System Restore - How to

How to Do a System Restore in Vista​

   Information

This will show you how to do a System Restore to help you restore your computer's system files, programs, and registry settings to an earlier point in time. It will not affect your personal files, such as e‑mail, documents, or photos, so it cannot help you restore a deleted file.

   Tip

• Be sure to use a restore point dated before the problem started or it will not help you.
• If this System Restore did not help or made things worse and you need or want to undo it, then see: How to Undo the Last System Restore in Vista

   Note

System Restore uses this Service with this setting: Volume Shadow Copy

This service is set to Manual by default.

   Warning

• If you dual boot with Windows XP, then everytime you start in XP the System Restore Points and all except the most recent Complete PC Backup files in Vista get deleted. For how, see: How to Stop System Restore Points from being Deleted in Vista when Dual Booting with XP
• If you have missing restore points, then also see: System Restore "restore points" are missing or deleted

METHOD ONE

Through System Protection

   Note

• If you have not done a system restore before, you will not have the two options below in the first screen of the video below. Just click Next to see your restore point choices.
• If the System Restore was unsuccessfully completed, then you can try to do a System Restore in Safe Mode or use Method Two below instead.

1. Open the Start Menu.

2. Click All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - System Restore.

A) Go to step 3.
​

OR

2. In the white line (Start Search) area, type rstrui and press Enter.
NOTE: rsrui is the EXE file for System Restore. C:\Windows\System32\rstrui.exe

A) Click Continue for UAC prompt.
​

3. Click on the Click to Play button in the video below.
NOTE: After you click Choose a different restore point, make sure you check Show Restore points older than 5 days, if this is displayed, to see your older restore points.

[media]http://www.vistax64.com/download/flash/system_restore.swf[/media]
​

METHOD TWO

Using System Recovery Options at Boot

1. Boot from either your retail Vista installation disc or created Vista repair disc into the System Recovery Options screen.

2. Click on the System Restore option. (See screenshot below)

​

3. Follow the rest of the instructions in the video at step 3 on in METHOD ONE above for how to do the rest.
​

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Create a System Restore Shortcut in Vista
• How to Create a Create System Restore Point Shortcut in Vista
• How to Create a System Restore Point in Vista
• How to Undo the Last System Restore in Vista
• How to Change the System Restore Disk Space Usage in Vista
• How to Turn System Restore On or Off in Vista
• How to Restore the Complete Computer from a Complete Backup and Restore Image in Vista
• How to Restore Backup Files in Vista
• How to Restore Previous Versions of a File and Folder in Vista
• How to Start Vista in Safe Mode
• How to Perform a Repair Installation for Vista
• How to Stop System Restore Points from being Deleted in Vista when Dual Booting with XP
• How to Create a Vista Recovery Disc
• How to Restore Missing Default Start Menu Shortcuts in Vista
• How to Restore TrustedInstaller as Owner of a File in Vista
• How to Change the Automatic System Restore Point Settings in Vista Task Scheduler
• How to Enable or Disable Create Vista System Restore Point when New Device Driver is Installed
• How to Enable or Disable Create Vista System Restore Point when a Application is Installed
• How to Backup and Restore the Registry in Windows 7 and Vista
• How to Extract Files from the Vista Installation DVD

 

[littlestep]

x.x bleh was hoping i wouldnt have to do that lol but kk and thank you i just hope that fixes it dont really wanna buy a new comp lol

 

[snickers]

I can't do system restore. I get error that OS C: has errors and must run check disk. But I can't run check disk. I schedule it to run on start up, but it doesn't run. I did run sfc and no errors were found. Is there anything I can do? I only have the Vista reinstallation DVD, but not the full version one.

 

[whs]

I can't do system restore. I get error that OS C: has errors and must run check disk. But I can't run check disk. I schedule it to run on start up, but it doesn't run. I did run sfc and no errors were found. Is there anything I can do? I only have the Vista reinstallation DVD, but not the full version one.

Does the same happen with different restore points?

 

[snickers]

I can't do system restore. I get error that OS C: has errors and must run check disk. But I can't run check disk. I schedule it to run on start up, but it doesn't run. I did run sfc and no errors were found. Is there anything I can do? I only have the Vista reinstallation DVD, but not the full version one.

Does the same happen with different restore points?

I tried with all of the available restore point dates and I still get the same error.

 

[whs]

Try running a chkdsk from cmd - but with /F

 

[snickers]

Try running a chkdsk from cmd - but with /F

I tried that, but it didn't work.

 

[whs]

Before you go any further I suggest you save your data to a safe place. If your system does not work, you can use this ( Computer First Aid Using Knoppix ) or another Linux distro. There may be something wrong with your HDD, but hard to say what without further info.

 

[tufa4311]

Does System Restore undo any documents made between now and the restore point chosen? Specifically, what actually gets restored and what doesn't get touched? If I made a number of word/excel/etc doc on my system yesterday and then do a system restore now to last week, will I loose those docs?

 

[Brink]

Hello Tufa,

System Restore will not change or effect anything stored in your C:\Users\(user-name) folders.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[EverMoreOrLess]

In trying to do a system restore from a recovery cd. The hard drive letters within Vista64 are C:\ (the system drive) and E:\ (the second hard drive). In System Restore, Drive C:\ and Drive D:\ are given as options for the restore which doesn't correspond to the drive designations in the installed Vista64. Drive D:\ in the installed Vista 64 is the cd/dvd drive.
I don't know what to do. I would like to restore both drives, if possible.

 

[Brink]

In trying to do a system restore from a recovery cd. The hard drive letters within Vista64 are C:\ (the system drive) and E:\ (the second hard drive). In System Restore, Drive C:\ and Drive D:\ are given as options for the restore which doesn't correspond to the drive designations in the installed Vista64. Drive D:\ in the installed Vista 64 is the cd/dvd drive.
I don't know what to do. I would like to restore both drives, if possible.

Hello EverMoreOrLess, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Are you trying to do a factory system restore to reinstall Windows back to factory default conditions instead?

If so, then this tutorial is not the same as that.


If you are trying to do a system restore as per the tutorial, then the drive letters at boot are not always the same as they are from inside Windows.

System Restore doesn't restore hard drives since it's not a system image. System Restore will only restore system files, programs, and registry settings to an earlier point in time.

Please clarify a bit more.

 

[EverMoreOrLess]

Thank you for the quick response. I'm not trying to do a system image restore.

That the drive letters inside and outside windows are different makes sense. However, when I set up system restore, there was an option to select both my C:\ (system drive) and e:\drive. I checked both drives not knowing any reason why not to. I have though located my swap file on the E:\ drive.

I started having problems with an application after I ran sfc /scannow during which corrupt files were discovered and repaired. Tech support for the application suggested that a possible fix for my application problem was to do a system restore to an earlier point. I have not been able to do that. In fact when I run sfc /scannow, it fixes those same files agaiin. I did find a problem related to mine while searching the internet. Not being an IT'er, this is explained better in the post I found (sfc /scannow foud corrupt files after updating Vista Home Premium - Microsoft Community). It seems there is problem with KB2685811, which is part of cumulative update KB2761494 that contains KB2685811, KB2685813, and KB971286, I applied this update by auto-update when it came out in December 2012; however, I haven't tried to do a system restore or run sfc /scannow since the update was applied in December 2012 until 2/16/2013.

I have the sfcdetails.txt file from the sfc /scannow.

Is it possible that my system restore isn't working because of a corruption in my system files?

 

[Brink]

Yep, E is considered a system drive since you moved you page file there, and would have system protection turned on for it by default.

What application are you having an issue with?

Have you already tried uninstalling and reinstalling the app?

 

[EverMoreOrLess]

Uninstall/Reinstall is last resort. After reinstall a backup of user files would then be restored to finish the reinstall - not something you want to do until there are no more options. The application is TradeStation, and Tech Support has a fix for my problem, but it's not working. A Vista problem can't be ruled out if a restore to a previous restore point can't be done.

Back to my last question. Does system restore work if Vista is corrupted? And if Vista is corrupted beyond repair, then I'm not about to leave it in that state. However if I then install that December cumulative update KB2761494, it would seem that the corruption would persist. . My final question is does system restore work for anyone with Vista who has cumulative update KB2761494 installed and who has run sfc /scannow?

 

[Brink]

Yes, you could do a system restore in Vista or at boot to select a restore point (if available) dated before this happened to go back to.

 

[EverMoreOrLess]

Unfortunately the first restore b4 the suspected problem is one involving a firewall update. Given the drive letter differences when I do a system restore from the recovery cd, I'm uncomfortable about doing that. In Vistat64 my configuration is c:\ (system - D:\(cd/dvd) and e:\(2nd hard dirve with swap file and data files). If I restore from the recovery cd, will the drive designation when I boot into vsta64 be c:\(system), D:\(2nd hard drive with swap file and a data files) and e:\(cd/dvd drive). Then is it just a matter of changing the drive letter designation in disk management back to their original state - D;\(cd/dvd drive and e:\2nd hard drive with swap file. I would think it's probably best to change the swap file to C:\ before reversing the drive letter designations for D;\and e:\ to their original state.

 

[Brink]

It doesn't matter what the drive letters show as at boot vs inside Vista. The drive letters will still be the same as they were at the time the restore point was created.

 

[EverMoreOrLess]

Hi -back again and thanks for the help. I managed to fix my SFC /scannow. There were two problems. The first was referenced by this: sfc /scannow foud corrupt files after updating Vista Home Premium - Microsoft Community that I posted earlier. The fix: Uninstall the culprit update. The Second was about Internet Explore Updates. Basically if you updated to IE 9 from IE8, it created a problem. If you updated from IE7 to IE9, then no problem. Solution: Uninstall IE9 and IE8. Then reinstall IE9. Apparently this was one of those no harm no foul problems.

Regarding system Restore from Safe Mode, I have question. The process: Boot into Safe Mode and run System Restore. When the system reboots, do you start normally and boot into the Vista GUI or boot back into Safe Mode again. Before I try System Restore from the Recovery CD, I'd like to make sure I completely understand the System restore from Safe mode process.

Then regarding a System Restore from the Recovery CD, the boot is straight into the Vista GUI or a normal start. Am I correct about that?

Thanks.

 

[Brink]

Regarding system Restore from Safe Mode, I have question. The process: Boot into Safe Mode and run System Restore. When the system reboots, do you start normally and boot into the Vista GUI or boot back into Safe Mode again. Before I try System Restore from the Recovery CD, I'd like to make sure I completely understand the System restore from Safe mode process.

When booted to Safe Mode and System Restore finishes and restarts, it will boot back into normal mode.​

Then regarding a System Restore from the Recovery CD, the boot is straight into the Vista GUI or a normal start. Am I correct about that?

A System Restore at boot from a "Vista Repair Disc" or "Vista installation disc" is done outside of Vista and Safe Mode, and is done in the Windows recovery environment. When it finishes and restarts, it will start Vista as usual.​

 

[EverMoreOrLess]

Brink, Much thanks for your help. I learned more than I ever wanted to know about the dark side of Vista64; i.e., the restore process. I ended up doing a Vista Complete PC Restore from a late December 2012 backup instead of having to go through a new install to fix my problem. Took some time and had to reinstall some apps, but I also realigned things to make it easier to upgrade from Vista64. Thanks again.