Windows 11 Point-in-Time Restore Update: A Restart Revealed the Missing Restore Points

After publishing my first look at Windows 11 Point-in-Time Restore, I continued testing the feature on my own Windows 11 system. This follow-up is important because it clears up something that first looked disturbing.

At first, the Point-in-Time Restore settings screen showed only one restore point:

6/30/2026 8:04 AM
10.0.26200.8737

That did not look right.

My settings showed that Point-in-Time Restore was turned on, set to create restore points every 24 hours, and set to retain restore points for 72 hours. Based on that, I expected to see more than one restore point listed.

Since today is July 3, I expected the list to include newer entries, especially from July 1 and July 2.

So I did some digging.

First, I checked the underlying Volume Shadow Copy Service information using the vssadmin command. That showed that Windows had actually created multiple shadow copies, including ones from July 1 and July 2.

That was a very useful clue.

It told me that the restore data appeared to exist underneath, even though the Settings page was not showing everything properly.

I also checked the shadow copy storage information. The system showed:

Used Shadow Copy Storage space: 23.0 GB
Allocated Shadow Copy Storage space: 23.8 GB
Maximum Shadow Copy Storage space: 50.0 GB

That meant storage space was not the problem. Windows had plenty of room left within the 50 GB limit.

Then came the simple fix.

I restarted the PC.

After the restart, the Point-in-Time Restore Settings page finally displayed the expected restore points:

6/30/2026 8:04 AM
10.0.26200.8737

7/1/2026 7:23 AM
10.0.26200.8737

7/2/2026 7:49 AM
10.0.26200.8737

That was the missing piece.

Point-in-Time Restore had been creating the restore points. The problem was that the Settings display had not refreshed properly until after a restart.

This is a useful lesson for everyday Windows users.

If Point-in-Time Restore appears to show fewer restore points than expected, do not panic right away. Restart the PC and check again before assuming the feature has failed.

Also, remember that shutting down and restarting are not always the same thing in modern Windows. A restart often forces Windows to reload and refresh system-level information more completely.

So here is my updated real-world finding:

Point-in-Time Restore did create the expected restore points on my system, but Windows Settings did not show all of them until after a restart.

That makes this feature look more promising than it first appeared, but it also shows why real-world testing matters. A feature can be working underneath while the user interface gives an incomplete picture.

My practical advice remains the same:

Turn on Point-in-Time Restore if your system supports it.
Check that restore points are being created.
Restart the PC if the list looks wrong.
Do not rely on Point-in-Time Restore as your only protection.
Keep backing up your important files.

Point-in-Time Restore may become a very helpful Windows 11 recovery feature, but it is still not a replacement for a real backup.

A recovery feature can help you roll back trouble. A backup helps protect what matters most.

 Stay safe, stay secure, and remember: when Windows looks confused, sometimes the oldest trick in the book still works — restart the computer. 
Created with the aid of ChatGPT
Thanks for tuning in — now go hit that subscribe button and stay curious, my friends!👋