PC Rolled Itself Back to a Point from Over Two Years Ago

mkenney90 · 27 Dec 2022

Windows Version 10.0.18362

I turned my PC on last night and was kicked into the BIOS initially. I hit Exit, then a dialog popped up where I clicked on "Use Optimal Defaults" (thinking something must have gone wrong which is why I'm in the BIOS in the first place) and restarted the PC. When I finally logged in, everything had been reverted to a point in time over two years ago. And I mean *everything.* My wallpaper, programs, and files were all rolled back. Nothing I'd done or changed since mid 2020 was there. I checked the Event Viewer to see if anything came up and there are no logs between last night and mid 2020. It's as if I literally kept my PC powered off for over two years, which of course is not the case.

There are no restore points that could have been rolled back to. There is no Windows.old folder as I have seen in some other forum posts, either. There is only one hard drive in this PC, so I can't have booted into another Windows install or anything like that.

I'm totally at a loss for what happened. If anyone can lend my some insight as to what happened or if there's any hope to reverse it, I would greatly appreciate it.

Ghot · 27 Dec 2022

Hello @mkenney90 welcome to TenForums.

It doesn't sound like you reset the BIOS to Optimal Defaults... it sounds like you "reset" the entire PC.

Is the time/date in the BIOS and on the desktop correct, in both places?

mkenney90 · 27 Dec 2022

Hello,

yes, the system time is correct everywhere. That was one of the first things I thought to check.

Ghot · 27 Dec 2022

mkenney90 said:

Hello,

yes, the system time is correct everywhere. That was one of the first things I thought to check.

Then you probably got into the Recovery environment somehow, and reset the PC.

If doable, I would just do a clean install, then start using backup software like Macrium Reflect or AOMEI Backupper (both free or paid). Since Microsoft has started experimenting on us... it's the best solution.

PC Rolled Itself Back to a Point from Over Two Years Ago-000000-get-backup-software.png

Macrium Software | Reflect Free Edition

Free Backup Software for Windows | AOMEI Backupper Standard

mkenney90 · 27 Dec 2022

I just don't see how this is even possible. There was nothing about recovery in the BIOS. I literally just exited the BIOS and everything was rolled back.

Also, are you advertising for Macrium?

Ghot · 27 Dec 2022

mkenney90 said:

I just don't see how this is even possible. There was nothing about recovery in the BIOS. I literally just exited the BIOS and everything was rolled back.

Also, are you advertising for Macrium?

Not at all. I just started using it in May 2020 after Acronis got too bloated.
Personally, I like it...

Macrium Reflect and Bootable Rescue Media, pictures... | Windows 11 Forum

I think everyone should use backup software. I don't care what kind.
With MS using us for guinea pigs, we pretty much have to use backup software.

NTN · 28 Dec 2022

UVK - Ultra Virus Killer

System Repair-->Easy Diagnostic-->Just want a system cleanup & boost.

Then "Check and run" and "Yes"

It will update your apps, update your windows and some cleaning.

I'm using this one daily.

Zillions other fixes too, but be some careful.

Maybe it will help you.

On this "picture" press "x" in upper right just for bypassing.

Megahertz · 28 Dec 2022

Please edit your profile with ALL your hardware specs. It will help us to help you
System Specs - Fill in at Ten Forums

Anyone that have data he can't loose should keep a backup up to date. I have a dedicated HDD for backup, I use Macrium Reflect and update my backup every Friday.

How old is your PC?
Is your BIOS coin battery healthy? does it has over 3Vdc?
Download, extract and Run HDinfo
Close the summary window and on the top hit sensors. Search for Vbat

tomdsr · 28 Dec 2022

mkenney90 said:

I just don't see how this is even possible. There was nothing about recovery in the BIOS. I literally just exited the BIOS and everything was rolled back.

Also, are you advertising for Macrium?

Your reset to defaults is your cmos battery on your motherboard dying.

Why it got rolled back, know one will know because that just doesnt happen

dalchina · 28 Dec 2022

Hi, what you describe sounds improbable- abnormal.

I am just wondering if you ever installed a program such as
RollBack Rx Home | Horizon DataSys Corporation Horizon DataSys Corporation
- which does have the ability to revert to older states.

However, anything that takes a PC back in time as far as you describe unexpectedly is abnormal.

Please confirm you've never dual booted, and are not booting into another O/S.
Please post a screenshot of your partitions using a 3rd party partition manager. Thanks.

How do you protect yourself against bad things happening and give yourself a second chance- the chance to recover quickly to a previously good state? Even if your disk fails, your PC is stolen, or hit by ransomware for example?

As is endlessly recommended on tenforums-

- routinely and regularly use 3rd party disk imaging of at least all partitions comprising your O/S, saving image file sets to large enough external storage.

If you had been doing that, you could have been back up and running as you were when you last created an image in under 2 hours. That includes the O/S, installed programs, settings and data.

Disk imaging programs: Macrium Reflect (free or paid); Aomei Backupper (free or paid) etc.

You said:

Also, are you advertising for Macrium?

MR is a good program- for many people the free versionis good enough.
Soit seems you are suspicious of someone recommended a free product... that, had you been using it, could have saved you a lot of time, trouble and anguish.

I do hope you at least have reasonably current backups of your data.