How To Fix System Restore Not Working on a Windows PC

System Restore is a feature in Windows that allows you to restore your computer to a previous state. This can be useful if your computer is not working correctly, and you need to undo recent changes.

However, System Restore may not work properly in Windows 7, 10, or 11.

This article will explain how to fix the issue and get System Restore working again.

System Restore Not Working

System Restore is a tool in Windows that allows you to revert your computer’s settings to an earlier point in time. This can be helpful if you’ve made changes to your system that are causing problems, as it allows you to undo those changes without affecting your files.

System Restore can also be used to fix certain types of malware infections, as it will remove any programs installed during the selected restore point.

However, System Restore occasionally terminates prematurely, sometimes generating error messages that are difficult to decode for many users. Sometimes, you may not even be able to roll back recent updates. This can be hugely frustrating, especially if you’re keen to get rid of recent software updates that were probably corrupted.

The good news is that reliable troubleshooting methods have been found to resolve the problem, setting you up nicely for successful, uninterrupted system reversals that roll back your machine to the desired state.

Let’s see the troubleshooting methods you may want to try depending on whether you’re running Windows 7, 10, or 11.

System Restore Not Working Windows 11

If you’re having trouble with System Restore in Windows 11, there are a few things you can try to get it working again:

Confirm That System Restore Is Turned On

First, make sure that System Restore is turned on.

Here’s how to do this:

1. Open the Group Policy Editor by typing “gpedit.msc” into the search bar and hitting Enter.
   
2. Navigate to Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\System Restore.
   
3. Double-click the “Turn off Configuration” setting in the right pane, select “Not Configured” from the resulting dialog box, and then click on “OK.”
   
4. Similarly, double-click on the “Turn off System Restore” setting, select “Not Configured” from the dialogue box, and hit “OK.”
   
5. Click “OK” and “Apply” to save your changes and exit the Group Policy Editor.
   

Create a Restore Point Manually

A restore point is a backup of your computer’s current settings and data. You can create a restore point manually or have Windows create one automatically. If you experience problems after installing new software or drivers, you can use a restore point to roll back your system to a previous state.

To create a restore point:

1. Click on the Windows logo in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen.
   
2. Type “create a restore point” into the search bar and press Enter.
   
3. The System Properties window will open. Click on the System Protection tab.
   
4. Click on the “Create” button.
   
5. A new window will open called “Create a Restore Point.” In the “Name” field, type in a name for your restore point.
   
6. Click on the Create button.
   

Once the restore point is created, it will be listed under the “Restore Points” tab. You can revert to this restore point anytime by selecting it and clicking “Restore.”

Try Running System Restore From Safe Mode

Running System Restore from Safe Mode can help you fix problems with your Windows 11 installation. Safe Mode is a special mode that starts Windows with only the basic files and drivers necessary to run the operating system. This can be helpful if you’re having problems running System Restore normally.

To run System Restore from Safe Mode on Windows 11:

1. Click on the Start menu.
   
2. While holding down “Shift,” click on “Restart.”
   
3. After your computer restarts, select “Troubleshooting” from the context menu.
   
4. Click on “Advanced options” and select “Startup Settings.”
   
5. Click on the “Restart” button.
   
6. After your computer restarts, press F5 to launch Safe Mode with networking.
   
7. Once you’ve launched Safe Mode, click Start and type “restore” into the search box.
8. Click on “Restore your computer to an earlier time” and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the process.

Keep in mind that running System Restore will revert all your system files and settings to the selected restore point, so be sure to choose a point that is earlier than any problems you’re experiencing. Also, any programs or drivers installed after the selected restore point will be uninstalled. However, any data created after the restore point will not be affected.

System Restore Not Working Windows 10

If your System Restore isn’t working properly, there are a few things you can do to try to fix it:

Try Another Restore Point

When you select a restore point but System Restore fails, it’s usually because the restore point is corrupted. The solution is to try another restore point. If you have multiple restore points, choose the most recent one because it’s more likely to be uncorrupted.

Follow these steps to choose a different restore point:

1. Type “System Restore” into the search bar.
   
2. Select “Create a restore point” from the options that appear.
   
3. Click on the “System Protection tab” and select “System Restore.” This will display a list of the available restore points. Select the most recent and follow the on-screen prompts to finish the process.
   

Increase the Allocated Disk Space

System Restore may terminate prematurely if insufficient disk space has been allocated to System Restore Settings.

Here’s how to increase the allocated disk space:

1. Open the System Properties window and click on the “System Restore” tab.
   
2. From here, click on the “Configure” button and use the slider to increase the amount of disk space allocated to System Restore.
   
3. Once you have made this change, click “OK” and restart your computer. This should allow System Restore to function properly.
   

Uninstall or Disable Incompatible Programs

Many software programs are incompatible with System Restore and can interfere with the creation and restoration process. For example, Norton antivirus has a product protection feature that can terminate System Restore early.

Thus, uninstalling or disabling it during this process is recommended.

Run System Restore From Safe Mode

If you’re having problems with your computer, you may be able to run System Restore from Safe Mode to fix the problem. System Restore will restore your computer to an earlier point in time, undoing any changes that have been made since then.

To run System Restore from Safe Mode, follow these steps:

1. Restart your computer and press F8 repeatedly before Windows starts. This will bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu.
   
2. Use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode, and then press Enter.
   
3. Once Windows has loaded in Safe Mode, click Start, type “restore” into the search box, and then click on “Restore your computer to an earlier time.”
4. Select a date that you want to restore to and then click Next. Remember that this will undo any changes made after that date, so only choose a date you’re sure you want to return to.
   
5. Follow the prompts to complete the restoration process. Once it’s finished, restart your computer, and see if the problem has been fixed.
   

Reinstall Windows

Finally, if all else fails, you can try performing a clean install of Windows 10. This will erase everything on your hard drive and start fresh. However, make sure to back up your important files first as they will be deleted during the process.

System Restore Not Working Windows 7

If you find that System Restore is not working in Windows 10, there are a few possible explanations:

Insufficient Disk Space

System Restore might fail because it doesn’t have enough free space to create a restore point.

System Restore uses a part of your hard drive called a “shadow copy” to store snapshots of your system files, settings, and apps. These snapshots take up space on your hard drive, so if you don’t have enough free space available, System Restore will be unable to create new restore points.

To free up space on your hard drive, you can delete unneeded files, programs, and apps or use a disk cleanup tool to clear out temporary files and other junk data.

Corrupted Files

Another reason for System Restore failure could be corrupted system files. If some of your system files are corrupted or missing, this could prevent System Restore from working properly. You can run the SFC (System File Checker) tool to scan for and repair any corrupted system files.

Here’s how to run the SFC:

1. From the Start menu, type “cmd” into the Search field and select “Open.”
   
2. In the Command Prompt window that opens, type “sfc /scannow” and press Enter.
   
3. The System File Checker will begin scanning your system for problems. This process may take a while, so be patient.
   
4. If any problems are found, the SFC tool will attempt to fix them automatically.

Errant Applications/Scripts

Errant applications of scripts can disrupt System Restore and terminate the process early. In that case, you’ll need to start Windows in Safe Mode and then try running System Restore.

Safe Mode loads only the most essential drivers and services, so System Restore will likely work properly in that environment. If not, you can always try using a different restore point or restoring the system to an earlier date.

Just keep in mind that Restoration will delete any programs or data that have been added since the selected restore point.

System Restore Not Working in Safe Mode

If your system restore is not working in Safe Mode, it could be due to several reasons. It’s important to first identify the problem before trying to fix it.

One possibility is that your system restore points are corrupted. This can happen if your computer has been infected with malware or if you’ve made changes to your system that aren’t compatible with system restore.

Another possibility is that you don’t have enough free space on your hard drive for System Restore to work properly.

Once you’ve identified the problem, you can try a few different solutions. If your system restore points are corrupt, you can try running the System File Checker tool. This tool will scan your system for corrupted files and attempt to repair them.

Here’s how to run the System File Checker tool:

1. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator. To do this, search for “Command Prompt” in the Start menu, right-click on the result, and select “Run as administrator.”
   
2. Type in the following command and press Enter:
   sfc /scannow
   

The SFC scan will now start. This may take a while, so be patient. When the scan is finished, you will see a message stating whether any problems were found and fixed.

System Restore requires at least 300 MB of free space to create a restore point. If you don’t have enough free space on your hard drive, you can try increasing the size of your System Restore partition.

Here’s how:

1. Open the Disk Management utility. To do this, press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type “diskmgmt.msc” into the text box and press Enter.
   
2. In the Disk Management utility, locate the System Reserved partition and right-click it. Select “Extend Volume” from the menu.
   
3. The “Extend Volume” wizard will open. Click “Next” to continue.
   
4. On the next screen, you’ll be asked how much space you want to add to the System Reserved partition. Enter the amount of space you want to add and click “Next.”
   
5. The wizard will now extend the System Reserved partition. When it’s done, click “Finish.”
   

If you don’t have enough free space, try deleting some unnecessary files or programs.

Recover Your System Quickly and Easily

System Restore is a valuable built-in Windows feature that can help you recover from system problems. But if it’s not working for you, there are several things you can do to troubleshoot and fix the problem.

Have you had problems running System Restore on your Windows PC? How did you solve them?

Let us know in the comments section below.