How to perform a system rollback to a specific date. Rollback - what is it? How to perform a system rollback on Windows

When you launch your personal computer every day, you inevitably bring something new to it. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re just surfing the Internet or installing new programs. After all, by visiting any web page, you may well catch a virus there or install, without knowing it, a malicious program. Today we will talk about how to roll back Windows XP.

Forewarned is forearmed

A fairly well-known saying takes on a very clear and specific meaning in the context we are considering. Remember, there is only one way to restore your system, and it requires mandatory preliminary preparation. This tool is a utility built into the OS. But in order to use it to return the computer to its previous state, you need to make sure in advance that such a point exists. Many users find that the system takes up a lot of hard drive space. This is partly true, but all discontent disappears at once when a situation arises in which restoration may soon be required. Therefore, before rolling back the Windows XP system, let's clarify how to create a restore point.

Starting position

As already mentioned, we will need to create a specific starting point to which we would like to return our computer if it breaks down or becomes infected with a virus. Of course, you can choose when to install the OS on your computer, but what's the point if it would be easier to reinstall the entire system?

So, to create a restore point, do the following. Go to the "Start" menu - "Programs" - "Accessories" - "Utilities". There, select the item In the interface that opens, select creation and wait until the computer completes the entire operation. Now you will have somewhere to return in case of problems with your computer.

If you are a user of a newer generation OS, for example, Windows 7, then you should not be concerned about this point in the question of how to roll back the system. Windows XP, unlike Windows 7, does not create copies automatically and during installation does not include the automatic creation of such backup states.

Recovery

Finally, we got directly to the question of how to roll back Windows XP. To do this, you will need to repeat all the steps indicated in the previous paragraph, with the exception that you will need to select the “Restore the computer to an earlier state” sub-item in the program itself. In this case, you will be offered a list of all available states over the past time. How to roll back Windows XP? You need to choose the appropriate state. By default, the most recent available position will be highlighted in bold. Having selected the required item, click “Next” - “Finish”.

In fact, no one knows what guides a personal computer when restoring a system. He can remove installed programs, or he can leave them. Your recent photos will disappear... Or they won't. Anyway, don't forget to back up your files. This, by the way, is another way to roll back the system. Windows XP Professional allows you to use third-party utilities to save the system state.

Independent programs

There are many programs designed both for saving some of your computer files and for creating images of hard drives as a whole. For example, "Acronis". By saving data with it, you can reinstall the entire system at any time, and then restore the contents of your hard drives.
Special Of course, with their help it is impossible to restore the system to its true value, but it is very possible to return some files. It is recommended to use File Rescue Pro.

System disk

If you still have the installation disk of your operating system, you can perform a system recovery using it. To do this, insert it into the drive and restart the computer from the disk. The operating system installer screen should appear in front of you. How to roll back the system? Windows XP itself suggests a solution. At the bottom of the screen we see the inscription “R - restore”. Click the corresponding button.

The computer will search for installed operating systems. After this, a menu will appear in which you must select the system to be restored. We indicate the OS we need to restore, enter its number and press Enter.

After that, enter the password, if necessary, and proceed to recovery. To do this, we need to enter the command to restore Fixmbr partitions. We confirm the action. Then we need to restore the boot area with the Fixboot command. After that, enter exit and reboot.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that if you are looking for instructions on how to roll back a Windows XP system via BIOS, then know that this is in no way possible. Any changes you could make using the BIOS will not directly affect the OS. The maximum that can be advised is to remove the coin cell battery from the motherboard. In this case, all BIOS settings will be reset, the computer password will be lost, and some recent changes will disappear.

So, you bought a computer and decided to immediately try it out. But then suddenly some kind of problem occurs and the system stops starting. This is where the question comes to mind: “How to do it on Windows 7?” The answer is quite simple. But first, let's talk about when it's actually necessary to perform and why it might be required.

Why does this happen?

In general, there are many reasons for all kinds of failures that may require a rollback of Windows 7. Let's look at the most common of them.

The first is the user's "crookedness". Particularly curious people love to dig into the Windows folder, which stores system data. If you remove them or somehow fix them, then the first time you reboot the computer will stop working.

The second is viruses. They, as a rule, are the main reason for the question: “Windows 7?” Various Trojans and worms penetrate your operating system and “clean up” the Windows folder. Therefore, you need to be careful when working with the Internet.

System Tools

The first way to answer the question: “How to roll back the system to Windows 7?” - This is recovery using system means. Typically, this method works well when viruses have not damaged important system files.

Before you roll back Windows 7, check your computer for viruses. If there are any, it is best to clean the system and only then get down to business. When the process is complete, recovery can be carried out.

To answer the question of how to perform a system rollback in Windows 7, go to the Start menu. There, find "Standards". Go to the "Service" tab. All you need to do next is select Windows 7." Now a window should pop up in which you will need to select the date to which you want to rollback. Click "Next" and wait until the computer reboots.

In order for you to complete this process, you need to ensure that your system creates a feature that is enabled by default. You can use special programs that allow you to make these points yourself.

Discs

In order to fully understand how to roll back the system to Windows 7, let's continue our study. Sometimes there are cases when system tools turn out to be useless. More precisely, the computer does not even log into the OS. Then special resuscitation disks come to the rescue.

If you cannot log into the system, then you will need any LIVE CD or a so-called resuscitator. Turn on your computer and insert the media. In the BIOS, set the boot priority to “reading CD-Rom”. Next, it will be easy for you to figure out how to roll back the system to Windows 7.

You will just need to follow the instructions that appear after launch. You will see a window in which you will be given a choice of the date to which the “OS” will be rolled back. Once the day is selected, just wait for the process to complete. You can use your computer again.

Installation

So, if you are still wondering how to roll back the system to Windows 7, you can try one more method. To do this, you will need an installation disk with the operating system.

Insert the disc and run the usual installation. Once you see the welcome window, pay attention to the inscriptions in the lower left corner. There is a small line there that you will need. It's called "System Restore".

Click on the inscription and a long menu will open in front of you. It will offer you different methods of rollbacks. In order to successfully complete the case, you will need to "Restore using previous system states." Click on the "Next" button. A window will appear in which, as usual, you need to select the date to which the OS will roll back. The computer may restart several times. Eventually, you will be able to use your computer again.

Stalemate

But there is also an extreme method of dealing with computer failures. The fact is that all recovery tools work properly until something really serious happens to your system. In case of major damage or viruses, only extreme methods will help. This is a system reinstallation.

In order to reinstall the operating system, first of all, get the installation disk. You can download it or buy it in the store. After this, you need to set the BIOS to boot from disk. Insert the media into your computer and then reboot.

Wait for the initial window to load. Here you can select "Recovery" and "Reinstallation". If the first option does not help, choose the second. Next, select the “construction” method: clean installation and over the old system. It is best to choose a clean one. It will help save space and remove viruses. Next, select the disk where the OS will be installed and start the installation. Wait for it to finish. Attention, the computer will reboot about 3 times during the process!

If the user has some kind of problem with the computer (which usually happens as a result of recent changes in the OS or a virus infection), there is no need to rush to reinstall it. The first, and often helpful, action is to perform a Windows 7 system rollback. What does this mean? This means returning to the previous state of the OS and restoring its settings and system files to the time when there were no failures in the computer.

Rollback points

Rollback points (TO) or in another way restore points (TV)- this is what the Windows 7 system is rolled back from in the event of any malfunctions in its operation. Everyone can ask where they come from. And they are created in two ways:

They are created automatically by the operating OS itself;
They are created by a person who cares about the “healthy” state of his computer.

The OS independently creates TV when critical changes are made to the OS, for example, when installing new software (programs and drivers).

This process cannot be controlled, so further we will consider only the actions of a reasonable user to maintain the working state of his computer.

User receiving TV

Any person who is thinking about preserving the performance of their pet should be advised to create new TVs in the following cases:

Before installing any new software;
Before changing critical OS parameters (for example, operating modes of audio and video drivers, changing BIOS settings, etc.);
Before editing the OS registry;
Before cleaning the OS by any of the programs that perform this action.

To create a TV (both your own and automatic), you need to perform a number of steps.

Click “Start”, right-click “Computer”, then “Properties”, then “System Protection”, a window like this appears:

This is a multifunctional window with which you can manage both the creation of a TV and the restoration from a previous maintenance. The first thing you need to do is make sure that the protection function is enabled on the system disk, that is, the ability to receive maintenance and TV and restore from them. If it is not enabled, you will have to click “Configure” and in the pop-up window specify the disk for which this protection function is needed and the size of the area allocated on it for creating TO.

Creating a TV in this window is done by clicking “Create”, and the following window appears:

in which you need to give a description of the TV being created (for example, “Before reinstalling the AUDIO driver”) and click “Create”. After a short time, the OS will finish receiving TV and display a corresponding message in which you need to click “OK”.

The total size of such points is difficult to predict (especially if they are created automatically), so you should set the size of the TV area within reasonable limits, for example within a few GB, depending on the total size of the OS boot disk.

Rollback to previous state

This action is performed in the same window in which the TV was created, only now you need to click the “Restore” button. When you click it, a window appears:

which contains a list of previously created TVs. Usually in this list there is only one automatic TV created by the OS. To see a complete list, you should check the “Show other recovery points” checkbox in this window. After this, a complete list of them will be displayed, which is shown in the figure.

In this window you need to select the appropriate TV and click “Next”. Then the system will restore its state with the specified TV, reboot and display a message confirming the completion of the completed task, which should be answered by clicking “OK”.

Other recovery methods

There are several other ways to solve this problem:

If the OS does not boot and it is impossible to roll back using the method already described, then this can be done by booting into safe mode;
Use TVs created by third-party programs, for example, Acronis True Image Home, but this requires installing it and running this program to create another TV. This will take some time, depending on the speed of the system.

There are different ways to deal with errors and malfunctions in the system. But if the damage to the operating system is too serious, performing a rollback may be the only correct solution to the problem.

Preparing to downgrade Windows 10

Before returning to a previous version of Windows, you should complete a number of preparations. They are required specifically when rolling back to an older version of Windows; when returning to a restore point, these actions will not be relevant. It is worth taking care of the following points:

ensure a stable connection to the Internet - in some cases, files must be downloaded from the network during a rollback. This means that without a constant and stable Internet connection, you will not be able to roll back Windows to a previous version. However, if you perform all actions using a system image or files remaining after installation, then an Internet connection will not be required;
prepare drivers before rolling back - if new versions of Windows are able to download drivers for the equipment independently from the Internet, then in an older version you will have to do this manually. Of course, you can download most of the drivers after installation, but without a network card driver you will not be able to access the Internet. This means that you should download it in advance and save it to a portable drive;
make sure that the device's power supply is stable - if we are talking about a laptop, be sure to connect it to a power outlet during installation. If the battery dies during a rollback, a number of problems may arise;
save valuable files - despite the fact that the rollback is performed without formatting the system, there is a risk of losing files if problems occur. It's better to play it safe and save your most valuable data to a flash drive. In addition, please note that you will have to reinstall all games and programs if the version of Windows changes.

When you are done with all the preparatory steps, you can proceed directly to the system rollback.

Downgrade Windows 10 to an earlier version of Windows

Returning to the previous system from Microsoft is important if you installed a build curve or you simply didn’t like Windows 10. Within thirty days after installing the system, you can perform a rollback. It’s worth clarifying here that if you installed Windows 10 over Windows 7, then you will return to it. The same is true for Windows 8. That is, when you roll back, you will not be able to directly select which version of the operating system you want to return to. Do the following:

Files for restoring the previous operating system are stored for no more than a month. After this, the current function will be unavailable.

Rollback Windows 10 after a month

The monthly limit is given for a reason. This is how long files from the previous version of Windows are stored on the hard drive. After this period, the only way to roll back to your previous Windows is to reinstall Windows using the installation ISO image. However, there is a little trick that allows you to extend the specified period and roll back after a month.

Increasing the possible time limit for rolling back Windows

If you are not sure that you will be able to make the decision to roll back within a month, or you just want to play it safe and leave the possibility of returning for the future, it is worth taking some measures in advance. All actions must be completed before the thirty day period expires. First you need to change the file display settings:

After these manipulations, folders with old Windows data will become visible:

$Windows.~BT;
$Windows.~WS;
Windows.old.

These folders are located in the root of the Windows system drive. You need to hide them from the system: to do this, just change their name in any way convenient for you. Due to the name change, the system will not be able to detect this data and it will not be deleted after the thirty day period. In the future, if necessary, simply return the standard names and rollback.

Rollback Windows 10 using bootable media

To roll back Windows after thirty days you will need:

image of Windows 7 or Windows 8, respectively. You can download it from any site convenient for you, but make sure that it is a clean image and not a modified one. It is not recommended to use versions of Windows that have been subject to changes by users, if only because of their unreliability;
activation key. It is not necessary to complete the rollback, but sooner or later you will need it to fully use the system;
the drive itself - a flash drive or DVD - for recording an image before installation;
a program for creating a bootable drive - for the purposes of this article we will use the Rufus program, since it is very easy to use and requires virtually no user interaction.

We'll look at the installation process using the example of going back to Windows 7. Once you've got everything ready, do the following:

Insert the flash drive into your computer and run the program.
Select your drive in the first line of the program.
Select the drive where you want to burn the operating system
Find the line “Create a boot disk” and check the box there. After that, click on the picture next to it and select the operating system image.
Click on the disk image and select the operating system image
Set the partition recording scheme to GPT.
Select GPT as partition scheme
Burn the image to the USB flash drive. Then close Rufus and restart your computer.
During the reboot, you need to open the Boot Menu to select the drive. A button will appear on the screen to help you do this. Usually this is the F11 or F12 button.
In the Boot Menu, select your drive to begin installation from it.
In the Boot Menu, specify the drive on which you burned the Windows image
Select your system language and keyboard layout at the beginning of the installation process. Enter the required information or leave the default ones. Click Next.
Enter your operating system information and click “Next”
On the next screen, simply click on the “Install” button.
Click on the “Install” button
In the next window, select the installation type. Click on "Update" because you need to replace the operating system and not format the drive. If you select the “Full” installation, you are guaranteed to lose all your data, be careful.
Select "Update" to replace your operating system
Select the disk partition to install Windows on. The main thing is that it has about twenty gigabytes of free space. You won’t need as much for installation, but it’s better to always leave a reserve for the correct operation of the system.
Select a disk partition that has enough space to install Windows
Wait for Windows 7 to finish installing instead of your current operating system.
Wait for the installation to finish
Once the installation is complete, make some important settings. Enter a username and, optionally, a password for your account.
Create an account to use your computer
Then enter your operating system key. Or you can click “Skip” and activate later.
Enter your Windows activation key if you have one, or click Skip
Check the time data and current date.
Enter your time zone, current date and time
Complete system setup. The system rollback has been successfully completed.
If you see the desktop, the rollback to an older operating system was successful

Video: how to return from Windows 10 to the previous version of the operating system

Rollback Windows 10 using Command Prompt

Windows 10 Command Prompt won't let you go back to a previous version of the operating system, but it can help you restore your current version by rolling back the state of certain files to their original state. To do this, you will also need to burn a bootable disk with the exact version of Windows 10 that is installed on your computer. Refer to the instructions in the previous section if you have problems with this step. Then do the following:

To restore, simply enter one or more of the following commands:

fixboot - will repair the Windows boot utility;
bootcfg /rebuild - will restore a damaged operating system boot file;
cd repair copy SYSTEM C:\windows\system32\config - will repair the settings of your operating system and return them to the default value;
copy J:\i386\ntldr C:\ - will restore correct reading of Windows files necessary for operation. Moreover, in this command, instead of the letter J there should be the letter of your CD/DVD-ROM itself, and instead of the letter C - the system drive.

After this, your computer should at least turn on and load the operating system. But if you want to fix other problems, you should perform a full system scan for errors:

Wait until the files are scanned. To replace damaged or missing data, you must also have a boot disk inserted for your current operating system.

This method will restore the functionality of all key services by rolling them back to their initial value.

Rollback Windows 10 using restore points

A restore point is created by the user if necessary, usually before installing important programs. Such “points” are necessary to quickly return the system state to its original form. Roughly speaking, during the process of their creation, all files important for the operation of the system are copied. Therefore, an up-to-date restore point, on the one hand, will help you fix damaged files or lost settings, and on the other hand, it will allow you not to roll back too far, once again risking losing data.

Before using or adding new recovery points, you need to make sure that this feature is configured correctly. To do this:

Press the Win + X keyboard shortcut and select Control Panel.
Press the Win + X key combination and select “Control Panel”
Find the “System” item and open it with a mouse click.
Open the "System" section in the "Control Panel"
And then go to the additional system parameters section by clicking on the corresponding button.
Open advanced system settings on the left side of the window
In this window, go to the “System Protection” tab and select your system drive. Then open its settings.
Select your system drive and click the “Configure” button
Make sure the “Enable system protection” checkbox is checked, and then specify how much space on your drive is allocated for protection. The space you choose determines exactly how many recovery points you will store and, as a result, how far you can go back using this service.
Set the switch to the “Enable system protection” position and set the required disk space
Accept the changes.

Adding new restore points

Before you make any major changes to your computer, you should create a new restore point. This is done as follows:

Rollback to a restore point

There are several ways to return to a restore point.

Through "System Restore"

The "System Restore" utility is located in the "Recovery" section of the "Control Panel":

Run the System Restore utility.
Open the "Recovery" section in the "Control Panel"
The program will prompt you to roll back one step to the nearest created restore point. Either leave the setting at this point and use it, or put a checkmark on the line “Select another recovery point.” Click Next.
Click the Search for Affected Programs button to see what changes you have made since creating this point. Be sure to review them to ensure that nothing important is deleted.
You can choose the optimal point by studying the time of its creation and the programs it concerns
Reset your computer. If this helped you solve your problem, then nothing more is needed. If the system still fails, then you should select an earlier one as a recovery point.

Through a special menu

Another option is to perform a system rollback through a special menu. To do this, do the following:

Expand the Windows 10 notification window in the lower right corner of the screen.
Open your operating system settings.
Open "All Settings" Windows in the "Notification Panel"
In Windows Settings, go to Update & Security
Open the Recovery tab and select Custom Boot Options.
Find "Custom boot options" and select the option to restart your computer
Enter OS Diagnostics and select System Restore.
Select System Restore as the reboot method
Select from which point the rollback should be performed.

Via "Command Line"

The last option for rolling back to a restore point involves using the command line. The advantage of this method is that in case of serious problems with the computer, you can use it before the system boots:

Video: Rollback Windows 10 using a restore point

Returning Windows 10 to its original state

To get a clean system, you previously had to completely reinstall it and format the disk. But in Windows 10 it is possible to return the system to its original form by rolling back all changes after installing the system itself. All installed programs and games will need to be reinstalled.

To reset the system, follow these steps:

Open Windows Settings through the Start menu or Notification Panel.
Go to the "Update and Security" section.
To reset Windows to its original state, click “Start” in the “Recovery” tab
In the action selection window, indicate whether, when you roll back the system to its original state, you also need to delete all files and data. If you select “Remove everything,” then after the reset you will only have the installed operating system.
Specify whether files should be retained during reset
In the last window of the program, you need to familiarize yourself with the specified data and click on the “Reset” button.
Review the information and click "Reset" if you are satisfied with the settings
Wait for the process to complete and Windows 10 will return to its original state.

Video: how to reset Windows 10 to factory settings

Programs for rolling back Windows 10

Sometimes it is worth using programs to roll back Windows 10 to previous versions, since, for example, there is an annoying bug in which, even if the thirty-day period has not expired, the rollback to previous version button does not work.

Rollback Utility

This program will allow you to easily use the files of the old system on your hard drive to perform a rollback. It is very simple to use, but it is distributed as an image and requires writing to the boot drive for it to work correctly. This article has already indicated how to do this.

The rollback process in the Rollback Utility program occurs without user intervention

The main advantages of this program:

the rollback process is very simple - the program itself determines the versions of Windows to which a rollback is possible;
accessibility - the program is distributed on the official website for free;
saving files - when rolling back, the program saves the files of your current OS. This means that in case of failure, you can always return everything as it was.

Windows Repair

The difference between this program is that it will not help you return to your previous operating system, but it will solve many other problems. It allows:

reset your operating system to its original form;
roll back registry edits and other changes to system files;
fix various errors;
restore the system.

The program has a paid version, but the free version will also be sufficient to perform system recovery. As a result, this is an excellent solution for both experienced users and beginners.

With Windows Repair you can restore every element of your computer

Errors during system rollback and ways to fix them

If the ability to restore the system has failed, the buttons are not active, or the rollback process simply does not work, using safe mode will help. To do this:

Safe mode loads only the services necessary to repair your computer. It is not suitable for full operation of the device.

System rollback hangs

If the system rollback freezes during the process, try the following options:

select an earlier point for recovery - this will be useful if the error already existed at the time when you created the rollback point or if the recovery point is damaged;
try to rollback through safe mode;
reset the system to its original settings if “softer” rollback methods do not work;
Reinstall the system if a reset is not possible.

If the problem is damage to system files, you should scan the system via the Command Line. To do this, enter the command “sfc /scannow”.

Another option is to restore the system from the boot drive:

How to return to Windows 10 after a downgrade

If you downgraded Windows 10 and later regretted it, you don't have many options. If the rollback was done using system methods, then you should reinstall Windows 10. To do this, you will need to use the utility from the official Microsoft website.

If you performed a rollback using Windows 10 Rollback, then the files of your operating system were saved, and you can return to it through the same program. To do this, after recording the program to the drive, do the following:

Restoring the system, as well as rolling it back, allows you to fix certain problems. And if you create restore points in time and know how to use all the necessary capabilities to restore system files, then you will not be afraid of any problems with Windows 10.

System rollback Windows 7 is a standard recovery procedure that allows you to return a working configuration in the event of software errors. When you use this tool, you return the system to a state where it was working correctly; all changes made after the selected restore point are lost.

System rollback in Windows environment

Before we begin to figure out how to roll back a Windows 7 system, it is necessary to note important factor: To perform this procedure, you must have the checkpointing feature enabled.

To activate the recovery function:

The more space you allocate for recovery points, the more options you will have for system rollback. However, there is no need to be zealous, because you are taking up free space on the hard drive.

If the feature was enabled before (it is always enabled by default), then you can rollback to a previous working configuration:

A warning will appear on the screen that the recovery process cannot be stopped. Click Yes to continue and wait for the computer to restart.

Users often ask how to roll back the system to a day ago. This can be done if a control point was previously created for this date. If there is no restore point, then it will not be possible to return yesterday’s configuration.

Using Safe Mode to Roll Back the System

Now let's see how to roll back a Windows 7 system if it stops working correctly: for example, . In this case, “ ” will help you, which launches in the menu for selecting boot options ( - F 8 immediately after turning on the computer).

The desktop in safe mode will have a slightly different appearance from the usual one, since all visual effects will be disabled. However, you can find the “System Restore” function and use it in the same way as when you normally boot Windows - through the “Start” menu.

If Windows refuses to boot even in safe mode, you can roll back the system to a specific date using installation media. You can find out more about this procedure in the article about. In this case, system rollback is carried out according to the same scheme: you find a suitable checkpoint and return the computer to a working configuration.