What is a Restore Point?
The restore point (restore poin) indicates the storage status of the computer system files. System Restore creates restore points at specific intervals and also creates restore points when it detects that your computer is beginning to change. In addition, you can manually create a restore point at any time.
- Chinese name
- Restore point
- Foreign name
- restore poin
- The restore point (restore poin) indicates the storage status of the computer system files. System Restore creates restore points at specific intervals and also creates restore points when it detects that your computer is beginning to change. In addition, you can manually create a restore point at any time.
Restore point definition
- Indicates the storage status of computer system files. System Restore creates restore points at specific intervals and also creates restore points when it detects that your computer is beginning to change. In addition, you can manually create a restore point at any time.
Restore Point System Restore: Frequently Asked Questions
- What is System Restore:
- System Restore helps you restore your computer's system files to an earlier restore point in time. This method can undo system changes to your computer without affecting your personal files, such as emails, documents, or photos.
- Sometimes installing a program or driver can cause unusual changes to your computer or Windows to behave strangely. Uninstalling a program or driver usually resolves this issue. If uninstalling didn't fix the problem, try to restore your computer system to a date when everything worked fine before.
- System Restore uses a feature called System Protection to periodically create and save restore points on your computer. These restore points contain information about registry settings and other system information used by Windows. You can also create restore points manually.
- System Restore is not designed to back up personal files, so it cannot help you recover deleted or damaged personal files. You should use a backup program to regularly back up your personal files and important data.
- How much disk space does System Restore require? To store restore points, you need at least 300 megabytes (MB) of free space on each hard drive that has System Protection turned on. System restore may take up 15% of space on each disk. If the restore point fills up all the space, System Restore will delete the old restore point to make room for the new restore point.
- The disk on which System Restore is running must be at least 1 gigabyte (GB).
- Turn System Restore on or off:
- System Restore regularly tracks changes to your computer's system files and uses a feature called System Protection to periodically create restore points. System protection is turned on by default on all hard drives of your computer. You can choose on which disks System Protection is turned on.
- Turning off system protection for a disk deletes all restore points for that disk. You cannot restore the disk until you re-enable System Protection and create a restore point.
- How to back up files:
- Files may be accidentally deleted or replaced due to a virus or worm attack, software or hardware failure, or an entire hard disk failure. To protect files, you can create a backup: a set of file copies that are stored in a different location from the original file. Windows provides tools for backing up files, programs, and system settings.
- Backup type
- Personal files, programs, and system settings should be backed up. You should also create a restore point so that you can restore your computer to a previous state if necessary. The following table describes each option.
- Backup
- use
- usage time
- Personal files, such as pictures, music, and documents
- Backup File Wizard
- Files you create and modify should be backed up regularly. It's a good idea to back up your files before making any system changes, such as adding new hardware, updating drivers, editing the registry, or making major changes to Windows, such as installing a service pack. For more information on backing up files, see Backing up files.
- The entire computer
- Windows Complete PC backup
- When you first set up your computer, you should create a Windows Complete PC backup image, which is similar to taking a snapshot of the programs, system settings, and files on your computer. This backup can be used when the computer is not working. Although this type of backup includes personal files, we recommend using the Backup File Wizard to back up your files regularly. The Windows Complete PC backup image should also be updated every six months.
- Windows Complete PC backup and restore are not included with Windows Vista Home Basic or Windows Vista Home Premium.
- note
- You should set a general restore point so that you can undo any settings that might cause your computer to become unstable, such as driver updates. For more information on restore points, see System Restore: Frequently Asked Questions.
- Method of storing backup
- You can back up files to any of the following storage types:
- Hard disk (internal or external)
- Other removable disks
- Writable DVD and CD
- These options are collectively referred to as "media." You can also use Internet-based file storage services. To decide which option to use, compare convenience, price, and ease of use, and consider the number and size of files to be backed up.
- Keep the backup in a safe place
- Always keep removable storage or media for backups, such as external hard drives, DVDs, or CDs, in a safe place to prevent unauthorized people from accessing the files.
- Storage device
- Internal hard drive. You can install (or have someone else) a second internal hard drive on your computer and use it for backup files. Hard drives are relatively inexpensive and will not be affected in the event of a problem with the operating system. If you purchased a new computer and still want to use a disk for backup, you can even mount the disk on another computer.
- note
- Never back up files to the same hard disk on which Windows is installed, because if your computer is attacked by a virus or a software failure, you may have to reformat the disk and reinstall Windows to recover from the problem.
- External hard drive. If your computer has a USB port, you can connect an external hard disk to this port and back up your files to an external disk. Be sure to purchase an external hard drive with sufficient space for backup (preferably 200 GB). For maximum protection, place the external hard disk in a fire-resistant location separate from the computer.
- Writable disc
- You can also save files to a DVD or CD. Make sure the disc is writable, that is, you can add, delete, or change content. If you decide to use this method and you have many files to back up, make sure you have enough discs to complete the job. The backup file wizard tells you how much space you need each time you perform a backup and suggests the types of media you can use. If you stamp your discs with the date and time of your backups, you will find them easily later. For maximum protection, place the disc in a fire-resistant location separate from the computer.
- Back up the registry:
- You must be logged in as an administrator to perform these steps. If you are not logged in as an administrator, you can only change settings that apply to your user account.
- Before making changes to a registry key or subkey, we recommend that you export the key or subkey or make a backup copy of it. You can save a backup copy to a specified location, such as a folder on your hard drive or a removable storage device. If you want to cancel your changes, you can import a backup copy.
- 1. Click to open the Registry Editor. If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
- 2. Find and click the item or subkey you want to back up.
- 3. Click the "File" menu and then "Export".
- 4. In the Save in box, select the location where you want to save the backup copy, and then type the name of the backup file in the File name box.
- 5. Click "Save."
- note
- 1. Although you can back up multiple registry keys or subkeys that you modify, doing so will increase the size of the backup file.
- 2. Before editing the registry, it is best to use System Restore to create a restore point. The restore point contains information about the registry, and you can use it to undo changes made to your system. For more information, search for "System Restore" in Help and Support.