System Restore and How to Create a Restore Point

We will continue our mini-series on System Recovery Options for Windows 7 with an article about System Restore. This tool can be used to restore Windows system files to an earlier state. You can use it when you want to revert to an earlier configuration which you know worked properly. For example, if you installed multiple applications and you are suddenly experiencing random restarts or boot failures, the quickest way to solve the problem is to use System Restore.

In this article I will show you how to access System Restore and use it to create a restore point.

What is System Restore

System Restore is a recovery utility that enables you to reverse certain kind of changes made to the operating system. It has the effect of the classic "Undo" button but for changes made to files and settings like drivers, registry keys, system files, installed programs. However, this utility doesn’t backup documents, pictures and other personal files on the system.

By default System Restore is turned on and makes periodic snapshots of your system, known asRestore Points, each time you make any significant changes to the system such as the installation of a driver or piece of software. You can also create them manually, every time you consider necessary.

How to access System Restore

Windows 7 offers several ways to access System Restore. You can go to the Start Menu, click on the Accessories folder, select System Tools and then choose System Restore.

You can also access it by opening the Classic View of Control Panel and clicking on theRecovery shortcut.

In the next window, you have to click on the Open System Restore button.

Last but not least, you can right-click on the Computer icon from your Desktop and clickProperties.

In the next window, click the System protection button.
Then, press the System Restore button from the System Protection tab.

Whichever method of launching this tool you choose, the result will be the same: the System Restore wizard will start and look similar to the screen below.

NOTE: In case you cannot boot your PC, you can still use System Restore. To start it, follow the instructions from our article on System Recovery Options for Windows 7.

How to Create a Restore Point

If you want to be safe, then you might consider essential to create a restore point.

First, access the System protection tab from the System Properties window, as shown in the first section of this article. There you have the Create button in the Protection Settings section of the window. Click on it to create your restore point.

Type the name of your restore point and press Create.

A progress bar will open. Wait a few minutes, until the restore point is created.

Once done, you will see a confirmation dialog box similar to the one below.

Click on Close and, from now on, you can use the newly created restore point in case of issues with your operating system.

Conclusion

System Restore is a safe way to backup and restore your computer settings and applications to a previous state. It also works very well in many problem scenarios. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you keep it turned on. For more details about this tool and other system recovery options, don't hesitate to read the articles recommended below.