Testing Windows 11 Point-in-Time Restore: A Top Feature Without AI

Microsoft has unveiled its latest feature in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7271, available to users in the Dev and Beta channels. The new Point-in-time Restore option allows users to return their systems to a specific previous state. This feature automatically generates restore points that capture the entire system, encompassing applications, settings, and local files.

One of the standout aspects of Point-in-time Restore is its offline functionality; restore points are stored locally on the PC’s SSD and can revert the system back to any state from the past 72 hours. This simplifies the recovery process, offering a fast solution for resolving driver conflicts, problematic updates, or misconfiguration issues.

Testing conducted by Windows Latest confirmed that the Point-in-time Restore feature performed effectively, successfully recovering full system settings, applications, and files.

Understanding Point-in-time Restore

Point-in-time Restore is an innovative recovery mechanism introduced in Windows 11 (and compatible with Windows 10), utilizing the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to capture complete system states at scheduled intervals.

A restore point represents a block-level shadow copy of the entire MainOS volume. This encompasses all operating system files, installed programs, settings, account information, and local user data. By incorporating the entire volume, it allows for a precise system recovery to the exact moment of the restore point’s creation.

In contrast to the traditional System Restore, which focuses solely on system files, registry entries, and executable elements by intentionally excluding user documents, Point-in-time Restore includes every aspect of the system. Thus, it provides a more comprehensive solution for users seeking to recover not just system configurations but personal data as well.

Microsoft designed this feature to present a contemporary alternative for users to execute a full rollback without needing third-party backup solutions or disk images.

The Mechanics of Point-in-time Restore

Point-in-time Restore operates with the help of the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS), which allows Windows to generate consistent block-level copies of a volume, even while the system is actively running. VSS momentarily suspends writing to the disk to capture an accurate snapshot, later resuming background activity.

While VSS has been utilized for various backup applications for years, Point-in-time Restore automates the process by generating restore points on a regular schedule. These points are stored in VSS’s differential area and kept for a maximum of 72 hours.

Users can select Point-in-time Restore upon booting into the recovery environment, where they can choose their desired restore point. Since these points include the full system state, the restoration process rewrites all altered blocks since the last snapshot.

Unlike System Restore, which only tracks changes in designated system areas, Point-in-time Restore implements a comprehensive disk rollback, covering the entire OS volume.

Activating Point-in-time Restore in Windows 11

Currently, the Point-in-time Restore function is exclusive to Dev and Beta Insiders who have installed the KB5070307 update, which Microsoft has made somewhat discreet.

If you are interested in testing this feature on your machine, you should register as a Windows Insider for either Dev or Beta builds and download the latest Preview Build 26220.7271.

To enable the feature, navigate to Settings > System > Recovery.

Point-in-time restore in Recovery settings

Select the Point-in-time Restore option and activate it by turning the toggle to the “on”position.

Sub settings for Point-in-time restore feature in Windows 11

By default, restore points will be created every 24 hours, capturing a complete state snapshot of your system. Since this may be your first time enabling the feature, restoration will commence immediately, with subsequent snapshots scheduled according to your system’s boot timing.

You have the option to adjust the frequency of the restore points to as often as every four hours, with permissible intervals of 6, 12, or 16 hours. The maximum frequency remains set at 24 hours.

Regardless of your chosen settings, restore points will be generated seamlessly in the background, without disrupting your ongoing tasks.

By default, the restoration points are kept for 72 hours, meaning the oldest restore point will be deleted first as new ones are generated. However, you can opt for a minimum retention period of 6 hours, with choices of 12, 16, or 24 hours. The maximum retention remains capped at 72 hours, indicating that a 6-hour timeframe leads to an auto-deletion of the oldest restore point after that duration.

There is also a “Maximum usage limit” slider to determine how much storage on your PC can be allocated for restore points. Be aware that if your system runs low on storage space, older restore points may be deleted earlier than intended. Furthermore, no space is pre-allocated for restore points; any extra capacity within the maximum limit will remain accessible for other system processes.

Additionally, Microsoft recommends that the Point-in-time Restore feature will only activate automatically on PCs with a total disk space of at least 200GB. For instance, in a virtual machine with merely 60GB of storage, this feature will be disabled by default.

Testing the Restore Process

Once you have enabled Point-in-time Restore, it is essential to allow some time for your system to create the initial restore point. Microsoft does not provide feedback on whether a restore point has been successfully generated, as this occurs in the background.

To conduct a test of Point-in-time Restore, access the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).Begin by navigating to Settings > System > Recovery > Advanced startup and selecting Restart now.

Once in WinRE, select the Troubleshoot option.

Next, click on Point-in-time Restore from the Troubleshoot options.

If you have encrypted volumes, you may need to provide your BitLocker Recovery Key, which can be retrieved from Microsoft’s recovery key page.

You will be presented with different restore points. Since it is your first attempt, there will only be one available restore point. Select the one that aligns with your desired recovery time.

Microsoft will issue a warning that any changes made after the selected restore point are at risk of being lost. If you wish to proceed, click on Continue.

clicking Continue means that you'll be accepting the risk that the data you have created after a restore point will be lost

Review the restore point selection and operating system version. Microsoft will provide one final warning regarding potential data loss. Click Restore to initiate the restoration process.

Final warning from Microsoft, click Restore

The restoration duration may vary based on the number of applications and files on your system. For instance, the process took approximately 30 minutes on my setup, which features a limited number of applications.

Upon completion of the restore, your PC will restart and return to Windows 11 without any loss of applications or files.

Limitations and Considerations of Point-in-time Restore

It’s crucial to recognize that Point-in-time Restore operates by reverting the entire MainOS volume to a previous state. Consequently, any modifications made post-restore point creation—such as user files, application data, passwords, encryption keys, and certificates—will be irretrievably lost.

Any documents created or edited after the restore point will not survive the restoration. Since Microsoft does not indicate when restore points are generated, users may find it challenging to gauge whether vital data is included.

The VSS technology can fail to create restore points under certain conditions, such as low storage availability, high input/output loads, or instability with the VSS writer. Additionally, Point-in-time Restore may not succeed if ample free space is unavailable to stage the rollback or if file system corruption obstructs VSS from completing the operation.

Windows also cannot guarantee that restore points will be produced according to an exact schedule if the system is powered off or in sleep mode at that time.

Restoring across different editions of Windows—such as transitioning from Home to Pro—may compromise the installation. Challenges may also arise with encrypted EFS files, affecting the reliability of restoration. It’s important to note that only the MainOS volume is eligible for rollback, and restore points cannot be exported, mounted, or explored as disk images; they remain internal VSS entities.

While it’s commendable that Microsoft continues to introduce features aimed at mitigating Windows issues, one might argue these enhancements wouldn’t be necessary if the core stability of Windows were improved. This sentiment echoes throughout Microsoft’s ecosystem, as users often witness patches addressing symptoms rather than the root causes of system inefficiencies.

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