How to Individually Delete System Restore Points in Windows 11

System Restore is one of Windows 11’s most useful recovery tools. It captures snapshots of system files, drivers, registry settings, and installed applications so you can roll back the system when something goes wrong. But these restore points can add up over time and take several gigabytes of storage—especially if you create them often or install large updates.

Windows 11 doesn’t offer a built-in button to delete individual restore points through the normal System Protection window. You can only delete all restore points at once. However, there are hidden tools and advanced methods that let you remove specific restore points one by one.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to individually delete System Restore Points using Command Prompt and PowerShell. We’ll also walk you through how to view, manage, and clean up restore points safely.

What You’ll Need

Before making any changes to restore points, make sure you have:

• A Windows 11 PC with System Restore enabled
• Administrator permissions
• A basic understanding of Command Prompt or PowerShell
• A recent restore point you want to keep (optional, but recommended)

Now let’s get to the methods.

How to Individually Delete System Restore Points in Windows 11

Here are the most effective ways to target and remove restore points one at a time.

1. Check Your Existing Restore Points

Before deleting anything, you should list all available restore points.

Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator

1. Press Start, type cmd.
2. Right-click Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.

Step 2: List restore points

Run the following command:

vssadmin list shadows

You’ll see entries containing:

• Shadow Copy ID
• Creation time
• Volume
• Restore point details

These IDs are what you’ll use to remove individual restore points.

2. Delete Individual Restore Points Using vssadmin

The vssadmin tool lets you remove specific restore points using their Shadow Copy ID.

Step 1: Identify the Shadow Copy ID

From the list shadows output, copy the ID that looks like:

{b57dbb47-9e59-4c28-ae54-7b4af6e76045}

Step 2: Delete it

Run:

vssadmin delete shadows /Shadow={PASTE_ID_HERE}

Example:

vssadmin delete shadows /Shadow={b57dbb47-9e59-4c28-ae54-7b4af6e76045}

Press Y when prompted.

This removes that specific restore point while keeping the others intact.

3. Delete Restore Points for a Specific Drive

If you want to delete all restore points on a particular drive but keep others:

vssadmin delete shadows /For=C:

This is useful when only your system drive is full and other drives still have space.

But this deletes all restore points on that drive—not individual ones—so use carefully.

4. Delete Individual Restore Points Using PowerShell (Advanced)

PowerShell offers an alternative method with the Get-ComputerRestorePoint cmdlet, which shows restore points differently.

Step 1: Open PowerShell as Administrator

1. Press Start, type PowerShell.
2. Right-click it and choose Run as administrator.

Step 2: View your restore points

Run:

Get-ComputerRestorePoint

You’ll see:

• SequenceNumber
• Description
• CreationTime
• Restore Point Type

Step 3: Delete the specific restore point

Use the sequence number:

Restore-Computer -RestorePoint <SequenceNumber> -Confirm:$false

However, note that this cmdlet restores to that point, not delete it.

To delete, run:

vssadmin delete shadows /Shadow=<ShadowID>

PowerShell mainly helps you find the corresponding restore point more easily before using vssadmin.

5. Disable and Re-enable System Protection (To Clean Specific Points)

If you only want the newest restore point and want to delete older ones individually, you can use a workaround.

Step 1: Create a new restore point

1. Open System Properties.
2. Select your system drive.
3. Click Create and name it.

Step 2: Delete older restore points

1. Open System Protection tab.
2. Click Configure.
3. Select Delete.

This deletes all restore points, but since you created a fresh one first, you still end up with a single restore point.

Useful when you want a clean restore state.

Tips for Managing Restore Points Efficiently

• Adjust disk usage:
  Go to System Properties > System Protection > Configure and limit disk space.
• Use a schedule:
  Create restore points before major system changes.
• Back up important files:
  Restore points don’t protect documents—use File History or OneDrive for that.
• Remove restore points after Windows updates:
  Large updates can generate heavy restore snapshots.

Important Notes

• Deleting restore points is irreversible—you cannot recover them afterward.
• Always keep at least one recent restore point in case something goes wrong.
• vssadmin requires Administrator access, and typos can delete the wrong restore point. Double-check IDs.
• If you use third-party backup tools, make sure they don’t rely on existing shadow copies.

Wrapping Up

While Windows 11 doesn’t provide a direct GUI option to delete restore points individually, tools like vssadmin give you full control. By listing shadow copies, identifying the right ID, and deleting it through Command Prompt, you can clean up old restore points while keeping the ones you still need.

For most situations, selectively removing restore points helps free up space and streamline your recovery options without wiping your entire restore history.