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How to create your own system restore point. Create a system restore point manually. Create a system restore point

If you make a Windows 7 restore point, you can resume the system if some kind of failure suddenly occurs. In general, these rollback points are created automatically at certain intervals. However, sometimes you need to create them yourself, manually, without waiting for the system to do it. This may be required if you are going to do something incomprehensible, something that could lead to a system failure.

Now I will tell you how to make a Windows 7 restore point, and do it every time you are going to do something on your computer that you doubt. Everything will take you a couple of minutes, and this is significantly less time than you will spend if you hopelessly damage the system.

Creating a restore point

So, before creating a Windows 7 restore point, you need to open System Properties. To do this, right-click on “Computer” and click on “Properties”. Then click the “Advanced system settings” link. And then “System protection”.

Windows 7 recovery checkpoints

To start creating a Windows 7 restore point, click “Create”. You will then need to enter a description for the rollback point. The date and time are added automatically. The description should be such that you later understand that this is your system backup.

Click “Create” again and the process will begin, which will end in a few minutes with a success message. After this, you can do whatever you want with the system files.

Creating a Windows 7 restore point

You can create a Windows 7 restore point at any time and in any quantity. And you don’t have to worry about your hard drive becoming full of them. A certain space on the disk is allocated for backup (more on this below), when it is full, older recovery points will be deleted, and new ones will remain.

Before making a Windows 7 restore point, it is recommended to save all changes to open programs and close them.

How to configure restore points

Before you make a Windows 7 restore point, you can determine for yourself how much space the system can allocate for them. If you devote a lot of space to this task, then older backups will be stored longer. If you give away a little space, you will save hard drive space.

You can find out this in the same “System Protection” window. Automatic creation of a Windows 7 restore point usually occurs for the boot disk on which the OS hangs. Therefore, select the boot local disk in the table and click “Configure”.

The following window will open, in which, in the “Disk space usage” section, you can use the slider to adjust the volume for backups.

In addition, in the "Recovery Options" section, you can define options for rolling back the system: it is recommended to select "Restore system settings from a previous version of files." If you check “Disable system protection”, backups will not be made automatically. But I would not recommend it - you will save several hundred megabytes on the disk, but you will lose the ability to restore the system at any time.

Setting up Windows 7 recovery

Now you understand how to make a Windows 7 restore point, and you can do it every time you doubt your actions during system setup. This will also help save the system when installing unfamiliar programs or drivers. All that remains is to find out how to recover from them.

How to restore Windows 7

And so, if you messed up your computer and something went wrong, then you need to recover from pre-created points. Before you start Windows 7 system recovery, you need to again go to the “System Properties” window and the “System Protection” tab. Here we click the “Restore” button, click “Next”, and we see a window in which you need to select a point to roll back.

Restoring Windows 7 from a point

Not every computer user knows what a Windows 7 restore point is, so when faced with a system malfunction, they do not understand what to do and how to correct the situation.

A recovery point is a snapshot created by the system, which reflects the most important files that affect the operation of the computer. For example, this could be a registry. Often, when working on a computer, any program makes erroneous actions, sometimes they turn out to be fatal for the system, so it begins to work poorly, sometimes it does not want to load at all as expected.

The reason for this may be:

  • removing system applications;
  • installing unnecessary drivers that are incompatible with the PC.
  • It is not necessary to immediately contact a wizard or reinstall Windows yourself; it is enough to simply find the necessary restore point and fix the problem, returning the computer to its previous state. You can and even need to create a recovery point on your computer. It is enough to do this monthly, for those who regularly use a PC once a week. In addition, points are created automatically by Windows 7 if you perform a system rollback, when installing drivers, applications, and when updating Windows.

    Despite the fact that the process of creating such a point is very simple, not every user uses the opportunity, but this allows, without resorting to outside help, to return the system to functionality.

    It must be said that when creating a restore point, some nuances arise that you definitely need to know about.

    First stage

    You need to remember that the recovery mark saves the main system components and settings, therefore the multimedia will not be saved. Pictures, photographs, music and everything else that the computer does not consider essential for its work, even if it is a program, it will try to delete. It will be impossible to restore Windows after returning to the mark; to do this, you will need to select the function called “Previous versions”.

    In simple terms, the point cannot replace a full return of windows, but it is a good option that helps save time and money.

    For the recovery system to work on a PC, the System Protection function must be enabled. Not everyone has such a program activated; to check this, you need to right-click on “my computer” or use the windows + Pause hotkeys. In the window that opens, select “Properties”.

    In the tab you will need to select “System protection”, this is where periods of further return are created. We open a window and see the current state on drive C. Here we are interested in the question of whether we have a security program installed; if not, check the box.

    You can replay the settings manually; to do this, you need to select the “Configure” section and change the available parameters for the specified disk.

    What is available in the settings tab?

    Once on the windows tab, we can change the following parameters:

    • Old versions of existing files;
    • Enable or disable Windows security system;
    • Keep only previous file versions.

    If you do not have the necessary knowledge, then it is better not to change anything here. The settings were installed by professionals, so they are the default, disabling means changing a lot. If you remove the protection, the “Previous Versions” function for the disk in question is also deactivated.

    While in the same window, you can create a limit on the amount of disk space that is used for recovery. It is set as a percentage, so you can set the value that you like.

    As a rule, the standard size is 15%; if you exceed the value, the period limit will be created at the expense of others previously made.

    You can completely clear the disk of previously created marks; there is a “Delete” button for this. You can use an alternative function and delete the special folder. If the limit is increased, earlier versions of files will also disappear.

    Process of creation

    If you need to manually download or install a new driver on your PC, the settings can be deleted, changed or disabled, but for this it is better to first create a recovery period. If something goes wrong, you can return your system at any time.

    To do this, without leaving the previous tab, click on the “Create” button, after which the wizard opens for our viewing. Here we find a button with the same name and click on it. We wait a little, and our goal has been achieved; now we can return the PC to its previous form at any time after this point.

    What if points disappear?

    It really happens that after the creation process, marks disappear, and this happens for many reasons:

    1. A special program can delete the created readings when cleaning the PC or when optimizing its operation. That is why during their installation it is better to make manual settings and add the folder with periods to the list of exceptions.
    2. If you are using a laptop on battery power, you will not be able to create a return mark; it will block it in order to save power so as not to turn off the screen.
    3. FAT or FAT32 file systems do not support this function, because it does not provide shadow copying of information.

    System recovery (rollback) will help users cope with such unpleasant situations as deleting system files, virus infection, changing settings, incorrect installation of a driver or utility. Time points are used to start the recovery process. In this guide, we will look at how to create these restore points in Windows 7.

    Step 1. Open the System Protection menu

    Opening the panel StartComputer:

    At the top of the window select Properties of the system:

    In the window that appears, click on the button System protection:

    Please note that this option is only available to users who have administrator rights.

    Step 2. Create a system restore point

    In a new window in the section Security settings The status of your disks is displayed. Please note that temporary points can only be created for disks that have system protection enabled. Click on the button Create:

    A small window will appear where we must indicate the name of the point. Click on Create:

    As you can see, the name of our point contains a brief explanation about installing the driver for the audio card. This will help us in the future to navigate the choice of when to roll back the OS.

    We wait until the process of creating a new point is completed:

    Congratulations. The point has been created. Click Close:

    Step 3. Start the system recovery process

    If you want to use the created point, then you need to open the menu StartControl Panelsystem and safety. Select the option here, which is highlighted in red in the screenshot:

    Click on the button marked in the screenshot:

    A window will appear with all the created points. Select the one you think is most optimal and click on Further:

    Click on Ready to reboot the system and return it to its previous state.

    A Windows 7/8/10 restore point is a record (snapshot) of the most important files for system operation, such as the registry. When working at a computer, erroneous and even fatal actions are often made, after which the system begins to work unstable or does not boot at all. We can contribute to this both by installing various programs and drivers, and by the actions of viruses.

    Despite the ease of creating restore points and using them to roll back to an earlier working state, many either do not know about this feature, or know it but do not use it. Restore checkpoints are created by the system regularly, as well as when installing drivers.

    System protection settings

    It is important to understand that when creating points, the main system files and system settings are saved, but installed programs, music and movies are not saved. It is also not possible to recover deleted files. To do this, you need to use the “Previous versions of files” function. In other words, a restore point in no way replaces a full system backup.

    For the restore point system to work, the function must be enabled. To enable or check whether the function is enabled or not, right-click on “My Computer” on the Windows desktop and select “Properties”, or simply press the hot keys “Win ​​+ Pause”

    In the window that opens, we need to select “System protection”. A window will open where we can already see the current state: on disk "C:" where the system is installed, protection is enabled.


    By clicking the “Configure” button we can change the system protection settings for this disk


    Here we can choose what exactly to save in recovery points:

    • System settings and previous versions of files
    • Only previous versions of files
    • Disable system protection

    It is better not to change anything and leave the default saving of system settings and previous versions of files. If you disable system protection, the Previous File Versions feature is also disabled for the selected drive. In Windows 10, you can only turn protection on or off.

    Below in this window you can limit the maximum amount of disk space used to save points, which is set as a percentage. We install as much as you don’t mind, but it is advisable to install from 15% . If the set limit is exceeded, points will be created, but at the expense of deleting obsolete ones.

    To clear the disk of all previously created recovery points, you can click the button "Delete". There is also an alternative possibility, for example. Previous versions of files will also be deleted if the limit is exceeded.

    Create a new system restore point

    So, we want to install a new program or driver, or maybe change important system settings, and to be on the safe side we need a rollback point. Click “Create” and use the wizard to enter the name of the recovery point. After a short wait, our point is ready, now we can do it whenever necessary.

    To launch the restore point wizard, you can simply type the first words in the search bar of the Start menu: “creating a point” and the program will be automatically found.

    What to do if restore points disappear

    This can happen for several reasons:

    1. The points are created, but then they are deleted and the system is cleaned, for example by FreeSpace, CCleaner. It is better to configure such utilities manually.
    2. On laptops, automatic point saving will not occur when running on battery power to save power.
    3. This will also not work on partitions with FAT and FAT32 file systems. These file systems do not support shadow copies and do not store information about changes to files.
    4. If you have two operating systems installed, then every time you start the younger OS, all points created in Windows 7/8/10 will be deleted, keep this in mind. You can fix this by making the partition inaccessible to Windows XP.

    Some operating system (OS) changes are undesirable. Using a restore point is one of the key features of Windows 10. It allows you to undo system changes that have a destructive effect on the OS. Information on how to create a restore point in Windows 10 is publicly available, but it wouldn’t hurt to describe this function in detail once again.

    The essence of undoing the next changes is to roll back the drivers, registry and other components to the previous state. Windows 10 restore point - the OS before its unwanted transformations. This is not a return to the previous OS image, but a cancellation of critical changes to its key elements. Creating a Windows 10 restore point occurs automatically or manually. The second is recommended before optimizing OS startup and disabling some of its services in order to free up RAM.

    The automatic generation of recovery points occurs as a result of special settings of the Windows 10 security system. The OS allows the elimination of some and the use of others at the user’s discretion. Read more about how to roll back Windows 10 to a restore point.

    First of all, it is recommended to study the nuances of restoring Windows 10. To do this, by entering “Start”, you need to select the corresponding menu line “Control Panel”, and then “Recovery”. Then click “System Recovery Settings”. An alternative method of getting to the required window is to press the Win + R keys and enter systempropertiesprotection and confirm with the Enter button.


    As a result, the settings menu will open, where it is checked for which drives protection is activated. Restore points are generated only for those that are marked, so the user can independently control the degree of OS security. In particular, if the protection of drive “C” is inactive, you can start it by clicking on it and clicking on “Configure”.


    To continue, click “Enable system protection” and indicate the area required to form recovery points: the larger the space, the more of them are saved. As the virtual territory is filled, old data is deleted and automatically replaced with new ones.


    Creating an OS restore point

    To perform this operation, you must again enter the “System Protection” tab. Creating a restore point begins by clicking on “Start”, then “System” and finally “System Protection”.


    Then press the “Create” key and set the name of the new element, then select “Create” again. After a few seconds the process ends automatically.


    At the end of this procedure, data will appear on the computer’s hard drive that allows you to roll back the OS, if necessary, undoing changes that have occurred in system files that are critical for the normal operation of Windows 10. This feature will be extremely useful if the OS does not work correctly due to the installation of some software or other IT product.


    The created recovery points are located in the closed System Volume Information folder in the root of the disks or their partitions selected in “System Protection”. However, the owner will not have access to them.

    Rollback the OS to a restore point

    It is important to remember the order in which the presented system capabilities are implemented. There are several ways to implement it: in the OS interface, using diagnostics in special boot modes and in safe mode, via the command line.

    The standard method involves using a control panel. A prerequisite is that the OS must boot. You need to select “Recovery”, then click “Run system recovery”.

    This will load the recovery wizard. The first window of its interface offers a recommended, automatically generated point. The second option is “Select another recovery point”, where in the list that appears you can click another one, formed in any way. After this, click “Finish”, after which the process of rolling back the OS to the selected state is completed.


    An alternative method of using a restore point is to use special boot modes, which you can access through “Options”, “Update and Recovery” and “Recovery”.


    It’s even easier from the lock screen: you need to click on “Power” in the lower right corner, and then, while holding Shift, select “Restart”.

    In the special boot modes interface, select “Diagnostics”, then “Advanced options” and “System recovery”. Next, the user has the opportunity to roll back to the created restore points, for which they may need to enter the account password during the process.


    The third method is to begin restoring the system to the selected state from the command line. This option will be indispensable for the only OS boot mode - safe. Enter rstrui.exe into the command line and press Enter. Next, the recovery wizard is launched in the graphical interface.


    Eliminating Windows 10 restore points

    The whole procedure will not take much time. To eliminate the created restore points, the user will again need to enter “System Protection”. Select the disk, click “Configure” and “Delete”. As a result, all points for the selected element are deleted.

    Another option is to use the Windows 10 disk sanitization IT product. To load it, press Win and R, then enter cleanmgr, and after opening the software, click “Clean up system files.” Afterwards, select the disk for sanitization and go to the “Advanced” tab. All restore points are deleted there, except the final one.


    And, finally, the final method of eliminating them from a computer’s hard drive is using the IT product CCleaner, which is provided to everyone absolutely free of charge. Its interface is simple and understandable to the Russian user, and the sequence of necessary actions is logical. To do this, find “Tools” in the program, click “System Restore” and select the restore point that needs to be deleted.

    At first glance, the algorithm of actions is confusing, but in reality it turns out that it is only difficult at the beginning. Having tried several ways to create points and rolled back the system a couple of times, the user achieves the desired effect and sees the benefits of this indispensable function.