Η System Restore or System Restore is a highly useful utility to "restore" Windows to a previous state, removing any system changes that may have caused a problem.
Sometimes, however, the problem can be so serious that your computer does not start normally, which means you cannot run System Restore from Windows.
If you are in this position you can start your system in safe mode to access the command prompt, from where you can run System Restore with a simple command.
The System Restore command is the same for all versions of Windows, so the same command will run equally well on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista and XP:
Open the command prompt in any of the following ways:
In Windows Search, search for cmd and the black icon of the application will appear,
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press the two keys Win + R together and in the box of RUN that will open type cmd.exe and press Enter.
When you open the utility type the following command and then press Enter:
rstrui.exe
In some versions of Windows, you do not need to add the .EXE extension at the end of the command.
The System Restore Wizard will open immediately. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete System Restore.
Be careful with fake rstrui.exe files
As already mentioned, the System Restore tool runs from the executable rstrui.exe. This tool is in the folder:
C: \ Windows \ System32 \ rstrui.exe
If you find another file on your computer called rstrui.exe, it is very likely that it is a malicious program that is trying to deceive you.
Do not use any other program that is supposed to be System Restore. Still looks like the real exe, but you will probably be asked to pay to restore your files or suggest you buy something else.
Also note that fake System Restore applications may use slight spelling mistakes to make you think they are real. For example you might notice some replacement of i with a lowercase L, so the name becomes rstrul.exe, or you may notice the addition or subtraction of a letter (eg the restructi.exe file or the rstri.exe file).
