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**Brink** · 11 Jul 2007

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.

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

**tsa24** · 09 Jun 2008

For method 2, how could one do that if the computer came with Vista already installed? Also, I have a CD that came with the computer that says:

Operating System
Already installed on Your Computer

on the top of the disc.

On the left hand side it says:

The software is already installed on your computer.
Only use this DVD to reinstall the operating system on a Dell PC.

The attached picture is of the top of the disc. The other writing was too small to show up in a picture.

**yongkailoon** · 09 Jun 2008

Originally Posted by tsa24

For method 2, how could one do that if the computer came with Vista already installed? Also, I have a CD that came with the computer that says:

Operating System
Already installed on Your Computer

on the top of the disc.

On the left hand side it says:

The software is already
installed on your computer.
Only use this DVD to reinstall
the operating system on a
Dell PC.

The attached picture is of the top of the disc. The other writing was too small to show up in a picture.

Right, I think the OEM disc provided by manufacturers can't do that ? Also is that an OEM disc or just a restore disc ?

**tsa24** · 16 Jun 2008

Whats an OEM disc

**sidney1st** · 16 Jun 2008

Have a look there (option 1) Create a Recovery Disc

**Isca** · 23 Jul 2008

Hello.

So I'm having the dreaded chkdsk issue (which I would LOVE to know how it even started!), and Vista refuses to allow the disk to be checked for errors. I've tried EVERYTHING. So, I went to do a system restore. Sadly, it won't let me do that because my drive has errors and I need to check the disk.

This is an endless circle. What can I do?

**Brink** · 24 Jul 2008

Hi Isca,

I would try a Repair install since it seems you cannot do anything else other than a clean reinstall.

Repair Install For Vista

Hope this helps,
Shawn

**VMLENZA** · 27 Jul 2008

MS update froze at 94% done a few nights ago. Unable to cancel, I pulled the plug; However, the freeze repeated a few minutes into Windows several times. I displayed your SystemRestore on my Mom's PC and it went fine. (thanks) Now, is there a log somewhere to tell me (1 when did I do the restore (2 what MS update did this?

**Brink** · 27 Jul 2008

Hi VMLENZA,

I do not know which log it will be in, but you can look around in Event Viewer (C:\Windows\System32\eventvwr.msc) to see if there is a log of it. Hopefully someone may know the exact log it will be in and post it for you.

If it was recent, you could look in Windows Udpates View update history to help narrow it down.

**Dwarf** · 11 Sep 2008

Hi,

You can also perform a system restore from the command prompt version of Safe Mode. Reboot into 'Safe Mode with Command Prompt'. You will need to log on. At the prompt, enter 'rstrui' and provide administrative credentials when prompted. You should be able to use System Restore as normal when it appears.

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