If during normal use of your computer you encounter any operating problems that you cannot find a solution to, using the "Recovery" function is probably your best option. This feature of Windows 7 allows you to return the entire computer to a previous state, where the problem or malfunction had not yet occurred. There are many reasons why you should use this feature, such as if you are having trouble installing a new operating system, hard drive, or program.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Perform a System Restore
Step 1. Understand what it means to perform a system recovery
Whenever the configuration of the computer is changed, Windows creates a new "Restore Point". It is basically a snapshot of the computer's configuration before a substantial change is made to its configuration (installing or uninstalling a program, updating drivers, etc.). During these normal operations, if something does not work properly, you can use the "Restore" function to restore a previous state of the computer solving the problem without losing your precious files.
- Although the procedure for restoring a previous state of the system should not have any consequences on personal files, always having a valid backup of all important data represents an extra safety in case something does not work correctly. Select this link for more information on how to quickly back up all your important data.
- If your computer fails to load the operating system, please refer to the "Troubleshooting" section.
Step 2. Create a password reset disk (optional)
This procedure is recommended if you have recently changed your Windows logon password, as the reset process may restore the old password. Click on this link for more information on how to create a password reset disk in Windows 7.
Step 3. Access the "Start" menu, then perform a search by typing the following keyword "recovery"
Select the "Restore" icon from the results list that appears.
Step 4. Choose the restore point you want to use
Windows will automatically suggest a restore point which is normally the most recent. If you need to choose a previous restore point, press the Next> button.
- Select the "Show additional restore points" checkbox to view all available restore points. The list available may not be very extensive as Windows automatically deletes the oldest restore points to save disk space.
- Each recovery point on the list comes with a brief description that briefly explains why it was created.
Step 5. After choosing the restore point to use, press the button
Look for affected programs. This will show all programs and drivers that will be uninstalled or reinstalled during the restore process of the selected point.
All programs that were installed after creating this restore point will be uninstalled; conversely, all programs uninstalled after the restore point was created will be reinstalled
Step 6. Check your settings before proceeding
Double-check all your choices before starting the system recovery procedure. When finished, if the settings are correct, press the Finish button to begin the reset.
Step 7. Wait for the recovery process to finish
After confirming your willingness to reset your computer, the machine will reboot and the process will begin. The time required for this activity will most likely be several minutes.
Step 8. Verify that the restore is complete
When the procedure is finished, the Windows operating system will load and a message will be displayed indicating that the recovery procedure has been completed successfully. Test the operation of the system to make sure the problem has been solved. If not, try to restore a point earlier than the one you just restored.
If the restore procedure has made things worse or if you want to return to the initial situation present before the restore, you can start the "Restore" program again and choose the "Undo System Restore" option
Troubleshooting
Step 1. Turn on system protection
In order to use the "System Restore" feature, your computer must be protected. If this feature does not start, make sure it has been activated on your computer.
- Access the "Start" menu, select the "Computer" icon with the right mouse button, then choose "Properties" from the context menu that appeared.
- Choose the "System Protection" tab, then select the hard drive or partition on which to activate the recovery function.
- Press the Configure… button, then make sure the "Turn on system protection" option is checked.
Step 2. Run System Restore from "Command Prompt"
If something goes wrong and Windows doesn't load, you can perform the system recovery directly from the "Command Prompt".
- Restart your computer, then hold down the "F8" key. This will give you access to the "Advanced Boot Options" menu.
- From the menu that appeared, choose "Safe Mode with Command Prompt". Windows will load only essential files and drivers, after which it will launch the "Command Prompt".
- Type the following command rstrui.exe, then press the "Enter" key. The "Restore" feature will start. Now all you have to do is follow the steps in the previous section of the article. Remember that by performing system restore in safe mode you will no longer have the option to undo it.
Step 3. Run the "ScanDisk" system utility to check the disk drives for problems
A defective or malfunctioning hard drive could be the cause of the "Recovery" tool not functioning properly. The "ScanDisk" diagnostic utility may be able to resolve this problem.
- Access the "Start" menu, select the "Command Prompt" icon with the right mouse button, then choose "Run as administrator".
- Type the command chkdisk / r into the "Command Prompt" and press the "Enter" key.
- Confirm your willingness to restart your computer. Checking the hard drives for errors occurs before the operating system is loaded. The program will attempt to automatically fix any errors found on the disk.
Step 4. Scan with an anti-virus and anti-malware program
A virus may have damaged the restore point files or even disabled system protection preventing the "Restore" function from starting. Eliminating the malicious program from your system is the only way to get the "Recovery" tool to work again, unless you want to completely reinstall the operating system.
Read this guide for more information on how to remove a virus from your computer
Step 5. If the "Recovery" program no longer works, you may need to completely reinstall the operating system
If all the solutions proposed so far have not had the desired effect, reinstalling Windows may be the only way to solve the problem. Having already backed up all your personal data, the reinstallation process will be much easier and faster than you think. Another advantage of this operation is a noticeable increase in the performance of the entire computer.
Read this article if you would like more information on how to reinstall Windows 7
Part 2 of 2: Creating a Restore Point
Step 1. Access the "Start" menu, select the "Computer" icon with the right mouse button, then choose the "Properties" item from the context menu that appeared
When your system is working flawlessly, manually creating a restore point is a great choice in case you need to restore your system due to a problem or malfunction.
Step 2. Select the "System Protection" link on the left side of the window that appeared
This will bring up the System Protection tab of the computer's "Properties" panel.
Step 3. Press the button
Create….
You will be asked to enter a brief description of the restore point, which will help you identify it later.
Step 4. Wait for the recovery point creation process to finish
This step may take several minutes.
The size of the recovery points varies depending on the system content, but by default Windows reserves 5% of the entire disk space for saving recovery points. To create space to create a new recovery point, older ones are deleted
Step 5. Manually delete a restore point
If you need to free up disk space or if you think your current restore points are corrupt, you can delete them all manually.
- Access the System Protection tab of the computer's "Properties" panel (refer to the first step of this section to do so).
- Press the Configure… button, then press the Delete button. All existing restore points will be deleted. Note that the newly freed disk space will be occupied again as soon as you create a new restore point.
Troubleshooting
Step 1. If you are unable to create a new restore point, temporarily disable your antivirus software
These types of programs may conflict with the process of creating a recovery point. When you are having difficulty creating a restore point, temporarily disabling the antivirus is the easiest solution to experiment.
Normally you can deactivate it by selecting with the right button of the mouse the relative icon placed on the extreme right of the taskbar and then choosing the item "Deactivate" or "Stop"
Step 2. Try to create a restore point in safe mode
Sometimes Windows may cause problems during the process of creating restore points, which can be easily circumvented by starting the system in safe mode.
- To start the system in this mode, restart your computer and press and hold the "F8" function key. The "Advanced Boot Options" menu will appear from which you will have to choose the "Safe Mode" item.
- Follow the steps outlined above to attempt to create a new restore point in safe mode.
Step 3. Make sure you have enough disk space to create a new restore point
Otherwise you will not be able to complete the creation process. By default Windows cannot create a restore point on hard drives smaller than 1GB.
- Go to the "Start" menu and select the "Computer" icon.
- Right-click the disk on which Windows is installed (usually drive C:), then choose "Properties".
- Make sure you have at least 300MB of free space on your chosen disk. Ideally, it would be best to have at least 2-3 GB of free space.
Step 4. Try resetting the Windows Repository
This procedure could solve the problem that affects the process of creating a restore point.
- Restart your computer while holding down the "F8" function key. From the "Advanced Boot Options" menu that appeared, select the "Safe Mode" item.
- Access the "Start" menu, select the "Command Prompt" icon with the right mouse button, then choose "Run as administrator".
- Type the command net stop winmgmt into the "Command Prompt" window and press the "Enter" key.
- Access the "Start" menu again and choose the "Computer" icon. Open the following folder C: / Windows / System32 / wbem, then rename the repository folder to repository_old.
- Restart your computer and load Windows normally. Access the "Start" menu, select the "Command Prompt" icon with the right mouse button, then choose "Run as administrator".
- Type the command net stop winmgmt into the "Command Prompt" window and press the "Enter" key. Then type the command winmgmt / resetRepository and press "Enter" again.
- Restart your computer one more time, then try to recreate a new restore point.
