How to Create a Restore Point in Windows 11: 5 Manual and Automatic Methods

Step 1: Create a Restore Point Using System Properties

To create a restore point through the traditional methods:

1. Press Start, type ‘Create a restore point’, and select the corresponding option.
2. The System Properties window will appear. Click on the Create button at the bottom.
3. If the Create button is disabled, select your system drive (C:) and click on Configure.
4. Enable the Turn on system protection option, then click OK.
5. Now click on Create again. Enter a name for your restore point, and click Create.

Pro Tip: Be patient as the creation of the restore point may take some time.

Step 2: Create a Restore Point Using Command Prompt

Alternatively, you can create a restore point via the Command Prompt:

1. Press Start, type cmd, and select Run as administrator.
2. Enter the command: wmic.exe /Namespace:\\root\default Path SystemRestore Call CreateRestorePoint "Restore Point Name", 100, 7 and hit Enter.
3. Replace Restore Point Name with your preferred name for the restore point. A successful execution will display ‘Method execution successful’ and ‘ReturnValue=0’.

Step 3: Create a Restore Point Using PowerShell

For advanced users, PowerShell offers another method for creating restore points:

1. Press Start, type PowerShell, and choose Run as administrator.
2. Input the command: powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -NoExit -Command "Checkpoint-Computer -Description 'Restore Point Name' -RestorePointType 'MODIFY_SETTINGS'" and hit Enter.
3. Modify Restore Point Name with your desired naming. You will see a progress report while the restore point is being created.

Pro Tip: If you receive a message stating that you cannot create another restore point within 24 hours, you may need to adjust registry settings.

Step 1: Check Automatically Created Restore Points

To ensure Windows is configured to create restore points automatically:

1. Press Start, type ‘Create a restore point’, and select the appropriate option.
2. The System Properties window will display. Choose your system drive and click on Configure.
3. Select Turn on system protection.
4. Windows will manage disk space for restore points, but you can adjust the allocation using the slider under ‘Disk space usage’.
5. After making changes, click Apply.

Windows will create restore points automatically during significant changes, like append major updates.

Step 2: Set Up Automatic Restore Points at Startup

To configure Windows to create a restore point each time your PC starts:

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and hit Enter.
2. Navigate to the following address: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore.
3. Right-click in the right space, select New, and then DWORD (32-bit) Value.
4. Name it SystemRestorePointCreationFrequency.
5. Close the registry editor; the default value remains set at 0.
6. Open Task Scheduler by searching it in the Start menu.
7. In the right panel, select Create Task.
8. Under the General tab, name your task, choosing both Run whether user is logged on or not and Run with highest privileges.
9. Select Windows 10 under the ‘Configure for’ option, which will work despite being on Windows 11.
10. Switch to the Triggers tab, then click New.
11. Select At startup from the drop-down menu and click OK.
12. Move to the Actions tab, click New.
13. Set Action to “Start a program.”
14. In the Program/script field, type wmic.exe.
15. Add the following arguments: /Namespace:\\root\default Path SystemRestore Call CreateRestorePoint "Startup Restore Point", 100, 7.
16. Finalize with OK.
17. Under Conditions, uncheck Start the task only if the computer is on AC power for laptops, then click OK.
18. Task Scheduler will ask for your password to complete the setup.

Now, a system restore point will be generated every time you boot up your computer!

Are restore points created automatically on Windows 11?

Why should you manually create a restore point?

What happens when you create a restore point?

How long does it take to create a restore point?