Your PC has become unstable from the installation of programs, updates or drivers? You can give Windows to a stable previous condition thanks to the restoration points.
As the popular diction says, the best is often the enemy of good. And it sometimes happens, after the installation of a new software, a device driver or even an update of Windows that a PC becomes unstable, with permanent dysfunctions or untimely blockages. In this kind of situation, we would like to be able to go back to put the computer back in a previous state. But if the time machine does not exist, Windows has a function that is getting closer to it: restoration points. A rescue function introduced with Windows XP, which is always available in Windows 10.
A restoration point is the equivalent of a “cliché”: a copy of the system at a given time, preferably when it is in a stable state. By creating a restoration point before installing or updating an application, a device driver or Windows, we thus offer the possibility of going back in the event of a problem. The restoration can be launched either in Windows, if the system is sufficiently stable, or directly at the start of the PC, even before the launch of the system.
Restoration has no impact on your personal files (photos, music, videos, Word documents, etc.). But it deletes the applications, updates and pilots installed after creating the dining point you choose. Without working every time, these restoration points can save you the bet and avoid you complete Windows resettlement or reset of the PC in the factory.
You have the choice to activate this function or not, which obviously consumes a little space on your disk, for the copy of the saved data. When the function is active, Windows creates automatic restoration points for itself, but the reasons that push him to make them or not remain quite mysterious. You can therefore force him to create “manual” restoration points, for example before an important update of your professional applications, or on the contrary just after, if you judge that the situation is healthy and that it would be wise, later, to leave at this backup if your computer was to derail.
Note that if the problems are due to the automatic installation of an update of the system via Windows Update, you can also try to uninstall it via Settings> Update and security> Show updates> Uninstall updates.
In this first scenario, it is assumed that, even unstable, Windows still gives you access to its settings. Otherwise, go to the end of the article at the stage Access catering points without launching Windows.
- If your PC works with Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7, go to the menu Start> All programs> Accessories> System tools> System restoration.
- With Windows 8 and Windows 10, in the search field at the bottom left of the screen (the icon representing a magnifying glass), type Create a restoration point and click on the Best result that is offered to you.
- In Windows 10, you can also follow the path Start menu> Windows system> Configuration panel> System and security> System> Advanced system settings. A long and difficult path to memorize, Microsoft having the annoying tendency to disseminate the settings, by also mixing those who benefit from the modern interface of Windows 10 and those who inherit the dressing of Windows 7…
- In any case, the window System Properties appears. Go to the tab System protectionif it is not selected by default to see the Windows catering points options.
- If your PC has several discs, select the one On which the operating system is located – in general (C 🙂 – among the readers available, then click the button Configure … To activate or deactivate catering points and modify the associated options.
- Check the option Activate system protection To allow the creation of catering points.
- Windows suggests a quantity of disk space to devote to these catering points. It will remove the oldest “clichés” so as not to exceed this maximum value. If you create too many manual restoration points, the oldest will quickly become inaccessible. You can possibly devote more or less space by moving the cursor. Or even recover all the disk space of the old catering points by pressing the button DELETE.
- In the window of System Propertiesgo to the tab System protection (see above) and click the button Create… To immediately add a manual restoration point – for example, before an important update.
- Give him an evocative name. No need to mention the date and time in this name, Windows will tell you this information in the list of catering points. Click the button again Create. The generation of the restoration point begins and will concern all the discs for which this function is activated. Remember, your personal files (photos, videos, Word documents, etc.) will remain unchanged: they will not be deleted or restored to a previous state. The creation of the restoration point will take several minutes, during which you can nevertheless continue to use the PC.
- In the window of System Propertiestab System protection (see above), click the button System restoration…
- The restoration window then differs depending on the situations, but the options are ultimately the same. Windows can thus present all the catering points at its disposal, specifying the date, description and type of cliché (system, Windows Update, manual, etc.).
- But it may also present you only one restore point, this time showing a check box Show other restoration points.
- When you select a restoration point from the list and click on the button Followingthe window of Confirmation has a button or a link Search for the applications concerned. Click on it and wait, because this search can take a few moments …
- Windows presents two lists that may be useful to you. Let us take an example: on our illustration, the first list (that of the programs and pilots which will be deleted) tells us that the version of iTunes 12.10.6.2 will be deleted; And the second list (that of the programs and pilots that will be restored) tells us that we will then end up with the older version of iTunes 12.9.3.3, which was installed before the restoration point. Of course, if the iTunes application was not installed on the PC before this restoration point, the application will not appear in the second list and will simply be deleted, it will be necessary to reinstall it. If it was already present as on our example, it will be necessary to update it.
- If you use a laptop, check that it is connected to the sector. Click the button To end Then on the button Yes To confirm the restoration. The computer restarts: wait for several minutes …
- After restarting Windows, a window tells you that the operation went properly.
If the restoration has not solved your problem, you can if necessary annul the effects (provided that it has not been launched from the safe mode of Windows). You just have to reappear the configuration options for catering points, as seen at the start of this article. Again on the button System restoration …
- The option proposed by default is called Cancel the restoration of the system. But you can, on the contrary, keep it and check Choose another restoration pointto return to an even older Windows state.
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If Windows is too unstable – to the point of not being able to get started – all the manipulations seen above are not accessible to you. If the restoration points were already activated, you will access it as follows (for more details, see our practical sheet Start in safe mode).
- With an old version of Windows, for example Windows 7, when the PC starts, press the F8 key several times. When the black screen of the safe mode appears, choose Last known valid configuration Then follow the instructions as seen above.
- With Windows 8, Windows 10 or Windows 11, restart the computer three times to access theWindows recovery environment. Successively click on Troubleshooting> Advanced options> System restoration To display the restoration options.
