🧩 Pending Info Creating a system restore point not progressing

[Dodothepc]

I've tried to create a system restore point on windows 10 using windows own System protection option.

For about 45 minutes I've just had the green bar moving left to right under the words "creating a restore point" so it seems to be making no progress. There's no percentage to tell me if it's making any progress.

How do I stop this? There's no option to stop it.

Please note I'm a novice to PC so any responses or instructions PLEASE BE AS DETAILED AS POSSIBLE.

I also have no Internet on my pc currently so I'm typing this using my phone so please forgive any spelling errors

[jmarket]

Hello Dodothepc and welcome to PCHF

Thanks for the detailed description — you did everything right by noting the timing and that there’s no cancel button.
When creating a restore point sits there for ~45 minutes with no % progress, it’s usually stuck on the Volume Shadow Copy (VSS) step. Here’s how to safely stop it and get System Restore working again.

---

1) Safely stop the stuck “Creating a restore point”

1. Wait 5 more minutes in case it completes on its own.


2. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete → click Power (bottom-right) → Restart.
   
   
   
   • If Restart isn’t available, choose Sign out, then at the sign-in screen use Power → Restart.
   
   
   • Avoid holding the power button unless the system is completely unresponsive.
   
   
   
   

After the restart, the partial attempt will be discarded — that’s normal.

---

2) Basic checks before trying again

Do these with no internet required:

1. Free space: Open File Explorer → This PC → make sure your Windows drive (usually C:) has at least 10–15 GB free.


2. Turn System Protection off/on (resets the cache):
   
   
   
   1. Press Win + R, type

      SystemPropertiesProtection.exe

      press Enter.
   
   
   2. Select your C: drive → click Configure.
   
   
   3. Click Disable system protection → Apply → Yes to confirm.
   
   
   4. Then select Turn on system protection and set Max Usage to about 5–10% → Apply → OK.
   
   
   
   


3. Restart the VSS services:
   
   
   
   1. Press Win + R, type

      services.msc

      press Enter.
   
   
   2. Find Volume Shadow Copy → right-click → Stop (if running), then Start.
   
   
   3. Find Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider → right-click → Restart (or Start if stopped).
   
   
   
   


4. Run quick health checks (no internet needed):
   
   
   
   1. Press Start, type Command Prompt, right-click it → Run as administrator.
   
   
   2. In the black window, run these one at a time (each can take several minutes):
   
   
   
   

   sfc /scannow

   DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

   If DISM later fails with an error like 0x800f081f, that’s okay for now — it often needs the internet; just move on.

   
   

---

3) Try creating a restore point again (two safer ways)

Method A — Clean boot (avoids interference from other programs)

1. Press Win + R, type

   msconfig

   press Enter.


2. Services tab → check Hide all Microsoft services → click Disable all.


3. Startup tab → click Open Task Manager → Disable every startup item.


4. OK → Restart.


5. After restart, press Win + R, run

   SystemPropertiesProtection.exe

   click Create… and name it Test.


6. If it works, re-enable your normal startup items later by reversing the steps.

Method B — Safe Mode (very minimal drivers)

1. Press Win + R, type

   msconfig

   , press Enter → Boot tab → check Safe boot (Minimal) → OK → Restart.


2. In Safe Mode, press Win + R, run

   SystemPropertiesProtection.exe

   , try Create… again.


3. When done, undo Safe Mode: open

   msconfig

   again, uncheck Safe boot, OK, Restart.

---

4) If it’s still hanging

1. Check VSS writers:
   
   [CODE]vssadmin list writers[/CODE>
   
   Look for any writers with State: [x] Failed and note the names.
   


2. Event Viewer errors:
   
   
   
   1. Press Win + R, type

      eventvwr.msc

      , press Enter.
   
   
   2. Go to Windows Logs → Application and System.
   
   
   3. Look for errors/warnings around the time you tried the restore point — especially ones mentioning VSS, VolSnap, sr, or Shadow Copy. Note the exact error codes/messages.
   
   
   
   

---

5) Things that often cause restore-point hangs

• Very low free disk space on C:.


• Third-party antivirus or backup tools that hook into VSS (use Clean Boot / Safe Mode while testing).


• Corrupted restore store (fixed by toggling System Protection off/on as above).


• Disk errors (optional check): open Command Prompt (Admin) and run:
  
  [CODE]chkdsk C: /scan[/CODE>
  
  If it reports problems, schedule a full repair on next reboot.
  

---

6) What to tell us so we can help faster

• How much free space is on C:


• Whether creating a restore point worked in Safe Mode or Clean Boot.


• The results of

  sfc /scannow



• Any failed VSS writer names from

  vssadmin list writers



• Any Event Viewer errors (exact error codes/messages).

We’ll translate those findings into the next exact steps. You’ve got this — we’ll get System Restore behaving again! 💪

[Dodothepc]

Thanks. I'll try shut it down in the next half hour.

The only reason I was making a restore point is because I've bought a new WiFi dongle off ebay and it requires installation of a driver. Im weary of drivers being installed as I've had it in the past where it creates issues. So I just wanted to protect myself and have a restore point before installing the driver.

Assuming I'm able to shut down and restart the pc with no damage caused, what's the best way to create a quick restore/backup point? I've seen a few websites advising windows restore points aren't the best thing to do but all the other options seem too technical for me

[jmarket]

Thanks. I'll try shut it down in the next half hour.

The only reason I was making a restore point is because I've bought a new WiFi dongle off ebay and it requires installation of a driver. Im weary of drivers being installed as I've had it in the past where it creates issues. So I just wanted to protect myself and have a restore point before installing the driver.

Assuming I'm able to shut down and restart the pc with no damage caused, what's the best way to create a quick restore/backup point? I've seen a few websites advising windows restore points aren't the best thing to do but all the other options seem too technical for me

Good thinking — and you’re absolutely right to be cautious before installing any new drivers, especially from eBay hardware. 👍

It’s perfectly safe to restart your PC after the restore point stalls — Windows won’t be damaged. Once you’ve restarted, here are the best and easiest ways to protect yourself before installing that new Wi-Fi dongle driver.

---

1) Create a fresh restore point (simplest method)

1. Press Win + R and type

   SystemPropertiesProtection.exe

   , then press Enter.


2. Select your C: drive and click Create.


3. Give it a name such as Before WiFi Driver and click Create.

This process usually takes less than a minute. When it says “The restore point was created successfully,” you’re good to go.

---

2) Alternative (safer & faster) method — full system image backup

If you’d like a more reliable backup than System Restore but without anything too technical, Windows includes a simple tool:

1. Press Start and type Control Panel → open it.


2. Click Backup and Restore (Windows 7) (yes, that’s still the right option).


3. On the left, click Create a system image.


4. Select your backup location — an external USB drive works best.


5. Follow the prompts to back up your system image.

That backup lets you fully restore your PC if anything goes wrong, even if it won’t boot.

---

3) Easier daily protection (optional)

• File History: backs up your personal files automatically.
  
  Open Settings → Update & Security → Backup → turn on File History if available.


• Manual restore points: you can create one anytime before software or driver changes.

---

4) Quick safety reminder about eBay drivers

• If possible, use the manufacturer’s official website for drivers instead of the included CD or link.


• If Windows 10 recognizes the Wi-Fi dongle automatically when you plug it in, let Windows install its own driver first — it’s usually safer.


• Only install the eBay driver if the device doesn’t work after a reboot or if Windows can’t find one automatically.

---

Once your new restore point or backup is done, go ahead with the Wi-Fi driver install — you’ll have a safety net ready. If it causes any issues, we can guide you through restoring your system in just a few clicks.

[Dodothepc]

I left the initial restore process running and I've noticed that the process is no longer stuck on the green bar. I got an error
"the shadow copy provider had an error. Check the system and application event logs for more information"

[Dodothepc]

Ffs this computer is driving me up the wall.

Some other info before I get into what's currently happening

Earlier today, before I wanted to make a restore point, my usb ports at the front of the pc stopped working. I was using a usb dongle for Internet access and that suddenly stopped working. Note that this isn't the new WiFi dongle I bought from ebay. It's my old one that I've always had issues with as it disconnects frequently and just an unreliable cheap bit of mass produced garbage (hence why I've bought a new one)

At the time I didn't know it was the usb port that wasn't working I just assumed the dongle was up to its old tricks.

When the dongle stops working my usual method is to connect my mobile phone to my pc via usb and tether my 5g Internet to the pc which always works without any issues. Today however it wouldn't tether, my pc simply wasn't detecting an Internet connection was being tethered into it. The phone did however start charging when connected to pc, so the usb ports are working in some capacity.

I noticed windows needed an update so I selected the uodate and restart option.

Restarted the pc and usb ports still not recognising the dongle, my phone for Internet tethering and I also tested a working usb stick 2gb and it doesn't detect that either.

I then tried the system restore and as we know, that failed too.

I logged out and then selected shut down. Usually my pc shuts down within about 20 seconds. This time however I just got the windows is shutting down message until a blue screen
"your device ran into a problem and needs to restart
100 perct complete"

Nothing happened so I've powered it down manually

Restarted the computer and it starts up as quickly as usual (about 30 seconds) but usb ports still aren't working

Could this be anything to do with Microsoft putting windows 10 into obsolesence?

Sorry I'm sure there is a ton of spelling mistakes but it's borderline impossible to write in long form using swifkkey keyboard on a phone, it's torture

[jmarket]

No worries at all — you’ve done an excellent job explaining everything in detail, and you’ve actually uncovered a few key clues that help narrow this down. 👍

Based on your description, the USB failure, the shadow copy provider error, and the blue screen are all symptoms that point to a Windows system-level issue — most likely involving the USB controller driver or chipset drivers, rather than Windows 10 obsolescence (Microsoft is still providing security and driver updates until October 2026).

---

1) What’s happening

• “Shadow copy provider had an error” — this means the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) couldn’t communicate with part of Windows responsible for managing snapshots. It can happen if system files or drivers are corrupted.


• USB ports not detecting devices — this often ties to corrupted chipset or USB controller drivers. If Windows Update or the shutdown crash interrupted something, that could explain the sudden failure.


• Blue screen on shutdown — confirms Windows hit a low-level error when trying to stop hardware or a driver (which again points to USB/chipset instability).

---

2) What to do next

Step 1 — Boot into Safe Mode

1. Restart your PC.


2. As soon as it starts booting, repeatedly press F8 (or hold Shift and click Restart → Troubleshoot → Advanced Options → Startup Settings → Restart).


3. Choose Safe Mode with Networking.

In Safe Mode, Windows loads only the essential drivers — we’ll see if USB starts working here.

---

Step 2 — Check Device Manager

1. Press Win + X → choose Device Manager.


2. Expand these sections:
   
   
   
   • Universal Serial Bus controllers
   
   
   • Network adapters
   
   
   • Other devices
   
   
   
   


3. Look for any items with a yellow triangle ⚠️ or unknown device entries.


4. If you find any, right-click → Uninstall device → confirm → then from the top menu click Action → Scan for hardware changes.

If your USB ports suddenly start working after doing this, Windows successfully reloaded the driver stack.

---

Step 3 — Run a system file check

Still in Safe Mode (or normal mode if you can boot fine):

sfc /scannow

Let it complete 100%. If it finds and repairs files, restart and test USB again.

---

Step 4 — Reinstall chipset & USB controller drivers

If USB is still dead, this is the most likely fix.

1. Find out your PC’s make and model (for example: Dell OptiPlex 3080, HP Pavilion 590, ASUS Prime B450, etc.).


2. On your phone, go to the manufacturer’s support page and search your model.


3. Download the latest Chipset and USB 3.0/3.1 Controller drivers onto a USB stick.


4. Plug that USB stick into the rear USB ports (those are wired directly to the motherboard, and often work when front ports fail).


5. If it’s still not detected, temporarily enable Legacy USB Support in your BIOS and try again.


6. Once you can access the files, install the chipset driver first, then the USB driver.

---

Step 5 — Check Event Viewer for the exact VSS error

1. Press Win + R → type

   eventvwr.msc

   → press Enter.


2. Go to Windows Logs → Application.


3. Look for errors with Source: VSS or VolSnap around the time the restore failed.


4. Copy the exact Event ID and message — that helps pinpoint the cause.

---

3) Why this isn’t about Windows 10 obsolescence

Even though Microsoft is winding down feature development, security and driver support continue through October 2026.
So this isn’t caused by Microsoft remotely disabling anything — it’s a local driver or corruption issue. The symptoms line up perfectly with a chipset/USB controller crash rather than system-wide end-of-life behavior.

---

4) Once USB is fixed

• Then you can safely create a new restore point again using

  SystemPropertiesProtection.exe

  .


• After confirming that works, you’ll be in a great position to install the new Wi-Fi dongle driver.

---

You’ve done everything right so far — you’ve documented the issue clearly, avoided forcing anything, and stayed cautious about drivers. Once we get the USB controller stable again, the rest will fall into place. 💪