Have you made an unwanted change to your Windows 11 PC and don’t know how to revert it? Or perhaps you want to get your computer working after a system update turns out to be buggy? Luckily, you don’t need to reinstall Windows 11 from scratch and risk losing your important files to fix that. Windows includes a System Restore feature that lets you revert your computer’s state to the last usable version.
System Restore keeps taking a snapshot of Windows on your PC to create a ‘restore point’ where everything works fine. We’ll share more about what system restore is, how it works, and how to use it on your Windows 11 PC to undo changes or fix software-related issues.
What Is System Restore and How Does it Work
System Restore is a legacy feature baked into Windows 11 to protect and revert your system to a specific restore point if something goes wrong. It creates a snapshot of your current system state, saved as a ‘restore point’ whenever your computer detects significant changes or you create one manually to ensure your system’s safety.
Suppose something went wrong after installing a buggy software update or accidentally changing important system parameters in the registry. In that case, you can use System Restore to restore your PC to a previously working state. Also, the System Restore process does not affect personal files such as your photos or documents. However, it will remove all the apps, drivers, and even updates that you installed on the system after Windows created the system point.
How to Configure and Enable System Restore in Windows 11
By default, Windows doesn’t enable the System Restore feature. You’ll need to turn it on for your Windows computer manually. Here’s how you can enable and configure a System Restore Point manually on your Windows 11 PC:
Step 1: Click on Search on the Windows 11 taskbar, type Create a restore point , and select the Open button below the ‘Create a restore point’ result.
Step 2: Select the Hard Drive partition for which you want to create a System Restore Point, and click Configure.
Step 3: In the next window, select the ‘Turn on system protection’ option to enable System Restore. Adjust the Max Usage slider to allocate the necessary disk space for storing the System Restore Points.
Step 4 : Click the Apply button to save the newly changed preferences.
How to Create a System Restore Point in Windows 11
After enabling System Restore, it automatically creates a new restore point every week or when you install a system update/application. However, we recommend that you opt for creating System Restore points regularly or before making substantial changes to the registry and system preferences. Here’s how you can manually create a System Restore Point in Windows 11:
Step 1: Open the ‘System Properties’ window to create a System Restore Point (check the steps in the previous section). Click on Create.
Step 2: In the ‘Create a restore point’ dialog box, name the restore point, and click Create.
Step 3: Click on Close to complete the process.
How to Use System Restore on Your PC
Now that you know how to enable and create a system restore point, here’s how you can use it to restore your Windows PC to an earlier stage if something went wrong, and you can still boot/start your PC:
Step 1: Open the ‘System Properties’ window again (follow the steps in the first section), and click on the System Restore button.
Step 2: Click Next to commence the restoration process.
Step 3: Select a restore point you want to use. (we chose the ‘Registry Edit August 2022’ created for this guide). If required, click on ‘Scan for affected programs’ to see the changes made to the system before the restore point was created. Then, click Next.
Step 4: Confirm the restore point you want to revert your system to. Once verified, click on Finish to commence the automated restoration process.
How to Use System Restore When Computer Won’t Boot
If you’re trying to revert from a buggy update, there’s a good chance that you can boot/login into your PC to commence the System Restore process. However, if you can’t boot into your PC, here’s how you can access System Restore from the Advanced startup options. Check our guide on different ways to access Advanced Startup Options in Windows 11
Otherwise, you may follow these steps:
Step 1: Start the computer and long-press the power button when you see the Windows logo and wait for your computer to reboot.
Step 2: Force reboot your PC up to 4 times until you see the Automatic Repair screen. Then, click on Advanced options.
Step 3: Click on Troubleshoot.
Step 4: Select Advanced options.
Step 5: Click on System Restore.
Step 6: The computer may ask you to enter the Administrator password. After that, click on the Continue button.
Step 7: Choose the restore point you want to revert to in the System Restore window. If required, click on ‘Scan for affected programs’ to see the changes made to the System before the restore point was created. Then, click Next.
Step 8: Confirm the restore point you want to use. Once verified, click on Finish to start the system restoration process.
Let the System Restore Take Over and Do Its Thing
Give time to your PC to apply all the changes, and it will restart to get Windows up and running. Do note that this process may take half an hour or more, depending on various factors like the size of the restore point, the age of the PC’s hardware, etc. So, try not to turn off your computer or use it while the restoration is in progress.
Was this helpful?
Have you been told to take a screenshot using the Print Screen key on your Windows 10 computer? And now you are left wondering where the Print Screen button is? Even if you found the button and pressed it, nothing would have happened. So you are more confused now. Don’t worry. We are here to help. By the end of the post, you will be a champ in using the Print Screen button to take screenshots on Windows 10.
Questions like where is the Print Screen button, how to enable Print screen, and how to use the Print screen button are answered in this post. We have also covered how to take a screenshot in Windows 10 without the Print screen button.
Let’s get started on discovering the superpowers of the Print Screen button in Windows 10.
Where Is the Print Screen Button
The Print Screen button is usually present at the upper right side of your keyboard. You will see one of the text labels on the key:
- Prt sc
- PrtSc
- PrtScn
- PrntScrn
If something else is mentioned along with the print screen button, then you will have to trigger it with the function key (fn) on your keyboard. That is, hold the fn key and the Print screen buttons together to take a screenshot.
Tip : If your keyboard doesn’t have the Print Screen button , use the Function (fn) + Windows key + Spacebar to take a screenshot. In case the Print screen isn’t working , check out various ways to fix it.
How to Use Print Screen Button to Take Screenshot in Windows
There are several ways to take a screenshot using the Print screen button on Windows 10. Let’s check them out.
Method 1: Capture Entire Screen With Print Screen
This is the simplest method to take a screenshot on Windows 10. Pressing the Print Screen key on your keyboard copies the entire (active) screen to your clipboard . Even though a screenshot is technically captured, it’s not saved anywhere on your computer.
The screenshot resides in your computer’s clipboard for a temporary period till you copy something else. You need to paste the copied content (the screenshot) in a supported app such as MS Paint, Paint 3D, etc. Use Ctrl+V keyboard shortcut to paste the image. Once pasted, save the image using the app’s save button. It’s not necessary to paste the screenshot in photo-editing apps, you can even paste it in Microsoft Word or Google Docs .
Note: Use fn + Print screen combination if nothing is copied to the clipboard.
Typically, when you take a screenshot on your mobile phone, the screen will dim for a second, which indicates that a screenshot is taken. However, nothing will happen to the screen using this method. The screen won’t dim when you simply press the Print Screen button. So don’t get scared, just open any supported app and paste the copied screenshot.
Tip: If you use OneDrive, your captured screenshots will automatically be saved in your OneDrive folder. In case you are notified that screenshots are saved in OneDrive, find out how to turn off that notification and how to disable storing of screenshots in OneDrive .
Method 2: Capture and Save Entire Screen Using Print Screen
The above method doesn’t save the screenshot directly to your computer. To save screenshots on your PC without pasting them first, press the Windows key + Print screen button simultaneously. The screen will dim for a second, indicating that a screenshot has been taken. In this method, the entire screen is captured.
You will find the captured screenshots in the Pictures > Screenshots folder. If you don’t find that, follow this path C:\Users\username\Pictures\Screenshots.
Method 3: Capture Active Window With Print Screen
Instead of capturing the entire screen, this method will help you take a screenshot of an active window. Let’s say you want to take a screenshot of the minimized Word screen. You can do it by using the Alt + Print screen keyboard shortcut. Press both buttons simultaneously to take a screenshot of your active window.
Similar to method 1, the screenshot will not be saved directly. You will need to paste it into a supported app such as MS Paint and then save it.
Method 4: Assign the Snipping Tool to Print Screen Key
If the above methods do not meet your requirements, you can assign the Windows 10 Snipping tool to the Print screen key. When you do so, the Snipping tool will get activated when you press the Print screen key on your keyboard.
With the Snipping tool, you can take custom screenshots. You can choose the area whose screenshot you want to take, capture the selected window, and perform other advanced tricks. The screenshots will open in the Snipping Tool where you can annotate and draw on them. Finally, save the screenshot. Check out various tips and tricks related to the Windows 10 Snipping Tool .
To assign the Snipping tool to the Print screen key, follow these steps:
Step 1: Open Settings on your Windows 10 PC from Start Menu. Alternatively, use Windows + I keyboard shortcut to open settings. Go to Ease of Access.
Step 2: From the left sidebar in Ease of access, scroll down and click on Keyboard. On the right side, you will find Keyboard settings. Scroll down and enable the toggle for Print Screen shortcut.
Bonus: How to Take Screenshot Without Print Screen on Windows 10
If you don’t want to remap the Print screen key to the Snipping tool or use Print screen to take a screenshot, you can still open the Snipping tool using the Windows key + Shift + S keyboard shortcut. Alternatively, open the Snipping tool from the Start Menu. You can also use the Snip and Sketch tool of Windows to take a screenshot without the Print screen button. Find out what’s the difference between the Snipping Tool and Snip and Sketch on Windows 10.
The Best Method
Methods 2 and 4 are convenient for taking and saving screenshots both. I mostly settle for Method 4 on my computer where I use the Snipping tool with the help of the Print screen button. It lets me take a screenshot with the ability to draw on them.
Next up: If for some reason, you are unable to take screenshots on your Windows 10 PC, check out 4 ways to fix it from the next link.
