HELP ! I am in Restore Point purgatory NOW


  1. Posts : 3
    Windows 8.1
       #1

    HELP ! I am in Restore Point purgatory NOW


    Sept 18, 2018* 11 pm* Central Time

    Lenovo laptop 2014 vintage* , Windows 8.1, I have submitted details to TENFORUMS.
    Intel Core i7 4510U CPU @ 2.00GHz 2.60GHz

    Currently have MalwareBytes** Ver 3.4.4.2398** Component pkg ver 1.0.322*** Update pkg 1.0.6899

    This is my first post at TENFORUMS and not an elegant way to start !

    Just hours ago, I hit the GO button to begin the restoration process [referred from here as the process] to go to a point about 3 weeks ago.* I did this because I recently noticed not having my firewall on, and have not been able to remedy it through Services.* I did not necessarily believe doing a Restoration would resolve this, but I would see what would happen.* I was advised on screen before starting the process to stop all active applications/processes, but I forgot to shut off MalwareBytes protection. As the process was initializing, I suddenly remembered to do that, but of course one cannot stop the process.* However, I opened the MWB control panel to see if I could do that quickly.* But that was interrupted by the process.

    After an hour of the process, the process remained working. Something seriously wrong !* I could not address it for another hour and a half after that, but when I could, I started searching for what to do.* I am still early in the search, but here is the first result I got which was a microsoft certified fellow from Jan 2013.....Please read his remarks and the few replies that were posted and let me know your thoughts about it.

    System restore does not stop, running for hours - Microsoft Community

    Apparently there were many who answered the question at the end of his remarks "Did this help you?"* in the affirmative. But reading the few who had replies at a later time posted ...it looked fatal !* So at this point, I don't know to go this route or not.* I am going to desperately look for answers and leave the computer running all night if I have to before doing something. I am very concerned about losing all content. I have no back up to it.

    The process is still working because I don't want to shut the computer off. I desperately need help now, and would appreciate any possible solutions especially if one has had experience directly or have experienced the testimony of others as to what worked. Even hints of what may be resources on the web that may help me I would be grateful.

    I have been using google for just a short while with this query:* Windows 8.1 how to stop process of system restore ?

    I have not gotten confident due to the lack of findings that seem not to relate to an ONGOING PROCESS as what to do to stop safely.* But again, I am early on for investigation.

    Thank you for your understanding !*Please contribute a reply if applicable to you. I will definitely post here after I HAVE done something to the computer.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 2,487
    Windows 10 Home, 64-bit
       #2

    A few questions that might help others help you:

    1: Is your personal data safe, regardless? I mean backed up to some other drive entirely.

    2: Are you in a position to do a clean install of Windows, if necessary?

    3: I'm guessing this laptop was sold with some type of recovery mechanism provided by the manufacturer, most likely through a separate partition on the hard drive. Have you ruled out using this?

    4: Do you have any PARTICULAR reason to believe that simply shutting down in the middle of a slow System Restore would be catastrophic?
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 42,735
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #3

    Note that as you are apparently using Windows 8, and this is tenforums, it's therefore possible you may get advice based on Windows 10 features.

    eightforums is a site dedicated to supporting Windows 8.
    Windows 8 Help Forums

    You will need at some point to do a hard shut down- hold the power button for 5s or so.
    If your system boots, then you're very fortunate.

    You should in either case then check your disk whether by using e.g. Hard Disk Sentinel or a live boot disk and a disk check utility.

    Then chkdsk as appropriate.

    If the PC does not boot, any next action rather depends on what you observe.

    Do you use disk imaging routinely as is constantly recommended here? E.g. Macrium Reflect (free).
    System Restore (restoring) is viewed as very unreliable here, alas, and may sometimes still not work if started from Safe Mode.
      My Computers


  4. Posts : 3
    Windows 8.1
    Thread Starter
       #4

    ignatzatsonic .... thank you !

    I am a bit green and not practiced, so some of what you ask, I have not been down this or that road yet.

    1. Your first question: I have not "backed up" my personal data. I know that rule is # 1, but not even sure how best to have done that. (No excuse, I know.) Yes I am vulnerable in this situation, but of course to other unfortunate scenarios also . Since initiating my post for how to approach my issue, the micosoft support site (Q & A) has a thread for discussion about restoring the device to an earlier point in time. Although after I scanned many Q and A pages, there was only 2 or 3 that posted similar complaints about the process not shutting down for them, but instead having a spinning wheel of eternity to show it is "work in progress" (but not going anywhere). In one answer a msft tech stated that do a hard stop/start while interrupting the process can incur damage to the registry. Hard=meaning holding the power button down for at least 10 seconds to shut down the computer and restart it with one long press on the power button. (I know you know what I am explaining, but just letting you know that I know.) Another problem relates within an answer that starts with step 1 after pressing the start button to get one's self into SAFE mode. I also want to stop or eliminate my Malwarebytes while in SAFE mode so it won't interfere with the next attempt to run the process if I were so lucky to get into SAFE mode. This is because I don't know if I will be successful getting out of SAFE mode. But I have learned elsewhere in these recent hours, that WIN 8 cannot be stopped from booting completely with tapping the f8 key; that it zips through that like lightning. This means that the styles by which one CAN get into a safe mode with WIN 8 won't be made available because of the nature of a hard start and precluding the normal ways. Now that I think about it, that was not an Rx from a microsoft rep answering, but another computer user who stated he did something very easy while he was in SAFE that worked out well for him (obviously not a WIN 8 user). (2) NO... I transitioned from WIN 7 without any start up hardware. (3) I learned about OEM including such a partition. In fact , the msft tech answering stated in a few words to get into that partition. That for me would make me Columbus starting out when arguably the earth was flat. I should hope I can see my way out of that partition. His 4 steps Rx is to do this

    System restore does not stop, running for hours - Microsoft Community

    4. The on screen advisory was that the process cannot be stopped. Well, the Hard Restart can get around that, but as I stated earlier, one rep from msft stated it will injure the registry. I have no choice but to stop it to be able to do anything else.

    Thank you, ignatzatsonic.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 3
    Windows 8.1
    Thread Starter
       #5

    dalchina....Thank you much.

    You have given me a sobering overview. The fact you stated: System Restore (restoring) is viewed as very unreliable here, alas, and may sometimes still not work if started from Safe Mode. That is so sad ! I was familiar with the process when using earlier OS, and it worked for me. I would not have used it had I known. I know nothing about disc imaging.

    You stated, "If your system boots, then you're very fortunate." It is terrible so many of novices have not been served notice from MSFT one could lose potentially a lot. I will have ! And...yes, when I reviewing the subject in the Q & A msft support site, there were those complaints from users.

    Hard Disk Sentinel .... is there much of a learning curve for me ? Are you referring to a disk check utility AND or OR chkdsk. These are two separate purposes utilities ? The latter sounds familiar as if that was something included in earlier msft OS's.
    As you state..."if I am to be so lucky to get that far" but should I get that far, I will have someone do that for me, and try to learn it as it is being done.

    Thank you for the recommendation, going forward, regardless of my fate, for Macrium Reflect.

    Thank you for your contributions, dalchina. It really corroborates what I have been picking up...the portential to realize ugly, and the utilities needed as you cited them. I do expect to post here the results.... as a minimum a courtesy.
      My Computer


 

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