When a driver installation, Windows Update, or software change causes your PC to crash, slow down, or produce error messages, System Restore can roll the system back to a point where it was working correctly — without touching your documents, photos, or other personal files.
This guide walks through exactly how to use an existing restore point to undo system changes. To create a restore point before making changes, see Create a Restore Point on Windows.
What gets restored and what stays the same
Restored to the earlier state: Windows system files, the registry, installed programs and drivers.
Not affected: Personal files — documents, spreadsheets, photos, music, videos, downloads, and browser bookmarks. These remain exactly as they are regardless of which restore point you select.
Removed: Any program or driver installed after the restore point date. Windows shows you this list before you confirm, so you know what will be affected.
How to verify the fix
After System Restore completes and Windows restarts, test the specific issue that caused the problem. Open the application that was crashing, reproduce the steps that triggered the error, or check the settings that had changed. If the problem is gone, the restore succeeded. If the problem remains, run System Restore again and select an older restore point — the issue may predate the restore point you chose.
If you need to undo the restore, open System Restore again immediately and select the Undo option before running any new restore operations.
Step-by-step fix
Open System Restore
Press the Windows key and type Create a restore point, then click the matching result — this opens the System Properties window on the System Protection tab. Click the System Restore button. A wizard opens titled Restore system files and settings. Click Next to proceed to the list of available restore points. If the System Restore button is greyed out, System Protection is not enabled on your drive — see the guide to enable it before continuing.
Choose a restore point
The System Restore wizard displays a list of available restore points with their date, time, and the type of change that triggered them (Windows Update, Driver Install, Manual, etc.). Select the restore point from just before the problem started — if the PC worked correctly on Tuesday and broke on Wednesday after an update, choose a restore point from Tuesday or earlier. To see all available restore points, check the Show more restore points checkbox at the bottom left of the list. Click Scan for affected programs to see a list of programs and drivers that will be removed or restored by the selected restore point — this does not affect your personal files.
Confirm the restore operation
After selecting a restore point, click Next. The confirmation screen shows the restore point date and description, and the drive that will be restored. Read the warning: once started, System Restore cannot be interrupted. Click Finish to begin. A final prompt appears asking you to confirm — click Yes. Windows closes all open applications and begins the restore process. The screen may go black or display a progress bar. Do not turn off your computer during the restore — an interruption at this stage can leave Windows in an inconsistent state.
Wait for the restore to complete
System Restore takes 10 to 20 minutes on most systems, though large drives with many changes may take longer. Your computer restarts at least once during the process. After the restart, Windows displays a message confirming whether System Restore completed successfully. If it succeeded, you will see: System Restore completed successfully. The restore point description and date are shown for reference.
Verify the problem is resolved
After System Restore completes, test the specific issue that prompted the restore — open the application that was crashing, check the settings that had changed, or verify the error message no longer appears. If the problem persists, System Restore did not address the root cause (the problem may predate the restore point) — try an earlier restore point by running System Restore again and selecting a date further back. If the restore worsened the situation, you can undo it: search for System Restore again, click Undo System Restore, and Windows reverts to the state it was in before the restore.