Is it dangerous to interrupt System Restore or Reset in Windows 10?

When you encounter problems with your Windows 10 PC, you can use System Restore or Reset This PC to repair files and restore your computer to its good health. However, sometimes things might not go according to the plan. For instance, someone may close the lid of your laptop while the reset process is ongoing or your device battery might run out of charge and shut down in the middle of the restoration process.

If you recall, Windows warns that System Restore should not be interrupted once it commences as this could drastically interfere with the restoration of your system files or Windows Registry. Interrupting this process can, therefore, result in a bricked computer.

What Happens If You Interrupt System Restore on Windows 10?

To understand the effects of interrupting System Restore, you first need to understand what happens during System Restore. You see, Windows creates restore points now and then to be used when your PC runs into a big problem. We can say it creates a backup of your drivers, Windows Registry, DLL files, cache, and local user profiles, among many other system files and user files.

This acts as a fail-safe in case things go south, say after upgrading Windows or installing new updates. So, when the process is interrupted accidentally or due to low charge or a power outage, you can hard reset it later and the process may pick up from where it left off. The problem comes in if the process is interrupted while the Registry files are being restored.

The thing is, your operating system cannot run with incomplete registry entries. This may render your computer unbootable. To prevent this, it’s highly advisable to give your computer as much time as possible until all the files are restored successfully.

Can One Stop System Restore on Windows 10?

Sometimes, the System Restore process might get stuck or freeze at a certain percentage. If the process takes longer than one hour, then you might be having a problem with your system. To resolve it, try the steps below:

Perform System Restore in Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

Here, the solution would be to hard reset your computer and then follow these instructions:

1. Hold down the Power button for about eight seconds until the computer shuts down.
2. Restart your PC and press the F12 key (or the key assigned to your computer model to open the Boot Priority menu).
3. Click the “System Recovery Wizard” option, and then select “System Restore”.

If this method fails, you will need to create an installation media. Here is the procedure:

1. On another PC, go to Microsoft’s official website and download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool. Follow the instructions to create a bootable media.
2. Now, insert the media drive into your computer and change the boot order so that your PC will boot from the bootable media.
3. On the “Install Windows” screen, select “Repair your computer”.
4. This takes you to WinRE. Select Choose an option > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart.
5. Press F6 on your PC to select “Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt”.
6. Select your account and enter the password.
7. Type rstrui.exe in the “Command Prompt” window and hit “Enter”.
8. Repeat the System Restore process once again.

This should get rid of the issue causing System Restore to hang or freeze.

What Happens If Windows Reset Was Interrupted?

Users have also reported that their Windows 10 computers get stuck while resetting their systems. Luckily, Windows triggers Automatic Startup Repair to help resolve this issue. This happens when the Windows operating system loads and encounters problems with the system files.

If the computer fails to initiate the Automatic Startup Repair process, you can trigger it manually using these steps:

1. Power down your PC.
2. Restart the computer and just before it displays the Windows logo, power it off again.
3. Repeat this process three more times and allow it to fully restart the fourth time. Your computer will start in the Automatic Startup Repair mode. Windows will try to detect issues affecting the system files and fix them.

Perform a Clean Install

If you interrupt System Restore or Windows Reset and the solutions above don’t work in your favor, the only thing left to do is perform a clean install. For this, you’ll need to create an installation media as outlined above.

1. Once you’re ready, insert the installation media, such as a USB flash drive, and be sure to change BIOS settings to boot from the media.
2. In the “Windows Setup” window, follow the installation wizard to complete the process.

While this solution will get rid of the ‘Windows reset getting stuck’ issue, you should know that a clean install overwrites everything from the drive and installs a fresh Windows.

How’s Your Computer’s Performance?

If you notice sluggish behavior from your computer, it means the PC needs some tweaking. Usually, files pile up after continuous use of a computer. Unnecessary PC junk, such as browser cache, leftover Windows Update files, among others, take up a huge chunk of space on your hard drive, interfering with the smooth operation of your computer.

That’s why regular optimization is crucial if you want to keep your machine performing at the top level. Don’t just go for any other software promising all the good things; go for Auslogics BoostSpeed, a trusted, reliable and highly efficient optimization tool. This software will effectively remove all the PC junk, restore system stability, and speed up your computer.

The tool automates clutter removal so that your machine can be cleaned even when you’re not using it. Auslogics BoostSpeed comes with a collection of utilities that will prove very useful in tweaking your Windows 10 device for fast performance.

An optimized computer rarely experiences minor issues such as freezing or hanging. So, don’t let slow performance affect your productivity. Simply install the tool and sit back as it restores your computer to its glory.

As you can see, it’s dangerous to interrupt System Restore or Reset in Windows 10. However, if it happens accidentally, we hope you find the solutions above useful. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.