- To create a System Restore Point on Windows 11, open the “System Protection” settings, select the drive, click on “Confiture,” and select the “Turn on system protection” option. Then, on “System Protection,” select the drive to protect and click on “Create.”
- To recover Windows 11 with a restore point, open the “System Protection” settings, click on “System Restore,” select the restore point and apply it to the computer.
UPDATED 2/5/2025: On Windows 11, System Restore is a built-in feature that helps safeguard your computer by creating “restore points,” which are snapshots of the system’s state at a given time. These restore points act as recovery options, allowing you to revert to a previous working state if a system or software issue occurs.
In the past, Windows 11 automatically generated restore points when it detected critical system changes, such as installing updates, drivers, or certain applications. However, this is no longer the case unless you manually enable the feature. After turning on the feature, you can also manually create a restore point at any time to ensure you have a fallback option.
If something goes wrong (such as a faulty update, driver conflict, or system misconfiguration), System Restore lets you restore Windows 11 to a stable state without affecting your personal files. Think of it as an “undo” button for system-level changes. It helps you recover quickly and keep your device running smoothly.
In this guide, I’ll teach you the steps to create and restore a restore point to fix problems on Windows 11.
Enable System Restore Point on Windows 11
To enable System Restore on Windows 11, use these steps:
Open Start on Windows 11.
Search for Create a restore point and click the top result to open the app.
Select the system drive (C) and click the Configure button under the “Protection Settings” section.
Select the “Turn on system protection” option.
(Optional) Select the “Max Usage” option to specify how much space the system will use to store restore points.
Quick note: The default setting is usually optimal. As storage space fills up, older restore points are deleted from the system. If you want to free up space on Windows 11, you can click the “Delete” button to remove all the restore points on the drive.Click the Apply button.
Click the OK button.
Once you complete the steps, the system will be able to create restore points.
Create a System Restore Point manually on Windows 11
To create a System Restore Point manually on Windows 11, use these steps:
Open Start.
Search for Create a restore point and click the top result to open the app.
Select the system drive (C) and click the Create button to create a restore point on Windows 11.
Confirm a name for the restore point.
Click the Create button.
Click the Close button.
After you complete the steps, the system will create a restore point that includes system files, installed applications, system settings, and a backup of the Registry.
Restore Windows 11 with System Restore Point
System Restore offers different ways to recover Windows 11. If you have access to the desktop, you can use a restore point to recover the system to a previous working state. If you don’t have access to the desktop, you can use the recovery tool in Safe Mode or Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).
To recover Windows 11 with a restore point, use these steps:
Open Start.
Search for Create a restore point and click the top result to open the app.
Click the System Restore button.
Click the Next button.
Select the restore point to recover Windows 11 to a good working condition.
Click the Next button.
Click the Finish button.
After you complete the steps, the computer may need a restart to finish recovering Windows 11.
The restore part can take a long time when using the System Restore, and it will depend on the system configuration.
Disable System Restore Point on Windows 11
To disable System Restore on Windows 11, use these steps:
Open Start.
Search for Create a restore point and click the top result to open the app.
Select the system drive (C) and click the Configure button under the “Protection Settings” section.
Select the “Disable system protection” option to disable System Restore on Windows 11.
Click the Apply button.
Click the OK button.
Click the Yes button.
- Click the OK button again.
Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 will disable the System Restore feature.
Q&A
Below are common questions and answers when using System Restore.
Should I use System Restore on Windows 11?
Yes, you should enable and create System Restore Points on your computer, or at least create one before making system changes. When you create a restore point, you will save the current state of the Windows 11 setup, installed programs, custom configurations, and Registry settings.
If something happens, you can always recover your system using a restore point.
Can I create restore points automatically?
Yes, you can create restore points automatically on a schedule with the help of the Task Scheduler since the feature doesn’t include an option to do it automatically.
Does System Restore delete my personal files?
No, System Restore does not delete personal files like documents, photos, or videos. It only affects system settings, installed programs, and registry configurations.
Why are my restore points missing?
System Restore might be disabled, preventing new restore points from being created. The operating system may have deleted older restore points due to limited disk space. To correct this, adjust the Max Usage setting under System Protection. A recent update or cleanup operation may have removed existing restore points.
Can I replace my backup system with System Restore?
No, although System Restore is a recovery tool, it doesn’t create a backup of your files. You should always proactively create a full backup of Windows 11 or a file backup to an external drive.
Update February 5, 2025: This guide has been updated to include a video tutorial to follow these instructions.