Will System Restore Recover Deleted Files?

Dealing with lost data is a major inconvenience for Windows users. Whether you mistakenly deleted a crucial document or lost data due to hardware failure, it's an undesirable interruption to your operation. Fortunately, the System Restore point in Windows can recover deleted files; but, does it actually work? In this post, we'll go over all you need to know about using System Restore to ensure the security of your important documents.

Will System Restore recover deleted files from computer?

No, System Restore will not recover deleted personal files, such as documents, photos, or videos. System Restore primarily restores system files and settings to a previous state, such as system configurations, installed programs, and drivers. It does not affect your personal files stored in folders like Documents, Pictures, or Videos.

System Restore is a feature in Windows that helps you undo changes to the operating system by returning it to a previous state, known as a "restore point." This can be useful if your computer experiences issues after a recent update, driver installation, or software change.

However, it will not retrieve any erased files, including documents and images. This is because System Restore will not wipe previously deleted data from your device; rather, it will just restore the prior state of your computer's software setup. You should back them up regularly to a secure storage location or an external disk.

How to enable System Restore in Windows

A System Restore point allows you to maintain your system settings while reverting your PC to its former configuration. But how can I enable a System Restore point? Here are the procedures to enable System Restore in Windows.

Step 1. Right-click This PC in Windows 10 and select "Properties".

Step 2. Click "System Protection". Now, the System Properties window will appear.

Step 3. If you did not enable the System Restore option previously, you will notice that the protection status of each drive partition is designated as "off".

Step 4. Select the C drive option to enable System Restore on the C drive and then "Configure".

Step 5. Under Restore Settings, select the option "Turn on system protection".

You can configure a backup reservation method to change the maximum disk space utilized for system protection, which is useful for managing backup hard drive disk space. Once the changes have been completed, click "Apply". Your System Restore should now be functional.

How to use System Restore to cancel system changes

Step 1. Open the Start menu.

Step 2. Type "system restore" or "system protection". Choose "Create a restore point". Select "System Restore" option.

Step 3. Select the backup which you want to restore by clicking on it once.

Step 4. Click "Next" and confirm that you want to revert your computer to the selected restore point.

Step 5. Once a message appears saying that your computer has been successfully restored, you can click “Finish” to complete the process.

Further reading: How to recover personal files after deleted

System Restore feature is for system environment, which means your deleted personal files may not be restored. This function relies on the Shadow Copy Service that generates restore points at regular intervals. This allows you to restore the operating system to the state it was in at a previous restore point. It effectively serves as "undo" method for malfunctions or other issues that arise following an OS, driver, or software upgrade.

If you want to recover lost or deleted file from Windows PC, you can try professional data recovery tool: AOMEI FastRecovery. This tool lets users easily recover lost, deleted, or corrupted files on Windows 11/10/8/7 and all Windows Servers.

It provides efficient and user-friendly features, which have earned it a large user base worldwide. Whether your files were accidentally deleted or lost due to a system crash, AOMEI FastRecovery can easily retrieve them because to its excellent performance and extensive knowledge.

Step 1. Download and install AOMEI FastRecovery, and then choose the exact partition or disk where your files are located.

Step 2. Scan your disk to find the deleted files. It offers two modes, Quick Scan and Deep Scan:

• Quick Scan: Quickly searches for recently deleted files.
• Deep Scan: Thoroughly scans your storage device to find lost data from more complex loss situations.

Step 3. Upon scanning completion, all missing files will be displayed. Kindly choose the desired files and then click Recover.

Step 4. Specify a path for them and wait for the process to complete.

Conclusion

Will System Restore recover deleted files? Now you know the answer. System Restore is a helpful function available in all recent versions of the Windows. Its goal is to get important system components, such as the registry and system files, back to functioning order. It does not, however, restore your deleted files, thus you will need to use a third-party data recovery solution such as AOMEI FastRecovery.