How To Display Windows System Restore

When you check a new piece of software or install an important update, you might want to see if everything went as expected. You do that by checking the system restore feature and test out all the new features.

Instead of just testing one thing after another, though, why not make it so easy for users to do all this? Windows has system restore built right into the operating system and comes in handy when you need to go back in time to a previous point in time and fix things.

In this article, we’ll show you how to display windows system restore from the Windows interface—no third-party tool required. Before we get started, let’s discuss what windows system restore actually is.

A backup solution built into modern versions of Microsoft Windows, system restore allows you to go back in time with your PC. If something bad happens and your PC no longer works properly for some reason, restoring your files and settings allows you to get back on track again.

Enable Or Disable System Restore in Windows

If you prefer to manually enable or disable system restore, you can do that from the Control Panel. If you want to disable system restore, click Turn off System Restore—this option is greyed out if you are currently using it.

To turn restore back on, select Turn on System Restore. Restoring a previous state of your PC is a pretty awesome thing, but it also takes up some resources on your computer. If you don’t need to use it, you can disable it to save resources.

To check if you have the System Restore feature enabled, open the Start menu and type system restore. Click System Restore and view the details on the right side of the window. If you are unsure, you can always open the Control Panel to see if it is enabled.

See recent system restore points

In the System Restore window, you can see the last five System Restore points you made. You can add a new restore point by clicking the + button next to the list. If you want to see older restore points, click the Show older restore points link.

You can also see System Restore points in the Recycle Bin by clicking the Restore button on the right side of the window. This will bring up a list of restores you have previously deleted. If you want to delete a restore point, right-click it and select Delete.

Create a new System Restore point

To create a new restore point, right-click the + button and select New System Restore Point. This will open the System Restore Point Wizard.

Next, select the options you want and then click Finish. If you want to restore to a previous point, select the previous logout/logon option. If you want the computer to boot to a specific screen, you can select the Boot from drive screen option.

Delete an existing System Restore Point

You can delete an existing System Restore point by right-clicking it, selecting Delete and then clicking Yes. This will delete the restore point, but your data will still be there if you create a new restore point. You may want to delete an old restore point if you are not using it and don’t need it taking up space.

To see a list of recent deletes, click the view recent deletes link on the bottom of the System Restore window. Select the Select items to view from the list option to find all the recent deletes. Click the checkbox next to each restore point you want to keep. Once you have everything selected, click Delete Selected Items.

Reset your PC to factory state using System Restore

If you are returning your PC to its factory settings (or a clean install), you can reset it to the original factory state using System Restore. If you have a Windows 7 or 8.1 PC, you need to download and run the Windows 7 or 8.1 System Restore tool.

If you have a Windows 10 PC, you can run the Windows 10 System Restore tool. To restore your PC to the original factory state using System Restore, follow these steps: Open the Start menu and type “restore”. If you don’t see the result you want, use the search box instead.

Press the Enter key. You will now see a list of search results. Click on the result that says System Restore. On the System Restore menu, click Create a restore point.

Conclusion

The System Restore feature in Windows is a great way to go back in time and fix things if something goes wrong. However, you may find yourself in a situation where you want to disable it. If you’re in that situation, don’t worry—we’ll show you how to do it.