System Restore is a fantastic feature of the Windows operating system. The feature lets you restore Windows 10/11 to an earlier date without losing your data.
When you restore Windows 10/11 to a previous date with the help of a restore point, all Windows settings, installed programs, and drivers will be restored to the date and time when the system restore point was created.
System Restore is a handy feature. No double. But in order to restore Windows 10/11 to a previous date, you need to have one or more previously created system restore points for the Windows 10/11 installation.
This guide will show you how to look for available system restore points in Windows 10/11.
View all available restore points in Windows 10/11
Step 1: On your Windows 10/11 search, type sysdm.cpl and then hit Enter to open the System Properties dialog.
Step 2: In the System Properties dialog, click on the System Protection tab.
Step 3: Here, in the System Restore section, click on the System Restore button. It will open the System Restore wizard.
Step 4: Now, click on the Next button.
Step 5: The window shows the most recent system restore points. To view all available restore points, click on the Show more restore points checkbox.
As you can see, Windows shows the date and time of the creation for all restore points.
To view programs and drivers that are updated post the creation of a selected restore point, select a restore point and then click the Scan for affected programs button.
How do I find my last restore point?
Step 1: Type Sysdm.cpl in the search and then hit Enter.
Step 2: Under the System Protection tab, click the System Restore button to open the System Restore wizard.
Step 3: Click the Next button.
Step 4: The wizard lists your recent restore points. The restore point at the top of the list is your last restore point.
Create a restore point in Windows 10/11
If enabled, Windows 10/11 automatically creates a restore point before installing system updates. Additionally, you can manually create restore points whenever you want. Here is how to do that:
Step 1: Open the System Properties dialog by typing sysdm.cpl in the search and then hitting the Enter key.
Step 2: In the System Properties dialog, switch to the System Protection tab.
Step 3: Here, in the Protection Settings section, ensure that the System Restore feature is turned on for the Windows 10/11 installation drive. If not, turn it on by clicking the Configure button and then selecting Enable system protection option.
Step 4: Finally, select the Windows drive, click on the Create button, type a name for the restore point and then click the Create button to create a new system restore point.
Delete restore points in Windows 10/11
Windows 10 and 11 do not offer a straightforward way to delete restore points. However, you can turn off and then turn on the system restore feature to delete all restore points. If you prefer to delete individual restore points, you might need to use third-party programs. Refer to our how to delete individual system restore points guide for directions.
Ty Buchanan says
Microsoft goes out of its way to make life intolerable for users. There is no way that works to increase the number of Restore points. 10 only reaches back to about 10 days. They should go back to at least a month irrespective of the number of Restore points.