To make it easier to create a system restore point in Windows 11, you can add the option to your context menu and do it with a few clicks. Here’s how.
Should You Add the “Create System Restore Point” Option to the Context Menu?
If you’re the type of person who constantly makes changes to your PC, then you should definitely add the “Create System Restore Point” option to your context menu. That way, you can just right-click on any empty space on your desktop and select it. When creating a system restore point becomes this effortless, the hope is that you’ll do it more often.
Ideally, you should create a system restore point every time you’re about to make a major change to your Windows machine. For example, if you’re installing new software that can potentially mess up your machine, updating a driver, or tweaking some important settings. That way, if you or a program makes an unintended modification, you can use one of your restore points to roll back the change.
Adding the “Create System Restore Point” to the Context Menu Using a Registry File
The easiest way to create a system restore point using the context menu is to add the option through a Registry file. This file has a .reg file extension, and you can use it to add and edit entries in the Windows Registry.
To create the Registry file in Windows 11, right-click anywhere on your desktop and choose New > Text Document. This will create a text file called New Text Document.txt, so rename it to create-system-restore-point.reg. You will get a prompt telling you that if you change the file extension, you might not be able to use the file, but click Yes since this will turn the text file into a Registry file.
Right-click on the newly-created Registry file and select Open With > Notepad. Now copy and paste the following code into the document you just opened and press Ctrl + S to save it:
Double-click on the Registry file you just created and click Yes on the UAC prompt that shows up. Click Yes again on the warning from the Registry (the file is safe since it’s only adding an entry and not changing any existing ones that Windows needs). You will then get a message from the Registry telling you that the operation was successful, and all you have to do is click OK.
If you want to remove the option from the context menu, you’ll have to create another registry file for that operation. To do that, create another text file on the desktop and name it remove-create-system-restore-point.reg. Then, copy and paste the following code into the Registry file and save it:
Adding “Create System Restore Point” to the Context Menu Using the Registry Editor
Another way to add the option to create a system restore point to the Windows 11 context menu is by directly editing the Registry using the Registry Editor.
To open the Registry Editor, press Win + R, type regedit, and hit the Enter key. Once the Registry Editor opens, head to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT > DesktopBackground > Shell.
The next step is to create a subkey, so right-click on Shell on the left panel, choose New > Key, and name it System Restore Point.
Now you’ll have to create a string value. Right-click on the System Restore Point, select New > String Value, and name it MUIVerb. After creating the string value, it will appear on the right panel.
Right-click MUIVerb and select Modify. Enter Create System Restore Point in the text box under Value data and then click OK.
Next, right-click on System Restore Point again, select New > String Value, and give the new string value the name of Icon. Then, right-click on the Icon, select Modify, and then copy and paste the following in the text box for Data Value:
Click on OK to save the modification to the string value.
Now, right-click on the System Restore Point subkey on the left panel once more, select New > Key, and name it Command. Once created, right-click the (Default) string value (the Registry Editor will create this entry automatically) on the right panel and select Modify. Then, copy and paste the below code in the Data Value text box:
Click on OK.
To complete the operation, restart your Windows 11 computer, and when the PC boots back up, you’ll be able to find “Create System Restore” in the context menu. To remove the option, navigate back to the System Restore Point subkey in the Registry Editor and delete it.
How to Create a System Restore Point Using the Context Menu
Right-click on any empty part of the desktop and choose Show more options. There, you’ll see that the Create System Restore Point option will appear in the context menu.
When you click Create System Restore Point, you’ll get a prompt asking you to let Windows Command Processor make changes to your PC. Click Yes, and Command Prompt will create a system restore point.
Creating a System Restore Point the Easy Way
With the option added to your Windows 11 context menu, creating system restore points should be a breeze. It should also be a little easier to get into the habit of taking these important snapshots of your PC before making a big change.
Should some rogue changes negatively impact your PC’s performance, you can just bust out a recently-created restore point and roll Windows back to a state when where it was working for you perfectly.
