Windows 10: Delete System Restore Points in Windows 10

How to: Delete System Restore Points in Windows 10

How to Delete System Restore Points in Windows 10


system restore that takes your PC back to an earlier point in time, called a system restore point. This can be handy if your PC isn't working well and you recently installed an app, driver, or update.

Each restore point contains the necessary information needed to restore the system to the chosen state. Restore points are automatically generated when you install a new app, driver, or Windows update, and generated when you Restoring wont affect your personal files in your %UserProfile% folder, but it will remove apps, drivers, and updates installed after the restore point was created.

When you get a new large or feature update for Windows 10, all restore points will automatically get deleted in the process of the update since the old restore points will be incompatible with the new Windows Update.

This tutorial will show you how to delete all or specific system restore points for drives in Windows 10.

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to delete a system restore point.

Restore points are stored in the hidden protected OS System Volume Information folder in the root directory of each drive you have system protection turned on.



CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Delete All System Restore Points for a Drive in System Protection Settings
• Option Two: To Delete All System Restore Points but the most Recent Restore Point in Disk Cleanup
• Option Three: To Delete All or Specific System Restore Points in Command Prompt
• Option Four: To Delete Individual System Restore Points in CCleaner
• Option Five: To Delete System Image Restore Points in Command Prompt at Boot

OPTION ONE [/i] To Delete All System Restore Points for a Drive in System Protection Settings
1 Do step 2, step 3, or step 4 below for how you would like to open System.

2 Open the step 5 below.

3 Open the step 5 below.

4 Open the step 6 below. (see screenshot below)



5 Click/tap on the System protection link on the left side. (see screenshot below)



6 If prompted by UAC, click/tap on Yes.

7 Under Protection Settings, select a drive (ex: C: ) that you want to delete all restore points from, and click/tap on the Configure button. (see screenshot below)



8 Click/tap on Delete. (see screenshots below)



9 Click/tap on Continue to confirm. (see screenshot below)



10 Click/tap on Close when finished. (see screenshot below)



11 You will notice that the Current Usage of the selected drive will now be 0 bytes. (see screenshots below)








OPTION TWO [/i] To Delete All System Restore Points but the most Recent Restore Point in Disk Cleanup
1 Use step 7 in OPTION ONE of the tutorial below to delete restore points from a selected disk.

How to Open and Use Disk Cleanup in Windows 10









OPTION THREE [/i] To Delete All or Specific System Restore Points in Command Prompt
1 Open an elevated command prompt.

2 Copy and paste the command below in the elevated command prompt, and press Enter.

This will list all shadow copies (restore points) on all drives. You will see the volume drive letter and shadow copy ID number for each one. You will need this information for the steps below.


vssadmin list shadows





3 Do step 4 (all), step 5 (all on drive), step 6 (oldest on drive), or step 7 (shadow copy ID) below for how you would like to delete restore points.


4. To Delete All Restore Points on All Drives
A) Copy and paste the command below you want to use in the elevated command prompt, press Enter, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot below)

(Prompts Y/N to confirm before deleting)
vssadmin delete shadows /all

OR

(Delete without prompting)
vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet





5. To Delete All Restore Points on Specific Drive
A) Type the command below you want to use in the elevated command prompt, press Enter, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshots below)

(Prompts Y/N to confirm before deleting)
vssadmin delete shadows /For=(drive letter): /all

OR

(Delete without prompting)
vssadmin delete shadows /For=(drive letter): /all /quiet

Substitute (drive letter) in the commands above with the drive letter you want. This will be listed as Original Volume: (x: ) from step 2 above.

For example:

vssadmin delete shadows /For=C: /all

OR

vssadmin delete shadows /For=C: /all /quiet









6. To Delete Oldest Restore Point on Specific Drive
A) Type the command below you want to use in the elevated command prompt, press Enter, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshots below)

(Prompts Y/N to confirm before deleting)
vssadmin delete shadows /For=(drive letter): /oldest

OR

(Delete without prompting)
vssadmin delete shadows /For=(drive letter): /oldest /quiet

Substitute (drive letter) in the commands above with the drive letter you want. This will be listed as Original Volume: (x: ) from step 2 above.

For example:

vssadmin delete shadows /For=C: /oldest

OR

vssadmin delete shadows /For=C: /oldest /quiet





7. To Delete Specific Restore Point using Shadow Copy ID
A) Type the command below in the elevated command prompt, press Enter, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot below)

vssadmin delete shadows /Shadow={Shadow Copy ID}

Substitute Shadow Copy ID in the commands above with the actual Shadow Copy ID number of the restore point you want to delete from step 2 above.

For example: vssadmin delete shadows /Shadow={3e351030-9ebd-428c-9ff3-86dca40a7f96}





8 When finished, you can close the elevated command prompt if you like.





OPTION FOUR [/i] To Delete Individual System Restore Points in CCleaner
This option will allow you to remove up to all restore points, but not the most recent restore point.


1 If you have not already, download and install the free CCleaner program.

2 Open CCleaner.

3 Click/tap on Tools on the left side, and click/tap on System Restore in the Tools menu. (see screenshot below step 4)

4 Select one or more listed restore points you want to delete, and click/tap on Remove. (see screenshot below)

You can press and hold the CTRL key and click/tap on restore points to be able to select more than one randomly.





5 Click/tap on OK to confirm. (see screenshot below)



6 When finished, you can close CCleaner if you like.





OPTION FIVE [/i] To Delete System Image Restore Points in Command Prompt at Boot
This option was provided by our member Bree.





1 For how, see: How to Delete System Image Restore Point from System Restore in Windows 10


That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Enable or Disable System Restore in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10
• How to Delete System Image Restore Point from System Restore in Windows 10
• How to Create a System Restore Point in Windows 10
• How to See List of All Available System Restore Points in Windows
• How to Add a 'Create Restore Point' Context Menu in Windows 10
• How to Make a 'Create System Restore Point' Shortcut in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off System Protection for Drives in Windows 10
• How to Do a System Restore of Windows 10
• How to Undo a System Restore in Windows 10
• How to Change System Protection Maximum Storage Size for Drive in Windows 10
• How to Create System Protection shortcut in Windows 10
• How to Automatically Create System Restore Point at Startup in Windows 10
• How to Automatically Create System Restore Point on Schedule in Windows 10
• How to Change System Restore Point Creation Frequency in Windows 10
• How to Add System Protection Context Menu in Windows 10

:)

 

Windows 10 File History Problem

delete restore points here.

Delete System Restore Points in Windows 10

 

Windows 10 1511 November update System Restore not working

I have installed Windows 10 with November update of 1511.

In the previous version of Windows 10 System Restore was working properly.

After upgrading to 1511 version of November update, System Restore points gets deleted after restart. Before restart System Restore points are created manually as well as automatically and are being displayed properly.

After restart all the system restore points gets deleted at the system says that Restore Points are not created.

Please suggest a solution.

Regards.

 

Hello dogpark, *Smile

Those would be restore points from a created system image. Basically, those will only be deleted when the appropriate system image for each one has been deleted.

You can do so by selecting Keep only the latest system image and minimum space used by backup option when managing space for Windows Backup below.

Windows Backup - Manage Space in Windows 10

 

Hi Brink,

I thought perhaps it might have something to do with Windows Backup but have always had the Manage Windows Backup disk space option set to: Keep only the recent system image.

I deleted all the restore points for D: (backup drive) thru System Protection. Don't believe System Restore has ever been on for D: drive. Even tho doing this indicates the Restore points have been successfully deleted the 3.52 GB value always remains.






Then I reran the vssadmin list shadows & vssadmin delete shadows /all





All is good?? - there is only one backup in System Restore now. *Huh





I had to go thru a few gyrations this morning to clear the normal Restore Points I found another poster suggesting almost identical problem = System restore - weird behavior. Thought may be symptom of a larger issue.

Thank you for your assistance once again.

 

That looks good to me for keeping the latest system image set.

It won't hurt anything (other than using more space) if you wanted to have more than one system image available in case needed.

 

You have got System image restore point there, not System restore point. Just so you know.

This. Probably something introduced with last updates causing Windows Backup to act on its own.

 

Hmm...
Well I deleted the last Windows backup, ran another and?? Not sure what I did but the Manage Windows Backup disk space now says:





Two hours ago I verified the checked circle did read "Keep only the latest system image"? That explains the additional 5GB, somehow I altered that setting. Chalk it up to operator error. OH well, if you don't break it?
Sorry for wasting your time.

Thank you

 

It was no waste of time if it helped. *Smile

 

Hi There.. Great post.. however it says "will show you how to delete all or specific system restore points ".. But i ONLY shows how to delete ALL (or all except very latest) .. I want to SELECTIVELY delete (e.g. keep the last 2 or 3).. How do I do that.. anyone know?

Thanks, Keith

 

Hello Keith, and welcome to Ten Forums. *Smile

Step 7 in Option Three and Option Four allows you to delete specific restore points. Option Four is easier to use.

 

Bonjour,

Thanks for this helpful tutorial

Here is my small problem




The second disk (F) has been used on an another computer and I try to have it clean
I would like to delete definitively the shadows storage as explained here
Is it a syntax issue ? still testing

 

Hello @D4ni3l, *Smile

The command should be this below from step 5 in Option Three in the tutorial to delete all shadows on F. The delete shadowstorage command option is no longer available in Windows 10.

vssadmin delete shadows /For=F: /all /quiet

 

no success !
I also deleted "System Volume Information" on F: (with Ubuntu) : no success

 

As a test, see if toggling system protection on and off for the "F" drive may delete the storage space.

Turn On or Off System Protection for Drives in Windows 10 Windows 10 Performance Maintenance Tutorials