No restore points available
Why does my laptop say no restore points are available?
Written by The CommonFixes team · fact checked by CommonFixes review desk
Last updated
Short answer
System Restore is switched off by default on most new Windows installations, so unless somebody turned it on, no points were ever made. Even when it is on, Windows deletes old points once they fill the space set aside for them, disk cleanup tools remove them, and some registry cleaners and gaming tune-up utilities wipe them on purpose to free space. A restore point is also lost if the drive was recently reformatted or cloned. The quickest thing to try first: turn protection on so you have points from now on — Press Windows, type Create a restore point and open it. Select your C drive, click Configure, choose Turn on system protection, and drag Max Usage to around 5 to 10 percent of the drive. Click Apply, then Create and give the point a name. From then on Windows makes one automatically before updates and driver installs. Most people are done in about 15 minutes.
Full walkthrough below: 6 steps for Windows, rated medium.
Sounds like this
- •System Restore opens and the list of dates is empty
- •You get a message saying no restore points have been created on your computer's system drive
- •You needed to roll back a bad update and cannot
Why it happens
System Restore is switched off by default on most new Windows installations, so unless somebody turned it on, no points were ever made. Even when it is on, Windows deletes old points once they fill the space set aside for them, disk cleanup tools remove them, and some registry cleaners and gaming tune-up utilities wipe them on purpose to free space. A restore point is also lost if the drive was recently reformatted or cloned.
Work through these in order
0% done- 1
Turn protection on so you have points from now on
Press Windows, type Create a restore point and open it. Select your C drive, click Configure, choose Turn on system protection, and drag Max Usage to around 5 to 10 percent of the drive. Click Apply, then Create and give the point a name. From then on Windows makes one automatically before updates and driver installs.
- 2
Check the service is actually running
Press Windows and R, type services.msc, find Volume Shadow Copy and Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider. Both should be set to Manual and able to start. If either is Disabled, double click it, set Startup type to Manual and press Start. Restore cannot make a point without them.
- 3
Make sure disk cleanup is not wiping them
In Disk Cleanup, the More Options tab has a System Restore and Shadow Copies section that deletes all but the most recent point. Avoid it, and check any third party cleaner such as CCleaner for a system restore option and untick it. This is the most common reason points disappear on a machine where protection was already on.
- 4
Use a different way back if you need one right now
For a bad update, open Settings, Windows Update, Update history, Uninstall updates. For a bad driver, open Device Manager, the device Properties, Driver tab, and press Roll Back Driver. For a machine that will not boot, hold Shift while clicking Restart, then Troubleshoot, Advanced options, Uninstall Updates. None of these need a restore point.
- 5
Keep a real backup instead of relying on restore
System Restore never protects your documents and photos, only system settings. Set up File History onto an external drive under Settings, System, Storage, Advanced storage settings, Backup options, or use the free version of Macrium Reflect for a full image. A monthly image is worth more than any number of restore points.
- 6
Rule out low disk space
If the C drive is nearly full, Windows quietly deletes restore points to make room. Free up at least fifteen percent of the drive, then create a point and check it stays there over the next few days.
If none of that worked
If the machine is unusable and there is nothing to restore to, Settings, System, Recovery, Reset this PC with the Keep my files option reinstalls Windows while leaving your documents alone. Copy anything important to an external drive first anyway.
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The CommonFixes team
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This guide was last updated on 10 August 2026. If a step no longer matches what you see on screen, tell us on the contact page and we will test it again.
A gentle reminder: back up anything you cannot afford to lose before major repairs. If a step ever feels risky, stop and ask a technician. There is no shame in that.