Restore an earlier state of a windows 7 computer. How to restore a computer to a specific date

A rollback point, or restore point, is a saved state of the system on a specific date. Rollback points can be created manually by the user and automatically by the system on a weekly basis or before a configuration change, such as installing a driver or program. This captures only the state of system files. Documents created by the user (text files, photos, videos, music) are not saved.

How to create a rollback point

In order for restore points to be created, this feature must be enabled. Right-click on the "My Computer" icon, select "Properties" and go to the "System Restore" tab. Uncheck the box next to Turn off System Restore.

If your computer has Windows XP installed, to manually create a restore point, press the Win key and in the Programs group, go to the Accessories section, then System Tools and select the System Restore program. Check "Create a restore point" and follow the instructions.

It must be taken into account that the allotted space should be enough for the image of the operating system, as well as all previously installed computer programs. Based on this, the minimum volume should be at least 3.5 gigabytes. Of course, ideally, about 40 gigabytes should be allocated for the Security Zone. This amount of memory is due to the fact that here it will be possible to save not only the system image itself, but also archives with documents and other important files created using Acronis True Image. In this case, if Windows crashes, nothing will be lost. It should be noted that Acronis Secure Zone is a hidden section, and therefore it will not be visible in Windows Explorer. Once the size is determined, click the "Next" button.

Be sure to check the box "Enable Startup Repair". With this option, in the case when it is impossible to boot the system, it will still be possible to restore Windows. To continue, click "Next".

After that, Acronis True Image will offer the user a list of scheduled operations. To continue, click "Proceed". Within a few minutes you will observe the functioning of the program. After that, we can assume that the Security Zone for storing the system image has been created, the "Restore at boot" option has been activated, it remains only to work on creating the system partition. To do this, in the Acronis True Image window, click on the "Create archive" task.

Since you will need to create a system image for copying, check "Entire hard disk or individual partitions on it" and click "Next". In the proposed list of partitions, select the system partition on which Windows is located, to continue, click "Next". After that, you need to select a place to store the backup image - Acronis Secure Zone, mark it in the list and continue by clicking "Next".

For the first backup of the partition, you need to select "Create a full archive." In subsequent cases, it will be possible to add changed folders and files to it, creating incremental archives. But at the same time, you need to remember that errors, failures, and viruses penetrate the computer in the process of work. In this regard, restoring a system containing viruses and errors does not make sense. But there is still a way out in this situation: it is recommended to create an archive immediately after installing Windows and setting all the necessary parameters. Then, the state of the operating system will be almost perfect.

Working at a computer, you can create other images and periodically replenish them with incremental archives. As a result, the user will always have two types of system partition - a state close to ideal and an actual state. When you have decided on the archiving mode, click "Next" again. Then select "Use default settings". If necessary, you can enter a comment. This is not a mandatory procedure, but it is thanks to this that in the future the user will be able to distinguish one image from another without any problems. After, click "Next".

This completes the preparatory procedures for creating the archive. To start the backup process, you need to click the "Start" button.

If a system image is created in Acronis Secure Zone in advance, it will not be difficult to restore Windows that is not working correctly. Let's say that the operating system has stopped loading. Then, when you try to boot, the message "Press F11 for Acronis Startup Recovery Manager ..." will be displayed, having seen it, you can press F11 without hesitation. This button will launch the Acronis True Image loader and start recovery. When the download options are offered, you will need to select "Acronis True Image (full version)", and then wait a couple of seconds for the program to load. In the window that appears, select "Restore Data". After starting the Data Recovery Wizard, click "Next".

After, select the archive to restore. You will need an image of the system partition that was previously saved in Acronis Secure Zone, click "Next". After that, you need to mark what exactly you want to restore: and again “Next”. After that, select the partition to be restored and "Next". Then select the partition to which the system image will be restored. You will need to replace the C: partition with a non-working Windows system with a C: partition with a working system taken from the Acronis archive. To do this, mark "NTFS (C:)" and click "Next". After, select the type of partition and select "Active" for the system partition. Then you will need to set the size for the restored partition. At this point, you can skip making changes and click "Next". After, assign a partition letter. For the system, select "From:". You can also set up Acronis True Image to scan recovered files and archives. If at the moment you are resuming one partition, then when the program asks about restoring others, select the answer “No, I don’t want to” and finally click “Next”. Then it is recommended to carefully check the recovery options and click on "Proceed". Over the next few minutes, you will observe the progress of this operation.

After the process of restoring the system partition is completed, a message will appear stating that the data was successfully restored. Next, by clicking the cross in the upper right corner, close the Acronis True Image window. As you can see, this program is quite easy to work with, while its advantages are quite significant. After all, if you have an archive image of Windows, there will be no need to reinstall the system.

In order to avoid data loss, it is enough to follow a few simple rules:

With a certain frequency, make backup copies of significant information or create images of system partitions.
Use reliable protection against viruses and hacker attacks. Regularly update the antivirus and properly configured firewall. It is also highly recommended to do a full computer scan for viruses.
Install updates that can fix critical software bugs.
Even if Windows is stable, you still need to create restore points.
To experiment with various programs, it is recommended to use a virtual computer. It can be created in programs such as Virtual Box or VMware Workstation.

Most often the function restoring a working state of a computer required if some program was installed and after that the system began to slow down. You should also restore the system to an earlier state if the computer has been affected virus attack. In most cases, the computer is infected or littered programs so much so that the restore operation can only be performed from safe mode. How to boot a computer safe mode- when you turn on the computer, press F8 and select "safe mode" in the menu that appears.

So, I will briefly describe the recovery procedure in the operating system Windows 7. Right-click on the "computer" icon (desktop) and go to the last item "properties". In the window that appears, select.

At this stage, we need to make sure that your computer is enabled data recovery on drive C. If the function is enabled, proceed further by clicking on the "Recovery" button.

The System Restore window will appear. Here I recommend choosing the "Choose a different restore point" option.

And here you are already estimating the approximate date when the computer began to slow down. Here, opposite the dates, it will indicate which programs have been installed, which will also help you a lot when choosing system health. Be sure to check the box "show other restore points” to display all recorded restore points.

Restoring a Healthy System State

The next window is informative, check the selected date and click on the "Finish" button. Next, we confirm the start of the restore operation.

We smoke for a few minutes, drink coffee, do not touch anything. After the system reboots, you will see a success message. system restore. If you are still unhappy with the state of your computer, try rolling back the system to an earlier date. Let me remind you that this action does not affect your files, such as photos, videos, etc. Recovery affects only system files, programs, and the Windows registry.

For advanced users, there is a more reliable and interesting option for creating a Windows backup and restoring the system, which requires the ability to work from under the BIOS.

This option will help return the system to a state recorded at a certain point in time - a restore point. If saving such points is configured and enabled, then before installing updates, drivers and applications, the system state will be written to the hard disk.

Returning Windows to a restore point will save all personal files, but the drivers and applications that appeared after the point was created will need to be reinstalled.

To start Windows Recovery, right-click on the "Start" (Win + X) and go to "Control Panel" → "System and Security" → "System" → "System Protection". Click "Restore" → "Next" and select the desired restore point.

Another path option: "Control Panel" → "All Control Panel Items" → "Recovery" → "Start System Restore".

If the restore point is not found, then system protection is disabled, and you will have to use other methods.

To avoid trouble in the future, enable the creation of restore points. To do this, in the same "System Protection" menu, select the system drive, click "Configure" and enable system drive protection.

2. Reset your computer

If there are no restore points or going to them does not help, try resetting the system. You can rollback with saving files or completely delete everything and . Also in some computers - more often these are laptops - there is an option to restore factory settings.

In Windows 8 and 10, you can start a factory reset by going to Settings → Update & Security → Reset this PC → Get Started.

In Windows 7, to do this, go to "Control Panel" → "System and Security" → "Backup and Restore" → "Restore system settings or the computer" → "Advanced recovery methods" → "Return the computer to the state specified by the manufacturer."

3. Restore Windows using a disc

The recovery disk is useful, for example, to roll back to a saved point or return to its original state if Windows refuses. An ordinary flash drive, external hard drive or DVD is suitable for the role of such a disk.

The recovery disc must be burned in advance and stored in case of system failure. Under Control Panel → All Control Panel Items → Recovery, click Create Recovery Drive. In the menu that appears, check the “Back up system files to a recovery drive” item, and you can use the USB drive not only to fix errors and roll back, but also to reinstall Windows.

You can create a recovery DVD in Windows under Control Panel → System and Security → Backup and Restore → Create a System Repair Disc. The same method works in newer versions of the system, only the name is different: "Backup and Restore (Windows 7)" instead of "Backup and Restore".

To correct errors, boot the system from disk. In the recovery environment that opens, click Troubleshoot. Start Reverting to a System Restore Point in the Advanced Options → System Restore menu.

4. Restore Windows using a full system image

Another option for restoring Windows is to roll back to a previously created system image. The image is written to a hard drive, to DVDs, or to a network partition.

Unlike a rollback or restore from a point, using a full image preserves all files, applications, settings, and drivers installed at the time it was created.

The most appropriate moment to create such an image may be the state when all the necessary applications are installed on the system, but there is nothing superfluous. So you can continue working immediately after recovery.

To create a complete system image, in the Control Panel, select "Backup and Restore (Windows 7)" → "Create a System Image". (In Windows 7: Control Panel → System and Security → Backup and Restore → Create a System Image.)

In the menu that appears, you can choose which of the available partitions and files to include in the system image and what media to write it to.

With a complete system image at your disposal, you can quickly return Windows to the state you need. You can start image-based recovery when you restart your computer: "Diagnostics" → "Advanced Options" → "System Image Recovery".

Often, users of computers running Windows 7 encounter operating system health problems. Computer problems usually appear when it slows down and programs do not open. Also, the computer may not start at all or do it every other time.

The reasons that cause problems in the performance of the operating system can be very different. For example, if a computer gets virus, it can damage system files. Also, difficulties with the PC may appear during installation. low-quality software, which can damage the structure of system files. To solve the problem with the health of a computer on Windows 7, you need to roll back to the previous restore point.

To protect the OS in Windows 7, restore points are used that the system periodically creates. Essentially, restore points are previous state of Windows 7 system files. To help the Windows 7 PC user, we have prepared a material that will describe the detailed system recovery process in various ways.

Recovery in the loaded seven

If your Windows 7 computer boots, but the system is not stable, then it's time to roll back to a previous restore point. First of all, we need to get into the window in which you can call up the system recovery options. To do this, open the program "" by pressing the key combinations Win + R, through which we enter the following command: systempropertiesprotection

A window should open before us. Properties of the system» tab « System protection". You can also get to this window in the standard way through the menu " Start". The next step is to press the button Recovery….

After clicking, the System Restore window will open. It will prompt you to restore the system using the recommended access point or choose another one. We will stop at recommended restore point.

This window requires confirmation for the selected restore. To confirm, press the button Done.

This button will bring up a message warning that after the restore procedure it will be impossible to return to the previous parameters of the seven. By clicking on the Yes message, we will start the Windows 7 system restore.

If the process of returning to the previous state occurred without errors, then a corresponding message will be displayed.

If you are unable to roll back to the previous settings using the recommended point, then you should select the point that was created later than the selected restore point Windows 7 systems. I would also like to note that to perform this operation, you will need special privileges. That is, when you log in, you must select an account admin and enter a password for it.

We return the computer to working capacity at OS startup

In case your PC is running seven at all is not downloading, then you can start the operating system in safe mode. After the BIOS start window appears, press F8 on the keyboard (for laptops there may be another key, for example, Del or one of the function keys). This action will cause menu of alternatives loading sevens.

In this menu, select the item " Safe mode”And continue by pressing Enter, after which the system will start in safe mode.

If the system has successfully started in safe mode, then start the recovery of the seven, as shown in the previous example. In this mode, for maximum security many features disabled OS, including the Windows Aero graphical interface. This is how the running program "" with the command " system properties protection” on a system running in safe mode.

We return the computer to working capacity using the installation disk or bootable USB flash drive

If the two previous examples do not help you, then you will need to restore the seven installation disk or flash drive. For computers that do not have an optical drive, you need to use a bootable USB flash drive with the OS. A bootable USB flash drive can be created using special utilities. The most popular utilities for this purpose are Windows USB/DVD, Download Tool And Rufus.

Boot from the installation disk or via a USB flash drive. In the start window of the installer, click the Next button and proceed to the next window.

After searching, select the OS you want to restore and click Next.

In the window that appears, select the same item " System Restore».

This action will launch the seven recovery utility. In the utility, click the Next button. This action will take you to restore point list. We choose a suitable point and continue.

A window will appear in front of you, as in the first example. Therefore, we press the Finish button and respond to the message, after which we will start the recovery.

After a successful rollback to the previous state, you will receive the following message.

Windows 7 Disaster Recovery with Antivirus

If your PC is infected viruses, interfering with the correct operation of the computer and the first three examples considered do not help you, then a good way to restore in this case would be an anti-virus life disk from Dr.Web. With this disc you can clean the system from all kinds of dangerous software. In addition to cleaning, Dr.Web LiveDisk can disinfect infected objects, which are necessary to restore Windows 7.

The Dr.Web LiveDisk image can be used both for recording onto an optical disc and a flash drive. To use Dr.Web LiveDisk on a USB drive, you need a special program. You can download the program for writing to a USB flash drive and the image itself on the official website by going to the page www.freedrweb.ru/livedisk.

Let's start the recorded image on the disk, setting it in the BIOS as the first boot.

In the start window of the bootloader, select first item Dr.Web LiveDisk and press Enter. These actions will start downloading Dr.Web LiveDisk.

After downloading Dr.Web LiveDisk, we will get a full Linux-based operating system. As it was written earlier, the main purpose of Dr.Web LiveDisk is to clean and cure of virus software. Therefore, antivirus is built into this OS. Dr.Web CureIt!. This antivirus is launched along with the OS.

Let's click in Dr.Web CureIt! button Start scan, which will start scanning, cleaning the system and disinfecting viruses.

After verification, Dr.Web CureIt! delete or disinfect infected objects.

Since there will be no more malicious code in the system, you can safely restore the system in three ways, which are described above.

If after checking the system files you cannot restore the Windows 7 system, then the only reasonable solution is to make a full backup of the information and reinstall the system again.

How to make a system image in seven

Another recovery feature in Windows 7 is creating a system image. In this image, you can save all the information on the hard drive, including the operating system. By restoring in this way, you will receive an OS with the same parameters as on the day the image was created.

Run " Control Panel' and go to the tabs ' system and safety», «»

In the window that opens for creating an image, specify the location to save it and click Next.

In the window that appears, it remains only to click the button Archive, which will start the process of creating an image.

You can restore the created image with Windows 7 and all information on local drives using the installation disc. The principle of recovery is shown in the second example, only when choosing a recovery method, you need to select " Restoring a system image” and specify its location on the saved drive.

Alternative methods for restoring the Windows 7 operating system

In addition to the standard recovery methods, there is an alternative software that does the same function. The most interesting solution that allows you to restore the system is the program Acronis True Image 2016. This is a proprietary software package from Acronis.

First of all, let's download and launch Acronis True Image 2016 from the shortcut on the Desktop. When launched, the program will ask for a username and password.

Now let's set up Acronis True Image 2016 so that he can do full disk backup with Windows 7. This setting should be done immediately after installing the OS, so that in the process of using Windows, you can restore functionality from several backup copies of the system created in a certain period of time. So let's get started with the setup. To do this, select the type of storage by clicking on the link "".

In the window that opens, select the storage " Acronis Cloud».

Now let's create a schedule for our backups. To do this, press the button " Options” and go to the storage settings settings. On the first tab, select the schedule you like for creating backups of our system.

As you can see, the entire computer is selected as the backup source. Therefore, in the schedule set by us, a backup copy of the system will be created in the cloud storage " Acronis Cloud».

For an example of recovery, let's take an archive copy not from the Acronis Cloud cloud storage, but from the hard drive. If a backup was created on the computer, then Acronis True Image 2016 he will find her.

So we press the button Repair your computer, after which the program will completely restore the system to the state that it was when the backup was created. Also, if you are unable to start Windows 7 on a computer, Acronis True Image 2016 there is a boot image for this that can be burned to disk.

You can download this image on your account page. You can get a password and login on the official website www.acronis.com. The principle of the bootloader is the same as with the desktop version. Load disc from Acronis True Image 2016 on the computer, you can set it in the BIOS first when booting.

From the example it turns out that the utility allows full control over the creation of PC recovery copies and back up your entire system to the cloud.

Acronis True Image 2016 boot disk example

To start a disc Acronis True Image 2016 when starting the system, you must set the boot mode from the optical drive to the first in the BIOS. For example, for the MSI A58M-E33 motherboard, these parameters in BIOS mode look like this.

Another way to boot is to use hotkeys to call up the BIOS boot drive menu. For example, for the MSI A58M-E33 motherboard, the hotkey is the F11 button. By pressing this button, we will launch a special mode in which, when the system starts up, drive boot menu in BIOS.

After booting from the Acronis True Image 2016 disk, we will get to such a menu.

In this menu, select Acronis True Image 2016, after selection, the program will start.

The example shows that starting the boot disk Acronis True Image 2016 using the desired BIOS mode is not at all complicated.

Summing up

In this article, we have analyzed almost all the methods and parameters system recovery. We also looked at ways to restore the seven with alternative software and with the help of an antivirus. Which way to choose to restore Windows 7 depending on the situation is up to you.

Summing up, I would like to note that they mainly disrupt the operation of the OS viruses and experiments with different illegal software. Therefore, so that you do not have to constantly restore the system, use only proven and licensed software, and also use reliable comprehensive anti-virus protection.

I would also like to note that the considered examples in the material will work not only on Windows 7, but also on more modern operating systems, such as Windows 8 And 10 . And we, in turn, hope that our material will allow you to properly restore Windows 7 and you can say with confidence that I can do system restore.

1. If the system is operational.

On the desktop, right-click on the "computer" or "my computer" icon and select properties,

h then on the right side select system protection.

Attention! Here we can see if this component is enabled and

how it is configured.

If there is no written opposite the specified system drive included, we will not be able to restore the system, but we can enable this feature by clicking on any disk and pressing the button set up, then check the box next to restore system settings and previous versions of files, select a specific space with the slider to be used for recovery files. The more space allocated, the more restore points the system will create. So if your component is enabled, press the button recovery

E if you are satisfied recommended recovery(the date of the computer state corresponds to the time when everything worked for you), click Further, if not, then you need a tab choose another restore point and so on.

In this window, you need to check the box show other restore points and select the desired point. Selected press Further.

Click ready and wait for the end of the process (If you have a laptop or netbook, make sure the battery is well charged, if the charge is low, connect to a power source)

2. If the system does not turn on or a “ransomware banner” pops up when turned on

When booting the operating system, press the key F8, Further