restores

Restores is the plural form of the verb restore and, in technical contexts, a noun referring to the operation of returning data or systems to a previous state. In information technology, a restore is the process of recovering data from a backup, recovery point, or snapshot to a condition that existed before data loss, corruption, or change. The term can denote either individual restore actions or a collection of such actions conducted over time.

In data management and IT operations, restores are commonly categorized by scope and method. Full restores recover all selected data from a backup, while incremental and differential restores recover only data that has changed since a prior backup. Point-in-time restores aim to restore databases or file systems to a specific moment, often using transaction logs. Bare-metal restores recreate an entire system onto fresh hardware, including the operating system and configuration. The effectiveness of restores depends on backup integrity, backup frequency, and proper restoration procedures, as well as access to required media and credentials.

Examples of restores appear in consumer and enterprise software. Windows System Restore uses restore points to revert system files and settings, without usually affecting personal data. Time machine and similar tools offer file-level or system-wide restores. In databases, restore operations reconstitute data from backup sets, with options for point-in-time recovery. Restores can fail if backups are corrupted, incomplete, or incompatible with current hardware or software.

See also: backup, disaster recovery, recovery point objective.