Windows 10 Stuck on “Restoring your previous version of Windows” loop
I have a laptop running Windows 10. I updated Windows 10 last night. I start up my laptop today and it’s stuck on this loop where it’s on this screen that says “Restoring your previous version of Windows” I have no idea how to fix this. Please help.
Original Title: Windows 10 Stuck on “Restoring your precious version of Windows” loop
Moved from Windows / Windows 10 / Performance & system failures
Replies (129)
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This issue can be caused by a failed Windows update. There are several ways on how we can resolve your issue with getting stuck at Restoring your previous version of Windows loop. As an initial recommendation, we suggest that you follow the steps below to reset your PC:
- Click on Start (Windows icon).
- Go to Settings (gear icon).
- Select Update & Security >Recovery >Reset this PC.
- Hit on the Get Started button.
- During the process, select Keep my files option to keep all your personal data safe.
Update us on how it goes.
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Thia doesn’t help me, it’s stuck on the loop dueing startup, so i can’t access Settings
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We appreciate the clarification, James. Since you’re unable to access Settings, you can access Startup Repair from the sign-in screen. Here’s how:
- On the sign-in screen, hold the Shift key down while you select Power >Restart (in the lower-right corner of the screen).
- After your PC restarts to the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot.
- Go to Advanced options then Startup Repair.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to resolve this issue.
Let us know if there’s anything else, we’ll assist you further.
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I am having the exact same problem as James and it appears many other people in additional online forums are having. we cannot even get to Windows nor a sign-in page.
The computer is essentially frozen or stuck in an endless loop. We get nowhere near Windows, it attempts to restore the previous version of Windows the screen goes completely black and it starts over again. This is been going on for 2 days straight. The Windows update or had previously attempted to install and I had some error code and then I thought I was done dealing with the update installer.
Please help. I don’t have a backup image to install, it wasn’t provided when I purchased mt pc.
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Based on your post, there is a possibility that the upgrade has failed and caused Windows to restore your PC back to its previous version. However, the restoration cannot be completed because the recovery file or the system image for restoration may be corrupted. Hence, an endless restoration loop happens when starting your device.
Having said, we’d like to verify if you have already tried the solution suggested by Jennifer Bri on how to perform a Startup repair. Aside from the Startup repair, you can also try performing a System Restore by following the same steps from the Advanced options.
Once you are done with the initial steps, please respond back with the result so we can provide an additional solution.
Секреты Shadow Copies: как настроить Previous Versions на Windows 7
Среда, 14 — Декабрь — 2011 13 комментариев
Технология Shadow Copies, впервые представленная в Windows Server 2003/Windows XP, совершила переворот в области резервирования данных. Shadow Copies напичкана плюсами, как кекс изюмом:
- технология разрешает копировать данные, заблокированные приложениями;
- создание копий даже существенного объёма данных занимает не более пары секунд;
- копии занимают мизерный объём, примерно 300 Мб на каждые 10 Гб данных;
- автоматически поддерживается глубина копирования, по умолчанию до 64 копий;
- пользователи сами могут восстанавливать утраченные или повреждённые данные.
К сожалению, имеются и недостатки:
- копии хранятся только локально, в сеть или на съёмный диск их снять невозможно;
- в случае отказа оригинального физического носителя (жёсткого диска) восстановить данные также будет невозможно.
Минусы определяются самой природой Shadow Copies, так как на самом деле копируются не сами данные, а лишь их блочные изменения, дельта. Это также означает, что Shadow Copies не заменяют собой полноценное резервное копирование, а лишь являются ценным подспорьем к нему. Однако, данные ограничения могут быть преодолены при условии использования дополнительных программных продуктов — например, System Center Data Protection Manager.
Тем не менее, предназначение технологии стало очевидным: snapshots (моментальные снимки данных) можно делать по нескольку раз в день, не прерывая работу пользователей. Выигрыш по сравнению с обычным резервным копированием, которое может выполняться не чаще раза в сутки во время окна обслуживания, значителен.
Предположим, 100 пользователей вашего предприятия активно используют файловый сервер. Однажды ближе к вечеру обнаруживается, что кто-то стёр всю папку с общими документами. Восстанавливая данные из вчерашней резервной копии, вы можете потерять порядка 100 человеко-дней труда, потраченного за последние сутки. В то же время, воспользовавшись моментальным снимком Shadow Copy, созданным час назад, вы потеряете не более 100 человеко-часов.
Если говорить в масштабах одного рабочего или домашнего компьютера, автоматически ежечасно создаваемые снимки диска выглядят весьма привлекательно, даже если вы делаете резервное копирование, скажем, вручную раз в неделю. Случайно повредив свою статью или файл семейного бюджета, можно вернуть его в состояние, каким он был час или два тому обратно. Более того, если повреждение обнаружилось не сразу, можно вернуть и более ранние состояния.
Технология Shadow Copies представлена в Windows 7 под названием Previous Versions. Однако, она не работает так, как нам этого хотелось бы. Почему? Вот цитата с сайта microsoft.com, http://windows.microsoft.com/ru-ru/windows7/Previous-versions-of-files-frequently-asked-questions:
Если файл изменяется несколько раз за один день, то в качестве предыдущей версии сохраняется только версия, бывшая текущей на момент создания точки восстановления или резервной копии. Обычно точки восстановления создаются раз в день.
В переводе с русского на русский это означает примерно следующее:
Да, Предыдущие Версии создаются. Но не каждый час. Может оказаться, что и не каждый день. А лишь иногда, в некоторые особые моменты вашей жизни.
Так в каких конкретно случаях создаются Previous Versions? Таких случаев не так уж много:
- При выполнении резервного копирования программой Windows Backup;
- В момент создания Restore Point (точки восстановления).
Что ж, с обычным резервным копированием всё понятно, его надо делать. И я даже обещаю его делать раз в неделю на USB-диск. Но раз в неделю — это не совсем то, чего я хотел для Previous Versions. А как часто создаются точки восстановления, давайте тоже спросим об этом microsoft.com, http://windows.microsoft.com/ru-ru/windows7/System-Restore-frequently-asked-questions:
Точки восстановления автоматически создаются еженедельно, а также перед значительными системными событиями, такими как установка программ или драйверов устройств. Точку восстановления также можно создать вручную.
То есть, о «ежедневно» или «несколько раз в день» речи не идёт. На мой взгляд, это означает, что Previous Versions фактически свою задачу не выполняют. Однако, мы вполне можем сделать так, чтобы всё заработало согласно требуемого расписания.
- Убедитесь, что механизм System Restore (Защиты системы) включён. Для этого вызовите свойства My Computer, в меню System Protection выберите системный диск (C:), затем кнопкой Configure убедитесь, что включён режим Restore System Settings and Previous Versions of Files;
- Если вы храните документы не на системном диске, то в том же меню System Protection выберите требуемый диск и кнопкой Configure убедитесь, что для указанного диска включён режим Only restore Previous Versions of Files;
- Сколько места выделить для Previous Versions? Я обычно ставлю максимально доступное пространство, если это возможно. Проблема в том, что при нехватке места механизм Shadow Copies может удалить вообще все копии и начать их накапливать с нуля;
- В консоли Scheduled Tasks создайте новое задание, выполняющее следующую команду:
powershell.exe checkpoint-computer –description ”Shadow Copy”
5. Укажите наиболее премлемое для вас время и частоту запуска задания, например: «Каждый день с понедельника по пятницу, каждый час с 10:00 на протяжение 8 часов».
В моей практике бывали случаи, когда только Shadow Copies могли эффективно помочь. Например, в одной компании бухгалтеры работали денно и нощно перед сдачей годового отчёта, а повреждение базы программы 1С произошло в понедельник вечером. Ближайшая резервная копия была сделана согласно графику в пятницу ночью. Перспектива потерять несколько человеко-дней работы в горячее время была очень грустной, однако я смог достать базу из снимка, сделанного буквально за полчаса до сбоя.
Хотя Previous Versions и не являются полноценной заменой регулярному резервному копированию, пренебрегать ими всё же не следует. Настройте и ваш компьютер!
How to recover / restore your previous version of Windows using the Rollback feature in the Anniversary, Spring / Fall Creators Update & April / Oct. 2018 update
Technical Level : Intermediate
Summary
Windows 10 supports a “Rollback” feature that allows you to go back (recover) to the version of Windows (Windows 10, Windows 7 or Windows 8.1) installed on your PC prior to upgrading to the latest version of Windows 10 or Windows 7 / 8.1
Note: All recent versions of Windows 10 only have a 30 10 day time limit after upgrading to Windows 10 to use this feature as described below.
Details
If you were running an earlier version of Windows 10 (or Windows 7 / 8.1) then you can use this option to uninstall the current version of Windows 10 and restore your previous version of Windows without losing your earlier version’s applications, documents, photos and other personal files.
Notes:
A) How long is the Recovery /Rollback option available?
The Spring and Fall Creators Updates (Version 1703 and 1709) and its predecessor the “Anniversary Update” (Version 1607) only gives you 10 days to go back to your previous versions of Windows. Earlier versions of Windows 10 (version 1507 and 1511) gave you 30 days in which to recover / rollback.
B) Applications installed and personal settings changes made after the Windows 10 Creators Update was installed will not be saved (applications installed prior to installing the Creators Update will be preserved), also newly created Windows 10 documents, photos and other personal files will be migrated back to your earlier version of Windows.
Let’s Start:
You have three easy ways to access the ‘Recovery’ option:
1) Click on Start > Settings >
2) In the Windows Setting options click on Update & security
3) In the column of option on the left side of Windows Update click on the ‘Recovery’ option.
4) Click on ‘Get started’ to start the Recovery / Rollback process
5) Click on one of the boxes that best describes “Why are you going back?”, then click on the ‘Next’ button to continue.
6) Check for updates? It’s your choice but if you have already checked for updates you can skip this step.
7) What you need to know.
a) Laptops should be plugged into an AC power outlet.
b) After going back you may need to reinstall some apps and programs
c) You’ll lose any changes made to settings after installing Windows 10 or the latest build.
d) Backup any important data files (Documents, Photos, Music, Etc.) to a USB Flash drive.
e) I suggest you also create an Image Backup of your “entire” disk drive (all partitions) to an external USB drive as a means of recovering Windows 10 should the recovery / rollback fail.
8) If necessary document your account name and password.
9) Thanks for trying …., click on the ‘Go Back to Windows …’ button to start the actual recovery / roll back process.
10) Now sit back and watch the action.
Method 2) Alternate means of accessing the Roll Back / Go Back to previous version option.
You have two ways of accessing the alternate method; both involve using the Power/Reset option.
A) From within Windows 10 click the ‘Start’ menu, select the ‘Power’ option and the hold down the ‘Shift’ key and click on the ‘Restart’ option.
B) After powering on the computer and before you enter your password click on the ‘Power’ button icon located in the lower right corner of the display, hold down the ‘Shift’ key and then click on the ‘Restart’ option.
Your computer will reboot, choose your account name and password to continue and then you should see the GUI Boot Menu when the computer restarts. Click on the ‘Troubleshoot’ option.
Next click on ‘Advanced options’
Now click on the ‘Go back to Windows 7 / 8.1’ or previous build option. The restoration / roll back process will start by rebooting your computer after which you will be prompted to choose an account (use your Windows 7 account and password if you created a new account while you using Windows 10).
After you enter your password you will have the option to either ‘Go back to previous build’ which will restore Windows 7 or 8.1 or ‘Cancel’ the recovery / roll back and return to Windows 10.
If you receive the following error message when you click on the ‘Get started’ button:
“We’re sorry, but you can’t go back”
This error is the result of deleting the C:\Windows.old folder.
How did this folder get deleted?
A) You deleted the folder using Windows File Explorer. Typically this file is deleted because of the large amount of disk space it can consume as it contains the entire contents of your previous version of Windows or an earlier build.
Example: If your Windows 7 installation consumed 250GB of disk space due to a large amount of data files (Photos, Music, Streaming video, documents) then the Windows/old folder will be approximately 250GB in size. Depending on the size of your disk drive you may find that after installing the Windows 10 Technical Preview there is not much free space on your drive, therefor in an attempt to gain more free space the user deletes the C:\Windows.old folder.
More than likely the file will be too large to be contained in the Recycle Bin but you can always check if it’s there and if so restore it.
B) You ran Disk Cleanup and selected/clicked on the ‘Clean up system files’ or the 10 day time limit has been exceeded.
Comments (70)
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This article should come with the Windows 10 Upgrade! I have been searching for a way back to Windows 7 and my laptop has failed three times for different reasons. Unfortunately, the error message is too long and the screen blanks out before I can get it copied. I don’t know if there is a log file, but there should be and we should be told where it is.
I now have the restore executing. If successful, I will post Me Too.
NB: I am writing this on my trusty XP backup machine.
Ten minutes later and I have Windows 7 recovered! When I first logged in, I had a blue screen for about 10-15 seconds. However, everything now seems to be working okay. I’m going to take my son-in-law’s advice and wait until March to re-install Windows 10.
One additional comment after successful recovery of Windows 7.
I use Windows Live as my email client. It had to refresh all email accounts. It may have been a simple matter of renaming the Store Folder, but I took the easy way out for now and let Windows Live refresh all of the mail. I’ll look later to see if I have extraneous folders out there.
Second additional comment:
I did have archived messages in the storage folders and am in the processing of recovering those from my backup.
No other anomalies noted.
Ok. So for those of us who can’t rollback. even thought our Windows.old folder has not been removed. and it has only been 5 days since I installed Win10. how can I rollback? Looks like many people are reporting this, but nobody has yet to provide a valid reason for Win10 to say «sorry, but you can’t rollback — bla bla bla».
Please help? Anybody?
Go back to your previous version of Windows
For a month after you upgrade to Windows 10, you’ll be able to go back to your previous version of Windows from Settings > Update & security > Recovery. This will keep your personal files, but it’ll remove apps and drivers installed after the upgrade, as well as any changes you made to settings.
To go back, you’ll need to:
Keep everything in the windows.old and $windows.
bt folders after the upgrade.
Make sure not to add, remove, or move any user accounts after the upgrade.
Know the password you used to sign in to Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 (if you used one).
Have the USB drive you used to upgrade to Windows 10 (if you used one).
Thanks. All of those things are true. 5 days is certainly less than a month.
We’re sorry, but you can’t go back.
The files we need to take you back to a previous version of Windows were removed from this PC.
That is in fact FALSE.
The Windows.old directory has not been removed.
bt. But this is the first time I’ve seen reference to this one. So I’ll look for it.
I have not altered user accounts.
Given that the Windows.
bt file is there, then why would I still not be able to roll back, since I’ve met all of the conditions to?
Like I’ve said, I see many reports of this, and people who still can’t rollback, like myself. Very frustrating.
Those four needs should have been included as a warning as part of the upgrade. While Microsoft is gloating over the number of Windows 10 installs, the company fails to account for those users that either went back or failed in attempts to recover a fully working operating system. Personally, I would not be surprised if Windows 10 is not the LAST version of the Windows operating system.
The recovery site mentions that mail apps can’t be fully recovered. Why release a product to the public with such an obvious flaw?
My comments are obviously not directed to JW, who is trying to help. I wish Huggidav and other Microsoft victims the best.
I have same problem
I can’t go back to windows 8.1 even windows.old directory has not been removed,
Windows 10 is too buggy, my screen is endless flashing, I want to go back to windows 8.1
I regret upgrade to windows 10, I should wait upgrade until service pack one is released, I belive windows 10 is getting better after service pack is released, like other version of windows.
I’m not happy with windows 10
Turned on my laptop this morning, and there it was .. A message that mentions the upgrade to Windows 10 is ready ! I was getting impatient. So the upgrade went flawless. I did not have to do anything. Upgrade took care of the re-starts, and upgrades. Very exciting ! Then I check to make sure the personal settings are still fine. It asked me to select a default web browser. Which I did. Not a problem.
Then I went to play my game, Diablo 2. I know, it’s a very old game that relies heavily on graphics, drivers, etc.
As I was playing I noticed an extremely unplayable game because of the extremely reduced frame rates.
I re-set the video settings for the game and selected the lowest settings to make it play more smoothly. It did make some noticeable changes. But it is still very «laggy» ..frame rates are still choppy.
Based on this performance, I decided, I wanted to go back to Windows 8.1 which worked flawlessly with the game I used this laptop for. Nothing else. However, the recovery options does not display a «rollback» option. other than Reset, and Advanced.
I still see the Windows.Old directory with 12.5gb .. and there was another file that contained 2.5 gb which I removed through Disk Clean Up . It was noted that the file could be removed safely.
There was an update for Windows 10 that I thought might help the performance ..but it did not make a difference, plus it only said «Cumulative update» . nothing specific.
So now I am in a limbo state where I could not «Rollback» to the previous Windows installation., and playing my game in a very frustrating slow frame rate unplayable position.