System Restore Fails

[lungbing]

Windows 10.  I can create a restore point without any problem, but I cannot restore at all, even from a restore point create a minute before.  It always fails with an error code of 0x800703f1  and the Windows programmer who gave that as a code instead of a plain text message wants shooting.

I have disabled Windows Defender and tried and I have run Windows in Safe Mode and tried, both  with the same failure.

I have run sfc /scannow and tried.  I have run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth  and tried.

 

Has anybody any idea what might be causing the failure and how to fix it.  I do regularly backup my discs so I am not worried on that score.

 

There are no other symptoms.

Edited October 18, 2019 by lungbing
Last sentence added.

[OneMoreFarang]

You could google it...

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows8_1-update/windows-update-fails-with-error-0x800703f1/784f07aa-24ce-4f26-956b-2d3d500d1bf5

 

Another thing you should do is look at the event logs, especially the system event log. Likely you will find details about errors.

This is an example:

[lungbing]

Thanks for your reply.

I did Google it, which is why I tried the sfc and safe mode, alas  to no effect.

Thanks for the pointer to the system logs.  I cleared that log  so only new entries were in there and tried another restore.  That failed and the system logs show an error accessing a registry key  ending in ConfigurationSystem.

I tried the link you give which is about Win 8, which could still be pertinent of course, but seems to be about missing drivers .  But thanks anyway.  The problem is not bothering me so Ill leave it alone.

[bendejo]

I don't use System Restore, just full backups.

But here's a hunch:  turn off system restore, and leave it off for a few days.  In the meantime do a system disk cleanup, then run a registry cleaner (I like Glary).  One day when you're in the mood to fuss with it turn SR back on and give it a try.

 

I say "a few days" because I figured out a while back that sometimes when I'd make changes to the Windows system it takes a few reboots for things to completely sink in.

 

 

[lungbing]

I'll give it a go.

[bendejo]

5 hours ago, lungbing said:

I'll give it a go.

Just to be clear, by "turn off" I was referring to use of this window

 

 

There may be other ways to go about this, as I said I don't use it myself.  This site has a lot on the subject:

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4588-system-restore-windows-10-a.html

 

Back when I worked for a living at one point I had a job with a company that did backup software.  Full backups were pretty reliable, but things like incremental bu were a roll of the dice.  One of my jobs was to keep up with changes to the competitors' products, and I can say the same for all of them.

At least in your case you know the bu isn't being done; it's more common that the bu runs and you're told it's successful, but when you restore it's "oops!" and your gonads are swinging in the breeze.

Anyway, that explains why I don't use it. 

 

 

[chrisinth]

5 hours ago, bendejo said:

Just to be clear, by "turn off" I was referring to use of this window

 

 

There may be other ways to go about this, as I said I don't use it myself.  This site has a lot on the subject:

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4588-system-restore-windows-10-a.html

 

Back when I worked for a living at one point I had a job with a company that did backup software.  Full backups were pretty reliable, but things like incremental bu were a roll of the dice.  One of my jobs was to keep up with changes to the competitors' products, and I can say the same for all of them.

At least in your case you know the bu isn't being done; it's more common that the bu runs and you're told it's successful, but when you restore it's "oops!" and your gonads are swinging in the breeze.

Anyway, that explains why I don't use it. 

 

 

Agree with what you say above but would also like to say that the reliability of incremental backups has (IMO) improved dramatically over the last few years. I suppose depending on what 3rd party software you are using. I normally do a full backup followed by 14 days of incremental and a full backup, so a new full backup every 15 days. And like yourself System Restore on my machines is switched off, completely reliant on my backup plan.

 

One other thing I would like to say is that System Restore should never be used as a backup tool, because it isn't one. It is more an amped up registry backup at best.