How to Fix Windows 10/11 System Restore Is Taking a Long Time

Are you trying to restore your PC, but it has been stuck on hold for a long time? Usually, system restoration is a time-consuming process that takes a minimum of half an hour or so, depending on the number of files and their size. It can take as long as 2 hours if you have too much data to be restored. If it has only been a few minutes, you should relax and let the task run.

However, if it has been quite a long time, but the PC is stuck at the system restore screen or is taking too long to finish, it might be a concern for you. 

System Restore is considered the ultimate solution for all the major issues on Windows. But it can get frustrating to find yourself stuck with it, as there seems no other useful way. However, that is not entirely true. In case you come across a situation when the process is taking a long time, you do have the option to resolve the issue with it.

How? This post will discuss that. So keep reading as we examine why System Restore is taking so long and what can be done about it!

What causes system restore to get stuck/take longer?

Whenever you use System Restore on your PC, you are either restoring an old file you have somehow lost or resetting the PC to its last perfect state. Either way, you are already facing issues with the PC’s performance, which leads you to run a restore. 

While those issues may be resolved after the restore, they may cause issues while you are performing it. Some of the common factors that add to the time consumption of system restoration include – 

• Size of the Backup Files
• Hard Drive Storage Space Runs Out
• System Crashes Amid Restore
• The Restore Process Was Interrupted/Paused

The environment in which you started the System Restore is crucial to its efficiency. If the storage drive was not optimized for restoration or there are malicious system files on the PC, you might have to face issues with the restore. You should never interrupt/pause the restore as it often breaks the sync, resulting in longer wait times. 

What to Do If System Restore is Taking Long on Windows?

Now that you are familiar with the reasons that may be bothering the restore process, you might ask yourself, what can you do about it? After identifying the culprits behind System Restore taking a long time, several fixes can be implemented to eliminate them so that the process is carried out uninterrupted and in a limited time. 

Check out the following fixes that might help – 

Fix 1 – Restart Your PC into Safe Mode

When restoring, make sure you use the Safe Mode instead of the normal mode. In Safe Mode, the interruptions are way less as your PC deactivates most third-party apps and disconnects your PC completely from the internet. To initiate the Safe Mode, all you need to do is – 

Step 1 – Restart Your PC using the Restart Button
Step 2 – Press the Function keys to open the Advanced Options while restarting. (The keys may vary depending on your manufacturer. For some, it is F5; for some, it is F9; and sometimes, it is either Del or Tab keys)

Step 3 – After opening the menu, select Safe Mode by pressing the corresponding numeric key from the keyboard and press enter. (Some PCs also take the input based on Numbered Fn keys).

After the PC is in safe mode, simply restart the System Restore via the start menu, and it should finish in no time. Once the restore is complete, restart the PC, and you are good to go. 

Read Also: Solved – System Restore Failed To Extract the File

Fix 2 – Use SFC Scan for System Files

If your PC was underperforming and you started the restore due to system issues, run the SFC scan before starting the System Restore. If system files are corrupt, you might not get the best results. 

Step 1 – Go to the Start Menu and look up CMD to open Command Prompt. (Run as Administrator).
Step 2—In the CMD window, type Command—SFC/Scannow and hit enter. This will run a system file check scan on your computer.
Step 3—Once it is over, restart your PC, and most of the issues will be resolved.

Now, simply go back and initiate system restore on your PC; it should not take long. 

Fix 3 – Optimize PC and Resources Before Restore

Another crucial issue that may be causing the System Restore to hang up while running is your PC’s optimization state. When factors such as your storage, files, RAM, etc. are not optimized properly, processes like system restoration take longer to finish than usual. 

It might take time and effort if you start manually checking all the issues. This is why we recommend you use Advanced System Optimizer to optimize your PC before restoring. 

All you have to do to get things done is – 

Step 1 – Visit the official website and download Advanced System Optimizer.

Step 2 – Once you have installed the app, launch it to find the Smart PC Care button on the home screen.

Step 3 – Click on it and let the tool find all the errors and issues with different aspects of your PC.
Step 4 – When the scan is finished, it shows you several files and issues that can be optimized. Click on Optimize now and wait for the process to finish. 

Restart your PC after the process is over, and you will find that the issues are now fixed on your PC. This may even eliminate your quest to restore the PC, as all the errors will be identified and resolved with a single scan. However, if you still plan to run a System Restore, you can try it after the optimization, and it will work seamlessly. 

If you interrupted the restore or there was a power cut while trying the restore, you can also rely on running a startup repair, which will fix the PC’s issues. 

If you have an optimized PC with a proper backup size and the correct environment, system restore will not take too long to finish. Fortunately, you can now achieve all three things using the information shared in this post. 

That brings us to the end of this blog. If you find an issue fixing the error, feel free to leave a comment, and we will personally assist you in fixing the issue. Thanks for reading, and good luck!

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