How to Delete System Restore Points in Windows 10

System protection (if enabled) is a feature that allows you to perform a system restore to bring your PC back to an earlier point in time, called a system restore point. This can be helpful if your PC isn't working well and you recently installed an app, driver, or update.

Each restore point contains the information needed to restore the system to the selected state. Restore points are created automatically when you install a new Windows app, driver, or update, and created when you manually create a restore point. Restoring will not affect your personal files in the% UserProfile% folder, but it will remove installed apps, drivers, and updates after the restore point is created.

When you get a major update or new feature for Windows 10, all restore points are automatically removed during the update as old restore points will not be compatible with the new Windows Update.

To Delete All System Restore Points for a Drive in System Protection Settings

1. Press Windows Key+ R together on the keyboard to open the Run box, type SystemPropetiesProtection in the box, and hit Enter.

2. In the Protection tab in the System Properties window, select the drive from which you want to remove the system restore points and click the Configure button.

3. In the next window, click the Delete button. Click Continue in the prompt that appears next to confirm removal of the system restore points.

4. Click Continue

5. Click Close when finished

6. You will notice that the Current Usage of the selected drive will now be 0 bytes

To delete all system restore points except the most recent one in Disk Cleanup

1. Press Windows Key+ R key together to open run. Type cleanmgr in it.Click OK.

2. It will open the Disk Cleanup window. Click the Clean up system files button.

3. In the next window, you will see a new tab, More Options. Click this tab, and in the System Restore and Shadow Copies options, click the Cleanup button.

4. It will open a confirmation prompt. Click the Delete button on this prompt and all your Windows 10 system restore points will be deleted except for the newest ones.
To Delete All or Specific System Restore Points in Command Prompt

1. Type Command Prompt in the search box, right-click on the result, and click on Run as Administrator to open the Command Prompt with administrative rights.

2. Copy and paste the vssadmin list shadows

3. To Delete Restore Points

Copy and paste the command below you want to use into the elevated command prompt, press Enter

Note: In the above command-line, replace the asterisk mark with any of the following.

/oldest: To remove the oldest restore point.

/all: Delete all of the existing restore points.

/ShadowID: Use this only if you know the exact “ShadowID”.

/quiet: Returns no information after completing the Job.

EX:

Delete All Restore Points on All Drives

vssadmin delete shadows /all

vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet

Delete All Restore Points on Specific Drive

vssadmin delete shadows /For=(drive letter): /all

vssadmin delete shadows /For=(drive letter): /all /quiet

Delete Oldest Restore Point on Specific Drive

vssadmin delete shadows /For=(drive letter): /oldest

vssadmin delete shadows /For=(drive letter): /oldest /quiet

Delete Specific Restore Point using Shadow Copy ID

vssadmin delete shadows /Shadow={Shadow Copy ID}

When prompted, type Y, and press the Enter key again.

There appears a confirmation message if you had chosen any of first-three codes.