This free Windows 11 tool can rescue your PC when things go wrong - here's how
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ZDNET's key takeaways
- System Restore can undo troublesome Windows system changes.
- Restore points preserve system files, settings, drivers, and apps.
- Create restore points before making major changes to Windows.
System Restore has been a key recovery feature in Windows for years. With this free built-in tool, you create snapshots that preserve the current state of your Windows environment. If a problem arises that impacts specific applications, settings, or Windows itself, you can revert your PC to a previous restore point before the problem occurred.
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Though System Restore may be an old feature, it's still as effective as ever.
What information does System Restore capture?
System Restore saves the current state of your Windows system files, Registry settings, device drivers, and installed programs. It doesn't capture your personal files, so you can't use it to recover lost documents, photos, emails, or other content. For that reason, it can't serve as a full backup tool, but rather as a way to undo system changes when other troubleshooting methods can't fix a Windows problem.
How does System Restore work?
Windows automatically creates system restore points at key moments. A restore point may be generated before you install certain applications, install a major Windows update, install new device drivers, or make specific configuration changes. Windows will also create a restore point every seven days if no points have been generated during that time.
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But you can and should manually create restore points at other times, especially if Windows doesn't necessarily generate them on its own. I typically create one before any significant changes, including new applications, new device drivers, or tweaks to core Windows features and settings. Since I do fiddle with Windows a lot, these restore points are a valuable resource when something goes awry.
System restore points naturally use up space on your hard drive. But you're able to control how much room to devote to them. When the allocated space fills up, the oldest restore point is deleted to allow storage for newer points.
Now, here's how I use System Restore on my Windows 11 PC and how you can do the same.
1. Configure System Restore
To set up System Restore for the first time, head to Settings, select System, and then click About. In the Related links section, click the link for System protection. In the System Properties window, click Configure.
In the System Protection window, click the option for "Turn on system protection." You'll then need to determine how much space to devote to your system restore points. Drag the slider to set the amount of storage you want to allocate. If you're low on hard disk space, you'll likely want to keep the percentage low. If your drive has ample real estate, you can go higher with the percentage. When done, click OK, and System Restore will activate.
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2. Create your first restore point
To create your first restore point, return to the System Properties window. To cut to the chase, click the Search icon, start typing System Protection in the search box, and then select the option for "Create a restore point" from the results.
In the System Properties window, click the Create button. In the next window, type a name to assign to this restore point so that you can easily identify it. Then click Create. You should see a message that the restore point was successfully created.
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Before and after you make major changes to Windows, you may want to create more restore points using the same process. As long as you have enough disk space, you can continue to create additional points.
3. View a restore point
Now let's say you've made a major change, and Windows is misbehaving. Maybe it's slow; maybe it's crashing; maybe a certain application isn't working. Whatever the reason, you might have already explored other troubleshooting steps, all to no avail. Instead, you can turn to a previous restore point.
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Head back to the System Properties window and click the System Restore button. If you've created only one restore point, the tool will take you to that one. Otherwise, it may recommend that you choose the latest restore point. If that's the one you want, click Next. If not, select the option for "Choose a different restore point" and click Next.
4. See more restore points
The next screen displays the most recent restore points. To see more, check the box for "Show more restore points."
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5. Preview the changes
Select the restore point you want. To see what changes will occur if you restore to the point you selected, click the button for "Scan for affected programs." You'll then see a list of all the programs and drivers that would be deleted or restored.
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6. Restore your selected point
To restore the point you selected, click Next, review the information in the window, and click Finish. Another window pops up to tell you that System Restore cannot be interrupted. Click Yes to kick off the process.
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7. Sign back in to Windows
Windows is then restored to the point you selected. After the process is finished, your PC is automatically rebooted. Sign back in to Windows. Check to see if the original problem has been resolved. You should also open any applications that may have been affected by the restore. Hopefully, the restore point did the trick, letting you resume your work in Windows, at least until the next problem rolls around.
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