Attempted restore failure

Byff Arlington 225 Reputation points
2026-09-03T16:44:46.34+00:00

An attempted restore failed and generated an **Error Code 0x800705aa
**When I searched for a definition of the Error Code I got two explanations that have Nothing to do with a restore.
One said it was a Media Player Error and the other said it was a Windows Update Error (I have updates turned off because they frequently create problems.).

Assistance with this issue would be appreciated. Thank you.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Performance and system failures
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  1. Vikki-T 9,235 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-04T07:12:22.1366667+00:00

    Hi Byff Arlington,

    I can understand the confusion, especially since searches for error 0x800705aa bring up several unrelated scenarios.

    At this point, I recommend that you review and try the steps provided in the AI generated answer on your thread. That reply typically include the most relevant checks for this scenario. 

    Before suggesting a specific fix, could you confirm whether you were using System Restore with a restore point, restoring a system image, or using another recovery option? Please also share the complete error message displayed with the code and let me know whether Windows still starts normally.

    If this was System Restore, please first try a different restore point, if one is available. You can also run System Restore outside the normal Windows session:

    • Hold Shift while selecting Power > Restart.
    • Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore.
    • Choose a restore point and follow the prompts.

    Microsoft provides the same recovery method here: Use System Restore in Windows.

    If the device uses BitLocker encryption, make sure you have the recovery key available before entering the recovery environment.

    If System Restore still fails, please let me know how much free space is available on drive C: and whether any third-party antivirus or security software is installed. I would avoid changing Registry values at this stage unless the full error details or diagnostic logs specifically indicate a Registry resource issue.

    Also, although the error may appear in Windows Update documentation, that does not necessarily mean an update caused this particular restore failure. Thank you so much for your understanding.   

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-03T16:45:03.45+00:00

    Error code 0x800705aa means insufficient system resources, most commonly not enough available virtual memory. It is documented for Windows Update, but the code itself indicates a resource problem and is not limited to only one feature.

    The supported causes are:

    • Third-party applications consuming large amounts of virtual memory
    • Virtual memory configured manually instead of being managed automatically
    • In some cases, a registry size limit issue if the RegistrySizeLimit value is set to something other than 0

    A practical troubleshooting path is:

    1. Set virtual memory to automatic management
      • Open Search and enter sysdm.cpl
      • Go to Advanced > Performance > Settings
      • Select Advanced > Virtual memory > Change
      • Make sure Automatically manage paging file size for all drives is selected
      • Select OK and restart the PC
    2. Try a clean restart before retrying the restore This reduces background apps and services that can consume memory.
      • Sign in as an administrator
      • Enter msconfig in Search and open System Configuration
      • Select Services > Hide all Microsoft services > Disable all
      • Select Startup > Open Task Manager
      • Disable each startup item
      • Close Task Manager
      • In System Configuration, select Startup > OK
      • Restart the PC
    3. Check for low virtual memory symptoms In some cases, Event Viewer records Event ID 2004, indicating Windows detected a low virtual memory condition.
    4. If the issue appears to involve registry resources, reset the registry size limit Warning: Incorrect registry changes can cause serious problems. Back up the registry first.
      • Open regedit as administrator
      • Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
      • Right-click RegistrySizeLimit
      • Either Delete it, or select Modify and set Value data to 0
      • Restart the PC and try again
    5. If the problem continues, contact Microsoft Support and include relevant CBS.log data.

    If the restore failure happened after a recent Windows update and restore points are involved, starting the restore from Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) is the documented path:

    • Start > Settings > Update & Security > Recovery
    • Under Advanced options, select Restart now
    • In WinRE, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System restore
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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