- To enable System Protection on Windows 11, open Settings > System > System Protection, choose the drive and select “Turn on system protection” on the “Configure” page.
- To enable the feature with commands, open PowerShell (admin) and run the “Enable-ComputerRestore -Drive “C:\”” command.
On Windows 11, you can enable “System Protection” in at least two ways, and in this guide, you will learn how. “System Protection” (also known as “System Restore”) is a feature that you must enable manually to allow Windows 11 to create restore points automatically during specific events (system and driver updates, configuration changes, and app installs) to protect the current setup.
Also, when the feature is enabled, you can create restore points manually before making system changes to protect your system.
In the event of a critical error, you can use a restore point to recover your computer to a good working state. Although the feature comes disabled by default, Windows 11 offers at least two ways to enable System Protection from Control Panel and PowerShell.
This guide will teach you the steps to enable (or disable) System Protection on Windows 11.
Enable System Protection on Windows 11
To enable System Protection on Windows 11, use these steps:
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Open Settings on Windows 11.
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Click on System.
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Under the “Device specifications” section, click the System protection option.
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Under the “Protection Settings” section, select the system drive (C) and click the Configure button.
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Select the “Turn on system protection” option to enable the drive protection feature on Windows 11.
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(Optional) Select the “Disable system protection” option to disable the feature.
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Click the Apply button.
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Click the OK button.
Once you complete the steps, the system will be able to create restore points to recover the computer in case of problems with system updates, applications, or misconfiguration.
Enable System Protection from PowerShell on Windows 11
To turn on System Protection with PowerShell commands on Windows 11, use these steps:
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Open Start.
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Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
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Type the following command to enable System Protection in the Windows 11 installation drive and press Enter:
Enable-ComputerRestore -Drive "C:\"
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(Optional) Type the following command to enable protection for a secondary drive and press Enter:
Enable-ComputerRestore -Drive "E:\"
In the command, change “E” for the letter of the drive you want to protect.
After you complete the steps, System Protection will enable on Windows 11, and you will be able to create restore points manually and automatically.
You can also use Command Prompt with the rstrui.exe /offline:C:windows=active command. However, the option only works when using the command in Command Prompt but only through the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) since this method requires the Windows 11 drive to be offline.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].