How to Use Windows System Restore Points — A Complete Beginner’s Guide (2025 Updated)

Introduction: Why You Need Restore Points

Imagine this:

You just installed a new program or updated Windows, and suddenly your PC starts acting strange — crashing, freezing, or showing strange error messages. What do you do?

For many beginners, this kind of situation is terrifying.

This is exactly where System Restore Points come in.

They allow you to return your Windows system back to a previous healthy state — almost like “going back in time” — without losing your personal files.

But here’s the problem:

Many users discover too late that they have no restore points available when they need them most.

In this complete guide, I’ll walk you through:

• What restore points are (and what they are not)
• Why they sometimes disappear
• How to properly set them up
• How to automatically create them on a schedule
• The hidden limitations you need to know

Even if you’re a complete beginner, you can follow along step by step.

Let’s get started!

What Is a System Restore Point?

A System Restore Point is like a snapshot of your Windows system settings, drivers, registry, and system files at a specific moment in time.

It can restore:

• System settings
• Registry configurations
• Installed drivers
• Some system files

But it will NOT restore:

• Your personal documents, photos, videos, or files
• Software installed after the restore point was created
• Viruses or malware that were already present

Think of it as a safety net for system changes, but not a full backup.

Why Do Restore Points Sometimes Disappear?

This is one of the most frustrating issues beginners face.

Even if you thought restore points were being created, you may see a message like:

“There are no restore points available.”

Here are the most common reasons why:

👉 Especially with the latest Windows 11 24H2 update, users report more frequent cases of lost restore points.

That’s why we need to configure things properly — before trouble happens.

Step 1: Enable System Protection

First, check if your PC even has restore points enabled.

How to enable it:

1. Right-click This PC on your desktop or File Explorer.

2. Select Properties.

3. Click System Protection on the left sidebar.

4. Under Protection Settings, select your main drive (usually C:).

5. Click Configure.

6. Choose Turn on system protection.

7. Adjust Disk Space Usage (set at least 5GB; 10GB or more is safer).

8. Click OK.

Now Windows will automatically create restore points sometimes — but not always.

That’s why the next step is crucial.

Step 2: Set Up Automatic Restore Point Creation (Daily Schedule)

The problem:

By default, Windows only creates restore points during major system updates or driver installations.

Daily automatic creation is NOT built-in.

👉 You can fix this easily using the Task Scheduler.

Method 1 (Classic — WMIC Command)

(Note: WMIC may be deprecated in future versions)

1. Open Task Scheduler (search for it in Start Menu).

2. Click Create Basic Task.

3. Name it “Daily System Restore Point.”

4. Set the trigger to Daily (e.g., 3:00 AM).

5. In Action, select Start a Program.

6. Enter the following command:

7. Save and finish.

Method 2 (Recommended — PowerShell)

Since WMIC is outdated, this PowerShell method is better for newer Windows versions:

1. Follow steps 1-5 above.
2. In the Program/script box, enter:

3. Save and finish.

Now your PC will create restore points daily — even if you forget!

Step 3: Manually Create Restore Points Before Big Changes

Even with automatic creation, it’s still smart to manually create restore points:

• Before installing major updates
• Before new software installations
• Before tweaking system settings

How to create manually:

1. Search for Create a restore point in Start.
2. Select your system drive (C:) and click Create.
3. Enter a name (e.g., “Before June Update”).
4. Wait for completion.

It only takes a minute but can save hours of frustration.

Step 4: Increase Disk Space Allocation to Prevent Deletion

If you allocate too little space, Windows will automatically delete older restore points.

How to adjust:

1. Go back to System Protection.
2. Select your drive and click Configure.
3. Increase the Maximum Disk Space Usage (10GB–20GB is ideal).

The more space you allow, the more restore points you can keep.

Restore Point ≠ Full Backup: You Still Need Regular Backups

This is a very important point most beginners overlook.

For true safety, you need all three working together:

• Restore Points (system tweaks)
• System Image Backup (full recovery)
• Cloud or external file backup (your precious files)

Step 5: How to Use Restore Points When Something Goes Wrong

When your system starts malfunctioning:

1. Search Recovery in Start.
2. Click Open System Restore.
3. Choose Next.
4. Select a restore point from the list.
5. Confirm and run.

⚠ Important:

System Restore will reboot your PC. Allow enough time (can take 10-30 minutes depending on changes).

Limitations and Cases Where Restore Points Won’t Work

While restore points are incredibly helpful, you must understand where they may fail:

• Hard drive failure: Physical damage can’t be fixed with restore points.
• Windows won’t boot: If you can’t access Windows, you may need recovery media.
• Malware infections: Some viruses may exist before restore points, or even delete them.
• Software conflicts: Complex software issues may require full reinstalls.

This is why restore points are a “lightweight safety net” — not a substitute for full backups.

Summary

To fully protect your Windows PC, you should:

• Always enable System Protection
• Set up daily automatic restore point creation via Task Scheduler (PowerShell method preferred)
• Manually create restore points before major changes
• Allocate enough disk space to keep multiple restore points
• Combine restore points with full system backups and file backups for maximum safety

By following these steps, even complete beginners can confidently safeguard their Windows system.

✔️You might also find these helpful:

▶︎Fixing Windows 11 Update KB5058411: Common Errors and Solutions

▶︎Why Is My Surface Battery Draining During Sleep? Real Causes and Fixes

▶︎【Emergency Fix】Can’t Log in to Windows 11 After Update? — Full Solutions

タグ: Full Backup vs Restore Point, Windows 11 24H2, Windows System Restore, Recovery Options, Restore Point Not Working, Windows Beginner Tips, PowerShell Restore Point, System Backup Guide, Task Scheduler Automation, Create Restore Point