How to Do a System Restore in Vista

How to Do a System Restore in Vista
 

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

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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.

METHOD TWO

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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.