Oops, Windows is acting funky. Maybe you've installed a new application or driver or other piece of software that's wreaking havoc with your system. Perhaps Windows is crashing or blue screening and you have no idea why. But don't worry, all is not lost, at least not if you have a system restore point waiting to act as a white knight.
A restore point is essentially a snapshot of Windows at any given time. You can create restore points on a regular basis. Then if Windows goes kersplat, you can bring it back in time to that restore point before the problem occurred.
The beauty of a restore point is that it will restore your Windows system and settings to a previous state, but by default it won't mess around with your documents and personal files. So any changes you've made to your personal files since you created the restore point remain intact.
Windows automatically creates a restore point at key moments, such as when you install certain software programs and drivers or apply Windows updates. But you should manually create these points yourself on a regular basis, perhaps a couple of times a month, to ensure that your system can be restored to a recent state in the event of a mishap.
The Restore Point feature is available in Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 7 and essentially works the same way in all three versions. Let's see how to create and use a restore point in any of these versions of Windows.
In Windows 10 or Windows 8.1, right-click on the Start button and select Control Panel from the pop-up menu. In Windows 7, left-click on the Start button and click on Control Panel from the right pane. In Control Panel, type the phrase restore point in the search field in the upper-right corner. The Restore Point feature should appear among the search results. Click "Create a restore point."
The System Properties window appears with the System Protection tab as active, showing you your drive partitions and their current status. Click the drive for which you want to create a restore point and then click the Create button.
In the Create a Restore Point window, type a name for the restore point. Click Create. The current date and time are automatically added to the name. Windows should then tell you that the restore point was created successfully. Click the Close button.
Okay, now let's travel into the future after a calamity befalls Windows, preventing it from behaving itself. Open Control Panel, type restore point in the search field, and click on the link to "Create a restore point" to bring you to the System Protection tab. Click on the drive or partition on which you created the restore point. Then click on the System Restore button.
At the Restore system files and settings screen, Windows explains what System Restore does. Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 also ask if you wish to "Undo System Restore," meaning undo the last system restore if you feel it did not fix the problem in Windows. Your other option is to browse all restore points. Let's click on the button to "Choose a different restore point" to view them all with the intention of restoring one of them. In Windows 10, 8.1, or 7, click the Next button at this point.
The next window shows you the system restore points for the drive you selected. Select a specific restore point. Then click on the button to "Scan for affected programs."
Windows scans for any programs added since the last restore point in order to delete them and also looks for any that were removed in order to restore them. It also scans for any programs and drivers that might be restored but may not work correctly and might need to be reinstalled. Note the results if Windows finds anything. After the scan completes, close the current window to return to the previous System Restore window.
Make sure the restore point you want to use is selected and click Next.
At the next screen, confirm the restore point you wish to apply and then click Finish.
Windows tells you that System Restore cannot be interrupted. Click Yes to continue.
Windows starts to bring your system back to the restore point you selected and reboots, telling you that your files and settings are being restored.
Log back into Windows. You should receive a message telling you that System Restore completed successfully.
You may now need to reinstall any applications, drivers, or other software that were removed. You'll also want to play around in Windows to see if the problem that prompted you to restore it has been eliminated.
For more, check out these other Windows 10 tips:
- How to Control Your Battery Usage in Windows 10
- How to Back Up, Restore Your Documents in Windows 10
- How to Use and Tweak Your Windows 10 Lock Screen
- How to Manage the Start Menu in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update
- How to Try Out Windows 10 for Free for 90 Days
- How to Clean Up Windows 10 With the Refresh Windows Tool
- How to Juggle Multiple Windows 10 Apps With Virtual Desktops
- How to Free Up Disk Space on Your Windows 10 PC
- How to Launch Windows Without Entering a Password