How to Create Restore Points in Windows 10 and Protect Yourself in the Process

The ability to restore the operating system to a previous state dates back to the release of Windows ME. Back then it was horrible at its job, and sometimes it seemed to guarantee the complete destruction of the environment, but that improved starting with Windows XP, and today it is an integral part of modern versions of Windows. However, the feature usually comes disabled by default. If you have enough space and you plan to do something risky, it's not a bad idea to know how to create restore points in Windows 10 and go back in case everything goes up in flames.

Windows self-repair resources are... disappointing. How many times have we been offered to "repair your computer automatically", only to see the message "Windows couldn't repair your computer"? The natural complexity of the operating system makes it impossible to cover every case, but after 18 years (Windows ME was released in September 2000) anyone would think that Redmond's accuracy improved, when in reality it's not so much. The most effective strategy remains to prevent rather than cure, and that's when the classic restore point comes in. It doesn't have a very broad use these days, but if you plan to install a preliminary version of a program or a modified driver, it's not a bad idea to create some points beforehand.

How to create restore points in Windows 10

The easiest way to access this feature is by typing "restore point" in the Start menu, but those who prefer the scenic route can go to the classic Control Panel, enter System, and then click on System Protection. Most likely you'll see System Restore disabled. Click on Configure, select Turn on, and set a maximum space limit for points (10 percent is usually sufficient). From there, Windows will create restore points automatically, however, we should not ignore the value of manual points. That's the job of the Create button. Assign a name to recognize it easily, and start its creation. Depending on the state of the operating system, this may take a few seconds or a couple of minutes.

Personally, I hope you never have to use them, but if Windows 10 spontaneously combusts or suffers an existential crisis, to return to a previous point you can enter Safe Mode and click the System Restore button, or use one of the alternative shortcuts in the Windows Recovery Environment (if Safe Mode is not available either).