System recovery is a crucial aspect of maintaining the health and functionality of your Windows operating system. It involves restoring your system to a previous state, which can be essential in resolving issues caused by software corruption, malware infections, or faulty updates. In this article, we will explore various methods to perform system recovery on a Windows environment.

System Restore

System Restore is a built-in feature in Windows that allows you to revert your computer's state to a previous point in time. This can be particularly useful if your system becomes unstable after a recent change.

Example: Using System Restore via Control Panel

1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Navigate to System and Security > System.
3. Click on System Protection on the left sidebar.
4. In the System Properties window, click on System Restore.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to choose a restore point and restore your system.

Example: Using System Restore via Command Prompt

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.

2. Execute the following command to launch System Restore:

   rstrui.exe

3. Follow the on-screen instructions to select a restore point and restore your system.

Reset This PC

Windows 10 and later versions offer the "Reset This PC" feature, which allows you to reinstall Windows while keeping your personal files or removing everything for a fresh start.

Example: Using Reset This PC

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Update & Security > Recovery.
3. Under Reset this PC, click Get started.
4. Choose either Keep my files or Remove everything based on your preference.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the reset process.

Advanced Startup Options

Windows provides advanced startup options that allow you to access recovery tools and troubleshoot your system.

Example: Accessing Advanced Startup Options

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Update & Security > Recovery.
3. Under Advanced startup, click Restart now.
4. After your PC restarts, choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options.
5. From here, you can access various recovery tools such as System Restore, Startup Repair, and Command Prompt.

Creating and Using a Recovery Drive

A recovery drive can be used to troubleshoot and restore your system if it fails to boot.

Example: Creating a Recovery Drive

1. Connect a USB drive to your computer.
2. In the search box on the taskbar, type Create a recovery drive and select it from the results.
3. Follow the instructions to create the recovery drive.

Example: Using a Recovery Drive

1. Insert the recovery drive into your PC.
2. Restart your PC and boot from the USB drive.
3. Choose your keyboard layout and select Troubleshoot.
4. Use the available recovery options to restore your system.