System Restore can help recover your computer after system
changes, and here's how on Windows 11.
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On Windows 11, System Restore is a feature that has been
around for a long time, and its purpose is to create
snapshots of the current working state of the computer and
save them as "restore points" when specific events are
triggered. For example, when installing an update, driver,
app, or after applying changes to the Registry. If something
unexpected occurs, you can use a restore point to revert the
system state to resolve the issue without affecting your
files. The only caveat is that the recovery feature does not
come enabled by default, which means that you must configure
it manually before you can use it to undo system changes
that may prevent the normal operation of your computer. In
this Windows 11 guide, we walk you through the steps to
enable System Restore to fix problems after system changes.
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How to enable System Restore on Windows 11
Unlike in older versions, System Restore does not come
enabled by default, which means that before you can start
using the feature, you have to enable it manually. To enable
System Restore on Windows 11, use these steps:
- Open Start.
- Search for Create a restore point
and click the top result to open the
System Properties page
- Under the "Protection Settings" section, select the
main "System" drive.
- Click the Configure button.
- Select the Turn on system protection
option.
- Use the Max Usage slider and select
how much space Windows 11 should reserve to store
restore points.
- Click the Apply button.
- Click the OK button.
Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 will automatically
create a restore point when applying system updates or when
specific system changes are made. If you have additional
drives, enable the feature manually on each drive you want
to protect. However, it's important to note that System
Restore is meant to undo settings changes. It's not a backup
solution. |
How to create a System Restore point on Windows 11
Although Windows 11 can now create checkpoints automatically
when it detects system changes, if you plan to reconfigure
some settings, you always want to create a restore point
manually.
To create a restore point on Windows 11, use these steps:
- Open Start.
- Search for Create a restore point,
and click the top result to open the System
Properties page.
- Under the "Protection Settings" section, click the Create
button.
- Type a descriptive name for the restore point — for
example, Before updating Registry.
- Click the Create button.
- Click the Close button.
- Click the OK button.
- Click the Close button.
After you complete the steps, you can use the restore point
to undo system change if something happens after making
system changes, such as installing a new driver, app, or
modifying the Registry |
How to undo changes using System Restore on Windows 11
If something unexpected happens on Windows 11 as a result of
an installation or settings changes, use a restore point to
roll back the device to an earlier time to undo the changes
and fix the problem. You can do this from the desktop or
advanced startup settings. |
Apply restore point from desktop
If you have access to the desktop, revert the changes using
these steps:
- Open Start.
- Search for Create a restore point,
and click the top result to open the System
Properties page.
- Click the System Restore button.
- Click the Next button.
- Select the restore point to undo changes on Windows
11.
- (Optional) Click the Scan for
affected programs button to view the apps that will be
removed through this process.
- Click the Next button.
- Click the Finish button.
Once you complete the steps, the restore point will apply,
returning the device to the previous good working state. If
one or more apps are affected, you will have to reinstall
them manually. |
Apply restore point from Advanced startup
You can use the Advanced startup settings to use the System
Restore if the computer has problems starting up.
Access Advanced startup
To access the Advanced startup environment on Windows 11 to
apply a restore point, use these steps:
- Start the device.
- As soon as the Windows logo appears on the screen,
press the power button to interrupt
the boot sequence.
- Repeat steps 1 and 2
two more times. (Or until the device boots into the
Windows Rrecovery Environment (WinRE).)
After you complete the steps, use the steps below to undo
system changes using a previous restore point.
If you have trouble starting in the recovery environment,
start the device with the Windows 11 installation media, and
in the "Windows Setup" experience, click the Next button,
click the Repair your computer button from the bottom-left
corner, and then use the steps below. |
Undo changes with restore point
To use System Restore from the Advanced startup environment,
use these steps:
- Click the Advanced options button.
- Click on Troubleshoot.
- Click on Advanced options.
- Click on System Restore.
- Click the Next button.
- Select the restore point to revert changes and fix
problems with the computer.
- (Optional) Click the Scan for affected
programs button to view the apps that will be
removed through this process.
- Click the Next button.
- Click the Finish button.
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