- The point-in-time restore feature on Windows 11 lets users and administrators roll back a device to an earlier system snapshot in minutes, with no advanced troubleshooting required.
- The feature is similar to System Restore, but point-in-time restore offers a new workflow and management model.
- Microsoft announced the capability at Ignite 2025 and is making it available in preview to the Windows Insider Preview program soon.
Microsoft is bringing a new recovery feature to Windows 11 designed to help users and network administrators quickly undo buggy updates, configuration errors, and system failures. The new point-in-time restore feature, announced at Ignite 2025, enables restoring a device to an earlier snapshot of the system in minutes, with no technical expertise required.
The feature enters public preview this week for Windows Insiders in the Dev and Beta Channels, marking one of the most significant additions to the recovery tools available in the operating system.
Who will get point-in-time restore on Windows 11
The point-in-time restore feature is rolling out to Windows 11 Home and Pro (unmanaged devices), which means that it’s fully available to regular users. Computers with at least 200GB of storage will have the feature enabled by default during the preview stage.
On the other hand, Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise (managed devices) will have this feature, but administrators will control it through management policies.
Microsoft is also planning to give network administrators remote management, scheduling, and restore initiation capabilities through Intune and other MDM solutions once the feature moves beyond preview.
What point-in-time restore actually does
Point-in-time restore captures full-system snapshots at regular intervals and stores them locally. When something goes wrong (a broken driver, bad update, misconfiguration, malware, or a user mistake), you can roll the entire computer back to the exact state it was in at the selected restore point.
Each restore point includes the entire operating system state, installed applications, system configuration, local files, passwords, secrets, keys, and credentials.
This means the restore is extremely thorough, reverting the machine to a known-good point with far fewer failure modes than traditional troubleshooting.
Where the new restore controls are located
On Windows 11, the configuration is built directly into the modern Settings app, more specifically, on Settings > System > Recovery > Point-in-time restore.
You can also access the feature from the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) from Troubleshoot > Point-in-time restore. While in the restore screen, you can select a restore point, confirm warnings, and initiate the rollback.
When Microsoft plans to roll out the feature
Microsoft will enable the preview soon through the Windows Insider Preview Dev and Beta Channels. The company has not announced a final public release date, but the feature is expected to ship broadly with a future Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2 cumulative update cycle.
Why Microsoft is adding point-in-time restore
The company says point-in-time restore is designed to reduce downtime during unexpected failures. Microsoft’s own telemetry shows that many device outages are not catastrophic but instead caused by smaller issues, such as a faulty driver, a failed patch, a problematic app installation, or a misconfiguration.
The goal is to provide fast recovery without requiring support intervention, ensure reliability with tight retention policies, simplify restoration, and provide a solution that works for both widespread disruptions and one-off user issues.
Point-in-time restore complements Microsoft’s broader Windows Resiliency Initiative, which also includes Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) and enhanced Intune recovery workflows.
How point-in-time restore works under the hood
The system uses the same underlying Volume Shadow Copy Service as System Restore, but implements an entirely new workflow and management model.
As part of the process, the operating system automatically captures restore points on a configurable schedule. Restore points are retained for up to 72 hours, after which they are automatically purged. The storage usage is capped at two percent of total drive capacity by default, but you can change it up to 50 GB.
Also, restore points are stored locally, meaning that revert operations are significantly faster than cloud-based restores. In addition, the device must have free space equal to the combined size of all restore points to successfully process a rollback.
Microsoft notes that during the preview, initiating a restore must be done locally in WinRE, and the ability to trigger the feature remotely will come at a later date.
How the feature differs from System Restore
Although both functions use VSS snapshots, Microsoft redesigned point-in-time restore as a modern, predictable, and manageable recovery solution.
These are the main differences between point-in-time restore and System Restore. First, “point-in-time restore” automatically captures restore points on a schedule, includes user files, strict retention and cleanup policies, is integrated directly into the Settings app, has lower storage impact, is built for advanced remote management, and is designed for both consumer and enterprise use.
In contrast, “System Restore” only triggers manually or on certain system events, excludes user files, has no retention limits, is available in the legacy Control Panel, uses more storage, and has minimal remote management.
In other words, System Restore is older and reactive, while point-in-time restore is controlled, predictable, and optimized for modern servicing.
How Windows 11 users will set it up and use it
Windows 11 Home and Pro users can configure the feature in the Settings app. For devices with 200GB or more of total storage, the feature is enabled automatically.
Also, you’ll be able to turn the feature on or off, adjust frequency and retention, view restore points, and initiate recovery from WinRE.
If something goes wrong, users will boot into the Windows Recovery Environment, choose the restore point they want, enter their BitLocker key if needed, and confirm the restore.
What risks and limitations users should expect
Microsoft notes several caveats. For example, any change made after the selected restore point is lost, including files, apps, passwords, and settings. Low disk space causes automatic deletion of older restore points. A rollback requires free space equal to the size of all restore points. Also, certain system states or updates may cause restore failures.
Point-in-time restore, along with Quick Machine Recovery and upcoming Intune recovery features, represents a shift toward a more resilient platform where recovery is immediate, predictable, and integrated into modern management.
Microsoft says additional recovery innovations will be released in the first half of 2026.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert and founder of Pureinfotech in 2010. With over 22 years as a technology writer and IT Specialist, Mauro specializes in Windows, software, and cross-platform systems such as Linux, Android, and macOS.
Certifications: Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), VMware Certified Professional (VCP), and CompTIA A+ and Network+.
Mauro is a recognized Microsoft MVP and has also been a long-time contributor to Windows Central.
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