What is System Restore Point in Windows 10?

July 10, 2024 (updated July 10, 2024)

By Mia

What is restore point?

The concept of a system restore point in Windows revolves around the creation of backups of files and critical operating system (OS) settings. This backup serves as a security network in case of system failure or instability, allowing users to restore the system to its previous state. System restore points are a feature of various Windows versions including XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, 11 and Windows Server. They can be created automatically or manually. The main purpose is to store OS and program files instead of using user information.

How do system restore points work?

In order to understand how system recovery points work, it is important to know that the Windows System Recovery Utility manages their creation and use. In earlier versions, such as Windows XP and 2003 servers, the utility itself saves these Recovery Points. However, starting with Windows Vista, Microsoft VSS (Volume Shadow Copy Service) manages the system restore point generation.

The main objective of the System Restore Point is to help users restore their operating systems when an update of a driver or program affects its performance. By having a copy of the files required for use, users can start system restore and benefit from the latest well-known configuration.

The space occupied by the system restore point on the hard drive varies depending on its size, ranging from 1% to 15%. If the stored space is full, the old copies will be removed so that there is room for new documents. It is also worth noting that the restoration point only stores edited files or differences. Therefore, it requires less storage space than a complete copy.

It is important to separate system recovery from other Windows functions such as PC reset or return to previous Windows versions.

What a restore point saves and recovers

When it comes to the contents at the point of recovery and recovery, it focuses on files and operating system settings. It protects Windows system files, drivers, and runable application information. This comprehensive backup is especially useful in situations involving Windows updates with problems or system corruption. Furthermore, it also enables storage of system logs and configurations.

However, it is important to note that the recovery point does not back up important components such as Windows Security Account Manager (SAM) and passwords. So after starting system recovery, saved passwords may no longer be accessible. In the case of computers that enter an organization’s domain, they may lose their domain link and have to re-enter.

Although the system repair points have a comprehensive appearance, it is important to understand that they are not a full backup. Users can safely use the system restore points without fear of deleting personal files such as documents, music, or videos. However, it’s worth noting that the system recovery points can’t recover these types of files if they were accidentally deleted. Shadow Copy Audio may have copies of the user files separately from the system Restore points.

It is also important to realize that system repair points only use local data copies. They are not available if the computer hardware is corrupted and they cannot make the transfer of data from the old computer to the new one. For these purposes, the image of the Windows system will be relevant as it helps create comprehensive backups.

When system restore points are made and how to make a manual restore point

For creating a restore point, Windows will generate it automatically before making most of the changes. This is how it allows the system to cancel the changes in case of a problem. An automatic restoration point is generated before installing a Windows update. An unsuccessful driver or application from MSI. If there is no automatic Restore point set, Windows generates every seven days.

On the contrary, creating a system restore point manually is a simple process. In Windows 10 and 11, users can follow these steps:

Open the Settings app and go to the system.
On the system page, go to the About tab and go to related settings.
Click Advanced System Settings to open the System Properties window.
In the System Properties box, go to the System Protection tab, which contains all system recovery settings.
To create a system restore point manually, click the Create… button. And name the point.
Finally, click Create to start the process.

How to recover with a system restore point

In the case that users want to restore their system using a restore point, the procedure is quite simple. In Windows 10, these actions can be performed:

Open the Settings app and go to the system.
Inside the system interface, access the About tab and go to the related settings.
Click Advanced System Settings to open the System Properties window.
In the System Properties pane, go to the System Protection tab.
Search for System Restore… And click on it. This opens a window with the option to use the latest auto-restore point or another selection.
Click Next and click Finish to start the recovery process.

If Windows encounters a problem that prevents it from starting properly, it will boot into the system recovery program. Within this program, there are various recovery options including system restore. Users can follow these steps to access system recovering:

Go to the troubleshooting menu and select Advanced.
In the Advanced box, select System Restore to open the Restore window.
Follow the instructions in the restore window to select a restore point and return to the previous system configuration.

Also Read: How to Perform System Restore Windows 10 from Boot