How to Restore Laptop From Backup | Step-by-Step Tutorial for Beginners

Preface

Restoring a laptop from a backup can save you from system crashes, corrupted files, malware attacks, or accidental data loss. Windows offers multiple backup and recovery tools, and each method works best in different situations. This guide explains how to restore a laptop using those tools including File History, Windows 7 Backup and Restore, System Image Recovery, and the manufacturer’s recovery partition.

By understanding when to use each option, you can choose the right method and successfully bring your laptop back to a working state. Now, let’s explore each of these methods in detail.

1. Restore A Laptop From File History Backup (Personal Files)

File History is a built-in backup feature in Windows that automatically saves copies of your important files to an external drive or network location. If your laptop encounters personal data loss (like documents, pictures, videos, downloads and more) due to system errors, or accidental file deletion, you can use File History to restore them.

When to Use File History

• You want to restore deleted or recover overwritten files.
• Your Windows system must still boot normally.
• File History should have been previously turned on.
• The lost files or folders were added to the backup before loss.

How to Restore Files Using File History

Step 1. Press "Win + S" on your keyboard, type "Control Panel", and press "Enter".

Step 2. Navigate to "System and Security → File History", then click "Restore your files with File History".

Step 3. Browse through your backed-up folders or use the "search bar" in the upper-right corner to quickly find the file or folder you need.

Step 4. Click to select the file(s) or folder you want to recover, then press the green "Restore" button. This will restore the item(s) to their original location.

To restore to a "different location", right-click the selection and choose "Restore to..." to specify your preferred destination.

2. Restore Laptop From Windows 7 Backup and Restore (Personal Files)

Windows 7 Backup and Restore is a built-in utility that allows you to create system images or back up your important personal files to an external drive or network location. If your laptop experiences data loss, system corruption, or accidental deletion of files, you can use this feature to recover your system or individual files from a previously created backup. This section shows how to recover personal files from this tool. To restore system from the created image, scroll down to the next part.

This legacy feature is still available in Windows 10 and Windows 11 despite being labeled "Windows 7" in its name.

When to Use Windows 7 Backup and Restore

• You need to restore your entire system to a previous status from a system image backup.
• You want to recover specific files or folders from a file backup.
• Your laptop can still boot into Windows normally or via recovery media.
• You have previously set up and scheduled backups using Windows Backup and Restore.

How to Restore Using Windows 7 Backup and Restore

Step 1: Open Control Panel, select "Backup and Restore (Windows 7)" in "System and Security".

Step 2: In the Backup and Restore window, click "Restore my files" to recover personal files, or select "Restore all users' files" if applicable.

Step 3: Browse or search for the files or folders you wish to restore from your backup. You can navigate through folders or use the search function to locate items.

Step 4: Select the files or folders you want to recover, then click "Next".

Step 5: Choose whether to restore them to the original location or a different folder, and confirm to begin the restoration.

3. Restore Laptop From a System Image (System and Personal Files)

A system image created through Windows Backup and Restore captures a complete snapshot of your entire system—including the operating system, installed applications, drivers, and personal files—allowing you to restore your laptop to the exact state it was in at the time the backup was made.

When to Use a System Image

• Your laptop fails to start normally and cannot enter Windows.
• You need to recover the entire system after severe malware infection or system corruption.
• You want to restore all data and settings after replacing a hard drive or migrating to a new device.
• You have previously created a system image backup using Windows Backup.

How to Restore Using a System Image

Step 1: Boot your laptop from a Windows installation media or recovery drive. On the setup screen, select your language and click "Repair your computer".

Step 2: Navigate to "Troubleshoot" → "Advanced options" → "System Image Recovery".

Step 3: Windows will automatically detect the latest system image available. If multiple images exist, select the appropriate backup and click "Next".

Confirm the restore settings and target drive, then click "Finish" to begin the system restoration process.

4. Restore Computer from System Restore Point (System Setting)

System Restore periodically creates restore points—snapshots of system files, registry settings, and installed applications—without affecting personal files. When system instability, driver conflicts, or software errors occur, you can use System Restore to revert your computer to a previous stable state.

System Restore Point vs. System Image: Quick Comparison
Feature	System Restore Point	System Image
What it backs up	System files, registry, drivers, and installed programs	Entire system drive (OS + programs + personal files)
Personal files included?	❌ No	✅ Yes
Restores what?	System settings and core files only	Complete system (full drive recovery)
When to use	Fix software/driver issues, undo system changes	Recover from severe crashes, replace hard drives, disaster recovery
Storage needed	Small (automatic)	Large (external drive required)

When to Use System Restore

• After installing problematic software or drivers that cause system instability
• To resolve Windows update issues or boot failures
• When encountering malware infections that damage system files
• Your computer still boots to Windows (Safe Mode support available)
• System Restore was previously enabled on your device

How to Restore Using System Restore

Step 1: Press "Win + S", type "Create a restore point", and open the System Properties window.

Step 2: Click the "System Restore" button.

Step 3: Browse all available restore points with their creation dates and descriptions, then select the most appropriate one and click "Next".

Step 4: Review the restore point details and affected programs, then click "Finish" to begin the restoration process. Your computer will restart during this operation.

After restarting, Windows will display a confirmation message indicating whether the restore was successful.

If you cannot boot into Windows as normal, you will need to use a Windows installation USB drive or recovery disk to access System Restore:

• Insert the Windows installation media and boot from it.
• On the setup screen, select your language and click "Repair your computer".
• Go to "Troubleshoot" → "Advanced options" → "System Restore".

Follow the on-screen instructions to select a restore point and complete the restoration process.

5. Restore Laptop from Backup Partition (Manufacturer Recovery Partition)

Most laptops,such as HP, Dell, Lenovo, ASUS, Acer, Samsung, include a built-in recovery partition for factory reset and system restoration.The Manufacturer Recovery Partition is a hidden section of your laptop's hard drive that contains a factory image of the original operating system, pre‑installed software, and drivers.

It allows you to restore your laptop to its out‑of‑the‑box state from the special backup partition when the system becomes severely corrupted, infected, or unstable. Unlike standard Windows recovery tools, this method reinstalls the exact software configuration provided by the manufacturer.

When to Use the Backup Partition for Restoration

• Your laptop fails to start and other recovery methods have been unsuccessful.
• You need to completely wipe all personal data and restore factory settings.
• You want to return the system to its original manufacturer configuration.
• You're preparing to sell or donate the device and require a complete reset.

How to Restore Laptop from Backup Partition

Step 1: Restart your laptop and immediately begin pressing the manufacturer-specific recovery key repeatedly during startup. Common keys include: HP (F9 or F11), Lenovo (F11 or Novo button), Dell (F8 or F12), Acer (Alt+F10), ASUS (F9), etc. Next steps are for HP computers.

If the dedicated key doesn't work, you can force restart your laptop 3 times during boot to trigger Automatic Repair.

Select "Troubleshoot" → "Reset this PC" → "Remove everything"

Step 2: Once the recovery menu loads, select "Troubleshoot".

Step 3: Click "Recovery Manager" (wording varies by brand).

Step 4: Then you can choose "Back up your files first (recommended)" or "Recover without backing up your files" based on your situation. Here we choose the latter one.

Step 5: Carefully read the notes and click "Next" to continue.

Step 6: Then the recovery process will start, divided into 3 phases.

Step 7: After the restoration completes, your laptop will reboot. Follow the on-screen instructions to set up Windows, create a user account, and configure basic settings just like when the device was new.

No Backup? How to Restore Laptop Files Then?

If you don’t have any of the backups mentioned above, you can turn to professional data recovery software like MyRecover, which can thoroughly scan your device and help restore deleted, lost, formatted, or corrupted files with a high success rate. No backup is required.

All it takes is a few simple clicks: select the target drive, let the software scan it, view all recoverable files, choose what you need, and restore them to another secure location.

Summary

This article introduce 5 different methods to restore laptop from backups. Now, choose the one that best fits your preference and requirements. While creating a backup is a critical step in data recovery, it does not mean you cannot recover personal files without having made one in advance. That is where professional data recovery software like MyRecover becomes essential.

MyRecover empowers you to recover data in 500+ scenarios—even from unbootable computers. For businesses, IT professionals, and MSPs who need to perform data recovery across unlimited PCs and servers, the powerful Technician edition provides the required scalability and control.