Using System Restore on a Non-Bootable PC
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If you’ve ever had problems in Windows you’ve likely found out that the System Restore feature is both a lifesaver and a friend. It allows you to roll back your system to an earlier configuration before the problem occurred and gets you back up and running in minutes. Whether you’ve installed a bad driver, or been infected by a virus, System Restore is usually the fastest, most effective solution for getting your PC back on its feet. But what happens if a problem prevents you from booting into Windows at all? Today I’m going to let you in on a way to run System Restore on a PC that won’t even boot into Windows!
For this demonstration, I got to have a little fun breaking my PC. I dived into the registry and made some changes that would render the system unbootable, and then deleted some key system files. The result: a dreaded Blue Screen of Death and a completely useless Windows installation.
You may notice that this blue screen doesn’t look like the traditional one. The layout of this error appears different because it occurs very early on in the boot process. In any case, the PC will not boot into Windows. With this particular error, booting into any form of Safe Mode is also impossible.
When errors like these occur, you should first try to boot using the Last Known Good Configuration. This is often the quickest way to get your PC back to a running state. While the computer is booting, repeatedly tap the F8 key until the Advanced Boot Menu appears. From this screen, you can choose to boot using the Last Known Good Configuration option.
When that fails, most PC technicians will simply perform a Repair install of Windows. I disagree with this course of action. It’s both time consuming and comes at the risk of data loss. What kind of solution is that? If only they knew what I’m about to show you today!
Microsoft Windows ships with the System Restore utility which is a recovery tool that can restore your computer to an earlier time based on a system snapshot. By default, snapshots are created whenever software and driver updates are applied, and sometimes when software is installed. You can also manually create a Restore Point before making major system changes.
Restoring a system to an earlier time using System Restore is faster than a repair install, less prone to data loss, and returns your PC to a state you recognize—complete with all of your files and settings. Unfortunately, System Restore is a Windows component, which means that you must boot into Windows to use it. This is where most technicians stop. But today, I’m going to let you in a way to run System Restore on a non-bootable PC.
Next: Overview of MSDaRT >>
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