System Restore Point - Create

How to Create a System Restore Point in Windows 7​

   Information

By default in Windows 7 for all drives that System Protection is turned on for, System Protection creates a scheduled restore point only if no other restore points have been created in the last 7 days, and before significant system events such as a program or driver installation.

For more information about restore points, see:

• Restore Points (Windows)
• System Restore: frequently asked questions - Microsoft Windows Help

This tutorial will show you how to manually create a restore point whenever you want one.

   Note

These restore points contain information about registry settings and other system information that Windows 7 uses. System Restore points do not include the personal user files.

You will not be able to create a restore point in safe mode since it is not supported.

If you do a System Restore when the computer is in safe mode, then you cannot undo the restore operation. However, you can run System Restore again and choose a different restore point if one exists.

   Warning

System Protection will need to be turned on for the select drive that you wish to create a restore point for.

It has been reported that some 3rd party disk defragmentation programs could also delete your restore points when used.

   Tip

System Restore points are deleted after you restart your Windows 7-based computer

and more on how:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/335-system-protection-change-disk-space-usage.html

OPTION ONE

Using a Shortcut

1. For how, see: How to Make a "Create System Restore Point" Shortcut in Windows 7

OPTION TWO

Through System Protection

1. Open the Control Panel (icons view).
A) Click on the System icon.

B) Go to step 3.
OR

2. Open the Start Menu.
A) Right click on the Computer button and click on Properties.
3. Click on the System Protection link. (See screenshot below step 4)

4. Close the System window. (See screenshot below)

5. Check to make sure that you have System Protection turned on for a listed disk that you want to create a restore point for, then select it. (See screenshot below step 6)

6. Click on the Create button. (See screenshot below)

7. Type in a description for the restore point to help recognize it when doing a System Restore, and click on the Create button.. (See screenshot below)

8. You will now see this while the restore point is being created. (See screenshot below)

9. When the restore point has finished being created, click on the Close button. (See screenshot below)

10. Click on OK. (See screenshot below step 6)
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Change the System Protection Disk Space Usage in Window 7
• How to Turn System Protection On or Off in Windows 7
• How to Enable or Disable Windows 7 System Restore
• How to Make a "Create System Restore Point" Shortcut in XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Add "Create Restore Point" to Context Menu in XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Delete System Protection Restore Points in Windows 7
• How to Do a System Restore in Windows 7
• How to Repair Windows 7 System Files with System File Checker
• How to Backup and Restore the Windows 7 Registry
• How to Create a Windows 7 System Protection Properties Shortcut
• How to Automatically Create A System Restore Point at Startup
• How to Restore Files and Folders in Windows 7 with Previous Versions
• How to Stop System Restore Points from being Deleted in Vista and Windows 7 when Dual Booting with XP
• How to Undo the Last System Restore in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Delete Shadow Copies in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Extract Files and Folders from System Restore Points in Windows 7 and Vista
• How to Enable or Disable Automatic System Restore Point Creation in Windows

 

[Charles Kane]

Noticed that I'm not getting the 12am System restore point, nor the significant driver update restore point (I installed the Win7 Nvidia drivers today, no restore created) - seem to have a few generated by installing programs - again not Nvidia.
Is there a simple way to get the dailies or should I use Task Scheduler?

 

[Brink]

Hello Charles,

I'm not sure why Windows 7 would not have created a restore point automatically for that. You can use this though to easily create one automatically whenever you wanted to though.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/494-system-restore-point-shortcut.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Charles Kane]

Appreciate that tutorial - i did go in and do it manually and I'll probably grab the shortcut and put it in my documents or somewhere - don't need the desktop clutter.

Guess I'll have to learn how to make a new task!............

Well, I made a new task using your vbs script as the program!
Had a bit of an issue with permissions but finally it accepted my task.
Set to run in half an hour. We'll see.

Thanks again for the script

UPDATE: all worked fine

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Charles.

 

[smoaky]

All this seems to be very unnecessary.
Why cant W7 just auto create restore points similar to XP instead of all of us go thru all this modification?
I am dual booting XP and W7 and was confused as to why restore points kept disappearing. Now I know.
My question is : does anyone know if this creation of a restore point only if none has been made in 7 days will be included in the GA of W7?
I hope not. I think an option to turn off this feature so that you would be able to automatically create regular/daily restore points would be more sensible.
Am I the only one that feels this way??

 

[Brink]

Hello Smoaky,

You can adjust or disable the System Restore tasks to create automatic restore points as you like. If you disable them, then Windows 7 will not create any automatic restor points. Either way. you are always free to manually create a restore point when you like.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[smoaky]

Hello Smoaky,

You can adjust or disable the System Restore tasks to create automatic restore points as you like. If you disable them, then Windows 7 will not create any automatic restor points. Either way. you are always free to manually create a restore point when you like.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Thanks
I have read the how-to on this a while ago but I am running a dual boot of XP and every time I boot to XP all my previously saved restore points in W7 get deleted. Each time I boot to W7 I would have to start all over again creating restore points. Kinda makes having system restore useless...yes? Seems as though MS doesn't want anyone to run no other OS but W7.

 

[Brink]

Not a problem Smoaky. You can use the tutorial below to hide Windows 7 from XP to stop XP from wiping out W7's restore points.

System Restore Points - Stop XP Dual Boot Delete - Vista Forums

 

[smoaky]

update
Just found the How-to on stopping XP from deleting Vista/W7 restore points.
Thanks
I guess my point is seems like alot of work. MS is trying to make W7 as compatible as possible sure would have been nice for them to have thought about the people wanting to dual boot and keep us all from having to mess with the registry to accomplish this.

 

[Brink]

Yeah, it was the same with Vista since XP had a different way of doing things causing this.

 

[smoaky]

Thanks
I will boot into XP in a few minutes and see how it goes
Come to think of it I remember having that prob when I had a dual boot of Vista and XP. Always thought it was a glitch in Vista... Never really was happy with Vista and I guess I was always looking for an excuse to stop using it. I even got to the point that I removed Vista and was running a dual boot of XP and Linux Mandriva. Then.......the clouds disappearednd the sun came out and ...behold....Windows 7 ascended from the heavens and now I am happy again and I no longer have the need for Prozac....:roflmao:

 

[Brink]

LOL.

 

[smoaky]

What do you suggest that I use as a default setting in "System Protection"?
1.) Restore system settings and previous versions of files
or
2.) Only restore previous versions of files?

 

[Brink]

Hello Smoaky,

System settings would be for System Restore, and previous versions of files would be for the shadow copy Previous Versions feature.

For the best protection, #1 would be best.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[smoaky]

Thanks Shawn
I have mine set at #1 as per your suggestion.
Just expanded my W7 partition size and lost all my restore points
Oh well. time to create a manual restore point and go from there.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Smoaky.

You might use this to make manually creating restore points easier to do.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/494-system-restore-point-shortcut.html

 

[smoaky]

You're welcome Smoaky.

You might use this to make manually creating restore points easier to do.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/494-system-restore-point-shortcut.html

Pretty cool and it works great :shock:
Got it working on my laptop now I have to do this on my other two desktops.
(off topic)
Any word on your end about MS's "new" Anti- Virus named "Microsoft Security Essentials"?
I heard it will be available Tue June, 23rd for beta testing.
Sounds as though some people have already been testing it .

 

[bjs53]

Thanks for this tutorial. Essential for our security if something goes wrong.
regards,

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Bjs53.


Smoaky, I have only heard the same thing about it. It does sound interesting though.