System Restore not working - This Is What To Do

By Prince Charlse
Dec 6, 2017

The System Restore feature is a very useful feature in the Windows operating system, and it can be a real life-saver at times. But if you, for some reason, find your System Restore not working in Windows 10 or Windows 8/7, and that (a) System Restore points are not being created, even automatically, (b) you are unable to create system restore points manually or (c) your System Restore failed & did not complete successfully, and you are unable to restore your computer, here are a few troubleshooting steps you may want to try.

System Restore not working

While you may be unable to create a system restore points manually, it is quite possible however that the Automatic Restore Points may continue to get created, but you face the problem only when you try to create one manually.

The following Error Messages may also pop up:

  • System Restore failed.
  • System Restore did not complete successfully
  • Error 0x80070005: System Restore could not access the file. Temporary disable your antivirus program and try again.
  • Error 0x800423F3: The writer experienced a transient error. If the backup process is retried, the error may not reoccur.
  • A shadow copy could not be created for the following reason. The writer experienced a transient error (0x800423F3)
  • System Restore did not complete successfully. Your computer’s system files and setting were not changed.
  • Can’t system restore, file or directory is corrupted and unreadable (0x80070570)
  • System Restore failed to extract the original copy of the directory from the restore point.
  • Restore point could not be created for this reason: Error detected in the Volume Shadow Copy Services (VSS).

System Restore did not complete successfully

 

 

In any case, you may try one or more of the steps, in no particular order and see if something helps you.

1. Try to create a System Restore point manually and make a note of the Error Message you get. If you don’t get one, check if one has been created or not.

2. Disable your antivirus or security software and then try to create a system restore point.

3. Boot into Safe Mode and see if you create a system restore point or restore to a prior restore point. Many times, non-Microsoft services or Drivers can interfere with the proper functioning of System Restore. Alternatively, you could also execute a Clean Boot and see if you are able to get system restore working.

4. Run the System File Checker, i.e., Run sfc /scannow  from an elevated command prompt. Reboot on completion and try now.

5. Run Check Disk, by opening an elevated command prompt. Type chkdsk /f /r  and hit Enter. Let the process complete and then try again.

6. Make sure that System Restore is enabled on the drives where you want System Restore enabled. Right-click Computer > Properties > System Protection. Check Protection settings. To store restore points, you need at least 300 MB of free space on each hard disk that has System Protection turned on.

7. Make sure that you have sufficient disk space on all the drives where System Restore is enabled

8. Type Services.msc in Start Menu Search Box, hit Enter. Make sure that the Volume Shadow Copy & Task Scheduler & Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider Service is Running and set on Automatic. If the Status of System Restore Service is Not Started, Start it. Also, set it to Automatic if it is not. A reboot may be required. Re-confirm again, and now try.

9. Type eventvwr.msc /s  in Search Box & hit Enter to open the Event Viewer. Double-click on Applications & Services Logs and see if you are able to evaluate the event description or the cause of the problem.

10. Check with your system administrator if he has disabled System Restore, and if so, ask him to re-enable system restore.

11. Reset the Repository. To do so follows these steps:

  1. Boot into Safe Mode without networking and open a command prompt as administrator.
  2. Now Type net stop winmgmt  and hit Enter. This will stop the Windows Management Instrumentation Service
  3. Next go to C:\Windows\System32\wbem and rename the repository folder to repositoryold
  4. Restart.