Fix “System Restore Did Not Complete Successfully” Error in Windows 11/10

System Restore is a very useful Windows feature that creates restore points (snapshots of important system files and settings) before critical operations such as driver updates, app installations, or Windows Updates. If Windows 11 or Windows 10 starts misbehaving after a change, you can use System Restore to return your PC to a previous working state. However, sometimes System Restore itself fails with an error like:

System Restore did not complete successfully.
Your computer’s system files and settings were not changed.
An unspecified error occurred during System Restore. (0x80070005)

Or a similar error code (0x80070091, 0x80070017, 0x8000ffff, 0x81000204, etc.).

This usually means some files could not be replaced or accessed during the restore process. Common causes include:

• Antivirus or security software is interfering with System Restore
• Issues with the System Protection or Volume Shadow Copy services
• Corrupted or missing Windows system files
• Disk errors or bad sectors on the drive

Whatever the reason, this guide walks you through several effective solutions that work on both Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Temporarily Disable or Uninstall Third‑Party Antivirus

One of the most common reasons for the error “System Restore did not complete successfully” is interference from third‑party antivirus or security software. These tools can block System Restore from changing system files.

• Temporarily disable real‑time protection in your third‑party antivirus.
  • Open your antivirus program (Example windows security).
  • Look for Virus and Threat Protection> Real‑time protection.
  • Turn off real‑time scanning temporarily.

• If disabling does not help, uninstall the antivirus completely for testing:
  • Press Windows + R, type appwiz.cpl and press Enter.
  • In Programs and Features, find your antivirus, select it, and click Uninstall.
  • Follow the on‑screen steps to remove it.
• Restart your computer.
• Try System Restore again.

If System Restore works after removing or disabling the antivirus, you can reinstall it later or switch to another security solution. During troubleshooting, you can temporarily rely on Microsoft Defender, which is built into Windows.

Tip: Keep your antivirus off only while testing System Restore. Don’t stay permanently unprotected.

Check the Volume Shadow Copy Service

System Restore relies on the Volume Shadow Copy service to create and apply restore points. If this service is stopped or not working correctly, System Restore can fail with errors like 0x80070005.

Check and restart Volume Shadow Copy:

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
2. In the Services window, scroll down and find Volume Shadow Copy.
3. Double‑click it. Set Startup type to Automatic (if it isn’t already).
4. If the Service status is Stopped, click Start. If it is running, click Stop, then Start again to restart it.
5. Click Apply and OK.
6. Close the Services window, then try System Restore again.

You should also ensure Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider is not disabled:

In the Services list, find Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider. Make sure Startup type is set to Manual or Automatic and start it if needed.

Run System Restore from Safe Mode

Sometimes, background drivers or services that run in normal mode block System Restore. Booting into Safe Mode loads only essential drivers and services, which often allows System Restore to complete successfully.

Start Windows 11/10 in Safe Mode

1. Press Windows + R, type msconfig and press Enter.
2. In the System Configuration window, go to the Boot tab.
3. Under Boot options, check Safe boot and select Minimal.
4. Click Apply, then OK, and restart your computer.
5. Your PC will now start in Safe Mode.

(Alternatively, you can use Settings > System > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now and then choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart and press 4 for Safe Mode.)

Run System Restore in Safe Mode

1. Press Windows + R, type sysdm.cpl and press Enter.
2. Go to the System Protection tab and click System Restore.
3. Click Next, choose the restore point you want, and click Next again.
4. Confirm your choice and click Finish, then Yes to start the restore.

If System Restore completes successfully in Safe Mode, a driver, service, or program that loads in normal mode was likely causing the conflict.

Note: When you’re done, open msconfig again and uncheck Safe boot so Windows returns to normal startup.

Try a Clean Boot Before Running System Restore

If Safe Mode does not help, you can try a Clean Boot. This starts Windows with only Microsoft services and disables all third‑party startup programs. It’s useful for eliminating software conflicts.

Steps (Windows 11/10):

1. Press Windows + R, type msconfig and press Enter.
2. On the General tab, select Selective startup and uncheck Load startup items.
3. Go to the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all.
4. Click Apply, then OK.
5. Restart your PC. It will now start in a Clean Boot state.
6. Try System Restore again from System Protection > System Restore.

If System Restore works in Clean Boot, a third‑party service or startup app was probably causing the problem. You can then re‑enable services and startup items in small groups to identify the culprit.

When you finish troubleshooting, go back to msconfig and select Normal startup to restore your normal boot configuration.

Repair Corrupted System Files (SFC and DISM)

Corrupted or missing system files can cause System Restore to fail. Windows includes two built‑in tools that can help scan and repair important system files and the Windows image for corruption.

• SFC (System File Checker)
• DISM (Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management)

Run SFC scan

1. Type cmd in the Start menu search.
2. Right‑click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
3. In the Command Prompt window, type: sfc /scannow and press Enter.
4. Wait until the scan reaches 100%. If SFC finds corrupted files, it will try to repair them automatically.
5. Restart your computer.

After restarting, try System Restore again.

Run DISM (especially for Windows 10/11 image issues)

If SFC reports that it could not fix some files, or the problem continues, run DISM:

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator again.
2. Run the command, DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
3. Wait for it to scan and complete (it may take some time).
4. Restart your PC and run sfc /scannow again for good measure.
5. Try System Restore once more.

Check the Disk for Errors (CHKDSK)

Hard disk errors or bad sectors can also prevent System Restore from completing. Running CHKDSK can detect and repair many disk problems.

Run CHKDSK on your system drive:

• Open Command Prompt as administrator.
• Type the following command and press Enter: chkdsk C: /f /r
• Here:
  • C: is your system drive (change if Windows is on another drive).
  • /f tells CHKDSK to fix disk errors.
  • /r tells it to locate bad sectors and recover readable information.
• You will see a prompt:
  “Would you like to schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)”
  Type Y and press Enter.

• Restart your computer. CHKDSK will run before Windows loads and may take some time, depending on the disk size and the number of errors found.
• After the scan completes and Windows starts, try System Restore again.

Note: If CHKDSK reports serious disk problems, consider backing up your important data as soon as possible.

Use System Restore from Advanced Startup (WinRE)

If System Restore keeps failing inside Windows, try running it from the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), also known as Advanced Startup.

Open Advanced Startup in Windows 11/10

If Windows still boots:

1. Go to Settings > System > Recovery.
2. Under Advanced startup, click Restart now.
3. Your PC will restart to the Choose an option screen.

If Windows will not boot normally, you can:

• Interrupt the normal boot three times (power off during startup) to trigger Automatic Repair, then choose Advanced options.

• Or boot from Windows 11/10 installation media (USB/DVD), click Repair your computer instead of Install.

Run System Restore from WinRE

• From the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot.
• Click Advanced options.
• Select System Restore.

• Choose your user account and enter your password if prompted.
• Select a restore point and follow the on‑screen instructions.

Running System Restore from WinRE often bypasses issues caused by drivers, services, or files that are locked while Windows is running.

If System Restore Still Fails

If you have tried all the methods above and System Restore still does not complete successfully, consider these additional options:

• Use another restore point – The specific restore point you chose may be corrupted. Try an older one if available.
• Delete old restore points and recreate a fresh one – If restore points are corrupted, clearing them and starting fresh can help (you already have a separate article on deleting old restore points).
• Use other recovery tools – For serious system corruption, you may need to:
  • Use Reset this PC (keeping or removing your files),
  • Perform an in‑place upgrade repair using Windows installation media.
  • Or restore from a full system backup if you have one.

Frequently Asked Questions