How To Create and Use Windows System Restore Points

Last Update: December 15th, 2022
Article ID: 1521778

This article applies to:

  • Operating systems: Windows 10, Windows 11
  • Products: DisplayLink based docking stations and graphics adapters

This article briefly demonstrates creating and using Windows Restore Points to revert changes to the system.  For example if a driver installation cause unexpected behavior it may be reverted using Windows System Restore.

Windows system restore may modify data in the user account folder, for example it will remove executable files created after the restore point is created and we also recommend maintaining an external backup of all important user data.

Creating a new restore point

  1. Open the Start Menu and search for "restore point"
    Start menu search for restore point
  2. System restore works on a per-drive basis, if "Protection" is turned off for the C: drive, then click on the Configure...button to enable system restore, if it is already enabled please skip to step #4
    Windows System Properties System Protection system restore tab
  3. In the "System Protection for Local Disk (C:)" window, select the radio button to "Turn on system protection" then click OKto save and apply these settings.
    Windows System protection for local disk to enable system restore
  4. Select the Create...button to create a new restore point
    Windows System Properties System Protection system restore tab with system restore enabled
  5. At the pop-up dialog, type in a unique name for the restore point, this can be named to reflect the driver or software being installed for ease of restoring to this point later. Click Createto continue.
    Create a restore point name restore point
  6. When the restore point has been created there will be a message stating "The restore point was created successfully.", click Closeto continue.
    Creating system restore pointRestore point complete

Restore the system

  1. Open the Start Menu and search for "restore point"
  2. Select the "System Restore..." button near the top of the window, this will be greyed out if there are no restore points
  3. In the "System Restore" dialog, select Next >button to continue
    Launching system restore
  4. From the list of restore points, select your preferred restore point, then select Next >button to continue
    System restore select restore point
  5. On the "Confirm you restore point" page, verify the details are correct, then select Finishto start restoring the system
    System restore confirm system restore