'Your PC didn't restart correctly' keeps happening 3-5 weeks after restoring from a backup

[Richard_41]

I have a windows 10 PC that I use for my media server. About 5 months ago I reinstalled the machine from scratch to clean up the machine and remove applications I didnt need on the server any more. When machine was set up I added an Acronis backup schedule. It seems to run fine but every month or so I wake up to the PC wanting to do an automatic repair and telling me it didn't start correctly.

I have tried the automatic repairs and other tests under the statup screens. The other times this happened I had windows reset the machine and I followed that restoring from the acronis backup. Each time I do this refresh/restore it runs for at least a month but ultimately it comes back one morning with 'Your PC didnt restart correctly'

Any thing that would cause this type of error fairly often on a pc that seems to run well otherwise?

 

[Darkbreeze]

A reinstall is not the same as a clean install. When you installed, did you install from bootable media, and boot to the installation, or did you begin the installation from the desktop?

Once you were in the installation, did you choose the "Custom" option and then proceed to delete ALL existing partitions on the operating system drive, or did you simply install a new C: partition OS image?

Not deleting the old boot and restore partitions can cause a variety of different issues, and I suspect that this COULD be part of your issue if there were issues with either of those other partitions.

Also, prior to doing the clean install it would be advisable to reset the bios by jumping the cmos reset pins OR preferably, with the power off, removing the CMOS battery for about two minutes and then reinstalling it, powering up, into BIOS, select "optimal default" or "setup default" settings. Save settings, restart, begin clean install. If you have custom settings configured in the bios for CPU or case fan profiles or anything else, it would be advisable to go back into the bios first, after choosing the default settings, and reconfigure those custom options again, then save, restart and begin the clean install.

Windows 10 Clean install tutorial

There is no reason at all, and I have never seen it happen, that you would, or should, still continue to get those messages after doing a clean install.

It would also be advisable, since you have Acronis true image backup anyhow, to go into the advanced control panel system settings and remove ALL existing restore points and disable system restore for all drives. No reason to waste the resources or drive space saving restore points that rarely work anyhow, when you have other software to do that already. Could even be something conflicting between the two although I have not personally seen this happen. I use Acronis as well. Also, make sure Acronis is up to date with the latest version though the Acronis application.

 

[Richard_41]

Thanks for the guidance. I started with a clean install - at least to the definition that i started with bootable media and almost certain I did delete all the existing partitions. I installed my software and did the acronis backup. It then ran for weeks. What is throwing me is that after I restore from the backup it works for another few weeks and then one night it will have restart issues. the restore point disabling is a good idea. The only other thing I can think of is maybe a windows update is throwing it off. After I restore this time I will do all my windows updates at once. Maybe a bad SSD drive.. will do some more tests around that as well.

A reinstall is not the same as a clean install. When you installed, did you install from bootable media, and boot to the installation, or did you begin the installation from the desktop?

Once you were in the installation, did you choose the "Custom" option and then proceed to delete ALL existing partitions on the operating system drive, or did you simply install a new C: partition OS image?

Not deleting the old boot and restore partitions can cause a variety of different issues, and I suspect that this COULD be part of your issue if there were issues with either of those other partitions.

Also, prior to doing the clean install it would be advisable to reset the bios by jumping the cmos reset pins OR preferably, with the power off, removing the CMOS battery for about two minutes and then reinstalling it, powering up, into BIOS, select "optimal default" or "setup default" settings. Save settings, restart, begin clean install. If you have custom settings configured in the bios for CPU or case fan profiles or anything else, it would be advisable to go back into the bios first, after choosing the default settings, and reconfigure those custom options again, then save, restart and begin the clean install.

Windows 10 Clean install tutorial

There is no reason at all, and I have never seen it happen, that you would, or should, still continue to get those messages after doing a clean install.

It would also be advisable, since you have Acronis true image backup anyhow, to go into the advanced control panel system settings and remove ALL existing restore points and disable system restore for all drives. No reason to waste the resources or drive space saving restore points that rarely work anyhow, when you have other software to do that already. Could even be something conflicting between the two although I have not personally seen this happen. I use Acronis as well. Also, make sure Acronis is up to date with the latest version though the Acronis application.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Don't restore, do another clean install after clearing the bios settings. Then, do all the updates. Then, create your Acronis image.

Just using the image you have now is likely simply reinstalling the problem, whatever it is, over and over again. In fact, it's entirely possible that SOMETHING happened, for whatever reason, during the install, and each time you refresh to that image you are just putting it back again.

I realize it's tempting because it's easier, and you don't have to reinstall applications etc. that way, but it's unlikely to stop unless you start again from scratch. I like to do this.

Clean install. Do ALL updates. Create image. Install all basic applications. Make SECOND image. Use system for a few days. Make third image and then keep THAT image incrementally or completely backed up and do not touch those first two images.

Also, on the exclusions tab, I like to see that everything you see below is excluded from backup. None of it is necessary and does not affect restoring the image. Extra stuff that doesn't need to be a part of it.

 

[Richard_41]

You are right.. How you explained below is how I normally do this.. install windows, take a backup, install apps take a backup. I know I have some exclusions but I think your list might be bigger/better.

I did notice last night that while playing around with the windows repair screens that windows was thinking I had two windows 10 installs. It seemed my issue might not have been inside windows OS partition but could be more with partitions setup and boot records etc.. This is my media PC and we wanted to catch the Olympics so I did take some middle ground of doing a fresh install where I deleted all the partitions and then using acronis to only restore the windows partition rather then a drive restore.

But if this fails again.. agree I totally should just start over

Don't restore, do another clean install after clearing the bios settings. Then, do all the updates. Then, create your Acronis image.

Just using the image you have now is likely simply reinstalling the problem, whatever it is, over and over again. In fact, it's entirely possible that SOMETHING happened, for whatever reason, during the install, and each time you refresh to that image you are just putting it back again.

I realize it's tempting because it's easier, and you don't have to reinstall applications etc. that way, but it's unlikely to stop unless you start again from scratch. I like to do this.

Clean install. Do ALL updates. Create image. Install all basic applications. Make SECOND image. Use system for a few days. Make third image and then keep THAT image incrementally or completely backed up and do not touch those first two images.

Also, on the exclusions tab, I like to see that everything you see below is excluded from backup. None of it is necessary and does not affect restoring the image. Extra stuff that doesn't need to be a part of it.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Yes, do a clean install, ALL new partitions, which of course if you delete ALL the existing partitions on the drive AND disconnect any secondary drives, windows will create automatically. Most important is the boot partition. If there are existing boot partitions on secondary drives it can drive Windows right into the funny farm. Or you.

Then when you create your Acronis backups, don't do a partition backup, backup the whole drive, all partitions, that way if you have to restore it will restore your boot partition as well. Since you are using Acronis, I would also remove the restore partition that Windows makes automatically during the clean install, and extend the C: partition afterwards to make use of that space. Leave only the boot partition and OS partition.

You can do this using Gparted or possibly also with Macrium reflect. There are a number of partition management applications that work well and are free, that are capable of removing and extending partitions. Then, after you have only the OS and boot partitions, make your backup. Also, turn off system restore and delete ALL restore points, BEFORE you make the backup, so that those are not included, nor restored, if you have to use your Acronis image later.