Windows 11 System Restore: Turn It On, Create and Undo

Windows 11 System Restore takes the operating system back to the state it was in at an earlier moment, called a restore point. It undoes changes to system files, drivers, installed apps, Windows updates and the registry, which makes it one of the quickest ways to recover after a bad driver, a misbehaving program or an update that left the PC unstable. It does not touch your personal files, so documents, photos and downloads stay where they are.

There is one catch that surprises a lot of people: System Restore can only roll back to restore points that already exist, and on many Windows 11 PCs the feature that creates them, System Protection, is switched off out of the box. This guide shows how to check and turn it on, how to create restore points, how to run a restore from Windows or from the recovery environment, and how to undo one. Everything applies to Windows 11 version 24H2 and 25H2, Home and Pro alike.

What System Restore changes, and what it leaves alone

Restored to the earlier state	Not changed
Windows system files and settings	Documents, pictures, music, videos
Drivers installed after the restore point	Email and browser data stored in your user folders
Apps installed after the restore point (they are removed)	Files in OneDrive or on other drives
Windows updates installed after the restore point	Files on USB drives and other external storage

Because apps and updates installed after the restore point are removed, you may need to reinstall a program or let Windows Update reinstall an update afterwards. System Restore is not a backup: if the drive fails or a file is deleted, it will not bring that file back. For that you need a proper backup or File History.

Step 1: Check whether System Protection is on

1. Select Start, type Create a restore point and open the result. You can also go to Settings > System > About and select System protection under Related links.
2. The System Properties window opens on the System Protection tab. Under Protection Settings, look at the line for your system drive, usually Local Disk (C:) (System).
3. If Protection says On, Windows is creating restore points. If it says Off, continue with the next section.

Step 2: Turn on System Protection and set disk space

1. On the System Protection tab, select drive C: and choose Configure.
2. Select Turn on system protection.
3. Move the Max Usage slider. A few percent of the drive is enough for several restore points; when the space fills, Windows deletes the oldest points to make room.
4. Select OK.

Protection only needs to be on for the system drive. Turning it on for data drives is optional and mainly useful for Previous Versions of files on that drive. The Delete button in the same dialog removes all restore points for that drive, so only use it if you deliberately want to free the space.

Step 3: Create a restore point manually

Windows creates restore points automatically before many driver installs and Windows updates once protection is on, but it is worth making your own before any risky change, such as installing a new graphics driver, trying a tweak, or removing software that hooks deep into the system.

1. In the System Protection tab, select Create.
2. Type a description you will recognise later, for example “Before GPU driver 10-2026”. Windows adds the date and time itself.
3. Select Create and wait for the confirmation message.

Step 4: Run System Restore from Windows (rstrui)

1. On the System Protection tab, select System Restore. Shortcut: press Windows key + R, type rstrui and press Enter.
2. Windows may suggest a recommended restore point. To see all of them, choose Choose a different restore point and select Next.
3. Pick a restore point dated before the problem started.
4. Select Scan for affected programs. The list shows which apps and drivers will be removed and which might be restored. Note anything you will need to reinstall.
5. Select Next, check the summary and select Finish. The PC restarts and the restore can take a while; do not switch it off.

When Windows starts again, a message tells you whether the restore succeeded. If it failed, try an older restore point, or run it from safe mode, where fewer programs can interfere. Our Windows 11 safe mode guide explains how to get there.

Step 5: Run System Restore when Windows will not start

If the PC crashes before you reach the desktop, use the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE):

1. Windows opens WinRE by itself after it fails to start correctly several times. To trigger it, switch the PC on and hold the power button to turn it off as soon as the logo appears; do this twice, and on the third start Windows should show Automatic Repair.
2. Select Advanced options, then Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore.
3. If BitLocker or device encryption is on, enter the recovery key when asked. See our BitLocker recovery guide for where to find it.
4. Choose a restore point and follow the same wizard as above.

You can also reach WinRE from Settings > System > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now when Windows still runs, or from the sign-in screen by holding Shift while selecting Power > Restart. If the PC is caught in a restart cycle, read Windows 11 boot loop first.

How to undo a System Restore

If the restore made things worse, or removed something you needed:

1. Open System Restore again (rstrui).
2. Select Undo System Restore and then Next.
3. Confirm with Finish.

Windows creates an undo point before every restore that runs from normal Windows. A restore performed from safe mode or the recovery environment does not offer that undo, so choose the restore point carefully in those cases.

Why System Restore fails, and what to try next

• No restore points listed: protection was off, or Max Usage was so low that older points were deleted. Turn it on now so you are covered next time.
• “System Restore did not complete successfully”: antivirus software or a locked file can block it. Retry from safe mode or from WinRE.
• The problem comes back: the cause may be a driver or update that reinstalls itself. Pause updates for a while and roll back the driver in Device Manager instead.

If there is no usable restore point, repair Windows in place: run System File Checker and DISM, try “Fix problems using Windows Update” under Settings > System > Recovery, and as a last step use Reset this PC, which reinstalls Windows and can keep your files. The full order of repairs is in our Windows 11 troubleshooting guide.

System Restore does not bring back personal files; for those, see recover deleted files in Windows 11.