System restore points are snapshots of your Windows system files, registry settings, and installed programs at a given moment in time. They can be lifesavers when you need to roll back after a bad driver update, a faulty app install, or other system-level problem. On the other hand, Restore Points can consume several gigabytes of disk space over time. If you're running low on storage space or simply want to delete some system restore points, here's how to do it in Windows 11.
Caution: Once deleted, you will not be able to restore to the previous state. Please ensure that you no longer need to restore the system to its previous state.
Method 1. Using Disk Cleanup
If you're deleting restore points to free up hard drive space, but don't want to risk deleting all of them, you can use the Disk Cleanup tool to delete only the older restore points while keeping the most recent ones.
1. Press the Windows key, type Disk Cleanup, and open the app.
2. In the Drive list, select your system drive (usually C:) and click OK.
3. Click Clean up system files (you’ll need administrator approval).
4. Wait as it rescans, then click the More Options tab to find System Restore and Shadow Copies.
5. Click Clean Up to execute. After a short wait, Disk Cleanup will delete all restore points except for the most recent one.
Method 2. Via System Protection Settings
If you want to delete all restore points, follow these steps:
1. Press Win + R. Enter sysdm.cpl and press Enter to open System Properties.
2. Go to the System Protection tab.
3. Select your system drive (C:) and click Configure.
4. To delete all existing restore points, click Delete<>/b under Disk Space Usage.
5. Confirm by clicking Continue.
Optionally, adjust the slider beside Max Usage to limit future snapshots, then click OK. This removes every existing restore point on that drive. You can use the slider to cap how much space System Restore may consume going forward.
Method 3. Delete Specific Restore Point via Wise Care 365
Deleting all restore points at once is straightforward, but how do you remove only selected ones? Here, we recommend that you use a third-party tool, Wise Care 365. While its main function is deleting junk data, it also has a secondary tool to meet your needs.
Step 1. Get Wise Care 365
You can download and install Wise Care 365 from here.
Step 2. Find All Restore Points
Run Wise Care 365, and click the drop-down menu to select Restore. Now you can see all your System Restore Points and Registry Restore Points listed.
Step 3. Remove Restore Point
Select the unwanted restore point, then click Remove. Please note that Wise Care 365 will keep the latest restore point from being deleted for system safety.
In Wise Care 365, you'll find that it not only allows you to manage restore points easily, but also enables you to conveniently create system restore points, as well as registry restore points, anytime by clicking the menu and selecting Backup.
Conclusion
Managing restore points is very important, especially considering that storage space usage can grow continuously. By following this article, you can delete restore points through Disk Cleanup, System Properties, or Wise Care 365.
