Easy Solutions to Fix The Error of Rstrui.exe Not Working

I. About Rstrui.exe

1. What is Rstrui.exe?

Rstrui.exe is a crucial component of the Windows operating system, stored on your computer’s hard drive. It serves as a command-line utility, responsible for launching System Restore – a powerful recovery tool developed by Microsoft. This feature enables you to revert your computer’s state, including system files and registry, to a previous point in time in case of a system failure or other issues, effectively restoring its normal functionality. Additionally, System Restore offers the flexibility to modify configurations, roll back to an existing restore point, or create a new one on Windows 10/8/7.

Rstrui.exe is a crucial component of Windows System Restore and can be located in the C:\Windows\System32 subfolder. However, if you come across rstrui.exe in any other location, it could indicate a potential issue with your computer. Malicious programs often disguise themselves as legitimate Windows processes, making it difficult for your computer’s security measures to detect them. If your system falls victim to these malicious programs, it may crash and prevent you from accessing files or programs. To prevent this, it is important to regularly scan your system with antivirus software and remove any instances of rstrui.exe found outside of its designated folder. It is worth noting that deleting rstrui.exe in other cases may cause problems and hinder your ability to use System Restore.

2. Why can't Rstrui.exe run?

If there is a problem with rstrui.exe, you will not be able to perform a system restore, which may be related to the following reasons:

● The rstrui.exe file or file system is damaged or lost, which may cause rstrui.exe to be unrecognized. Running SFC and DISM commands to scan may solve this problem.

● There are some errors in the system, you can try to install the latest update of Windows.

● The system restore function is not enabled. If the system restore function is not enabled, the system cannot be restored through rstrui.exe.

● Some malicious software can cause errors in the rstrui.exe application, which requires scanning with an antivirus program.

● An error in the user account may result in inability to access rstrui.exe. You can try to create a new administrator account and run rstrui.exe.

Knowing several reasons why Rstrui.exe cannot run, you can continue to check the following content to try to fix the problem.

II. How to fix the error that rstrui.exe cannot run?

1. Use antivirus software

Viruses have the ability to either erase the rstrui.exe file or substitute it with a damaged version. To fix this problem, it is necessary to conduct a virus scan. This can be done through Windows 10′s integrated antivirus program, Windows Defender, or through a third-party antivirus software. For the purpose of this example, we will focus on using Windows Defender and outline the specific steps required.

Step 1: Open (Settings) in (Start), and then click (Update & security).

Step 2: In the (Update & Security) interface, click the (Open Windows Defender Security Center) button.

Step 3: Click (Virus & threat protection) on the left, and then click (Quick scan).

After scanning your system and removing malware, check if the rstrui.exe not working issue is fixed.

2. Run the SFC command to repair damaged system files

Corrupted file system or system files can cause rstrui.exe error but you can fix it by scanning with SFC command. SFC, short for System File Checker, is a built-in program in Windows that can be used to scan the integrity of operating system files and restore corrupted system files if they are found.

How to perform SFC scan in Windows 10? Follow the steps below:

Step 1: Select (Run as administrator) to start Command Prompt by typing (cmd) in the search box and right-clicking on the result.

Step 2: After opening the command prompt, type (sfc /scannow) and press (Enter).

Step 3: Now, the tool will start scanning your system. This process may take some time. After the scan is complete, check if the rstrui.exe not working problem persists.

If the problem persists, you can also try a DISM scan, which is a command-line utility that can be used to fix issues that SFC didn’t resolve. The specific steps of DISM scanning are as follows:

Step 1: In the Command Prompt window, type the command line (DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth) and press (Enter).

Step 2: This process will last for 10-20 minutes, please do not interrupt it. After the scan is complete, please run (sfc /scannow) again to complete the repair.

3. Enter safe mode for system restore

If System Restore is not an option, you can still utilize it while in Safe Mode. This means that you can attempt to resolve any rstrui.exe problems through Safe Mode. Safe Mode is a feature of Windows 10 that operates the system with a restricted selection of files and drivers, making it perfect for troubleshooting and resolving issues. To access Safe Mode, follow these steps:

Step 1: In Windows 10, go to (Start) > (Settings) > (Update & Security).

Step 2: Click (Recovery) in the left panel, and then select (Restart now) under Advanced startup.

Step 3: After restarting, navigate to (Troubleshoot)>(Advanced Options)>(Startup Settings)>(Restart).

Step 4: Press the F4 key to enable Safe Mode.

Step 5: After entering safe mode, enter (rstrui.exe) in the search box, and click (rstrui.exe) in the search results.

Step 6: Then in the (System Restore) window, select the restore point you want to restore, click (Next) and follow the instructions below to complete the system restore operation.

4. Perform Windows Update

Outdated Windows operating systems can also cause rstrui.exe could not run error. You can try to update the Windows system to solve the problem. Just follow the steps below:

Step 1: Start your Windows computer, navigate to (Start) > (Settings) > (Update & security).

Step 2: Click on (Check for Updates). If an update is found, Windows will start downloading the update. After that, click (Install Now). Please note that it may restart several times during the installation of the update. Finally, check if the problem “rstrui.exe not working” is resolved.

If none of the above methods can solve the issue of Rstrui.exe not running, you may need to reinstall the system. For detailed steps on how to reinstall the system, please click here. In addition to the built-in restore points and system restore function in Windows, you can also consider using third-party system backup software to create backups of your Windows system. This way, if you encounter problems with Rstrui.exe not running or the system not being able to be restored, you can still restore your system using the third-party backup software. As an example, we will introduce the specific steps of system backup and restoration using Renee Becca.

III. Backup and restore system with Renee Becca (optional)

1. What is Renee Becca?

Renee Becca is a tool dedicated to system/hard disk data backup and restoration. It can help you back up and restore important data in your computer, such as programs, system configuration, emails, photos, videos, documents, bookmarks, etc. It adopts the leading incremental/differential backup technology, which can save you more time and disk space. In addition to supporting system backup, it also supports partition backup, hard disk backup, file backup, disk cloning and system migration, satisfying your different needs.

2. How to use Renee Becca to back up the system?

It is recommended to back up the system to an external hard disk, which can prevent system backup files from being lost or damaged due to system failure. It is very simple to use Renee Becca to back up the system. The specific steps are as follows:

Step 1: Connect an external hard disk with sufficient capacity to the computer.  Download, install, and run Renee Becca. Select the (System Backup) option in the main interface (Backup).

Step 2: Next, select the system partition in (source) and the hard disk in (destination).  Here, choose an external hard disk.

If your external hard drive has ample capacity, you can establish an automatic backup schedule and method. By enabling this feature, you can create a daily, weekly, or monthly backup plan and specify the time for backups to occur. Additionally, the software offers various backup modes, including version chaining, single version, full, incremental, and differential mode. Once these options are configured, the system will automatically perform regular backups and delete outdated backup files based on your chosen mode, saving both time and storage space.

Step 3: After all the settings are completed, click (Backup) and wait for the system backup to complete. You can check the backup progress on the (Task) interface.

3. How to use Renee Becca to restore the system?

If you want to restore the system backup to the external hard disk, you can check the following.

Note: Please ensure that the CPU and motherboard of the original computer equipment and the target computer are of the same brand if you need to restore the system to other computer equipment. This is because the system installation process will also install corresponding software based on the computer’s hardware. If the hardware of the two computers is different, the system backup file may not be compatible with the target computer, or you may need to enter a product license to activate the system.

Step 1: Run Renee Becca, switch to (Task) at the top of the interface, and then select the (rescue disk) option.

Step 2: Select the appropriate rescue disk type based on your disk and computer specifications. Once you have made your selection, connect a blank CD or USB drive to your computer and click “Select” and “Next” to generate a startup disk. Please note it should not be created on the same external hard drive where your system backup is stored.

Step 3: Connect the boot disk (CD/USB disk) to the computer where you need to restore the system and enter the BIOS through the shortcut key (depending on the computer brand, it may be F2, Del, ESC, F10, etc.).

Next, change the boot sequence. Take the picture below as an example, find the (Boot Priority) option, set the created boot disk to be the first in the boot sequence, save the settings, and restart the computer.

Step 4: After successful startup, select the system backup version you need to restore and the destination. Since the previously backed-up system is stored in an external hard disk, please connect it to the computer.

Remember to check the “Make the target system disk bootable (system disk only)” option. Finally, click the (Recovery) button to start the system restore.