How to Create a System Restore Point in Windows 11

Why Make a Restore Point?

• You can return to the state before a new app, driver, or update caused trouble.
• You can undo changes that made your PC slow or unstable without first hunting for the cause.
• You avoid fixing everything from scratch or reinstalling Windows.

Make one before big changes, such as installing new software, a hardware driver, or a system tweak. Windows also creates some restore points on its own, but a manual one gives you a known good point with a name you chose.

How to Create a System Restore Point in 🪟 Windows 11

You work in the System Properties window throughout. You open it, turn on system protection (the setting that lets Windows save restore points) for your main drive, create the restore point, and, if you ever need it, run System Restore to go back.

Step 1Open System Settings

Choose one of the three routes below. All of them end at the System Properties window. If Windows asks for administrator approval, accept it. A standard account needs an administrator’s password here.

Route 1: Through Settings

1. Click the Start button⊞ (the Windows icon) on the taskbar🖥️. The Start menu opens with a search box🔍 at the top.

   

2. Type System in the search🔍 box, then click System in the results. The System page of the Settings⚙️ app opens.
3. Scroll down on the right and click About.

   

4. Click Advanced system settings under Related links. The System Properties window opens.

Route 2: Through the search bar

1. Press the Win, type about your pc in the search🔍 bar, and press Enter. The About page opens directly.
2. Click Advanced system settings under Related links. The System Properties window opens.

Route 3: Through the Run box

This is the quickest route if you do this often.

1. Press Win+R to open the Run box.
2. Type sysdm.cpl and press Enter. The System Properties window opens.

The window opens on the Computer Name tab. You need the System Protection tab, covered next.

Step 2Turn On System Protection

Windows creates a restore point only for a drive that has system protection turned on. It is already on for the system drive on some PCs and off on others, so check. This step requires administrator privileges.

1. Click the System Protection tab at the top of the window. A list of drives appears under Protection Settings.

   

2. Click your main drive, usually Local Disk (C:) (System), to select it. The Protection column shows On or Off for each drive.
3. If the drive shows Protection Off, click Configure. A new System Protection dialog opens. If it already shows On, skip ahead to Step 3.

If Configure or the options inside it are greyed out, you are probably not signed in as an administrator. Sign in with an administrator account and try again. On a work PC, a group policy (a rule set by your organization’s administrator) can also lock these settings.

4. In the dialog, select Turn on system protection. The Disk Space Usage controls become active.
5. Optionally, drag the Max Usage slider to set how much disk space restore points can use. The default is usually fine. When that space fills, Windows deletes the oldest restore points to make room for new ones, so a larger allowance keeps more history. If your drive is nearly full, keep the allowance small.
6. Click Apply, then OK. You return to the System Properties window, and the drive now shows On.

The Create button is now available on the System Protection tab. If it is still greyed out, protection is not on for the selected drive.

Step 3Create Your Restore Point

This step requires administrator privileges.

1. With your system drive selected, click Create. A System Protection dialog opens and asks for a description.
2. Type a name that tells you why you made this restore point, for example “Before installing💿 new app”. Windows adds the date and time, so leave them out.
3. Click Create again. A message says Creating a restore point. This usually takes under a minute, but it can take longer on a slow disk.

Leave the dialog open while the progress bar runs, and do not shut down the PC until it finishes.

When the bar completes, Windows shows a notification that the restore point was created successfully. Click Close. You can now install the app, driver, or update you were worried about.

How to Restore Your PC Using a Restore Point

1. Open the System Properties window again, using any route from Step 1.
2. Click the System Protection tab.
3. Click System Restore. The System Restore wizard opens. If the button is greyed out, protection is off for that drive, so there are no restore points to use.

The first wizard page explains what System Restore does. It may offer a Recommended restore, which is the most recent restore point. You can accept it or pick a different one.

4. Click Next. If the wizard offers a choice, select Choose a different restore point first.
5. Choose the restore point you want. Check its date, time, and description, and pick one from before the problem started. To see what will change, click Scan for affected programs. It lists the apps and drivers that will be removed or restored.
6. Click Next, then Finish. Windows warns that the process can’t be interrupted once it begins. Click Yes to continue.

The confirmation page shows the restore point you picked and the drive it affects. Read it before you click Finish.

After you confirm, the PC prepares the restore and restarts. The restore can take up to 30 minutes. Do not turn off the PC or pull the power during this time, even if the screen looks stuck.

When you sign back in, Windows tells you whether the restore succeeded. Your personal files stay as they are, but apps and drivers installed after the restore point are removed. If the result is not what you wanted, open System Restore again and choose Undo System Restore, or pick a different restore point.

If Windows no longer starts, you can reach System Restore from the Windows recovery environment (a repair mode that loads outside normal Windows), under Troubleshoot and Advanced options.

Summary

If a restore fails, try an older restore point. If none of them work, use the recovery options in Settings as your next step. A restore point is not a backup of your files, so set up a separate backup for anything important.