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How to Apply a Restore Point in Windows 11

Use Control Panel or rstrui.exe to launch System Restore in Windows 11, choose a point from before the problem, and confirm the restart.
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To apply a restore point while Windows 11 is running, open Control Panel > Recovery > Open System Restore, or press Windows+R, enter rstrui.exe, and press Enter. Select a restore point from before the problem began, review affected programs if needed, and finish the wizard. Windows restarts automatically to apply the change.

Apply a restore point from the Windows 11 desktop

  1. Save open work. System Restore requires a restart, so save documents and close work you do not want interrupted.
  2. Open System Restore. Use either route:
    • Open Control Panel, select Recovery, then select Open System Restore.
    • Press Windows+R, type rstrui.exe, and press Enter.
  3. In Restore system files and settings, select Next.
  4. Select a restore point dated before the issue started. If the point you want is not listed, select Show more restore points.
  5. Optionally select Scan for affected programs to see which programs may be changed or removed by the restore.
  6. Select Next, review the selected point, then select Finish to confirm.
  7. Allow Windows to restart and complete the restore.

These controls follow Microsoft’s documented System Restore instructions. The restore process can change system files, registry settings, and installed programs to their state at the selected point; Microsoft says personal files are not affected.

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Choose a point that fits the problem

Pick a restore point from before the software installation, driver update, or settings change you suspect caused the issue. The optional affected-program scan can help you understand which apps may be affected before you commit. If there is no suitable point available, System Restore cannot apply one that does not exist.

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If no restore point is available

System Protection manages restore-point creation and configuration. Microsoft’s System Protection guide explains how to enable protection and create a point manually. Enabling it now can help with future recovery, but it does not create a historic restore point from before protection was enabled.

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If Windows will not start

The desktop procedure above requires Windows to open. If it will not start, use the separate Windows Recovery Environment route: enter WinRE, then choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore. Select an available point, optionally scan affected programs, and continue through the prompts to finish. Microsoft’s Windows recovery environment guide explains how to access WinRE. On an encrypted device, Windows may ask for the BitLocker recovery key to complete recovery; see Microsoft’s System Restore guidance.

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System Restore is not Point-in-time restore

Windows 11’s Point-in-time restore is a distinct recovery feature, documented for Windows 11 version 24H2 or later. Microsoft describes it as restoring a broader snapshot that includes personal files, apps, and settings, unlike classic System Restore, which reverts system files and settings without affecting personal files. Availability and defaults depend on the Windows release and device management. See Microsoft’s Point-in-time restore documentation and Windows recovery options for details; those instructions are not the steps for applying a classic restore point from the desktop.

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