What and why
Point-in-time restore is a built-in Windows recovery feature. It lets users roll a PC back to a previous state in minutes, from the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). Restore points are stored locally. They include:
- Windows OS
- Installed applications
- System and app configurations
- Settings
- Local user files on the OS volume
The feature helps organizations reduce downtime and recover from issues without a full reset, reimage, or rebuild. Relevant issues include problematic updates, driver issues, misconfigurations, or app installations.
Rollout schedule
- Starting with the June 2026 Windows non-security update, Point-in-time restore is generally available for supported Windows 11 devices.
- On managed devices, the feature is off by default until Windows 11, version 26H2. However, you can enable it via policy today.
Impact on your organization
- Once enabled, Windows captures local restore points on a configurable schedule.
- By default:
- Restore points are captured daily.
- Restore points remain available for up to 72 hours.
- Restore points use up to 2% of disk space. Restore points use reserved storage to reduce impact on storage space.
- Restore points are not pre-allocated. They might be removed earlier under storage pressure.
- Volumes outside of Windows OS location aren’t affected.
- You or any user can initiate restoration locally from WinRE with the required BitLocker recovery key.
- Microsoft Intune doesn’t yet support remote restore initiation.
- You can configure the feature using the Point-in-time restore CSP, via OMA-URI policy.
Action required/recommendations
Review your managed Windows device population and decide where to enable point-in-time restore. Managed devices won’t begin taking restore points unless you enable the feature before Windows 11, version 26H2.
Recommended actions:
- Enable point-in-time restore for targeted managed device groups using the associated CSP.
- Configure settings such as restore point frequency, retention, and maximum disk usage.
- Ensure that devices have enough free space for restore points and the restore process.
- Ensure that users and helpdesk teams can access required BitLocker recovery keys.
- Update recovery playbooks, so support teams know when to use point-in-time restore before reset or reimage workflows.
- Communicate that restore reverts the OS volume to its state at the time of the restore point, including local user files. Reinforce storing user data in OneDrive or another cloud-backed location.
Compliance considerations
Organizations should review whether restoring data to an earlier state affects:
- Retention requirements
- Audit workflows
- Endpoint compliance
- Security monitoring
After restoration, validate that required security tools, management agents, compliance policies, and configuration baselines are present and functioning as expected.
Additional information