How to Delete System and Point-in-time Restore Points in Windows 11

System Restore points in Windows 11 allow you to go back to an earlier state of your PC if something goes wrong after a change.

Windows 11 uses two main kinds of these points: System Restore and Point-in-time restore. Both create saved snapshots of your system. System Restore focuses on system files and settings, automatically cleaning up older points when space is needed.

Point-in-time restore, on the other hand, saves your entire system, including personal files, and keeps points for about 72 hours by default. It uses reserved storage, which is a part of your disk specifically for system needs.

Deleting these restore points can free up valuable disk space. This is especially helpful if you have many saved points that have accumulated over time.

Option 1Delete All Restore Points Using System Protection

You can delete all restore points in Windows 11 using System Protection settings to free up disk space and reset your recovery options. This action removes every restore point created on your computer at once. It’s a straightforward way to clear all your backups quickly and regain storage.

1. Open the Settings app. You can do this by pressing the Windows key + I.
2. Click on System in the menu on the left. Then, click on About on the right side.
3. Click on the System protection link. This will open a new window. You can close the ⚙️ Settings app now if you wish.
4. Under Protection Settings, choose a drive that has protection turned on. This is the drive where you want to delete all restore points. Then, click the Configure button.

   • Restore points from Point-in-time restore are only on your main system drive (C:).
   • Restore points from System Restore can be on any drive that has protection turned on.
5. Click the Delete button.
6. Admin privilege required: Click Continue to confirm that you want to delete them.
7. Click Close when the process is finished.
8. Click OK.
9. You will see that the “Current Usage” for the selected drive is now “0 bytes”. This means all restore points on that drive have been deleted.
10. Click OK again.

Option 2Delete All Restore Points on All Drives Using Command Prompt

You can quickly delete all restore points on all your drives using a Command Prompt command, which requires administrator privileges. This method clears all recovery points at once across your entire system. It offers a fast way to manage your system backups when you need to clear everything.

1. Admin privilege required: Open Windows Terminal (Admin). Then, choose Command Prompt from the menu.
2. Copy and paste one of the commands below into Windows Terminal (Admin). Then, press the Enter key.

   • This command will ask you to confirm before deleting:
   • vssadmin delete shadows /all
   • Or, this command will delete without asking for confirmation:
   • vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet

Option 3Delete All Restore Points on a Specific Drive Using Command Prompt

You can delete all restore points for a specific drive using the Command Prompt, targeting just one part of your computer. This method removes all System Restore backups associated with that single drive. It’s a useful way to manage disk space on a particular drive without affecting others.

1. Admin privilege required: Open Windows Terminal (Admin). Then, choose Command Prompt from the menu.
2. Type one of the commands below into Windows Terminal (Admin). Press the Enter key.
   

   • This command will ask you to confirm before deleting:
   
   vssadmin delete shadows /For=(drive letter): /all
   
   • Or, this command will delete without asking for confirmation:
   
   vssadmin delete shadows /For=(drive letter): /all /quiet
   

   📝Important

   In the commands above, replace (drive letter) with the actual letter of the drive (for example, “C”) where you want to delete restore points.

   
   
   • Restore points from Point-in-time restore are only on your main system drive (C:).
   
   
   • Restore points from System Restore can be on any drive that has protection turned on.

   For example, to delete all restore points on the C: drive:

   
   vssadmin delete shadows /For=C: /all /quiet
   

Option 4Delete the Oldest Restore Point on a Specific Drive Using Command Prompt

You can delete just the oldest restore point on a specific drive using the Command Prompt for more precise management. This targeted approach helps free up space or troubleshoot issues without removing all your recovery points. It allows you to manage backups on a chosen drive by removing only the earliest one.

1. Admin privilege required: Open Windows Terminal (Admin). Then, choose Command Prompt from the menu.
2. Type one of the commands below into Windows Terminal (Admin). Press the Enter key.
   

   • This command will ask you to confirm before deleting:
   
   vssadmin delete shadows /For=(drive letter): /oldest
   
   • Or, this command will delete without asking for confirmation:
   
   vssadmin delete shadows /For=(drive letter): /oldest /quiet
   

   
   

   📝Important

   In the commands above, replace (drive letter) with the actual letter of the drive (for example, “C”) where you want to delete the oldest restore point.

   
   
   • Restore points from Point-in-time restore are only on your main system drive (C:).
   
   
   • Restore points from System Restore can be on any drive that has protection turned on.
   
   

   For example, to delete the oldest restore point on the C: drive:

   
   vssadmin delete shadows /For=C: /oldest /quiet
   

Option 5Delete a Specific Restore Point Using Command Prompt

You can delete a single, specific restore point in Windows 11 using the Command Prompt by first finding its unique ID. This method requires listing all available backups to identify the one you want to remove. Then, you can select and delete that one specific restore point from your system.

1. Admin privilege required: Open Windows Terminal (Admin). Then, choose Command Prompt from the menu.
2. Copy and paste the command below into Terminal (Admin). Press the Enter key.
3. vssadmin list shadows
4. You will see a list of all available restore points, each with its own unique “Shadow Copy ID”.

   • A “ClientAccessible” type means it’s a restore point from Point-in-time restore.
   • A “ClientAccessibleWriters” type means it’s a restore point from System Restore.
5. Write down the “Shadow Copy ID” of the restore point you want to delete. For example, it might look like {c034d8e3-9e5b-47ed-8e56-fd50708045bd}.
6. Type one of the commands below into Windows Terminal (Admin). Press the Enter key.
   

   
   
   • This command will ask you to confirm before deleting:
   
   vssadmin delete shadows /Shadow=<Shadow Copy ID>
   
   • Or, this command will delete without asking for confirmation:
   
   vssadmin delete shadows /Shadow=<Shadow Copy ID> /quiet
   

   
   

   Important: In the commands above, replace <Shadow Copy ID> with the actual Shadow Copy ID you noted in step 4. Remember to include the curly braces {}.

   
   

   For example, if your Shadow Copy ID is {c034d8e3-9e5b-47ed-8e56-fd50708045bd}, the command would be:

   
   vssadmin delete shadows /Shadow={c034d8e3-9e5b-47ed-8e56-fd50708045bd} /quiet

Summary

Restore points are like saved snapshots of your computer. They help you fix problems by letting you go back to an