System restore is one of Windows’s most essential and advanced utilities, allowing you to restore your PC to a previous state. Sometimes, System Restore may fail with an error message—System Restore failed while restoring, copying, or mounting the registry. You may also see errors such as—Restore failed to extract the original copy of the directory from the restore point. You can try System Restore again or choose a different restore point.
Why Does System Restore Fail While Restoring, Copying, Or Mounting The Registry?
Windows Registry is a database. Once system restore has placed everything in place, the last step is to copy the database from the backup and place it with the rest of the files. So when the PC boots, it will automatically use it.
A possible cause of this error is when there is corruption with the files in the System Restore or the Registry itself. For a System Restore to work, numerous components need to work right. This includes the Windows Registry, System files, Windows Appdata folder, and others. If anything fails, the whole process will fail.
Fix: System Restore Failed While Restoring, Copying, Or Mounting The Registry
Here are some of the tried and tested methods that are known to work in fixing this issue. Makes sure to check if the System Restore works after every troubleshooting solution.
- Use a Different Restore Point
- Replace Corrupt System Files (Using SFC)
- Set Volume Shadow Service to Manual
- Configure System Restore Disk Space Usage
- Perform System Restore In Recovery Mode
- Perform System Restore in Clean Boot State
Let’s look at the detailed steps for all of these methods.
1] Use a Different Restore Point
If the first restore point you try doesn’t work, you can always try to use another restore point. If you see only the default restore point, you must check the Show more restore points option in the bottom left corner of the System Restore window to see more restore points.
2] Replace Corrupt System Files (Using SFC)
As previously stated, corrupt system files can be one of the primary causes of this issue. Windows has an inbuilt command-line utility that allows you to repair corrupt software components and files on the PC called SFC (System file checker). Here’s how to use it:
- Open Elevated Windows Terminal (With admin privileges) by right-clicking the Start icon and selecting the Windows Terminal (Admin) option.
- Now, type the following command and hit enter.
SFC /Scannow
- Since this is a system-wide scan, it takes an extended amount of time. Once the scan, you’ll get the details if SFC repaired any files or folders on your computer (if any).
Once the whole scan is completed, you may try performing a system restore.
3] Set Volume Shadow Copy Service To Manual
Volume Shadow Copy Service is majorly responsible for the functioning of System Restore. It is used to create volume backups which System Restore then uses to restore the PC to its previous state. If this service is off, you may encounter the issue. Setting the volume shadow copy service to manual mode may solve the problem. Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows+R keys on your keyboard.
- Now, type Services.msc in the Run dialog box to open the Services window.
- Once in the Services windows, scroll down to find Volume Shadow Copy and double-click on it to open its settings.
- In the Volume Shadow Copy Service settings, head to the General tab.
- Now, find the Startup Type option and select Manual from the drop-down list next to it. And Click OK to apply the changes.
- Make sure to click on the Start button to start the service.
4] Increase Disk Space
System Restore fails because of the lack of storage space on the SSD or HDD. When a System Restore point is created, it takes space based on the number of programs, files, and accounts on the PC. When restoring, it will need a bit more space than the size of the restore point.
It would be a good idea to check the storage space in your system drive or where Windows is installed. You can use File Explorer and Storage Space feature to figure it out.
5] Perform System Restore In Recovery Mode
Some other software like an Anti-virus or any software with control over your System can also interfere with a system restore. You can prevent them by performing the System restore in Recovery mode. Here’s how to do it:
- Open Windows Settings and open the System Settings from the left pane.
- In the System settings, open Recovery. Now, you’ll see an Advanced Startup option. Click on the Restart Now button next to it.
- Now, you’ll boot into Advanced Startup. In the Advanced Startup menu, select Troubleshoot, then choose Advanced options.
- Now, you’ll see the System Restore option. Click on it, select the desired Restore Point and proceed with the steps required.
6] Perform System Restore In Clean Boot State
When you boot your PC, third-party services and Windows services start with it too. In a clean boot state, the PC starts with minimal and only necessary services, preventing any other service from interfingering with the System Restore. You can try performing the System restore in a clean boot state to solve issues with the System Restore. Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows+R keys on your keyboard.
- Now type msconfig and hit enter.
- It will open the System Configuration window. Head over to the General tab.
- In the General tab, check the Selective Startup option and head over to the services tab.
- Now, check the hide all Microsoft services option, then uncheck all the services that appear.
- Now, apply the changes and restart your PC.
Once your PC is in a Clean Boot state, perform System Restore the usual way. Any interference from third-party apps and services will be absent here. It will allow smooth system restoration.
Conclusion
This was all for our article on fixes for Startup Restore failed while restoring, copying, or mounting the registry error. If you have tried all the fixes, none of them worked for you. It is safe to assume that there are specific issues or corruption with a particular restore point. We hope you found the article to be insightful. Please make sure you share it with everyone.
How to Delete Old System Restore Points in Windows?
To delete old system restore points in Windows, search Disk Cleanup in the start menu and open it. In the Disk Cleanup window, head over to the More options tab. You’ll see an option for System Restore and Shadow Copies in the More options tab. Click the Clean Up button next to it to delete old system restore points in Windows.
How Long Can A System Restore Take?
Generally, a system restore may take around 30-45 minutes on some computers. The time will ultimately depend on how many changes you’ll be reversing with the particular system restore. If you are reversing a large number of changes and your PC has relatively old specifications, the time will undoubtedly be prolonged.
What Is System Restore?
System restore is a Windows utility that allows you to revert to the previous state of your PC in case of a change, software update, or settings change goes wrong. A system restore is extremely handy in case of a system failure due to a particular service or software behaving inadequately. System Restore creates a restore point during fixed intervals of time.
A restore is created once a day by default. Still, the utility keeps monitoring the computer for changes such as a software installation, system update, driver update, new driver installation, etc. and creates a restore point for the PC state before any of these changes as well.
How to Configure System Restore Disk Space Usage
As previously stated, one of the causes for a System Restore to fail is insufficient disk space for the Restore to get installed. To prevent this from happening again, you can configure how much space the System restore can accumulate on your disk so every time, you at least have the space to install one. Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows+R keys on your keyboard.
- In the Run dialog box, type sysdm.cpl.
- It will open the system properties window and head over to the System Protection tab.
- In the System Protection tab, click on the Configure button.
- Now, a new window will open, and adjust the slider to modify System Restore space allocation. And click Apply, then click OK to exit.
