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Create a Restore Point for Windows Vista’s System Restore

If you are thinking of installing an application but aren’t quite sure what it’s going to do to your computer, I would absolutely recommend creating a restore point before you install that application, and here are the steps to do so. Note that most application installs automatically create a restore point, but you can do this if you are really worried.

Open up the Start Menu and right-click on “Computer”, and then select “Properties”.

image

This will take you into the System area of Control Panel. Click on the “Advanced system settings” on the left hand side.

image

Now select the “System Protection” tab to get to the System Restore section.

image

Click the “Create” button to create a new restore point. You’ll be prompted for a name, and you might want to give it a useful name that you’ll be able to easily identify later.

image

Click the Create button, and then the system will create the restore point.

image

When it’s all finished, you’ll get a message saying it’s completed successfully.

image

Now if your application blows up Vista, you can restore your computer using System Restore.

The Geek is the founder of How-To Geek and a geek enthusiast. This article was written on 06/20/07 and tagged with: System Administration, Windows Vista

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Comments (25)

  1. DARRELL BALLARD

    My computer suddenly decided it would no longer display the color “Red”
    (all the other colors are in place)
    I went to the system controls to adjust the color and there is a list of availible colors… however the color “RED” happens to be “BLACK”.
    How can I get the color “RED” back?

  2. Vijay Magdum

    Hello,
    I am unable to create restore for my Windows Vista Operating System.
    Procedure I am following is the same as given on your website.
    I am getting following error:
    The restore point could not be created for the following reason:
    Shadow Copying the specified volume is not supported.(0×8004230C)
    Please help me out.
    thanking you in advance.

  3. D A Wilson

    Where this article says “click Advanced system settings,” the “System Protection” link is immediately above that link, and the user saves a step by using that, instead of clicking “Advanced …” and then clicking the “System Protection” tab.

    The trick is to set up a shortcut to “System”, then when you use it, just click “System Protection” and then Create and type the name and hit Create again.

  4. Les

    In Windows Mail cannot get Contact Group to appear on toolbar.

  5. Ciao

    These three posts are the same questions/problems I have with my new Dell w/ Vista. Wherre can I find the replies to them??

    “”"#
    Vijay Magdum

    Hello,
    I am unable to create restore for my Windows Vista Operating System.
    Procedure I am following is the same as given on your website.
    I am getting following error:
    The restore point could not be created for the following reason:
    Shadow Copying the specified volume is not supported.(0×8004230C)
    Please help me out.
    thanking you in advance.
    #
    December 14, 2007 11:13 am
    D A Wilson

    Where this article says “click Advanced system settings,” the “System Protection” link is immediately above that link, and the user saves a step by using that, instead of clicking “Advanced …” and then clicking the “System Protection” tab.

    The trick is to set up a shortcut to “System”, then when you use it, just click “System Protection” and then Create and type the name and hit Create again.
    #
    January 14, 2008 12:48 pm
    Les

    In Windows Mail cannot get Contact Group to appear on toolbar.”"”

  6. Zuri

    i cannot rename my folder after create a new one. it said:

    ‘The file or folder does not exist’

    what is going on?? how i can fix this?
    one more thing is why my vista (ultimate) don’t have disk defragmenter? when i go to tools then my disfragmenter was disable. my system retore also didn’t show up in accessories..plz help..thanks

  7. sunny

    Can any one advise since I had never created a restore point manually. I have been given to understad that system does it automatically everyday. Now the problem is that I guess I have got a virus in my laptop as it shuts down abruptly after almost every 6-8 hours and the options that I am getting in the restore option is just for the last 3-4 days. which is after the problem started, so no point in retoring when the virus was already there.
    Unfortunately I did not create recovery CD when I bought the new laptop about 4 months ago. So, this new Laptop is worth scrap for me.
    Grateful, if any one can advice if can still fix my laptop or is it that once you have the virus your system is dead.

    At the same time I really dont undertand that instead of having Norton, Macafee, Spyware Doctor how did the virus got in. Does it mean that all these softwares are useless.

    Appreciate for you advice as I am a novice in IT.

    Cheers ! Sunny

  8. Liverbird

    For all those looking for help (not sure this site provides answers to your queries so I apologise if you do) try the computeractive forums: Readers to the Rescue, there is a Vista section so post there.

    To Sunny, your pc can be restored, the factory/recovery image is still on a partitioned part of your hard drive, post on site above where we will try to help you.

  9. The Geek

    @Liverbird

    We have a forum here on this site where many of the readers help answer questions.

    In fact there’s a link to our forum right above the comments box, but I’ll include it again: http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/

  10. Liverbird

    Yeah sorry, I noticed that as I hit the “submit comment”, but I wondered why nobody had mentioned it here.
    Great site btw ;)

  11. Wayne

    Thank you for your help.

  12. unity

    Trying to restore my system however my computer however I cannot create a restore point. Its giving me a message that says ‘restore point creation disabled by group policy’.

    How do I enable restore point creation?

    Unity

  13. NYC

    Running Windows Vista

    Every time an attempt is made to create a restore point on Drive C

    It attempts to do so – then gives a message that the restore point was created – but there is NO restore point

    Also after rebooting, all work is lost including saved documents, pictures and new applications that were installed even Windows updates

    Vista was working flawlessly for about a Year

    Have a Dell E1505 with Vista Home Premium and 2 GHz ram 120 hard drive that is only 1/3 full

  14. Liverbird

    NYC … have you installed new security software that could be interefering in the process?

    Are restore points being created automatically ?

    Have you ever been able to successfully complete a system restore?

    Have you made any changes to folders like encrypting them?

    If you have UAC (user account control) enabled, try performing the restore point with it disabled …. this is done via the control panel/user accounts. Re-enable afterwards.

    Liverbird

  15. Joe

    I just wondered if there was any way of creating a restore point on another device – a USB memory stick or a CD/DVD. Im planning on wiping my hard drive and starting again, but I’d like to hold on to all of my settings – windows has always been a pain in the ass to get the way you want it and I dont feel like doing it again.
    Any help is greatly appreciated.

  16. RB

    Last week my computer want me to run a system restore, so I did now I have lost ALL my contacts out of outlook, How can I get them back? PLEASE Help.

  17. Liverbird

    Contacts disappearing from the bottom left window of Outlook Express.can be caused by having too many, once you’ve accumulated more than 999 contacts they disappear … open address book and remove some, they should appear again.

    If you find this is not your problem search your hard drive for .wab file, then import the file back to OE using the method;
    Open the Address Book in Outlook Express,
    File > Import > Address Book (WAB)

    Hope this helps … and remember the limit on contacts!!

  18. ktjo

    I sure wish System Restore worked on Vista the way it did on XP..grrr

    I keep trying to create a new restore point (need to go back about 3 weeks), but no matter what I do, the restore point remains at today (for example). It is not going back, as I wish it to.

    I’ve developed audio problems and have been unable to resolve the issue
    using the usual routes, so thught Sys Restore would be the answer! HA!

    I must be doing something wrong, but can’t think what. Hope you can help
    and thsnks for ‘listening’…:)

  19. OnlySloan

    I have the same issue as “ktjo”… I need to do a Sys Restore back a few months (Dell suggested doing so to resolve a problem with Internet Explorer shutting down unexpectedly.) I’ve tried setting a manual restore point but can’t figure out how to go back beyond those dates shown in the given list. Suggestions, anyone?

  20. John mcguire

    1.Running Vista I like to have a skinny start-up and disabled lots of
    services.
    2. I needed a system restore point and couldn’t because the following 4 services were disabled:

    – volume shadow copy
    – windows event log
    – task scheduler
    – microsoft software shadow copy provider

    Once these 4 were started I was able to create a restore point successfully.

  21. MICHELL

    I NEED HELPED MY COMPUTER IS TRIPPIN LOL I TURNED IT ON ONE DAY AND THE AUDIO WASNT WORKING IT SAYS IT DOES NOT HAVE A SOUND CARD BUT THE THING IS DAT I BARELY BOUGHT THIUS COMPUTER IS A DX SERIES GATEWAY DESKTOP COMP. AND I TRY TO REINSATLL THE AUDIO DRIVER AND AN ERRROR MESSAEGE COMES OUT SAYING FAILURE TO INSTALL WHY IS THIS HOW CAN I HAVE AUDIO AGAIN????

  22. deejay23

    thanks sooo much:) might help avoid some update headaches

  23. oondric

    There are only 3 tabs in my System Properties menu.
    Computer Name | Hardware | Advance

    instead of the
    Computer Name | Hardware | Advance | System Protection | Remote
    help? .__.

  24. xeno

    someone help me to enabled the group policy plzzzzzzzzz
    i can not select any restore point that i wnt………….
    it say that:restore point creation disabled by group policy……………some plz hlp me quik plzzzzzzzzzzzzz

  25. Denish

    I am unable to create restore for my Windows Vista Operating System.
    Procedure I am following is the same as given on your website.
    I am getting following error:
    In third image above of System Protection Tab ,System Restore section

    Below there is
    “Create restore points automatically on selected disks : ”
    Avialable Disks
    Here non of disks dispalyed and i am getting message there
    “Searching…”

    Please help me out.
    how to get list of disks


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