Helping people with computers... one answer at a time.
System Restore settings are in the properties of My Computer, but actually running the System Restore application is a little less obvious.
•
I honestly don't know why System Restore is as hard to find as it seems to be. It'd definitely not obvious.
Oh, and I hope you have it turned on. Otherwise even finding it may be of no help.
•
Let's start by finding out whether or not it's turned on, and enabling it if not.
Right click on My Computer and click Properties. Click on the System Restore tab, and make sure the Turn off System Restore checkbox is not checked. (It feels backwards, I know ...). If you're turning on System Restore, especially for the first time, it may then create a restore point, so it may take just a minute to complete.
While it's working you can see that System Restore uses disk space, and that you can limit how much disk space it will use. This translates, roughly, into how many restore points it can maintain. As new restore points are created, if there's not enough disk space, the oldest ones will be deleted.
Now, the official way to run the restoration UI is through the help system. If you start Help and Support and then search for "System Restore", the results will include several results of interest.
However my approach was to find the executable and run it directly. Click on Start, then Run, and type in "c:\windows\system32\restore\rstrui.exe", where "c:\windows" is your Windows directory. Press OK and you should get the System Restore UI.
In the UI you can create a new restore point if you like, which will save the current settings (though many installation programs do this automatically if System Restore is enabled), or you can revert to a previous restore point. If you select restore, you'll be presented with a calendar of dates on which restore points are available. If you've just turned on System Restore for the first time, you won't have any, other than the one that was just created.
After you select a restore point to restore too, you're presented with important warnings. It's worth noting that many changes made to your system after that restore point was created will be lost when you restore back to it. But then ... that's often exactly the point of wanting to revert to a previous restore point.
•
I've put together a very short video that shows the System Restore setting, and the UI. Have a look to better understand exactly where to find System Restore, and what it looks like once you get there.
Watch the video:
Managing Restore Points.
Article C2531 - January 24, 2006
Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he
was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed.
After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers
to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.
I have typed in the suggestion above to run the system restore but receive a message saying it has been turned off by group policy and I need to contact domain administrator. Who or what is that?
Posted by: Cathy at January 21, 2010 9:04 AMhttp://computers-technology.helium.com/how-to/9189-how-to-create-a-system-restor
The above link has easy steps to show you how to create a system restore.
Posted by: Tash Love at March 2, 2010 9:48 PMwhen i tried to restore my system it say "there are currently no restore point available"Please help me out
02-Jun-2010
Posted by: rajiv at May 31, 2010 2:30 AM
The next button will not start the restore????? HELP
Posted by: Stephanie at October 4, 2011 10:23 AMJust had a reformat done, can't find System Restore at all, although I used it once and created a Restore Point, very first day. ( My printer has lost connection and I need to see if going back will fix that.) Thanks.
Posted by: Leslie at December 10, 2011 9:47 AM