Every day in operating system There are a huge number of changes to the file structure. While using a computer, files are created, deleted and moved by both the system and the user. However, these changes do not always occur for the benefit of the user; they are often the result of the work of malicious software, the purpose of which is to damage the integrity file system PC by removing or encrypting important items.

But Microsoft has carefully thought out and perfectly implemented a means to counter unwanted changes in the Windows operating system. A tool called "Windows System Protection" will remember the current state of the computer and, if necessary, roll back all changes to the last restore point without changing user data on all connected drives.

How to save the current state of the Windows 7 operating system

The way the tool works is quite simple - it archives critical system elements in one large file, which is called the "restore point". It has a fairly large weight (sometimes up to several gigabytes), which guarantees the most accurate return to the previous state.

To create a restore point ordinary users there is no need to resort to the help of third-party software; you can handle it using the internal capabilities of the system. The only requirement that must be taken into account before proceeding with the instructions is that the user must be an administrator of the operating system or have sufficient rights to access system resources.

1. You need to left-click once on the Start button (by default it is located on the bottom left of the screen), after which a small window of the same name will open.



2. At the very bottom in the search bar you need to type the phrase "Creating a restore point"(can be copied and pasted). One result will be displayed at the top of the Start menu, you need to click on it once.



3. After clicking on an item in the search, the Start menu will close and a small window with the title will appear instead "Properties of the system". By default, the tab we need will be activated "System protection".



4. At the bottom of the window you need to find the inscription "Create a restore point for disks with System Protection enabled", there will be a button next to it "Create", click on it once.



5. A dialog box will appear asking you to select a name for the restore point so that you can easily find it in the list if necessary.



6. After the name of the recovery point is specified, in the same window you need to click the button "Create". After this, archiving of critical system data will begin, which, depending on the performance of the computer, can take from 1 to 10 minutes, sometimes more.



7. The system will notify you of the completion of the operation with a standard sound notification and a corresponding inscription in the working window.

In the list of points available on the computer, the newly created one will have user specified name, which will also indicate the exact date and time. This will allow you to immediately specify it if necessary and roll back to the previous state.

When restoring from a backup, the operating system returns system files that were modified by an inexperienced user or malware, and also returns the initial state registry It is recommended to create a restore point before installation critical updates operating system and before installing unfamiliar software. You can also create a backup copy at least once a week for prevention. Remember - regularly creating a restore point will help avoid losing important data and destabilizing the operating state of the operating system.

Disclaimer: everything shown in the article is equally applicable to both Windows 7 and Windows 8 / 8.1. The process itself is shown using the example of the first OS, with a slight difference for the G8 - it is described in the text of the article. In Windows XP everything is a little different, but we have already talked about it in this article).

First, let's figure out what a restore point is and what it is needed for. Essentially it is a saved state. system files computer. Unstable operation of Windows, viruses, lost settings, system slowdowns and freezes due to experiments with various software can lead to unstable work operating system. You can return it to its previous state, when everything was normal, by rolling back the system to a previously created saved state.

Windows 7 creates checkpoints itself when any significant changes occur to it, such as tampering with settings, installing drivers or system components. More precisely, this happens in two cases:

1. Weekly (provided that no control points were created during the previous week);
2. When a configuration change is detected, such as when installing a device driver or program.

Also, each user can create a restore point independently, so that they can roll back to an earlier state if something goes wrong with the system in the future. Thus, if the driver you installed or any system error caused problems, you can always return system files. It is enough to select the initial state created earlier and roll back to it. Moreover, this will not affect your user data.

How to create a restore point

System Restore is responsible for creating checkpoints in Windows 7. You can get to it through “Start” - “Control Panel” - “System and Security” - “System” - “ Extra options systems." Next, open the “System Protection” tab.

In Windows 8.1, everything is similar, except that here you can only turn system protection on and off:

Here you can change basic settings or turn this feature off completely. By clicking on the “Setup” button you can set the volume disk space allocated for control points. To store them, you need at least 300 MB of disk space on each disk with a capacity of 500 MB or more. System Restore can use three to five percent of the space on each drive. As the space fills with data, the system automatically deletes old saves to make room for new ones.

In order to create a control dot Windows 7, click the “Create” button and enter the desired name (the date will be added automatically). After a short time, a message will appear indicating that the process is complete.

By going to the “System Restore” dialog, we can see the newly created copy of the “t4k” system files and all other available copies:

If you need to return the system to its previous state, select the desired point and click the “Next” button.

How to delete a restore point

Saved states take up space on your computer's hard drive, and when there are enough of them accumulated, Windows can actively notify you that there is not enough space on your computer. system disk. To avoid cluttering up your computer space, you need to get rid of recovery points from time to time, leaving only the most recent one.

Why the latest? Yes, because it is impossible to delete one of the points if it is not the last one. Windows is designed in such a way that using regular funds you can delete either all points or all but the last one.

Deleting two or three checkpoints will not fundamentally solve the issue of freeing up space on the hard drive. Pursuing only these goals, it is much easier to set a limit on the system's use of disk space to create points. Or you can turn this off completely system function and forget about the possibility Windows rollback. Removing a couple of extra points will help save the early, fundamentally important states of the system from being overwritten by new states - new points that Windows itself will create automatically.

Due to established tradition, what the creators of Windows did not get around to doing is quite successfully implemented by third-party software developers. To delete individual system restore points, you must use special software. All utilities described below work under Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

Free CCleaner is one of the most popular optimizers for Windows from the developer company Piriform. The program's functionality also includes deleting individually selected control points.

In the CCleaner program window, you need to select the vertical “Tools” tab, then move to the horizontal “System Restore” tab, where all the checkpoints existing on the computer will be displayed on the right side. Focusing either on the date or on the name, select the point that is no longer needed and click the delete button at the bottom of the window.

WinOptimizer from the developer company Ashampoo is a multifunctional software combine for cleaning, optimizing and tuning Windows. A separate module of the program is a built-in utility for managing system restore points, which allows you not only to delete a separate unnecessary copy, but also to create a new one, as well as roll back to it, without resorting to the standard Windows functionality.

In the main program window, click the “Modules” tab, then in the list of modules in the “Main” section, launch “System Restore Manager”.

As in the previous option, select an unnecessary state and click the “Delete” button. Unlike CCleaner, WinOptimizer allows you to delete any system restore point.

Unfortunately, Ashampoo WinOptimizer is paid software, its price at the time of publication of the article is 1,305 rubles. However, there is an opportunity to try the 40-day fully functional version of the program.

Free minimalistic Quick program Restore Manager Plus is specifically designed for checkpoint management. With this program you can create, delete, and also start the recovery process. It doesn't provide any functionality anymore. In the main and only window of the program, select the copy to be deleted and click “Delete”.

That's all. If after reading the article you still have questions, ask them in the comments.

The correct operation of Windows 7 depends on the presence of registry files and data in it. If they are damaged or deleted, the functionality of your computer will be impaired.

This will cause the following problems: slow work, it is not possible to download the programs you need, or they do not work correctly. It may be that the PC does not want to turn on at all.

This always unsettles you, especially if the work directly depends on the use of a PC, but you can fix the problem without the help of a wizard.

The Windows 7 operating system has everything you need to solve this problem yourself. To restore your computer to functionality, you should use the system restore function. Now you will find out what it is, what it is for, and how to create rollback points.

What is System Restore?

The System Restore function is designed to return the operating system to the time when it was functioning normally. It may be required if you delete any files that ensure proper operation of the OS.

1. It can be violated by:
2. malware;

banal non-compliance with the rules for using system files. For those who do accounting or play games computer games , reinstalling the entire operating system is categorically unacceptable. Moreover, if the user did not have backup copies

documentation on another local disk or drive, then reinstalling will simply destroy the work of creating reports.

System recovery affects only files that are important for the OS, so the user’s worries about deleting photos, movies, and other multimedia elements are in vain. Letters that the computer owner received by email will also remain intact, so you can stop worrying about their safety.

Windows 7 uses System Protection by default. But it is advisable to use it only for system local disks, and for others it is recommended to disable it.

To do this it is enough:

There are many more types of returning the operating system to normal operation.

• This operation is carried out using the following methods: by loading the last favorable setting
• - the simplest and most frequently used method of restoring functionality. The first step is to enter safe mode, to do this sufficiently, restart the computer, press F8, select “Safe Mode”, and then click “Enter”; in the normal mode of returning the system to normal – thanks to this method, the performance of the OS is recorded, and at the moment using safe mode and original disc Windows 7 - enter “Safe Mode”, insert the installation disk and select not installation, but recovery. Thus, through an analysis of the system’s operation will be performed, faults or absence of certain data will be identified, and then a rollback will be carried out;
• using a previously made backup- on at this stage renewal occurs using a previously created archive of your Windows 7. Data from it can be written to a USB drive from which the rollback will be carried out. It is executed as in the case of an installation disk.

To return the OS to normal operation is created special point, from which this will happen.

It contains registry settings and other information that is used by Windows 7. It is similar to a game checkpoint, from which, if the OS fails, it will restart. Follow the procedure before installing new software. You need to figure out how this is done.

Video: Creating a point

Creating a recovery

Creating a point Windows recovery 7 can be done in two ways:

1. manually;
2. automatically.

The first step is to understand how it is created manually by a PC user.

Manual formation process

The algorithm for creating a rollback point is simple and consists of step-by-step execution of the following steps:

Photo: right-click menu

There is nothing difficult in using the manual method, however, thanks to the automatic solution to the problem that has arisen, you can once and for all get rid of the inconveniences associated with restarting Windows 7.

Automatically create a Windows 7 restore point

In order to save yourself from the need to manually create a rollback, Windows 7 users are presented with a simplified version by its developers. It allows you to automatically create a rollback every time you start it. This method is a little more complicated, but much more effective, more comfortable and completely makes life easier for all PC owners.

There are two possible methods automatic creation:

1. fully automatic – the rollback will be created without the user’s knowledge;
2. semi-automatic - you will need to enter the name of the point each time the system starts.

The choice of one method or another is purely individual, but most equipment owners prefer the first because it deprives them of the need to do anything additional. Next, you will be provided with two automatic creation codes. They should be copied to Text Document, and then save it by specifying the extension “.vbs”.

It will be very important to take into account that if you use Notepad when creating, at the time of saving, select the file type " Text files"and the name will need to be created in quotes, for example - “Name.vbs”. If you have selected file type“All files”, you can refuse to use quotes.

Let's look at the algorithm for further actions step by step:

Regardless of which option was selected, the system will now automatically create a restore point every time it starts. This is very convenient because you do not need to perform manual operations before each installation of new software on your computer. Work without fear of problems, because the rollback can start at any minute.

Questions and answers

Now let's look at the answers to frequently asked questions regarding all of the above.

Is it possible to mark the changes made during the correction/restoration?

Changes made can be canceled by the user. To do this, just go to “System Restore” and click undo changes. This operation is recommended if problems related to Windows operation 7 could not be resolved.

Video: Rollback Windows

What files are changed on the system during recovery?

Only system and registry data will undergo changes. Reverting your operating system leaves your personal files intact, so you don't have to worry about your photos, music, videos, and email. Resume is unable to return previously deleted documents and files.

How to choose a restore point?

How long does a restore point last?

They are saved until they fill the space allocated to them on the local disk. In addition, the system can automatically remove outdated ones, and if the user personal computer disables “System Protection” on the local disk, then all points made for it previously will be deleted.

Windows 7 resume points are missing, what should I do?

They may disappear if you have another OS installed in addition to W7, and the defragmenter can also delete them along with shadow copies of data. In addition, you may not have enough memory for them or the system is cleaning them up on its own.

Can't create a point?

To solve the problem “I can’t create a point”, go to the “Control Panel”, select “Administration”, then go to “Services”. In the window that opens, find “Volume Shadow Copy”, double-click and change the management status to “Manual”. After this, the inconvenience will be eliminated.

It is used to cancel our erroneous actions when working on a computer, which led to its unstable operation. People who use operating systems come to our computer service center for help. Windows system 7 for many years and only one in ten knows about restore points and one out of fifty about previous versions of files, but does not know how to use them correctly. Despite the apparent simplicity of using restore points, this function has many features that you need to know. This article provides information based on personal experience author, for example, we will find out why when System Protection is turned on, restore points disappear or are not created at all. How to use a restore point if you are missing Windows startup 7 and much more, I hope we will help you avoid many mistakes.

Windows 7 restore point

When selecting and applying a restore point, you need to know that changes usually affect only system and software Windows settings 7. All programs installed by us after creating the recovery point we selected will be deleted.

• For example, if you created a restore point on January 8, and on January 12 you want to roll back to the state of January 8, then select the restore point on January 8 accordingly. All programs you installed between January 8 and January 12 will be deleted.

As regards your personal data, no changes should occur to them. In this screenshot, you can see that System Protection and creation of restore points is enabled by default only for the C:\ drive. Check your Start->Control Panel->System and Security->System->System Protection.

You also need to know that the point Windows 7 recovery, will not help you recover previously deleted files, but in this case you can use the function Previous file versions, only if for of this disk System Protection was turned on and Recovery options settings item checked Restore system settings and previous versions of files. In this case, Windows 7 System Protection archives users' personal data using shadow copies. You can also see that if you click on the Configure button (top illustration) of the System Protection window, for local disk(C:), a window will appear in which you can see that 10% of the disk space is allocated for disk recovery points (C:). Know that it is better to allocate 15%. The more hard drive space allocated for recovery points, the longer they are stored. If Windows 7 needs to create a new restore point, and there is not enough space to create it, the old one will be deleted and a new one will be created in its place.

Note: if System Protection is enabled for a volume in the Windows 7 operating system, then user data is archived by creating shadow copies and becomes available in Previous File Versions. Shadow copies do not exist forever; space is allocated for their storage on the hard drive, which is regulated in the System Protection settings; as soon as it ends, when new copies are created, the old ones are deleted.

For example, we have System Protection enabled for the C:\ drive, so you and I can use the Previous versions of files function, right-click on the C:\Program Files drive folder and select Restore previous version,

a dialog box will open Previous versions, which will list all available versions of previous files. Files can be restored or simply copied, keeping the previous and current versions.

Read the full article Previous versions of files.

When setting up System Protection for volumes storing only your files, you need to select Recovery options paragraph Restore only previous versions of files, since there are no system parameters there are none on them.

If you are worried about saving only personal data, then you are better off using the feature Backing up computer data, this is a separate serious topic, also read it separately.

Windows 7 restore point planned and created once a week, after the same period of time has passed, such points are also called control points.

Windows 7 also creates restore points before installing any programs, and finally, you can create a restore point yourself before installing any application in the System Protection dialog box.
Let's first look at a simple example of creating and using a restore point, and then we'll look at more complex examples.

Created Windows 7 restore point Thus->Start->Control Panel->System and Security->System->System Protection. This dialog box is used to configure and create recovery points. For example, we want to install a serious program ourselves, but we are worried that we might do something wrong, let’s play it safe and create a restore point manually for the C:\ drive on which we will install our program.
Start->Control Panel->System and Security->System->System Protection->Create, then we will give a name to our point, for example 13.

Next, we install some program, but something went wrong, for example, the application does not start and we decided to roll back using a restore point to a time when the problematic program had not yet been installed on our computer. Go to System Protection and select not Create, but Recovery, then

system file recovery starts, click next and select our recovery point 13, pay attention to the item Show other restore points, if you check the box there, other earlier restore points will open to you.

Warning that the recovery process will not be interrupted before it is completed, we agree, then reboot.

The computer boots and the program we installed is gone. This is how restore points work.

Windows 7 restore point, you can use it if your computer does not boot by resorting to safe mode; it is impossible to create a restore point here, but you can use it to roll back to a stable state of the computer. To get into Safe Mode, you need to press the F-8 key on the keyboard immediately after starting the computer. A menu will open in front of you: Additional boot options: Troubleshoot your computer, then Safe Mode. What would Safe Mode to use a Windows 7 restore point, click Start->Control Panel->Recovery, then System Restore and Start Recovery will load, select your restore point and go ahead.

Windows 7 restore points By default, they occupy approximately 10%-15% (as I said above) of disk space; you can adjust the disk space allocated for recovery points in the Configure - System Protection window. If a lot of hard disk space is allocated for recovery points, they will be stored for a long time. To delete all recovery points, in this window you need to click the Delete button and all recovery points will be deleted.

How to delete all restore points except the last one? Start->In the search field, enter Disk Cleanup, then select the disk that you want to clean, then go to the Advanced tab->System Restore and Shadow Copies->Clean up.

Why aren't Windows 7 restore points created?

Not every computer user knows what a Windows 7 restore point is, so when faced with a system malfunction, they do not understand what to do and how to correct the situation.

A recovery point is a snapshot created by the system, which reflects the most important files that affect the operation of the computer. For example, this could be a registry. Often, when working on a computer, any program makes erroneous actions, sometimes they turn out to be fatal for the system, so it begins to work poorly, sometimes it does not want to load at all as expected.

The reason for this may be:

It is not necessary to immediately contact a specialist or produce it yourself reinstalling Windows, you just need to find the necessary restore point and fix the problem, returning the computer to its previous state. You can and even need to create a recovery point on your computer. It is enough to do this monthly, for those who regularly use a PC once a week. In addition, points are created automatically by Windows 7 if you perform a system rollback, when installing drivers, applications, and when updating Windows.

Despite the fact that the process of creating such a point is very simple, not every user uses the opportunity, but this allows, without resorting to outside help, to return the system to functionality.

It must be said that when creating a recovery point, some nuances arise that you definitely need to know about.

First stage

It must be remembered that the recovery mark preserves the main system components and settings, therefore multimedia will not be saved. Pictures, photographs, music and everything else that the computer does not consider essential for its work, even if it is a program, it will try to delete. It will be impossible to restore Windows after returning to the mark; to do this, you will need to select the function called “Previous versions”.

If we talk in simple language, a period cannot replace a full return windows, but is good option, which helps save time and money.

For the recovery system to work on a PC, the System Protection function must be enabled. Not everyone has such a program activated; to check this, you need to right-click on “my computer” or use the windows + Pause hotkeys. In the window that opens, select “Properties”.

In the tab you will need to select “System protection”, this is where periods of further return are created. We open a window and see the current state on drive C. Here we are interested in the question of whether we have a security program installed; if not, check the box.

You can replay the settings manually; to do this, you need to select the “Configure” section and change the available parameters for the specified disk.

What is available in the settings tab?

Once on the windows tab, we can change the following parameters:

• Old versions of existing files;
• Enable or disable protective system windows;
• Keep only previous file versions.

If you do not have the necessary knowledge, then it is better not to change anything here. The settings were installed by professionals, so they are the default, disabling means changing a lot. If you remove the protection, the “Previous Versions” function for the disk in question is also deactivated.

While in the same window, you can create a limit on the amount of disk space that is used for recovery. It is set as a percentage, so you can set the value that you like.

As a rule, the standard size is 15%; if you exceed the value, the period limit will be created at the expense of others previously made.

You can completely clear the disk of previously created marks; there is a “Delete” button for this. You can use an alternative function and delete the special folder. If the limit is increased, the early versions files.

Process of creation

If you need to manually download or install on your PC new driver, then the settings can be deleted, changed or disabled, but for this it is better to first create a recovery period. If something goes wrong, you can return your system at any time.

To do this, without leaving the previous tab, click on the “Create” button, after which the wizard opens for our viewing. Here we find a button with the same name and click on it. We wait a little, and our goal is achieved, now we can return the PC to old look any time after this point.

What if points disappear?

It really happens that after the creation process, marks disappear, and this happens for many reasons:

1. Generated readings special program can be removed while cleaning the PC or optimizing its operation. That is why during their installation it is better to manual settings and add the folder with periods to the list of exceptions.
2. If you are using a laptop on battery power, you will not be able to create a return mark; it will block it in order to save power so as not to turn off the screen.
3. File FAT systems or FAT32 does not support this function, because its work does not provide for shadow copying of information.