How to Enable Point-in-Time Restore in Windows 11

What is Point-in-Time Restore?

Point-in-time restore is a recovery feature that rolls your computer back to an earlier working state after a bad system update or a bad setting change. It uses saved restore points, which work like snapshots of your system, to fix software problems.

The newest version came with update KB5095093. Microsoft’s release notes say it can roll back your PC, including apps, settings and personal files, to a recent automatic restore point. Microsoft says it is meant to reduce downtime and simplify troubleshooting.

It fixes software problems only. If the cause is failing hardware, or a file you deleted yourself, a restore point won’t help. Keep regular file backups as well.

Restore points are stored on your computer using the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS). This service keeps copies of system state data, so Windows can put things back the way they were when something goes wrong.

Because the points live on the same drive as Windows, they can’t help you if that drive fails. A separate backup on an external drive or in the cloud covers that case.

Why You Need This Feature

The quickest way is the Settings app, and it is the method to use on a PC that has update KB5095093. Press Win+I to open Settings, go to System › Recovery, and turn on the Point-in-time restore toggle. To disable the feature, follow the same steps and turn the switch off.

This option is new and is rolling out in stages. If you don’t see it on the Recovery page, your Windows 11 build probably doesn’t have the update yet. Open Settings › Windows Update, select Check for updates, install what is offered and restart, then look again.

If the toggle still doesn’t appear, use the Registry method later in this tutorial. The detailed Settings steps are further down the page.

How Restore Points Work

Restore points are snapshots of your system that Windows captures automatically. They are saved using the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS), which keeps them on your storage drive in a form Windows can restore from later.

Windows creates a new restore point every 24 hours, and each one is kept for 3 days. Older points are removed as they expire or when disk space runs low.

How to Turn On or Off Point-in-Time Restore Using Settings

You can turn point-in-time restore on or off in the main Settings app, from the system recovery page. The switch controls whether your computer saves system snapshots and manages the disk space those backups use.

The steps are the same on Windows 11 Home and Pro. You may need an administrator account to change the setting.

1. Open the Settings⚙️ app using either of these methods:

   • Click the Start menu and choose Settings, or
   • Press Win+I on your keyboard. The Settings window opens either way.
2. In Settings, click System in the left pane. The system options appear on the right.
3. On the right, scroll down and click Recovery. The recovery options for your PC are listed.
4. Find the Point-in-time restore option and switch the toggle to On to enable it, or Off to disable it. The toggle should show its new state straight away. If the option is missing, your build may not include update KB5095093 yet. If it is greyed out, your account may not have administrator rights.
5. Close the Settings⚙️ app when you are done. To undo the change later, come back to the same page and flip the toggle again.

That’s it. Point-in-time restore is now set the way you chose, and Windows 11 will keep creating automatic restore points in the background while it is on.

How to Enable or Disable Point-in-Time Restore Using Registry Editor

You can also enable or disable point-in-time restore by editing a value in the Registry Editor. This method changes the system protection setting directly in the Windows registry, the database where Windows stores its settings. It helps when the Settings page is locked down, missing or greyed out.

⚠️ Admin Privileges Required

You must be signed in with an administrator account to change these values. Otherwise, Registry Editor will refuse to save the change.

Follow these steps:

1. Open the Registry Editor:

   • Press Win+R, type regedit, and press Enter. If Windows asks for permission, click Yes. The Registry Editor window opens.
2. Navigate to this folder path, using the tree in the left pane: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\Recovery\PITRSettings. The key you reach should be named Settings.
3. Right-click Settings in the left pane and select New › DWORD (32-bit) Value. A new entry appears in the right pane with its name ready to edit.
4. Name this new value Active_UX and press Enter. Check the spelling, because a wrong name will have no effect.
5. Double-click Active_UX and set its Value data to one of these:

   • 1 to enable point-in-time restore
   • 0 to disable it
6. Click OK and close the Registry Editor. The new value should show in the right pane with the data you entered.
7. Restart your🔄 computer to apply the changes. To undo them later, change the value data back, or import the registry backup you made earlier, and restart again.

That’s it. The registry value now holds the setting you chose, and point-in-time restore will follow it after the restart.

Summary

• Quick FixRestore your PC to a recent working state if something goes wrong, such as after a bad update or driver. Update KB5095093 brought the newest version of the feature.
• Automatic BackupsWindows creates restore points every 24 hours without any action from you.
• ControlTurn the feature on or off from Settings or the Registry. Settings is the faster route, and the Registry is the fallback.
• Temporary StorageRestore points last for 3 days, which leaves time to fix most issues. If a problem shows up later than that, you will need a regular backup.
• Smart Space UseWindows deletes old restore points when space is low, so your PC keeps running smoothly. Keep at least 2GB free on C: so there is room to create them.
• Be CarefulAlways back up before changing Registry settings, and copy important personal files elsewhere before a rollback.

Point-in-time restore in Windows 11 gives you a reliable way to fix system problems by rolling your PC back to a recent working condition. It relies on automatic background backups called restore points, and it uses a modest amount of temporary storage space on your drive.

Turn it on before you need it, because a restore point can’t be made after the damage is done. Keep separate file backups too, since the restore points live on the same drive as Windows.

More info from Microsoft: Point-in-time restore official guide