Managing Windows Restore Points

Modify the rate at which restore points are created

An operating system like Windows XP is configured to perform a restore point by default every 24 hours ().
A restore point is created if a change in the registry is detected by the system.

In the case you have to add or remove applications regularly (downloading, testing, debugging new software). It is therefore recommended that you optimize the rate at which restore points updated for security constraints.

Below is a simple explanatory procedure of how to configure this setting:-

First of all, open the registry editor by typing regedit in the Run menu and press OK.

Click on: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore.

• In the right table, double click on click on the DWORD entry named RPGlobalInterval.
Modify from Hexadecimal to decimals.

The default parameters are settled to a time laps of 86400 sec (24 hrs). Modify this value dividing it by 2(43200 sec) if you wish to have two restore points. This practice may be very useful in case of system failure.

Note that you can create manually your own restore point (Before installing a demo version of a software for testing purposes)


To perform this setting :

Go to Start menu > all programs > Accessories> System Tools > System Restore .
Then select the option “create a restore point”.


In the text box, enter the description of your restore point (This is very important in view to identify between the different restore points created, the one you created manually and the others default to your system.) It can be the name of the program you are going to install.

At this point, you can roll back from any modifications made from your previous configuration.

Modify the rate at which restore points are deleted

Its true that restore points are very useful, but bear in mind that they also occupy a significant space on your hard disk (depending on the size of your hard disk, a restore point can occupy several gigabytes)


Another constraint of early created restore point after a given period of time no longer work and clutter your hard disk unnecessarily.

It is more practicable to delete your unused restore point to save space on your hard disk. To do this lawful setting, follow below instructions :

In the registry as explained above, double-click on the value DWORD recognized as RPLifeInterval

Enter the restore point lifetime value to 604800 sec to delete if it has more a week lifetime.

Thanks to consider that early created restore point can be deleted manually as per below indication:

Double click on “My Computer” and right click on hard drive and select “Properties”.
Then click on “Disk clean up”.
In the new window, select “Disk Clean Up and other options”.
In the “Other options” press on “Clean” for “System Restore"