This page explains what System Restore points are, what CCleaner's System Restore tool does, and how to use it. For System Restore instructions, go to Remove system restore points further below.
We have also included some more technical information at the bottom of this page if you need it.
What is System Restore in Windows?
System Restore in Windows takes regular snapshots of system activity and crucial files. If your programs become corrupted or that you want to roll back the system to an earlier date, you can choose a System Restore point (the 'snapshot') to restore Windows to the state it was in on that date.
Why does CCleaner remove System Restore points?
CCleaner removes these to help with your privacy and hard drive space. Essentially, you can stop somebody from being able to restore your operating system and its contents (apps and files) from that point in time. System Restore can also take up space on your hard drive.
Remove System Restore points:
- In CCleaner, select the Tools icon at the left.
- Click System Restore.
- Select the System Restore point in the list that you want to remove. Or, use CTRL+Click to select multiple System Restore points.
- Click Remove. You are prompted to confirm the deletion. Click OK.
- To remove other System Restore points, repeat steps 3 to 4.
Technical details about removing System Restore points:
Notes:
- If you remove a System Restore point, files and software may still be available from an earlier System Restore point.
- You cannot remove the most recent System Restore point for safety reasons. As a result, you cannot select the most recent System Restore point.
Concluding summary:
Instead of disabling Microsoft's System Restore, you can use CCleaner to remove System Restore points (see above). CCleaner can't perform an actual System Restore by itself. Instead, this can only happen through the Windows System Restore tool.
Note: CCleaner removes references to the System Restore points but may not actually remove all files related to each point.
