How to rollback settings on Windows 10. How to perform a system restore on Windows 10

In this article you will learn how to perform a system rollback on Windows 10 and why it is needed.

How to perform a system rollback on Windows 10 and why do it?

We can safely configure many features and options in Windows without worrying that the computer will start correctly the next time. But sometimes there are times when you need to change the operating system in a way that may affect the system boot and you may face serious problems. These problems may include inability to boot, system stability issues, and many other problems. Which are usually very easy to solve, but sometimes you need to do a system rollback.

For many years, Microsoft's operating system has had a system restore feature that can also help you fix your computer when something goes wrong.

System Restore allows you to return your computer to a point where it was fully functional to undo changes that may have damaged your computer. These changes occur in system files, settings, registry and installed applications. In a way, it's like a time machine.

When properly enabled and configured, Windows creates restore points when you install a new application, device driver, or Windows update, but of course, you can always create a restore point manually. For example, if you want to change some registry settings or install a large application.

This feature is similar to a backup, but not exactly, since going back to a previous point with this feature will not affect your documents or settings until you create a specific restore. However, it will remove applications, drivers, system updates, and registry changes after creating a restore point.

Configuring System Restore is a fairly easy task, but the feature is somewhat hidden from most users, even in Windows 10. Today we'll look at the steps you need to follow to enable, create, and restore System Restore Points on your computer.

Enable System Restore

In the System Properties section of the System Protection tab, make sure your Windows drive (usually C) has scan protection enabled.

If protection is disabled, the Create button will be disabled. The next step is to select the drive where Windows is installed (system) and click the Configure button.

Inside "Restore Settings", make sure to select "Turn on system protection" to enable this feature.

Note. System Restore may only be enabled on a supported drive, not on every computer. If you have additional drives, you may not be able to configure them.

In the Disk Space Usage section, you can configure the maximum storage space allocated for your recovery points. By default, Windows uses only a small percentage of a given drive's total available storage, and as the reserved space becomes full, old restore points will be deleted to make room for future ones.

You will also see a Delete button, which will delete all currently saved restore points. You can use this option when you need to create a restore point manually and you cannot allocate more space.

After setting your preferences, click Apply and then OK. Now, you will see that protection is now enabled under the system drive.

Create a system restore point

We continue to analyze all the stages in the topic “How to perform a system rollback on Windows 10.”

Now that you have enabled a restore point on your system, the operating system will automatically create a restore point whenever a significant change occurs. However, sometimes you may need to manually create a system restore point before changing anything that may seem problematic to you.

To set up a restore point manually, simply click on the Create button and enter a description to help you identify the restore point (for example, the system restore point before installing App X). Then click the Create button to complete the process (Creating restore points is quick and should not take more than a minute).

Using System Restore

If at any point you run into problems before you use a backup or the Reset This PC feature in Windows 10, you can use a System Restore point, which will be faster and easier.

To undo unnecessary system changes to fix your computer by reverting to a previous point in time, do the following:

Go to the Start menu or click the search box and type “Create a restore point” and press Enter to open the System Protection settings page to configure the feature.

Click the System Restore button and click Next.

You will be shown all the available restore points with the date, description and, more importantly, you will be able to see the type, which determines whether it was created manually or by the system.

When you select a restore point, you can click on the "Scan for affected programs" button to view the applications installed since the last restore point that will be removed during the restore process. Then click Cancel to return to the wizard.

Once the process is complete, you will be back to the point where your system is working correctly.

So far, we've seen how to use a restore point when something goes wrong on your system, but only when you can still control the computer and operating system. However, there will be a time when you have created a restore point manually, but your computer will not boot due to a certain error after changing Windows.

In these cases, bootup uses advanced system options to access System Restore. Just try booting your computer three times to launch the automatic recovery environment in Windows 10, and then:

Click Advanced Launch.

Alternatively, you can use bootable Windows 10 installation media to start your system and then:

Click the Next button and select Restore your computer.
Click Troubleshoot, Advanced Options, System Restore.
System Restore will download and you can use the previous steps in System Restore to restore your system.

Ready! That's all there is to it.

Summarizing

For many years, System Restore has been a well-known feature in power user circles. Now quite a lot of newbies know how to perform a system rollback on Windows 10. Like previous versions, it's easy to use, but the system tends to handle everything for regular users. So today we're reminding you to be aware of those times when you want to test an interesting feature, but you don't know if it will work.

Keep in mind that this option does not replace the full backup or reset feature. If your computer's hard drive fails, you won't be able to restore to a previous version of the operating system, and you'll likely lose all your files. Also, the reset feature built into Windows 10 will only help if you need to reset all your settings, apps, and operating system to factory defaults.

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For many years, System Restore has been successfully used to resolve crashes and problems in Windows. You will find it in Windows 10; The use of the Recovery function is described in detail in the article “Restoring Windows 10”.

But you'll soon learn that Windows 10 includes many other useful tools designed to keep your computer functioning at the proper level and troubleshoot problems that arise during its operation.

In the following sections, you'll learn about many of the new operating system tools, how and when to use them, and which ones are best for troubleshooting your specific problem.

How to roll back the Windows 10 system. Reset the operating system.

The Rollback or Reset tool, described below, allows the system recovery process to delete all user data, including account settings, personal settings, and files, should the need arise. In such a case, after reinstalling Windows 10, you will receive a completely new computer, in which important information of its previous owners has not been saved, and you do not have to worry about its safety. To reset your operating system, follow these steps:

1. Click the button Start and run the command Options. The Settings application window will appear on the screen.
2. In the Settings window, click the Update and Security. On the next settings page, go to the left panel and click on the section Recovery. In the right pane, find the Reset your computer subsection and click the Start button.

If you continue the operation, a window will appear on the screen asking you to choose one of two ways to restore the computer to its original state.

3. Select one of the options and click the button Further.

You are asked to choose one of two methods to reset systems

Save my files. This is the most common method of reinstalling Windows 10, ensuring the safety of accounts and user data. In this case, you will need to reinstall all separately installed programs (but not applications from the Windows Store). Having chosen this option, proceed to step 5 of the instructions.
delete everything. In this case, all user files and account data are deleted from the computer, after which a complete reinstallation of Windows 10 is performed. You can start working on the computer from scratch. If you choose this method, proceed to step 4 of the instructions.

4. If you decide to completely delete user data, then indicate whether you need to clear the entire disk. As before, you are asked to choose from two options.

Just delete my files. If the computer will continue to be used in your home, then you can safely choose this option. Despite the complete deletion of personal data, attackers equipped with special hardware and software can easily restore previously deleted user data and use it to obtain important information about the previous owners of the computer.
Deleting Files and Disk Cleanup. By choosing this option, you can safely sell your computer to others, even strangers. It is guaranteed not to contain personal data available for recovery. And all because after deleting user files, the disk is additionally cleared of all information stored on it.

5. After selecting one of the options above, click on the button Reset. The operating system will begin the procedure of deleting data on the system hard drive and then reinstalling it. After its completion, you will receive a computer in the same condition in which it was purchased - with completely “reset” Windows 10 settings. You can safely start working on the computer.

Reinstalling Windows 10 takes from 15 minutes to an hour. After resetting the operating system, your computer gets a new life, which involves fully or partially configuring it.

Return to a previous version of Windows

It was previously discussed that Windows 7 and 8.1 users are getting an unprecedented opportunity to upgrade their operating system to Windows 10 for free, but only during the first year of its sales. The question immediately arises: will it be possible, after switching to Windows 10, to change your mind and return to the previous operating system?

To restore a previous (original) version of the Windows operating system on your computer, you will need to go to the Update and Security category of the Settings application (as described in paragraphs 1 and 2 of the instructions above). But now, instead of going to the Restore section, in the left pane, click on the title Reset your computer to its original state. Next, click on the Start button to initiate the transition to an older version of Windows that was already installed on your computer. All programs installed on it are restored along with the operating system, and files associated with Windows 10 are permanently deleted.

How to roll back the system, Windows 10 and working with restore points! We will tell you about options to roll back Windows 10 to the desired restore point!

After all, even if there is a system backup on a non-system partition, created using backup software, it will be of little use if you don’t have a boot disk with the appropriate program at hand. Restoring the operating system by returning to the initial settings - preserving user files, but losing installed programs and system settings - is too radical a step, which should be taken only after attempts to roll back to a restore point have failed.

What is a Windows 10 restore point

A point is a saved copy of system settings for a given date or event, which allows you to roll back the Windows 10 system. The OS saves data about the settings of the main drivers and files. And restores them if necessary, regardless of their new location and condition.

"Checkpoints" are created according to the following scenarios:

Direct user request
installing drivers that do not have a digital signature Hardware Quality Labs
automatically every 24 hours
OS update

How to perform a system rollback on Windows 10

First of all, you need to open the "Control Panel". You can do this in several ways:
After that, go to the viewing type - categories
Click on "System and Security"
Select "System"
In the left column, click on the line “System protection”
Select your system drive (with the Windows icon) and click on the configure button
Check the "Enable system protection" checkbox and indicate the amount of space that you are willing to allocate on your hard drive to create a copy of the OS (we recommend that you allocate at least 20GB if your hardware allows). Confirm "OK"
After that, click on the “Create” button. The parameters will be saved and the process of creating a checkpoint will begin (usually takes no more than 5-10 minutes).

System rollback procedure

If it loads

Restoring a conditionally working OS is quite simple.

When the system won't boot

In a situation where the computer does not boot at all, you can try to get into the recovery environment by holding down the Shift+F8 keys while the OS is loading. But achieving the desired goal will not be easy. Few people manage to press these keys at the right time due to the reduced boot time of the latest versions of Windows. As soon as the computer starts to boot, you need to quickly press the Shift key, and then frantically fiddle with the F8 key. After training, perhaps the efforts of some will be rewarded.

It is much easier to enter this environment either through the installation disk or through a specially created disk.

Below we will consider both of these options and roll back the “ten” to the recovery point.

Using the Windows 10 installation disc

It doesn’t matter which installation DVD (or flash drive) is on hand - with the same edition of Windows 10 that is installed on the computer, or with a different one, in any of these cases the issue with access to the recovery environment is resolved. Moreover, for these purposes you can use the Windows 8.1 installation disk or even the test edition of Insider Preview, which is available completely free of charge on the Microsoft website.

Insert the installation DVD with either Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 into your computer's drive, or connect a bootable USB flash drive if the distribution package is stored on it. from the appropriate media. Click "Next" in the first window of the system installer.

Select "System Restore" at the bottom of the window.

The same recovery environment will appear in front of us, in the menu of which we need to select one or another action. We need a diagnostic section.

Creating a Windows 10 Recovery Disc

If you don’t have an installation disk with system versions 8.1 or 10 at hand, you can’t do without involving a second computer device in solving the problem. And instead of waiting for the image with the distribution to be downloaded from the Internet, it’s easier to create a Windows 10 recovery disk using its standard tools. Naturally, this requires that the same Windows 10 be installed on the second computer device. In general, the availability of such a disk must be taken care of in advance. This way, the resuscitation disk, recorded on a flash drive, will always be there for you if problems arise with loading your computer.

To create a disk, go to the control panel. The shortest way to it is to call the context menu on the Start button.

At the top of the control panel window (right) is the search field. Write in it a key query to search for the desired section and select this section.

We need the first function - “Create Disk”.

The program will warn that all existing data on the flash drive will be destroyed. Click “Create”.

Now enable the BIOS to boot from the desired media - from a flash drive. After loading, you will see the same recovery environment designed to resuscitate the OS. Further steps will be exactly the same as in the previous case.

In what cases is it impossible to rollback Windows 10 to a restore point?

As already mentioned, the Windows rollback process may not always complete successfully, and this applies not only to situations involving the recovery environment, but also when we are talking about the usual launch of this process in the system properties window. If viruses damage important files of the rollback points you created, most likely the only way out of the situation may be, if not reinstalling the OS, then at least returning it with the loss of all settings and programs.

Sometimes it will not be possible to successfully roll back an operating system using a recovery environment due to reduced functionality. And this, by the way, is one of the reasons why you should not use homemade Windows builds. Often the latter are designed only for installing Windows from scratch, without the ability to return to a previous OS state. The functionality of the system's bzhcap is cut out by assemblers, supposedly for the purpose of optimization. In this case, it will not always be possible to revive the operating room even with the help of third-party Live disks. But even in the case of a pirated build of Windows with reduced functionality, various kinds of problems can be foreseen by stocking up on a backup copy of the system and bootable media in advance using third-party backup programs.

Have a great day!

All computer owners periodically encounter problems with Windows after installing incorrect drivers or making changes to the operating system. Creating system restore points can solve this problem.

Windows 10 Restore Point allows you to return your computer to the last stable state of your computer. When you create a restore point, Windows 10 saves a backup copy of your system files. Thus, instead of completely reinstalling Windows after installing some incorrect driver or catching a virus, you can simply roll back the system.

Restore points are created before installing Windows updates, and also automatically at the frequency you specify. The more free hard drive space you reserve for recovery points, the more recovery dates you have to choose from.

The system allows you to manually create Windows 10 restore points. This may be required, for example, before installing programs that may somehow disrupt the system. If something goes wrong, the computer owner can always roll back the system to the date when everything worked properly.

Please note that restore points only contain backup copies of Windows 10 system files that affect the loading of the operating system. Personal folders and files are not included in backups. If you also want to backup personal files, then you need to make a full system image.

Windows 10 Recovery Settings

To view the current recovery settings on your computer, right-click on the Start menu and go to Control Panel.

Go to the “System and Security” section.

Go to the “System” section.

Click on “System Protection” in the left column.

The window that opens shows the protection settings for your disks. The disabled state means that no recovery points are made for this drive, and the enabled state means that recovery points are made.

In my case, restore points are made only for drive C, on which the operating system is installed. In order to change the protection settings, select the drive you are interested in and click the “Configure” button.

At the top of the window, you can enable or disable the creation of Windows 10 restore points, and at the bottom, specify how much disk space you are willing to reserve for storing these backups. The larger the volume you specify, the more recovery points will be stored. As this volume fills, old restore points will be erased to make room for new ones. Usually, it is enough to store 2-3 system restore points.

To free up space on your hard drive, you can click the "Delete" button to delete all saved restore points.

Create a Windows 10 restore point manually

In order to create a Windows 10 restore point, on the previous “System Protection” tab, click the “Create” button.

A window will pop up in which you must somehow name the restore point; in my case, for example, I called it “Restore point before installing an incomprehensible driver.” In this case, the date and time of creation of the point will be added automatically. After that, click the “Create” button.

The process of creating a restore point will begin. It usually takes less than a minute. After completion, the “Restore point created successfully” window will appear (see picture above). Now you can install that incomprehensible driver that I was worried about and, in case of problems, roll back the system using a restore point.

Setting up automatic creation of recovery points

As already written above, Windows 10 automatically creates restore points before installing updates, and also gives you the opportunity to do this manually. But to be on the safe side, it makes sense to set up automatic creation of recovery points at a time period you specify, for example, every day.

Right-click on the Start menu and go to Control Panel.

In the “Control Panel” in the upper right corner, select “View” - “Small Icons” and click on the “Administration” section.

Open Task Scheduler.

Double-click on the items "Task Scheduler Library" - "Microsoft" - "Windows" - "System Restore".

In the System Restore branch, an SR rule has already been created to create Windows 10 restore points. All we have to do is specify the interval at which this rule will be triggered. Double-click on the SR rule.

In the window that opens, go to the “Triggers” tab and click “Create”.

In the next window, you can set the period when Windows 10 restore points will be created. You can specify daily creation, weekly, monthly, when the computer starts or when it is turned off, and so on.

The period for creating points should be selected based on the reserved space on the hard drive for storing backup copies, since when this volume is filled, the newest recovery points will erase the oldest.

After you have selected the period for creating recovery points, click OK.

Restore Windows 10 to a restore point

Now that we have learned how to create restore points manually and automatically, we will tell you how to restore your system after a failure.

You can roll back the system using restore points in several ways - using the Windows 10 interface, using the command line, and also using diagnostic tools.

System rollback via Windows interface

The easiest way is when you can start Windows 10. In this case, we do everything as at the beginning of the article. Right-click on the Start menu and go to Control Panel. Next, go to the “System and Security” - “System” - “System Protection” section. In the System Protection window, click the Restore button.

The Restore System Files and Settings Wizard will open. Click Next.

In the next window, check the “Show other restore points” checkbox. This list shows all possible restore points. The left column shows the dates the restore points were created. The middle column provides a description to help us identify the point.

As you can see in the screenshot below, the restore point called “restore point before installation of the unknown driver”, which I created in the second chapter of this article, is listed as the last one created.

Finally, the right column indicates the type of recovery point creation (manual, system or installation), that is, under what circumstances the backup was created.

Also, you can click on the restore point of interest and click “Search for affected programs.” The window that opens will display a list of programs that will be affected by rolling back to this restore point.

When you have selected the restore point to which we want to roll back the system, click “Next”.

In the last window we must confirm the selected restore point. After clicking the “Finish” button, the system will begin the recovery process.

System rollback using diagnostic tools

If Windows 10 does not start and the desktop does not load, then the system can be rolled back using a special Windows 10 system recovery environment. When you start your computer, instead of the desktop, you will see a warning that the Windows system did not load correctly. Click "More recovery options."

In the “Advanced Options” window, click on “System Restore”.

You will be taken to the familiar window for selecting restore points where you should select the last stable state of the system and click OK.

System rollback using the command line

If the Windows 10 desktop won't boot, you can roll back Windows 10 to the latest restore point using the Command Prompt.

To do this, while on the computer, press F8 until a list of computer boot options appears. Select "Safe Mode with Command Line Support."

In the command line that opens, write rstrui.exe, then press Enter.

As a result of this command, you will start the standard system restore wizard to a restore point in the graphical interface.

Video on creating a Windows 10 restore point

And finally, I suggest you watch a few videos on how to create a restore point and roll back Windows 10 to the latest stable version.

There are many reasons why you may need to roll back your Windows 10 system. Typically, users think about it when the computer stops booting or starts to have problems. Features of Windows 10 also allow you to return the previous version if the new one does not suit the user in some way.

If you can start on Windows 10, you need to click on the “Start” button on the desktop - “Settings” - “Update and Security”. Then you need to click “Recovery” - “Return the computer to its original state.”

In addition, it is possible that Windows does not start at all. Then you need to restart the computer, and while loading, hold down the Shift + F8 key combination. The system will enter the recovery environment. In the menu that appears, you need to select the diagnostics item, then follow the same steps on how to roll back the Windows system, which were described in the paragraph above.

Rollback to save point

By default, the OS automatically creates backups at regular intervals. The protection function is responsible for creating recovery points. In the event of a breakdown, you can return the state of the files back to a certain date. There are three options on how to do this.

If the OS starts, you can hold down the Shift key and select reboot the system from the Start menu. The recovery environment will open, where you will need to select one of the possible dates to which you can roll back the program status.
The second option, how to roll back from Windows 10, is similar to returning to factory settings when starting the computer. It doesn't always work.
The third option to roll back Windows 10 is to use a recovery disk. A distribution kit or a specially created user file can be used as a disk. It can be stored either on a CD or on a Flash drive. The device must be inserted into the appropriate drive. In the BIOS, when booting, select the drive as a priority so that it starts first. After the reboot, the recovery menu will appear, in which you can already select “System Restore” - “Diagnostics” -Advanced options” - “System recovery using a restore point”.

What to do if rollback is not possible

If you use a custom version or due to the actions of malware, the process of returning to the restore point may be interrupted by an error. In this case, you need to either do a full rollback to factory settings, or reinstall the licensed version from scratch. This can be done either via the Internet or from physical media.

In the event of an error, you need to understand what happened to the system before it occurred. An update may have been carried out or an antivirus installed. Updating drivers or an incorrectly connected device can also cause the crash. Another option is that the computer was turned off incorrectly or the laptop battery is dead. If none of the options help, you may need to seek professional help. They will carry out competent diagnostics and correct the consequences of the failure.

How to roll back to a previous version

The developers have considered the option of how to roll back Windows 10 to a previous version of Windows within 30 days from the date of installation. All data is saved in the C:\Windows.old folder and will be restored if the folder was not deleted by you after the update.

Before you roll back your Windows 10 system, you should make sure that the keys from the previous version are not lost. They are stored on a sticker on the computer case or on a disk included in the package. It would be a good idea to copy important data to external media or to a third-party service on the network.

To restore the previous operating system: “Start” - “Settings” - “Update and Security” - “Recovery”. If the option to return to the previous version is still available, the menu will display a tab labeled “Return to Windows 8.1” or “Return to Windows 7.” We confirm the choice with the “Start” command.

After the procedure, you will need to enter the password for version 7 or 8.1, and not for version 10. You may need to reinstall some applications.

If the 30-day period has expired, you will need a recovery disk created on version 7 or 8.1. An installation archive with an operating system or a saved image is used for a clean installation.

Another option for how to roll back a Windows 10 system may be to install the old program on a virtual version. In this case, you cannot do without an installation disk and keys.

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