Rollback the Windows 7 system. How to roll back the Windows system

Any modern novice programmer is capable of creating a virus program that causes malfunctions in various types of computers. In these cases, often the only option to solve the problem, with the exception of a full format, is to restore the system through a rollback.

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System restore (rollback) - what is it and when to use it

New installed programs or driver updates sometimes turn out to be incompatible with computer hardware. Each computer owner should be aware of why he carries out certain operations with his operating system, with individual system files or the registry. And as a precaution, it's useful to know how to rollback Windows systems 7.

The usual “littering” of the system also provokes problems with the functioning of the computer.

Viruses of all kinds also do not help improve the operation of the system. If, when working with a computer, the user encounters constant crashes and spontaneous changes in settings, it makes sense that a virus program has appeared, which for some reason was not recognized and eliminated by the antivirus program.

When the computer refuses to work as before, return to previous versions operating system without reinstalling it, it performs the built-in recovery service. If it is active, then Windows itself creates restore points before automatic updates. The user can do the same manually if he decides to take a risk and install some program, update the driver to the latest, change or clean the registry, or make other serious changes to the running system.

Restore point and its creation in Windows 7 manually

Restore point returns the system to a specified point without affecting user files. A correctly operating operating system automatically creates such points on a weekly basis when installing or updating programs, drivers, etc. You can set a different period for creating these points. You can do this yourself, manually.

To create a manual restore point, the user needs to save and close the files and programs he was working with. Then you need to click the “Start” button in the lower left corner of the desktop and write the word “create” in the text field under the list of programs.

A list will appear on the screen in which you need to find the item "create a restore point". In response to its click, the “System Protection” tab of the system properties window will appear. In the text field, the user must write something identifying this point; the operating system itself will automatically add the date and time. Then click the “Create” button.

When the process is completed and a window with a corresponding notification appears on the screen, the user must close all open windows. A Windows 7 restore point has been created.

Preparing for a system rollback

So, the user noticed that his computer was too often freezes, stops listening, slows down, “forgets” settings, etc. Realizing that formatting is too drastic a decision, the computer owner decides to rollback and return the computer system to an earlier and more efficient state.

To do this you need to select best configuration date, which will become the date of the selected restore point. This effective procedure, built into Windows itself, is provided by the function of creating a restore point discussed above.

First of all, it is better to save personal data and archive on a third-party (external) storage device. This is useful if during recovery something does not go as planned and you have to format everything. It is especially important if the archive and OS are located on the same disk.

The next user action before rolling back the system should be to launch a deep scan for virus infection in order to avoid viral interference during the rollback and avoid complete formatting or hardware failure.

How to perform a system rollback on Windows 7

Restoring from under Windows

This option is good when the restore point procedure is enabled and operates successfully.

To roll back the OS a day back, the user clicks the “Start” button in the lower left corner and the input field writes “recovery”, and then selects the “System Restore” program. You can click on “Start”, enter the “control panel” and select “Recovery” there.
In the “System Restore” window that opens, in the lower right corner the user clicks “Next”.
A list of previously created restore points will open that you can roll back to. The computer owner selects the appropriate date, clicks on the inscription so that it is highlighted, and then clicks “Next”.
The OS will open a restore point confirmation window. If everything is as specified and the user has not changed his mind, he clicks “Done”, and then, in response to the warning that appears about the impossibility of canceling the process after it has started, clicks the “Yes” button, confirming his choice.
The operating system will display a window displaying the preparation process and the recovery progress, and then show a message indicating the successful completion of the recovery procedure, which you need to close and then restart the computer.

Perhaps, if the problem is not solved, you will need to repeat the rollback procedure, choosing another, more early date recovery points.

How to roll back Windows 7 system in safe mode

If, as a result of careless user actions or the efforts of a virus program, the computer refuses to boot in normal mode, it makes sense to roll back a day or several ago by logging into Windows via safe mode.

To do this, you should reboot the computer, and then press the F8 key in the top row of the keyboard when turning it on.
The OS will display a window with a black background and offer boot options. You must click on “safe mode” with the cursor, and then press the “Enter” key.
When booting into safe mode is complete, you can rollback as described above, and then reboot the system in normal mode.

How to roll back an OS using a boot disk

When the computer does not want to work either in normal or safe mode, a pre-prepared boot disk with Windows 7.

To do this, you need to install the disk with the system in the drive, and at the moment of turning it on, enter the BIOS by pressing the appropriate key (it is usually indicated on the screen at the very beginning of boot).
Then you should check the box to boot from a CD/DVD drive and boot the computer from it.
If a language selection window appears, select it and click “Next”.
Then you should select the “System Restore” option, select the desired operating system option, if more than one OS is recorded, click “Next” again, select “System Restore” and perform a rollback as described above.

When finished, you should reboot the system and remove the disk. The computer will boot in normal mode as of the selected date.

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Has your computer or laptop started to glitch badly? Or doesn't it turn on at all? First of all, try restoring the Windows 7 OS system. The operation takes 10-15 minutes, but it can really help. Indeed, in this case, the Windows 7 system is rolled back to a couple of days ago, when the PC or laptop was still working perfectly.

This is an operation during which all settings and system files from the created Windows are restored backup copy. That is, if you accidentally deleted important files or changed settings (for example, installed a new driver), and after that the computer began to slow down (or did not turn on at all), then this can be corrected. It's at least worth a try.

Restoring the previous one Windows versions carried out from control points that are created every week, as well as after making any changes (installing or removing programs). Typically, this feature is enabled automatically. Plus you can create control points manually.

There are at least 3 ways:

Windows means;
via safe mode;
using a flash drive with Windows 7.

Let's look at each of them in more detail.

When you downgrade Windows 7, all your personal files will remain in place. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about this.

But there is one nuance here. During recovery, files recorded between today and the day to which you decide to roll back may be lost. Therefore, if you recently (today, yesterday, the day before yesterday, etc.) downloaded important documents onto your PC, it is better to save them to a flash drive. Just in case.

How to return the system back using Windows 7?

The first way to roll back Windows 7 is through the OS itself. But it is only suitable if your PC or laptop turns on. It doesn’t matter if it glitches or freezes, the main thing is that you can load the desktop.

So, do the following:

After this, the Windows 7 system rollback will begin. When the operation is completed, the computer or laptop will reboot and you will see a message that everything was successful.

If this doesn't help, try enabling Windows 7 recovery by selecting a different checkpoint. But in this case, you will need to check the “Select another point” checkbox and click “Next”. And after that, the familiar window from step 4 will open.

Restoring the OS through Safe Mode

If your PC or laptop does not turn on at all, then you can try restoring Windows 7 startup in safe mode. To do this, when turning on (or restarting) the PC, press the F8 key repeatedly until the menu appears. Next, select “Safe Mode” and click Enter.

However, there are some nuances associated with different versions of Windows. Therefore, to avoid any difficulties, I recommend that you read –?

You wait until the computer or laptop turns on, and after that you perform all the same steps as in the previous option. That is, to roll back the Windows 7 system, follow steps 1 to 7 described above.

And the third method: recovery from a flash drive (or disk) with installation files

The disadvantage of this option is that you need to write it to a Windows flash drive, which is on your computer or laptop. And the plus is that in this way you can try to return the Windows 7 system, even when the PC does not turn on and safe mode does not start. That is, this is your last chance.

If you did everything correctly, a window will open with Windows installation 7.

Wait until the procedure is completed and click on “Reboot”. Then immediately pull out the flash drive from the connector (or the disk from the drive), after which the PC should turn on in the usual way.

By the way, restoring Windows on a laptop and computer is the same. So you can try any method you choose.

That's all. Now you know how to roll back a Windows 7 system. I hope one of the 3 methods will work and you will be able to restore the functionality of your PC or laptop.

The method is suitable if the system is stable starts And included the function of creating points without user intervention or there is a backup collected by the system itself.
To start the process, you need to open a special software utility. To run it, use the instructions:

In the window that opens select drive protected against data loss. Usually the volume on which the OS is directly installed is selected.

Afterwards, you need to press the button "Recovery…"

A program will open to restore the previous state of the OS. Click the button " Further" and we see a menu that requires select a point recovery. The menu presents those that were created by the operating system itself.

To see all available rollback points, check the box " Show other restore points»

We follow further instructions and agree with reboot system and the fact that it will be impossible to cancel the restoration in the future. System will reboot and there will be a rollback.

It should be remembered that after the rollback the password, which was in use at the time. To avoid problems with logging in, make sure you have utility password reset. When will it happen return OS to the previous state, the previous points will disappear, but a new one will appear, created immediately before the reset attempt.

Returning original settings

If items recovery are missing, or returning to previous states did not help, then you should try returning the PC to factory condition.

Often, most Windows laptops have this option, regardless of the version; instructions can be found from the manufacturer.

If you are the owner stationary PC with Windows 7 installed, then the method is unlikely to work, since usually in this case the OS requires a disk.

For latest Windows, beginning from the eighth version, you can use the following algorithm:

Open the menu " Options" - Go to the section " Update and Security» — « Restore your computer to its original state» → Button « Begin»

System rollback using disk

This option is suitable if the operating system categorically refuses to start. The disk can be almost any external data storage device, even a USB flash drive.

For creation recovery media you will need to go to control Panel and in the category " system and safety» select the item « Backing up computer data". After that, click on the inscription “ Create a recovery disk". In the new window, select the drive you want to use, then click " Create disk».

Now you will always have the opportunity to fix a system problem without resorting to a complete reinstallation.

Creating an image

This method is also suitable for those who have lost the ability to start the OS, important honors this option from the previous one is that using full image disk, absolutely all user settings, files and applications are restored. Recommended make an image at a time when the PC has all the basic drivers and programs, but no unnecessary software.

To create an image, follow the same instructions as described in the previous method. Just on last stage you should follow the link " Creating a system image«.

In the window that opens offered select a location to save the image. The typical storage location is DVD as it can be used if damaged hard drive, which is very convenient. The best way is to write to network storage, it would be better to use this particular point, since in this case, the probability of losing the image will be reduced to zero.

The recovery itself begins in the following way when the computer is rebooted: “ Diagnostics» — « Extra options» — « Restoring a system image».

An unsuccessful update or a “crooked” installed program can damage the operating system. Fortunately, Microsoft engineers foresaw the possibility of such a development. Since the Millennium version, users have been able to roll back Windows to a stable state.

The System Restore service is designed to create shadow copies of system files. It works automatically, but the user can create a rollback point manually if desired. Windows performs the copy itself in the following cases:

when installing new drivers or programs, if the installer supports working with System Restore;
when restoring the OS from a selected checkpoint;
when installing operating system updates;
according to the schedule, once a week. If another point was created during this time, the task is skipped.

By default, 3 to 5% of disk space is allocated for storing shadow copies, but not more than 10 GB. Settings in different versions The operating systems are almost identical, but there are major differences in how the recovery environment works. Let's look at them using specific examples.

Windows 7

You can access recovery options through the Control Panel. We find the section indicated in the screenshot.

In the navigation area, select “System Protection”.

The properties window opens on the tab we need. Management of the System Restore service is concentrated here. The area indicated by the arrow shows the connected hard drives. There may be several of them in the system. To be able to roll back Windows 7, the service must be started for the disk on which the OS is installed. For others, its work is not critical, since user files are not affected by recovery. Let's look at the available control options.

Settings

At the top of the window we have three parameters. By default, the service is started and running in recovery mode. The middle point is unique in that it is present only in Windows 7. Other than that, it is not interesting in anything else. It is not recommended to use it, since the chances of successful recovery will be significantly reduced. The last item allows you to completely disable protection for the selected disk. The arrow indicates a slider that allows you to adjust the space allocated for shadow copies.

Creation

By clicking on the appropriate button, we start manually creating a restore point. The only thing the user needs to do is provide a name for it.

After some time, the system will issue a notification about the successful completion of the operation.

Recovery

Launch the recovery wizard. The first window is informational. We skip it and go directly to the procedure itself.

By default, Windows will suggest using the last created point. To get a complete list of all available in the system, put a tick in the place indicated by the arrow. Additionally, at this stage, you can view the list of programs that will be affected by the procedure being performed.

The window is divided into two parts. New software versions are displayed at the top, and those to be restored are displayed at the bottom.

Opening full list, we can select a suitable point and roll back the changes several days or a day ago. The choice will depend on how often new software is installed or manual copies are created. Having decided on the desired date, click the “Next” button.

The system will give us brief description selected point and will ask for confirmation.

The last window informs you that the operation must not be interrupted to complete successfully. By clicking on the “Yes” button, we start a Windows 7 system rollback.

The computer will automatically restart and the OS will return to the state we selected.

Windows 7 Recovery Environment

When the PC does not boot in normal mode, you can perform a recovery from the point by going to the Windows RE environment. In Windows 7, for this, at the boot stage we use the “F8” key. Select the item marked in the screenshot.

At this stage, you must select the layout needed to enter the password. To do this, we will use the drop-down menu in the location indicated by the arrow.

Enter the user's password. The input language is not displayed at this stage, so you need to set it in advance.

Select the item indicated in the screenshot.

The wizard we have already discussed will launch, with which you can perform a restore from the point.

The shadow copy and restore procedures take only a few minutes. By spending them, you guarantee yourself the opportunity to return the OS to a working state and will not waste time reinstalling it.

Windows 10

The System Restore function works slightly differently on this system. By default, the recovery service is always disabled. It does not depend on how the installation was performed. In other words, if you update a Windows 7 system in which the service was running, you will still get it in a disabled state. Automatic launch occurs when you receive the first update or when installing software with the MSI installer. This is where trouble awaits those who like to smash HDD into sections. Various kinds of “installation specialists” practice this method to “increase stability.” As a result, the user discovers at the most inopportune moment that it is impossible to roll back Windows 10. The fact is that Microsoft has artificially limited the operation of System Restore on computers with small hard drive capacity. The service starts automatically only when the system partition is larger than 128 GB. To check the current protection status, go to the classic control panel. You can get to it using the “Run” menu by typing “control” in the text field.

We find the familiar “System” section.

In the navigation menu, open the indicated item.

Go to the protection settings by clicking on the indicated button.

We move the switch to the “Enable” position or make sure that the service is running. Using the slider, you can adjust the space allocated for shadow copying.

By creating a checkpoint, we can, if necessary, roll back the Windows 10 system. All other recovery operations in a normally working OS are completely similar to those described for Windows 7.

Windows 10 Recovery Environment

Speed up downloads initial stage has led to the fact that selecting special options using the “F8” key no longer works. Let's look at how to roll back to Windows 10 using the recovery environment. Open a new system parameters menu. Select the marked section in it.

In the navigation area, go to the “Recovery” item. A button indicated by an arrow will appear on the right side of the window. Click on it to restart the computer in Safe Mode.

In the Windows Recovery menu, select the designated partition.

Open additional diagnostic options.

We find the item we need that allows us to roll back to a restore point.

The system will ask us for a password for confirmation. account. After completing this operation, we will get to the desired recovery menu.

In very advanced cases, when the computer cannot boot normally, you will need to use the distribution media. At the initial stage, instead of installing, select the marked item.

As a result, we will again find ourselves in the Windows Recovery menu, only after booting from the installation media. Here we can roll back the system back to a stable state by selecting desired point recovery.

Finally

With a working hardware configuration, you can almost always return Windows to a working state using restore points. To do this, you do not need to use system rollback programs. Most of them are distributed on a paid basis, and paying for duplicating the functionality available in the system is not the best option. The best way spend your money.

Microsoft programmers have provided a convenient opportunity to roll back Windows 7 to the state before the day of the failure.

In what cases is it necessary to roll back Windows 7?

This is a last resort, because... refers to the way the system is debugged. Performed in cases of incorrect installation of applications that led to Windows failure. It often happens that you need to roll back the entire OS due to failures in only one specific software, which does not directly affect the functioning of Windows 7 as a whole, but is a very important utility for the user.

An example of such a program would be a licensed office, which is required for the daily work of the computer owner and, moreover, the purchase of which was spent on financial resources. There can be many such examples. A Windows rollback will entail returning all software to its original state, as it was on the day the restore point was created. The system rollback procedure is not difficult to do, and it does not take a significant amount of time.

The essence of the OS recovery procedure

The rollback principle is based on the operating system creating special restore points. To roll back, the computer owner needs to take several simple sequential steps described below. Carrying out the procedure is not difficult.

Restore points

This is what the saved versions of Windows were called. This process is carried out during the normal functioning of the operating system, which stores its state in memory during normal operation and makes a mark in order to return to it when errors occur.

Step-by-step OS recovery guide

The process does not require the use of specially installed individual applications, since the entire procedure is carried out using Windows 7 tools.

Where to begin?

You will need to do the following:

How to choose a restore point?

After completing the initial four steps, a special menu will appear for the user to determine the OS restore point. In this menu, the algorithm for performing actions is as follows:

When performing the procedure Windows rollback 7, it is not allowed to turn off or restart the PC, otherwise this will lead to the permanent deletion of all information from the system partition, because You may have to completely reinstall the OS.

Conclusion

Using the above guide, rolling back the OS will not be difficult even for an inexperienced user. If the computer owner is not able to do the above steps on his own, then it is recommended to contact customer service.

It should be noted that strict consistency necessary steps There are no things to do when there are no OS restore points. But, when the reason lies in the incorrect functioning of the drivers, it makes sense to take advantage of the opportunity to switch to the latest working version when starting the operating system.