Spotify app makes system restore fail

Hello,

This happened to me today, almost exactly...

My HP Envy worked fine when I went to sleep. When I woke up, the touch screen and USB mouse/keyboard all stopped working in Windows (touchscreen still worked fine in diagnostic tests). I investigated and found the drivers all appeared to be missing. I tried updating them or reinstalling them and restarting with no luck. Then I decided it was time to try a system restore...Blammo, now I can't get out of the boot error loop or restore the system to any working point. The same 'Spotify.exe' file is identified as the conflict that prevents the system restore from completing.

I can get into command line from the startup diagnostic screens but when I try to do anything to that Spotify.exe file it says the system cannot access the file (probably what's preventing the restore from working in the first place). Is there a way to change the permissions on this? Would that allow system restore to overwrite it?

I have also been unable to access safe mode. But, I can see that all of my files are still intact, and I can transfer them onto an external hard drive...but I'd really not like to have to buy a new computer because of this one spotify file seems to be preventing a system restore...

Any help resolving this would be greatly appreciated.

nobody has been able to "fix" this issue and I recently experienced it with an HP Envy 17' laptop that  once overnight after a windows 10 update I lost drivers on all my usb ports and then a month later after a windows 10 update I lost external usb port mice drivers but the usb ports themselves appeared to be working.  Then I got stuck in the spotify screws up a system restore loop.

I was able to get the system operating again by doing a windows reset (not full factory reset) that kept my data and re-installed windows cleanly eliminating all the programs I had installed (but could install again).  You can get to that option from the advanced startup options.

I will not install the spotify app on this laptop anymore and if I want to use spotify I will use the browser application.  And if I do need to install it I will do it from the spotify site on my browser not from the Windows 10 apps site.  I think the version on the Windows 10 app site maybe causing the problem since I have multiple computers here and none but the recently restored laptop used the Windows 10 app version.

One thing i noticed with the last spotify install that caused this problem.  I could not get it to stop starting up when i start up the laptop.  there is a spotify problem topic on this issue.  I think that was a "tell" about spotify interfering with windows at startup.   If I ever saw that problem occur I would solve it first before attempting to use "system restore" on windows.

That 'tell' does sounds familiar. Spotify tried to reinstall itself every time I opened it. Very frustrating all around.

Does a Windows reset remove all programs and apps, whether they were installed from the store or downloaded elsewhere? Or just the ones from the store? For example, will I lose Chrome and all of my bookmarks, or are those 'personal files' that won't get affected? Same with photoshop and any files saved within the photoshop program folder itself..

I am wondering if this would work to save me some reinstallation headaches:

1. If I just dump the program folders I use the most from command line onto an external drive
2. Then run the reset from the advanced startup options
3. and copy them back in place once I can get back into windows.

1.  you will lose all programs and  apps that don't come with windows including chrome but if you log into chrome google will save your browser settings including bookmarks

2.  always good top save your data elsewhere before doing the reset and I keep a backup at all times on a different computer here but the "save data" options seems to work quite well from random comparisons of file folder sizes between the reset laptop and the backup.  with a backup you can do your own comparison.  

I wish there were a better more efficient solution that saves my programs because for me this reset solution eliminates the programs thus creates a need to pull an all nighter since i use this laptop as a second computer for work and need it to work well the next day.  

There used to be a windows repair function that worked well but didn't eliminate programs or data.

Thanks for the info. Weighing my options now...all my important stuff is backed up elsewhere, I just don't want to have to reinstall everything (like you said that's an all nighter in itself).

How about this possible solution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgdAzvBcJyo

I haven't given it a try, because I don't understand what it is doing...but if I have to reset anyway, could it be worth a shot or could this cause more damage?