Windows 10 Stuck on “Restoring your previous version of Windows” loop

[SOLVED?!]

After about 24 hours of messing with the "Restoring your previous version of Windows" loop this weekend after a botched Windows 10 update, I've found a solution that finally worked. Maybe it will work for you, too.

I'm running Windows 10 64-bit on a very high-end custom gaming PC that I built myself... but it's from 2006. It's old but surprisingly still somewhat usable in 2018. Here's the hardware- XFX 680i SLI motherboard, Intel Core Two Quad 9650 3.0GHZ processor, 8GB DDR2 RAM, dual Nvidia 8800GTX 512MB video cards, and a Western Digital 250GB 7200 rpm hard drive. It originally had Windows XP, then a Windows 7 64-bit upgrade over that, then finally a Windows 10 64-bit free upgrade from 2015 (which now feels like a mistake). So even if your PC is 12 years old, and it's had three different operating systems, you should be able to recover it!

** I should also mention that I was NOT able to create a Windows 10 Recovery USB despite trying three different 32GB USB drives on three different Windows 10 computers with three different update versions! No luck with a DVD or dual-layer DVD either! So I had to find a way to do this without an external boot device. Here we go-

1. As soon as you see the screen with the text, "Restoring your previous version of Windows", press and hold the power button on your PC until it shuts down.
2. Turn it back on. When you get back to the point with the text, "Restoring your previous version of Windows", press and hold the power button on your PC again until it shuts down (stay with me!)
3. Turn it back on again. When you get back to the point with the text, "Restoring your previous version of Windows", press and hold the power button again on your PC until it shuts down.
4. Turn it back on a third time. You should now see a blue screen with some options! Finally!
5. This is the one step where I'm going from memory... There should be a list of options where you can start in Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Command Prompt, etc.- maybe 9 or 10 options. Click 'F9' on your keyboard. The description for F9 refers to something about selecting your operating system (it doesn't make sense, but do it).
6. Now you will see the screen called 'Choose an option'. Congratulations!
7. Click on the block called 'Troubleshoot'.
8. On the 'Troubleshoot' screen, you'll see at least two options- 'Reset this PC' or 'Advanced Options'. Start with 'Advanced Options'.
9. In 'Advanced Options', you'll see 'System Restore', 'System Image Recovery', 'Startup Repair', 'Command Prompt', 'Startup Settings', and 'Go back to previous build'. This is where you'll have to select the best option for your situation. I started with 'Startup Repair'- no luck. Then I tried 'Startup Settings'- nothing wrong here. I then tried 'Go back to previous build'- it said it couldn't go back to the previous build. Rats. I had to go back to 'Reset this PC' in Step 8 above.
10. If nothing in Step 9 worked for you, you'll have two remaining options in 'Reset this PC'- both of which will reload Windows 10. One option will keep your files, the other one will not. Try the option that allows you to keep your personal files first. If that doesn't work, try searching the internet for alternatives before you select the option that will delete all of your personal information and reload a fresh copy of Windows 10.

I'm currently at 22% on the fresh reload of Windows 10, and it seems to be working, so I'll end it here.

I hope you've found this helpful! Good luck!

Bryan

On my laptop, the update is stuck on restoring and shuts down. Ive done this 7 times and its not operating back to Windows 10. my laptop is an A6 Vision AMD. I wish this stupid updating nonsense stopped a year ago. I didnt need more updates after my laptop was running better. :(

Not sure if I just got lucky but I was able to resolve this by holding f7 for about 30 seconds. I had restarted 3 times with it stuck in the loop going nowhere. F7 then it started to load for a bit...took a few minutes then finally got to the sign in screen. This is with a hp envy 360 POS. Good luck

Hi Jennifer,

I have this same issue.  I have been working with Windows computers for 20 years.  Your answer is frustrating because it shows a complete lack of understanding of the situation.  If a computer is stuck in the process of "Restoring Windows to previous verion" and then rebooting, that means that Windows is in accessible.  Therefore there is no "Click on Start", no "Go to settings", or any of your other VERY unhelpful suggestions.

Stop reading from a book/script/Microsoft blog post and let someone with real technical background provide an answer.  I haven't found one yet, which is disturbing because Windows 10 was supposed to be the best OS yet.  I find that to be far from the case.

This is now beyond a joke.  My Toshiba laptop has been stuck in restoring to previous version for 2 months now.  I have tried ALL the suggestions on this thread and none of them work.  The only thing I have been able to do is press F2 and get to Utility screen.  Pressing F8 doesn't work.  I have gone out and bought a 16GB USB stick (so I have enough memory) and have downloaded the creation tool but cannot do anything with it as my Toshiba is consisently stuck in RETORING TO PREVIOUS VERSION LOOP.

I cannot believe that Microsoft STILL have no better solutions other than continually repeating the same processes which they have been told repeatedly on here that THEY DO NOT WORK IF WE CANNOT GET PAST THE RESTORING LOOP SCREEN! 

Come on Microsoft, get your head out of your ass and FIX this problem as YOU created it!