Windows 11 finally has a proper recovery feature — and it is better than anything Windows has offered before.
Point in Time Restore was announced at Microsoft Ignite in late 2025, declared generally available on June 23, 2026, and rolled out to all Windows 11 Home and Pro devices as the default through the July 2026 Patch Tuesday KB5101650. It had been running on more than two million devices during its preview period before the broad rollout.
The concept is straightforward: Windows automatically takes a snapshot of your entire system — operating system, apps, settings, and local files — approximately once every 24 hours. If something goes wrong — a bad update, a broken driver, a software conflict — you roll back to yesterday’s snapshot instead of spending hours troubleshooting or reinstalling Windows.
This guide explains exactly what Point in Time Restore captures, how it differs from System Restore and Reset This PC, how to enable and configure it, and how to actually perform a restore step by step.
What Is Point in Time Restore?
Point in Time Restore is a new built-in recovery capability designed to recover in minutes instead of hours, with confidence, by safely rolling a device back to a previous state.
Available in Windows Enterprise, Pro and Home SKUs, Point in Time Restore provides admins and employees a quick, built-in ability to go back in time to a moment before the issue occurred.
The feature is a direct response to feedback — and incidents — from the Windows update cycles of 2024 and 2025. When updates break systems, the existing recovery options were either too limited (System Restore, which does not include user files), too slow (Reset This PC, which takes 30 to 90 minutes), or too complex (manual backup and restore). Point in Time Restore fills the gap between those extremes.
Under the hood, it uses the Volume Shadow Copy Service — the same snapshot technology that has shipped in Windows since XP. VSS takes a read-only copy of a disk volume at a moment in time without interrupting whatever you are doing, so the capture happens quietly in the background.
What Gets Captured in Each Restore Point
This is the most important distinction between Point in Time Restore and the legacy System Restore feature.
Each restore point covers the operating system, apps, settings, and local files.
That last item — local files — is what System Restore never included. System Restore only captured system files, registry entries, and installed programs. If a bad update corrupted a user document or deleted a file, System Restore could not help. Point in Time Restore captures the entire state of the OS volume including user data, making it a genuine full-system rollback rather than a partial one.
What is included:
- Windows operating system files and registry
- Installed applications and their settings
- Windows settings and configuration
- Local user files on the OS volume
What is NOT included:
- Files on separate data drives (only the OS volume is captured)
- Files stored exclusively in OneDrive cloud (not synced locally)
- Network share files
Point in Time Restore vs System Restore vs Reset This PC
| Point in Time Restore | System Restore | Reset This PC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captures user files | Yes | No | No (unless Keep My Files) |
| Runs on schedule | Yes — every 24 hours | Event-triggered | N/A |
| Recovery time | Minutes | Minutes | 30-90 minutes |
| Maximum rollback window | 72 hours | Varies | N/A |
| Available from WinRE | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Available from within Windows | No (planned) | Yes | Yes |
| Available editions | Home, Pro, Enterprise | Home, Pro (limited) | All |
| Status in Windows 11 | Enabled (default on eligible) | Disabled (Microsoft removed it) | Active |
The critical context on System Restore: it didn’t always work. It only created restore points around specific triggers (like an update or app install), and Microsoft silently disabled it altogether on Windows 11 in the 2024-2025 timeframe. That changes now with Point in Time Restore — which is automatic, scheduled, and more comprehensive.
Timeline — When It Arrived
Late 2025: Microsoft first showed Point in Time Restore at Ignite.
June 23, 2026: General availability announced. Preview included in optional update KB5095093 — the June non-security preview that also debuted Bluetooth improvements and the USB-C Connection Manager change.
July 14, 2026: KB5101650 pushed Point in Time Restore to all Windows 11 Home and Pro devices as the default — enabled automatically on devices with 200GB or more OS volume.
Windows 11 26H2 (expected late 2026): Starting with Windows 11, version 26H2, it will be enabled by default on all eligible systems, including enterprise-managed devices.
Storage Requirements and How Space Is Used
Point in Time Restore can use up to 50GB of disk space for storing restore points. This is the number that surprises people most — but once you understand what it buys you, 50GB starts to look very reasonable.
How the storage budget works:
Up to three restore points are kept at any time — one per day for up to 72 hours. Each restore point is a VSS block-level snapshot of the OS volume. The storage used per restore point depends on how much your system state changed since the last snapshot — the more changes, the more unique blocks need to be stored.
Automatic cleanup:
Restore points are automatically deleted after 72 hours. They are also automatically deleted when free disk space falls below 20GB — preventing the recovery system from consuming space that would cause the PC to run out of storage.
When you first enable the feature, Windows does not wait for the 24-hour mark. A restore point is scheduled promptly if none exists, with timing based on boot state and the most recent restore point available.
Which devices get it enabled by default:
Only devices with an OS volume size of 200 GB or greater will have the feature On by default. For devices with OS volume size below 200 GB, you can still turn On the feature if desired.
This means budget laptops and tablets with smaller storage drives require manual activation. The 200GB threshold ensures the feature does not consume a disproportionate share of a small drive’s available space.
How to Enable Point in Time Restore
Step 1 — Open Windows Settings
Open Start, click Settings (the gear icon), or press Win + I.
Step 2 — Navigate to Recovery settings
Go to System, then Recovery.
Step 3 — Find Point-in-time restore
Scroll down to the Point-in-time restore section. Click View or edit.
Step 4 — Approve the UAC prompt
A User Account Control popup appears asking for permission to make changes. Click Yes.
Step 5 — Enable the toggle
The Point-in-time restore settings window opens. Turn the toggle to On.
Step 6 — Configure settings (optional)
On Home and Pro editions, you get the on/off toggle and the disk usage cap. Controls for how often restore points are captured and how long they are retained are limited to Enterprise editions.
Home and Pro users work with the 24-hour capture and 72-hour retention defaults.
If you need to verify whether the feature is working, check after 24 hours — a restore point should appear in the settings showing its creation time and how much space it uses.
How to Configure Point in Time Restore (Enterprise)
Enterprise IT administrators have additional configuration options not available on Home and Pro.
Via Windows Settings:
Open Windows settings. Go to System, Recovery, Point-in-time restore. Select View or edit. Enable the toggle. Use the dropdown menus to configure restore point frequency or retention. Use the slider to adjust the maximum storage space used by restore points within minimum and maximum bounds.
Via MDM / Intune:
Configure devices using the PointInTimeRestore node within the Recovery CSP. This allows IT administrators to configure the feature at scale across managed device fleets — setting frequency, retention, and storage limits through policy rather than per-device configuration.
Enterprise default behavior:
Point-in-time restore will be Off by default on enterprise-managed systems until Windows 11, version 26H2.
Until Windows 11 26H2, enterprise IT administrators must explicitly enable Point in Time Restore on managed devices. Starting with 26H2, it will be on by default for eligible enterprise-managed devices as well.
How to Use Point in Time Restore — Step-by-Step Recovery
This is where most guides miss a critical detail: you cannot start a restore from inside Windows. It runs only from the Windows Recovery Environment.
Microsoft has said remote and in-Windows triggering is planned, but today it is a local, offline operation.
Step 1 — Boot into WinRE
You need to reach the Windows Recovery Environment before you can access Point in Time Restore.
Method A — If Windows still boots:
Go to Settings, System, Recovery. Click Restart now under Advanced startup. After the restart, select Troubleshoot.
Method B — If Windows will not boot:
Hold the power button for 10 seconds to force shutdown. Press power to start. When you see the Windows loading spinner or manufacturer logo, hold power again for 10 seconds. Repeat three times. On the third or fourth attempt, Windows automatically enters WinRE.
Step 2 — Select Troubleshoot
In the WinRE blue screen menu, click Troubleshoot.
Step 3 — Select Point-in-time restore
Choose Point-in-time restore from the Troubleshoot menu. This option only appears if the feature was enabled and at least one restore point has been created.
Step 4 — Select a restore point
A list of available restore points appears, showing the date and time of each snapshot. Select the point you want to restore to — typically the most recent point before the problem started.
The available window is 72 hours — you can go back to any snapshot created in the last three days. If the issue started more than 72 hours ago, Point in Time Restore may not have a pre-issue snapshot available.
Step 5 — Confirm and wait
Review the confirmation screen and confirm the restoration. Windows performs the rollback. Recovery time is significantly faster than Reset This PC — typically a few minutes rather than 30 to 90 minutes.
Step 6 — Verify after recovery
After the PC restarts, verify that the issue is resolved and that your files are intact. Check that the restore brought the system to the expected state before the problem occurred.
Important Limitations to Know
The 72-hour window is the most significant constraint.
If your PC was off or asleep at the scheduled snapshot time, that snapshot does not exist. If you did not notice a problem for more than three days, the snapshot that predates the issue has already been automatically deleted. And since restore points are created on a schedule, there is no guarantee a snapshot was captured at the exact moment you need.
The feature does not cover separate data drives.
Only the OS volume is captured. If you store documents, photos, or other files on a second internal drive or a D: partition, those files are not included in the Point in Time Restore snapshots.
Low disk space disables it automatically.
If your OS volume drops below 20GB of free space, restore points are automatically deleted and new ones are not created. On a busy device that is filling up, Point in Time Restore silently stops working without any visible warning in day-to-day use.
It cannot currently be triggered from within Windows.
If Windows is running but misbehaving — applications crashing, performance degraded — you have to boot into WinRE to use Point in Time Restore. The scenario it is designed for (bad update, broken driver, software conflict) typically results in a PC that cannot boot normally anyway, making WinRE access natural. But for problems where Windows is limping rather than completely broken, the WinRE requirement adds friction.
What Happens to Your Files During Restoration
This is the question that matters most, and getting it wrong is how people lose work.
Point in Time Restore rolls back everything on the OS volume to the state at the selected restore point. That means:
Files you created or modified after the restore point was taken will be overwritten or removed.
Before performing a restoration, back up any files you created or modified since the most recent restore point you are rolling back from. Copy them to an external drive, a USB drive, or upload them to OneDrive before starting the recovery process.
The feature captures user data in snapshots — but it restores your files to their state at the time of the snapshot, not to the state they are in right now when you are initiating the restore.
Point in Time Restore and Windows Update Issues
Point in Time Restore was designed with bad Windows updates specifically in mind.
The scenario it exists for is specific and familiar: a driver update makes your machine unstable, a program installs something that breaks another program, or you change a setting you cannot find your way back from. Instead of troubleshooting for an afternoon or reinstalling Windows, you roll back to yesterday.
Several significant Windows Update issues in 2026 illustrate exactly why this matters. The 0xc0430001 boot failure on HP and Dell devices after KB5094126 left machines that could not boot. The 0x800f0922 EFI partition errors left updates failing repeatedly. The OLE Automation break in KB5094126 that KB5101650 fixed left enterprise workflows broken.
In any of these scenarios, Point in Time Restore provides a recovery path that does not require Microsoft Support, IT expertise, or reinstallation — just a boot into WinRE and a restore to yesterday’s known-good snapshot.
Windows 11 26H2 — Point in Time Restore Becomes the Default
For users and administrators who have not yet enabled Point in Time Restore manually, the upcoming Windows 11 26H2 release removes the need to do so.
Starting with Windows 11, version 26H2, it will be enabled by default on all eligible systems including enterprise-managed devices.
The 200GB OS volume requirement remains — devices with smaller OS volumes need manual enabling. But for the majority of modern PCs with 200GB or larger storage, Windows 11 26H2 will automatically create daily recovery snapshots without any user or administrator action.
Do not wait for 26H2. Enable Point in Time Restore today in Settings, System, Recovery — because it only protects you from the moment it starts taking snapshots. If you enable it after a problem occurs, there are no historical snapshots to roll back to.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Point in Time Restore in Windows 11?
Point in Time Restore is a built-in Windows 11 recovery feature that automatically takes daily snapshots of your entire system — including the operating system, apps, settings, and local user files. If something goes wrong, you can roll back to any snapshot from the last 72 hours from the Windows Recovery Environment. It became generally available on June 23, 2026, and was enabled by default for eligible Home and Pro devices through the July 2026 update KB5101650.
How is Point in Time Restore different from System Restore?
System Restore only captures system files and registry entries — it does not include user files. It was also triggered by specific events like app installs and was silently disabled in Windows 11 by Microsoft. Point in Time Restore captures everything on the OS volume including user files, runs on an automatic 24-hour schedule, and is actively maintained and developed. It is a more comprehensive and reliable replacement.
How much storage does Point in Time Restore use?
Point in Time Restore can use up to 50GB of disk space for storing restore points. Up to three restore points are kept (one per day, for up to 72 hours). Restore points are automatically deleted when free disk space drops below 20GB. The feature requires a minimum OS volume of 200GB to be enabled by default.
How do I enable Point in Time Restore on Windows 11?
Go to Settings, System, Recovery. Find Point-in-time restore and click View or edit. Approve the UAC prompt by clicking Yes. Turn the toggle to On. The feature begins creating snapshots — the first snapshot is created shortly after enabling, then daily thereafter.
How do I use Point in Time Restore to recover my PC?
Point in Time Restore can only be accessed from the Windows Recovery Environment. Boot into WinRE by either going to Settings, System, Recovery, Restart now or by forcing three interrupted startups. In WinRE, select Troubleshoot, then Point-in-time restore. Choose a restore point from the available list and confirm. Recovery takes minutes rather than the 30-90 minutes required by Reset This PC.
Will I lose files when using Point in Time Restore?
Files created or modified after the selected restore point will be overwritten or removed. Back up any files you created or modified since the most recent restore point before initiating recovery. Copy them to an external drive or upload to OneDrive before starting the restore process.
Does Point in Time Restore work on all Windows 11 editions?
Yes — it is available on Windows 11 Home, Pro, and Enterprise. On Home and Pro, it is enabled by default on devices with 200GB or more OS volume. On Enterprise, it is disabled by default until Windows 11 26H2, and must be manually enabled or deployed through Intune/MDM policy.
What is the difference between Point in Time Restore and Reset This PC?
Reset This PC reinstalls Windows and takes 30 to 90 minutes — it may or may not preserve your files depending on which option you choose. Point in Time Restore rolls back your entire system to a specific daily snapshot in minutes, including all files, apps, and settings as they were at that point. For issues caused by bad updates or driver conflicts, Point in Time Restore is significantly faster and preserves more of your working state.
