On this page, you will learn how long does system restore take, why it gets stuck, as well as how to fix this issue in Windows 10/11. Most importantly, a reliable alternative will be introduced to evade the Windows 10 system restore taking a long time issue.
"My computer crashed (black screen and white cursor on start up) and did a systems restore - it crashed again and now the system restore has been running for more than 5 hours I was told this is because it's trying to restore to a point before an update (which happened when I did the earlier restart). Is this correct? I'm running Windows 10 on a new Toshiba."
Usually, system restore is seen as a troubleshooting way to restore your system settings and files when a severe problem happens and cannot be fixed by other remedies. But many users report that it often takes them a long time to perform a system restore on a Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer.
So, there is a question you may be very curious about: How long does system restore take on Windows 10/11? You should know that it usually needs 30 to 45 minutes to complete the restoration process. Well, you can also leave at least an hour for the running procedure.
Another question that users are concerned about is how can they know whether their system restore gets freezing or not. Since we have mentioned that nearly one hour is needed for the restoration, if it takes more than the standard time, that's stuck. Or you can check if your hard-drive light is constantly flashing, if it only flashes every 5-10 seconds, then it means it's corrupted.
To solve this issue better, it's necessary for you to learn the reasons behind it:
♦ Hard drive is full. The low disk space may cause Windows to have troubles with system restoration. If the storage space is insufficient on the hard drive, the system restore will fail to create a copy of everything it needs. ♦ Bad sectors. If there is one or more faulty sectors on the hard disk, it will start to malfunction. Then, chances are that system restore will be stuck or freezing when you run it on the malfunctioning drive. ♦ System crash. Windows 10 system restore taking a long time or not working may be led by the cashed system during the restoration process.
If you find you have already spent several hours on system restore, you can try the methods listed below to fix it quickly.
Note: If you can't boot into a PC, you can create a Windows bootable USB flash drive as a Windows installation media, and then boot from it. When you get into the "Install now" window, click "Repair your computer" to enter the troubleshooting window.
Safe mode starts the computer with loading only essential files and enabling only necessary devices. Thus, performing a restore in safe mode may save you from the hanging system restoration.
Step 1. Press "Win + I" to open Settings, and go to "Update & Security" or "Windows Update". Click on "Recovery", and then click on "Restart Now" under the Advanced Startup section.
Step 2. Go to "Troubleshoot" > "Advanced Options" > "Startup Settings" > "Restart".
Step 3. Press F4 or F5 to enable safe mode and then run a system restore again.
Startup repair is a Windows feature to troubleshoot some common problems about the computer automatically. When Windows 10 system restore taking a long time happens, you can try it.
Step 1. On the "Advanced Options" screen, select "Startup Repair". Then, this tool will start to scan and fix the errors.
Step 2. When the repair is finished, click "Shutdown" and see whether the system restore can perform normally.
SFC (System File Checker) is a helpful tool in Windows that allows you to scan and fix corrupted Windows system files. This may help you solve the problem that is caused by the crashed system.
Step 1. Type "cmd" in the search box, select it from the start menu list and run as administrator.
Step 2. Type "sfc /scannow" in the command prompt and hit "Enter".
Step 3. The process will take some time. You just need to wait and see if any delay is still there in restoring process after SFC scanning.
If you exceed the ideal time when restoring to a point, you can try another restore point to avoid its appearance.
Step 1. Open "Control Panel" (by searching it on the search bar) and click "System and Security".
Step 2. Click "System" to open system protection.
Step 3. Type "System Restore" and then follow the directions to select a different restore point from the list and see if it fixes the issue.
To help you back up and restore Windows, you can download AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, the best Windows system restore alternative software. It provides an easy and flexible way to back up your OS, programs, and files by cloning on all versions of Windows 11/10/8/7.
In addition, it supports creating a bootable media with its built-in feature to boot your problematic computer and perform a quick fix. Download the demo version to see how to clone your OS to another drive as a backup to avoid Windows 10 or Windows 11 system restore taking a long time.
Step 1. Connect the second hard drive to your PC. Install and open AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. Click "Migrate OS" under "Clone".
Step 2. Select an unallocated space on the target SSD, tick the "I want to delete all partitions on this disk 2 to migrate system to the disk" based on your needs, and click "Next".
Step 3. Specify the size or location of the partition being created on the new drive.
Step 4. Read a note about how to boot from the destination disk, and click "Finish".
Step 5. Finally, click "Apply" and "Proceed" to complete the clone operation.
How long does system restore take on Windows 10/11? This post has given the answer in detail. Besides, if you meet the Windows 10 system restore taking a long time issue, try the given solutions in the article. If you want to avoid such problem completely, it’s suggested to clone your OS as a backup or create a system repair disk via AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional.