System Restore - Options

What is System Restore

System Restore is a repair option in Windows. It is used to restore Window's registry and system settings (basically anything excluding personal files) to another point in time. These points in time are called Restore Points. A Restore Point can be made manually and most Windows Updates will first make a Restore Point before installing the update.

You can use System Restore to try and clean up Malware or roll back troublesome updates.

Personal files are not lost by System Restore. Things that can be lost include System Preferences and Applications installed since the Restore Point was created.

How to use System Restore

Search for System Restore in the Start Menu. It may take a few moments to load. Once it's loaded, choose next.

In the next window, choose a Restore Point to go back to. A good rule of thumb is to go back as far as possible. After you've made a choice, click next again.

It will ask you to confirm. If you're happy with what you picked, select Finish.

The Computer will reboot and begin the System Restore process. This process cannot be interrupted. Attempting to interrupt the process can damage the OS. Be patient. System Restore can take a long time.

When it's finish and successful, the computer will reboot again.

How to make a Restore Point

Open System by clicking the Start button, right-clicking Computer, and then clicking Properties.
In the left pane, click System protection. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
Click the System Protection tab, and then click Create.
In the System Protection dialog box, type a name for the Restore Point and click Create.

Command Line Option

Use the command line if you cannot access the GUI version of the program: %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe