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

Bug locker · Mar 14, 2024

Hey all.
Last 2 days i tried to set and fix some things. These are enable/disable the WinRe , create missing WinRE.wim , create missing BCD file ,
enable/disable F8 menu. All done.
But sometime i tried to run System Restore (Restore point) from WinRE/WinPE.
So i got a new problem : When i click to choose the "System Restore" , i take an error.
That it not happens if i do that from inside windows. Happens when i boot to WinPE from USB installation disk and reboot to WinRE e.g with Shift+Restart.
i search the internet and find some solutions with no success e.g:
1) Commands DISM , sfc , chkdsk , bootrec , bootsect , bcedit , bcdboot.
2) Startup repair via WinRE
I think the problem is that the system see more than operation systems. But i only have Win 11 and WinRE.

The message is : "To use System Restore, you must specify which Windows installation to restore.
Restart this computer, select an operating system, and then select System Restore".

Current configuration:

Sometime i took a new error :

Again i tried to solved with some solutions via internet with no luck.
Finally , by using an old utility that i find the "Startup Repair" the folder c:\BOOT have now many files and a BCD , instead
of the one it has before (time file).

And what if i cant boot and i need a system restore with boot at WinRE/PE ?
With the current data i cant. Any suggestions ?

Thanks.

TM21 · Mar 14, 2024

Since I have only ONE OS per hard drive, I never have any of that Gobledegook.

A System Restore Point is made on ONE running issue of Windows and only reflects the system files on that ONE version of Windows. So to do a system restore, you must be running the version of Windows that made the restore point.
I thought that was common knowledge. ???

What else do you need?

TM

Bug locker · Mar 14, 2024

TechnoMage2021 said:
Since I have only ONE OS per hard drive, I never have any of that Gobledegook.

A System Restore Point is made on ONE running issue of Windows and only reflects the system files on that ONE version of Windows. So to do a system restore, you must be running the version of Windows that made the restore point.
I thought that was common knowledge. ???

What else do you need?

TM

I create RPs with Win 11 and try to restore from Win 11 installation USB.
Whats wrong ?

Bug locker · Mar 15, 2024

Could someone to tell me if my disks looks OK by comparing with his system ?

Thanks.

Try3 · Mar 15, 2024

Bug locker said:
Could someone to tell me if my disks looks OK

Yes, they look OK.
They look the same as mine.
[Like you, I had removed the Recovery partition.]

Denis

Bug locker · Mar 15, 2024

Try3 said:
Yes, they look OK.
They look the same as mine.
[Like you, I had removed the Recovery partition.]

Denis

Thanks !

(oops , thats mine with enabled WinRE , but its hidden)
(p.s I had speak with Microsoft's tel. support , HP's tel support , search all internet , ask here , and no suggestions or solution.
God only remains :crys:

).

Try3 · Mar 15, 2024

Other people might have better suggestions involving using BCD commands.
I don't know enough to make such suggestions.

I would
1 Make a new system image of the C:\ drive
2 Clean install Windows
3 Restore my C:\ drive image to the C:\ drive of the new installation.

Bug locker said:
thats mine with enabled WinRE , but its hidden

I don't understand what you mean.

All the best,
Denis

SIW2 · Mar 15, 2024

to specify os
from booted winre cmd prompt

rstrui.exe /offline:c:\windows

Finally , by using an old utility that i find the "Startup Repair" the folder c:\BOOT have now many files and a BCD , instead
of the one it has before (time file).

your %systemdrive%\boot folder should not be involved if you are efi booting

Try3 · Mar 15, 2024

rstrui.exe is a Windows command [in the System32 folder along with the others].
Its use is shown in Option 2 of Do a System Restore - TenForumsTutorials
It opens the System restore user interface.

This is the Windows 10 version of the interface.

Denis

Bug locker · Mar 15, 2024

SIW2 said:
from booted winre cmd prompt

rstrui.exe /offline:c:\windows

Thanks.
I have tried. I took an error 0x80070057. I find some solutions and tried without results. :crys:

Bug locker · Mar 15, 2024

Try3 said:
Other people might have better suggestions involving using BCD commands.
I don't know enough to make such suggestions.

I would
1 Make a new system image of the C:\ drive
2 Clean install Windows
3 Restore my C:\ drive image to the C:\ drive of the new installation.

I don't understand what you mean.

All the best,
Denis

Please read my first post. I have tried BCD.
When you say "I would" do you mean "I suggest to you" ?
Mean Image Backup my c: , do clean install , and restore c: ?

I mean i haven't remove the Recovery partition (WinRE).

Try3 · Mar 15, 2024

Bug locker said:
When you say "I would" do you mean "I suggest to you" ?
Mean Image Backup my c: , do clean install , and restore c: ?

Yes, I suggest it because it is a viable way to proceed to remove the current fault.

But I would not be surprised if somebody who was knowledgeable about BCDEdit & BCDBoot stepped in and told you of a simpler & quicker way to fix the fault.

Denis

Try3 · Mar 15, 2024

Bug locker said:
I mean i haven't remove the Recovery partition (WinRE).

I do not know why a Recovery partition would not show up in those MTPW & Disk mgmt screenshots.
I do not know if that affects recovering form the problem.

Denis

Bug locker · Mar 15, 2024

Try3 said:
Yes, I suggest it because it is a viable way to proceed to remove the current fault.

But I would not be surprised if somebody who was knowledgeable about BCDEdit & BCDBoot stepped in and told you of a simpler & quicker way to fix the fault.

Denis

Perhaps the way you suggest works. But :
1) What if the system restore fails ? I lost all by job.
2) I have an HP laptop with an NVME disk (C). Windows installation has no driver.
When i bought the PC it has only DOS at disk. When i tried the clean install , Windows asks for the driver for the disk.
Finally i found it at HP's support page , but very difficult. Now i dont remember wich driver was and if try it
i have to try 5-6 drivers. I dont want to do it.

So , i thought the same with you : perhaps someone with knowledgeable or someone who had the same problem and solved ,
know the solution. Theoretically speaking isnt possible this problem hasnt a solution even by use of
the installation USB (outside from partitions of NVME).
But when i talk with Microsoft's tel. support finally the man said me
"this may only be known by the microsoft programmer who deals with partitions. I can only recommend a clean install.............".

Bug locker · Mar 15, 2024

Try3 said:
I do not know why a Recovery partition would not show up in those MTPW & Disk mgmt screenshots.
I do not know if that affects recovering form the problem.

Denis

No its normal either is hidden or not. By default is hidden. But if you do the procedure to large the partition of WinRE then will
appear as a new different partion of disk (c: or 0).

Try3 · Mar 15, 2024

Bug locker said:
When i tried the clean install , Windows asks for the driver for the disk.

Here are links to discussions about the subject
No Drives Found During Windows 10 and Windows 11 Installation - Dell
Test for possible NVMe missing - NavyLCdr #9 - ElevenForum
Source of necessary IRST driver - NavyLCdr #15 - ElevenForum

No drives can be found during Windows 11 or Windows 10 installation - HP
No Drives Found During Windows 10 and Windows 11 Installation - Dell

Denis

Bug locker · Mar 15, 2024

Try3 said:
Here are links to discussions about the subject
No Drives Found During Windows 10 and Windowcleanmgr /sagerun:65535s 11 Installation - Dell
Test for possible NVMe missing - NavyLCdr #9 - ElevenForum
Source of necessary IRST driver - NavyLCdr #15 - ElevenForum

No drives can be found during Windows 11 or Windows 10 installation - HP
No Drives Found During Windows 10 and Windows 11 Installation - Dell

Denis

Thanks

. I think that was the Intel RST.
But again :
1) It has a lot of work.
2) Image backup may fail.
3) Image backup may works but the problem may remain.
So we go to ......... knowledge solutions.

Try3 · Mar 15, 2024

Bug locker said:
No its normal either is hidden or not. By default is hidden

I have bought two Windows 11 computers so far [HP, Lenovo] and have upgraded one computer to Windows 11 [Dell].
In all these computers, Disk mgmt displayed the Recovery partition.

Denis

Bug locker · Mar 15, 2024

Try3 said:
I have bought two Windows 11 computers so far [HP, Lenovo] and have upgraded one computer to Windows 11 [Dell].
In all these computers, Dism mgmt displayed the Recovery partition.

Denis

Could you upload a screenshot of disk management where the Recovery partition is visible ?
Also note that many manufacturers like HP use them own Recovery partition. Maybe it is ?
How you know if the visible recovery partition is WinRE or other ?

Try3 · Mar 15, 2024

Bug locker said:
Could you upload a screenshot of disk management where the Recovery partition is visible.

I have.
You were so quick to reply that I had not had time to attach it by then. [I posted the text then went through my archives hunting for that diagram, hence the time lag]
That diagram is of the system as delivered. I had not changed anything.

Bug locker said:
How you know if the visible recovery partition is WinRE or other ?

It is WinRE.

Bug locker said:
Also note that many manufacturers like HP use them own Recovery partition. Maybe it is ?

No.
When makers put in a partition it is about 13GB because it contains a full system image of the system.

All the best,
Denis

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

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