How to Do a System Restore on Windows 11

To do a System Restore on Windows 11, press Windows + R, type rstrui.exe, and press Enter. Select Next, pick a restore point from before the problem started, then select Next and Finish. Windows restarts and rolls back system files, registry settings, drivers and installed programs. Your documents, photos and other personal files aren’t touched.

These steps apply to every current version of Windows 11, including version 26H2, and to Windows 10. Point-in-time restore, covered near the end, needs Windows 11 version 24H2 or later.

These steps follow Microsoft’s System Restore article, which also covers restoring from the Windows Recovery Environment when Windows won’t start. Microsoft’s System Protection page explains that restore points only exist if System Protection is turned on, and its recovery options overview compares System Restore with newer tools like Point-in-time restore.

Before you start

• You need a restore point. A restore point is a saved snapshot of Windows system files, settings and installed programs. Windows only makes them when System Protection is on, and Microsoft says it’s off by default. If you’ve never turned it on, skip to the section on what to do when there are no restore points.
• Use an administrator account. System Restore asks for administrator permission. In the recovery environment, Windows may ask you to pick an account and enter its password.
• Save your work and plug in a laptop. Windows restarts during the restore, and you shouldn’t turn the PC off while it runs.
• Have your BitLocker recovery key ready if your drive is encrypted and you plan to restore from the recovery environment.
• Know what it isn’t. System Restore isn’t a backup of your files, and it isn’t a reliable way to remove malware. Keep a separate backup of anything you can’t replace.

Which recovery tool should you use?

Your situation	Best first step
Problems started after a new driver, app or setting change	System Restore
Problems started after a monthly Windows update	Uninstall that update first, or use System Restore
You need to undo everything from the last day or two, including files	Point-in-time restore (Windows 11 version 24H2 or later)
No restore point exists and Windows is damaged	Reinstall Windows with Windows Update, or Reset this PC

If a recent update is the likely cause, you can remove it by rolling back a Windows 11 update.

If the problem is missing sound, roll back the audio driver first, as described in fixing no sound on Windows 11, before you restore.

How to run System Restore from Windows

1. Press Windows + R, type rstrui.exe, and press Enter. Select Yes if User Account Control asks for permission. The System Restore window opens.
2. In the Restore system files and settings box, select Next. If Windows shows a Recommended restore option, you can use it, or choose Choose a different restore point to see the full list.
3. Choose a restore point dated before the problem started. If you don’t see the one you want, check Show more restore points. Each entry shows its date, a description, and its type, such as an automatic point made before an install.

4. Optional: select Scan for affected programs. The top list shows programs and drivers that will be removed. The bottom list shows ones that may come back, though they might need to be reinstalled to work properly. Select Close when you’re done reading.

5. Select Next. Check the confirmation screen, which lists the restore point and the drive it applies to.
6. Select Finish. When Windows warns that System Restore can’t be interrupted once it starts, select Yes.

Windows applies the restore point and restarts automatically. The restore can take a while, so don’t turn off the PC while it runs. When you sign back in, Windows shows a message saying whether the restore finished.

Other ways to open System Restore

• Control Panel: open Control Panel, select Recovery, and choose Open System Restore. If you don’t see Recovery, set View by to Large icons.
• System Properties: select Start, type Create a restore point, open it, and select System Restore on the System Protection tab.
• Command line: type rstrui in Command Prompt, PowerShell or Windows Terminal and press Enter.
• Task Manager: press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, select Run new task, type rstrui, and select OK. This helps when the desktop or Start menu isn’t responding.

How to run System Restore when Windows won’t start

There are several ways to reach the Windows Recovery Environment: hold Shift while you select Power > Restart; go to Settings > System > Recovery and select Restart now next to Advanced startup; or let Windows open it on its own after it fails to start correctly several times.

A USB recovery drive also boots straight into it, and Windows installation media gets you there if you select Repair my PC on the setup screen. If you don’t have either, follow the steps for making a Windows 11 recovery USB on a working PC.

1. In Windows RE, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore.
2. If asked, choose your account and enter its password, then select Continue.
3. Choose a restore point, optionally scan for affected programs, then select Next and Finish.
4. When it’s done, select Restart.

Windows starts from the restored state. If your device is encrypted, you’ll need your BitLocker recovery key, and Find your BitLocker recovery key helps if you don’t have it.

If Windows is stuck on the Automatic Repair screen, start by fixing an automatic repair loop in Windows 11. Those steps cover System Restore along with other recovery options. Every route into the recovery menu is covered in booting into recovery mode in Windows 11.

Run it from Safe Mode instead

If System Restore fails inside normal Windows, a startup program or driver may be getting in the way. In Windows RE, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart, then press 4 or F4 for Safe Mode. Sign in, press Windows + R, and run rstrui.exe as above. Windows doesn’t save an undo point for a restore run in Safe Mode or from Windows RE, so pick your restore point carefully.

What System Restore changes

Rolled back	Kept
System files and registry settings	Documents, photos, music and other personal files
Drivers installed after the restore point	Files stored in OneDrive
Programs and updates installed after the restore point (removed)	Programs installed before the restore point
Programs you removed after the restore point (may return, but often need reinstalling)	Your Windows user accounts

Reinstall any apps you still need after the restore. To make the next rollback easier, create a restore point before big changes like driver updates.

How to check that it worked, or undo it

After the restart, Windows shows a message confirming that System Restore completed and naming the restore point’s date. Then check whether the problem is gone: open the app that was crashing, test the device whose driver misbehaved, or watch for the error you saw before.

If the restore made things worse and you ran it from inside Windows, open System Restore again. Windows saves a restore point just before it restores, so you can select Undo System Restore on the first screen, or choose that newer point from the list, and run it the same way. A restore run from Safe Mode or Windows RE doesn’t offer this option.

If there are no restore points

System Protection is off by default. If the list is empty, or the System Restore button is grayed out in System Properties, turn it on so Windows can create restore points from now on:

1. Select Start, type Create a restore point, and open it.
2. On the System Protection tab, select your Windows drive and select Configure.
3. Select Turn on system protection, set the maximum disk space with the slider, then select Apply.
4. Select Create, type a description such as “Before graphics driver update,” and select Create to make a restore point right away.

Windows creates restore points automatically when needed, such as before software installs and updates, and you have one to fall back on today. A few percent of the drive is usually enough space. When the space fills up, Windows deletes older restore points to make room for new ones. Turning protection on only covers the drive you selected; repeat it for other drives if you install programs there.

Turning on System Protection now can’t recover anything from before today. If Windows is already broken and has no restore point, use the other recovery options later in this article.

Troubleshooting System Restore

• “System Restore did not complete successfully”: try a different, older restore point, then try again from Safe Mode or Windows RE.
• The restore point you need is missing: check Show more restore points. If it’s still not there, Windows may have deleted it to free space, or System Protection was turned off at some point.
• System Restore is turned off on a work or school PC: your organization may manage it. Ask your IT department.
• Corrupted system files: open Terminal or Command Prompt as administrator and run sfc /scannow. If it can’t fix everything, run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, restart, and run sfc /scannow again.
• It worked, but the problem came back: a removed update or driver may have reinstalled itself. Pause updates in Settings > Windows Update until a fix arrives, or roll back the driver in Device Manager.

System Restore vs. Point-in-time restore

Newer versions of Windows 11 also offer Point-in-time restore, found in Settings > System > Recovery. Microsoft now lists it as the first choice on PCs that have it, and it’s on by default on personal devices. Here is how the two differ:

• System Restore rolls back system files, settings and programs only, and keeps restore points for as long as disk space allows.
• Point-in-time restore rolls back the entire Windows drive, including your personal files, to an automatic snapshot. Windows takes one about every 24 hours and keeps them for 72 hours. Anything you changed since then, including new files, apps, settings and passwords, is lost (OneDrive files aren’t affected).

To use Point-in-time restore, open Windows RE and select Troubleshoot > Point-in-time restore, choose a snapshot, and confirm. Install the latest Windows updates afterward, because recent security fixes may be rolled back.

For most problems caused by a bad driver or app, System Restore is the gentler choice, and it’s the only one that can go back further than three days.

When System Restore isn’t enough

Windows has other recovery tools, from least to most disruptive:

• Uninstall updates: remove the latest quality or feature update from Settings > Windows Update > Update history, or from Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Uninstall Updates in Windows RE.
• Reinstall Windows with Windows Update: under Settings > System > Recovery, Fix problems using Windows Update reinstalls your current version and keeps your files, apps and settings.
• Reset this PC: reinstalls Windows. Keep my files saves personal files but removes apps and settings; Remove everything erases the drive. Back up first.

If neither rollback fixes the problem, you can reset all settings in Windows 11 and keep your personal files.

When nothing short of a fresh start will help, back up your files and wipe and reinstall Windows 11.

Run System Restore in Windows 10

Windows 10 uses the same tool: press Windows + R, enter rstrui.exe and follow the steps above. If Windows 10 won’t start, open its recovery environment and choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore. In Windows 10, the Advanced startup button is under Settings > Update & Security > Recovery. Microsoft’s System Restore instructions cover both versions.

Frequently asked questions