See All Restore Points on this PC in 3 Steps

July 30, 2025 admin

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System Restore can be a lifesaver when something goes wrong with your PC – but it’s only useful if you know how to check if restore points actually exist. Whether you’re troubleshooting a recent driver update or want to roll back changes, this guide shows you how to view all available system restore points quickly.

We’ll cover the easiest methods for both Windows 11 and Windows 10 users.

See Restore Points on your computer

Step 1: How to See System Restore Points Using System Protection

This is the most straightforward and recommended method:

Press Windows + S and type “restore point”.
Select Create a restore point from the search results.
In the System Properties window, make sure you’re on the System Protection tab.
Click the System Restore… button.
Choose Next in the wizard to see a list of available restore points.
Select a restore point and click Scan for affected programs to see what will be changed.

✅ Note: If the list is empty, that means System Protection is disabled or no restore points have been created.

Want to learn how to use System Restore to actually roll back your PC? Check out our guide on how to use System Restore on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Step 2: Use Command Prompt to List Restore Points (Advanced)

If you prefer the command line, here’s how to do it:

Press Windows + R, type cmd, then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run as Administrator.
In the Command Prompt, type the following: vbnetCopyEditvssadmin list shadows
Press Enter.
This will show a detailed list of all shadow copies — which includes system restore points.

ℹ️ The output will include creation dates, shadow copy IDs, and the volume associated with each restore point.

For a deeper look into system restore and its underlying components, see our guide on System Restore.

Step 3: What to Do If No Restore Points Are Listed

There are several reasons why your system restore point list may be empty:

System Protection is turned off – You must enable it manually.
Low disk space – Windows deletes older restore points automatically to save space.
You’re using a new Windows installation – Restore points don’t carry over across major OS changes.

To set up or fix missing restore points, follow this tutorial: Restore point tool for Windows 10

Additional Tip: Create a Restore Point Manually

If you want to create one now for future recovery:

Open Create a restore point via search.
Under the System Protection tab, click Create.
Name your restore point (e.g. “Before graphics driver update”) and confirm.

Learn more in our detailed articles on restore points in Windows 11 and restore points in Windows 10.

Summary: how to view all restore points on your computer

✅ Use System Protection settings to view and select restore points
✅ Run vssadmin list shadows to list restore points via Command Prompt
✅ Enable System Protection to ensure new restore points are created
✅ Manually create a restore point before making major system changes

Final Thoughts

Checking your restore points regularly helps ensure you’re protected against software issues or system misconfigurations. Whether you use the built-in graphical interface or prefer the command line, knowing where to look is key.

Want to go deeper? Read more on how to use System Restore properly or explore tools for managing restore points effectively.

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time).

For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web.

Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they’re looking for.

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