Last Updated on October 25, 2026
System Restore points are used in Microsoft Windows to restore your computer to a previous state without affecting personal files. They act as snapshots of system settings, installed programs, registry configurations, and system files at a given time. System Restore is usually not enabled by default but is easy to enable and configure. Once it’s enabled, your computer will automatically create system restore points before installing new software, drivers, or Windows updates that could affect system stability.
You can also create system restore points manually as needed if you plan on making a major change to your computer or testing out some software for example. That way if something goes wrong, you can restore your computer back to the point before you made the changes. System Restore is not to be used as a backup since it doesn’t restore your personal files.
You can delete all of your System Restore points at once directly from the Windows System Properties section. You will need to use a completely different method if you want to delete specific restore points or view their contents. We will show you exactly how to delete or mount specific Windows System Restore points.
Method 1 – Delete Windows System Restore Points Using the Command Line
1. Open the System Restore Tool
If you are the type who prefers to do things via the command line, you will like how easy it is to view and delete system restore points using this method. The image below shows our system restore points when we access them using the Windows System Restore tool. We will use this as a comparison for when we run the commands.
2. List the Shadow Copies
The first command we will run in the terminal is going to be vssadmin list shadows. This command will immediately show the current system restore points along with their specific date, time, and shadow copy ID. You need this exact ID to target a specific snapshot for deletion.
3. Delete the Specific Restore Point
We will now use the second command to permanently delete the selected system restore point from your hard drive. Type vssadmin delete shadows /shadow={Shadow Copy ID} into the prompt. We need to replace that bracketed section with the actual ID from the first command. You can highlight the ID and then right-click it to copy it directly to your clipboard. We will then add it to the command so it looks exactly like the following block of text.
vssadmin delete shadows /shadow={b928f9a6-5de8-480c-a7d2-a663831c0b0e}
4. Confirm the Deletion
You will have to type in Y to confirm that you want to delete the specific shadow copy when you run the command. The system removes the large file immediately.
5. Verify the Removal
Now we can go back to the Windows System Restore tool and view our remaining restore points. We can clearly see that the restore point we deleted from the command line is now completely removed here as well. The terminal process works perfectly.
Method 2 – Delete or Mount Windows System Restore Points Using a 3rd Party Tool
1. Download System Restore Explorer
For our next method, we will be using a free app called System Restore Explorer that can be downloaded here. This software requires .NET 3.5 to run so if your computer does not have .NET 3.5 installed, you will need to install it to run the software. You can download the update here.
2. Launch the Application
You will see that the interface looks very similar to the native Windows System Restore tool once you start the program. Look directly at the bottom of the app window. You will see three distinct command options for Mount, Unmount, and Delete.
3. Mount the Restore Point
We will now mount one of the restore points by selecting it from the list and clicking the Mount button. The app will then automatically open the restore point directly in File Explorer. You can then easily browse through the hidden files and folders.
4. Unmount the Restore Point
You must close the connection when you are done viewing the files in the mounted restore point. Go back to the System Restore Explorer application window. Click on the Unmount button to safely detach the snapshot from your file system.
5. Delete the Restore Point
Now we will permanently delete the restore point by selecting it again and clicking the Delete button. You will then see a popup confirmation box appear on your screen. You will need to click the Yes button to completely remove the restore point from your hard drive.
6. Verify the Final Deletion
You can open the native Windows System Restore tool one last time to check your work. You would once again see that the specific restore point has been successfully removed. Your hard drive now has significantly more free space.
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