System Restore - odd message


  1. bendipa
    Posts : 55
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2, Linux Mint 21.2, Linux Manjaro 21.3
       New #1

    System Restore - odd message


    I recently had cause to do a System Restore for Win10, when my PC failed to boot. I inserted my WinRE pendrive and booted to that and entered the Advanced Start screen and then the 'Troubleshoot' option. When I chose System Restore from that screen I got the following message:-

    To use System Restore, you must specify which Windows installation to restore. Restart this computer. select an operating system, then select System Restore.

    This has not occurred before, and seemed that WinRE was unable to see my C: drive. I still managed to use System Restore by going into the Command Prompt, then running:- rstrui.exe /OFFLINE:C:\Windows, which then took me to the screen that I was trying to get to in the first place. I then selected my restore point, and System Restore then did its job and I could boot once again to my C: drive.

    So any ideas why I was getting this message, which on several attempts now shows each time on Win RE?
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  3. dalchina
    Posts : 43,004
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       New #2

    Perhaps you have an unexpected bootable drive plugged in..
    "If you encounter this error, check to see if you've inadvertently left a recovery disk (DVD, CD, SD or microSD) in your PC."

    https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...112a421?page=2

    Or it might be picking up something from your multi-boot configuration...

    If you search generally for part of that error message you may find more suggestions.
    Last edited by dalchina; 4 Weeks Ago at 11:44.
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  4. zbook
    Posts : 41,475
    windows 10 professional version 1607 build 14393.969 64 bit
       New #3

    There is no tutorial for troubleshooting that error message.

    Others may have additional error messages or codes when using rstrui.exe /OFFLINE:C:\Windows

    Error: "To use System Restore, you must specify which Windows installation to restore...." | Windows 11 Forum

    When that happed some were successful renaming registry hives.

    windows 8.1 - Is it possible to enable System Protection from the command prompt? - Super User


    Going forward these are two additional protection steps:


    Enable Automatic Backup of System Registry when Restart in Windows 10

    Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect
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  6. dalchina
    Posts : 43,004
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       New #4

    Others may have additional error messages or codes when using rstrui.exe /OFFLINE:C:\Windows
    If I've understood the first post, it was that that worked.
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  7. bendipa
    Posts : 55
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2, Linux Mint 21.2, Linux Manjaro 21.3
    Thread Starter
       New #5

    You did understand correctly, dalchina. That external (offline) rstrui command is recognised, and allowed me to proceed. But it still doesn't address the problem of why I'm now getting the message as above when choosing System Restore option in WinRE. I read that Microsoft page, but there are no other drives plugged in, so it's not because what that poster claimed.

    Maybe I should add that I remember that I deleted my Recovery partition a couple of months ago as I never needed it, but not sure if that has any bearing on the issue.
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  8. dalchina
    Posts : 43,004
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       New #6

    I made suggestions in post #2 as to possible cause. See that thread- feel free to search - there can be multiple possible causes of such a message. Never seen it myself.

    Your Recovery partition is not relevant to the issue.
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