovering, you can cancel modifications by following the same steps and choosing a new reimbursement point.

Part 5: The time it takes to restore the system.

On average, you should take at least 10 minutes to complete the recovery process. However, it may take between 20 to 30 minutes depending on the speed of your computer and the drive that is being recovered. The duration varies greatly. With a complete NVMe Solid-State drive, this process is faster than a traditional machine hard drive. For example, system repairs on PCIe 4.0 NVMe drives to recover Windows updates take about 8 minutes.

Part 6: Access Alternative Recovery

While accessing system recovery through the Start Menu is the most common way, there are other ways to access it depending on your system condition. Here are some options that should help you walk through different situations:

  • System Recovery using Command Instructions or PowerShell: Enter “rstrui” in any Command Prompt, Powershell or Windows Terminal window to turn on the system recovery tool. This method is useful when you have command interface access restrictions.
  • System Recovery via Control Panel: Open the control panel from the Start Menu, select “Recover”. After changing view settings to larger or smaller icons. Then you can configure the system recovery. Build a drive or turn on the system restore directly.
  • Enable system recovery using the boot instructions: For a quick way to start the recovery, use the boot box and enter the appropriate command. Open the runbox by pressing Windows+r or searching for “run” in the start menu. Enter “rstrui” and then click “OK” or press Enter. Another way you can access it through task manager by going to File > Re-call and typing “rstroi” in your runbox.

Part 7: Other ways to solve system problems

If the system recovery fails to solve your problem, there are other approaches that you can consider for the specific problem that the system restore is designed to deal with:

  • Uninstall Recent Windows Update: If problems occur after a recent update, uninstalling a specific upgrade or returning to a previous Windows build usually solves the related problems.
  • Scanning and repairing corrupted system files: To repair corruption in potential system files, use the system file scanning tool to scan and repair broken files.
  • Uninstall a driver or update with problems: If there are updates or hardware drivers causing problems, uninstalling and preventing reinstallation automatically may solve the problem.
  • Boot into Safe Mode: If your system fails to boot properly, accessing Safe mode can help you try to repair or access other advanced boot options.
  • Reset your PC or reinstall: Ultimately, you can use the “Reset Your PC” feature to restore Windows to its original factory state or perform a clean installation while keeping your personal files.

Keep in mind that while system restore is a valuable tool, it is not a guaranteed fix for all problems. It is recommended to use a comprehensive backup strategy to protect your personal files and important information.

>> Also Read: How To Boot Into Windows Recovery [Windows]