Where Are System Restore Points Stored?
System Restore points live in System Volume Information on each drive. Why the folder is locked and how to manage it.
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Restore points are stored in a System Volume Information folder at the root of every drive with System Protection enabled. The folder is a protected operating system folder, invisible by default and locked even from administrators until you take ownership.
Peeking inside is rarely useful. The contents are shadow copy data, not files you can copy or double click, and the supported interface is System Restore itself. Points older than 90 days expire automatically, and the oldest vanish first when the disk quota fills.
Where Windows stores this, by platform
C:\System Volume Information
Unhide it via Folder Options: show hidden files and uncheck hide protected operating system files. Access denied is normal. Use System Protection settings or Disk Cleanup to manage space, and leave permissions alone.
Frequently asked questions
system volume information is huge, how do i shrink it
Open System Protection settings for the drive and lower the Max Usage slider, or use Disk Cleanup and delete all but the latest point. Never delete inside System Volume Information by hand.
can i copy a restore point to a usb drive
No. Restore points are block level shadow copies tied to their volume, not portable files. Copy personal files with normal backup tools and manage restore points through the System Protection interface.
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