Windows 11 warning: system restore is breaking some PCs
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Windows 11 users running the latest version 22H2 of the operating system should be wary of a bug that messes up some important apps after a system restore is performed.
Beeping computer (opens in new tab) pointed to this development, which is discussed in a Microsoft support post (opens in new tab) about the issue where affected users are encountering a “this app can’t open” error with some core Windows applications.
The error appears after restoring your PC to a previous system restore point and affects some apps that use the MSIX Windows package format.
That includes Notepad, Paint, Microsoft Office, Cortana, Terminal, and possibly other Windows apps, Microsoft notes. However, keep in mind that some applications that use the MSIX format will continue to work just fine.
In addition to the aforementioned error message, users may also experience other glitches including an I/O error followed by the app freezing and then crashing. In addition, an affected program may simply not work when you double-click to launch it, and an application may end up with multiple entries in the Start menu.
Analysis: Will Microsoft investigate the curious case of the mysterious errors?
Microsoft gives no indication that it is preparing a fix or investigating the issue further here. We assume that is the case, but nothing is said about this (and usually with bugs like this it would be). Instead, Microsoft provides a number of potential solutions for people experiencing issues.
The first is actually that old favorite “turn it off then on again”; just restart the app and it should work fine, second time lucky. Alternatively, reinstalling the application may fix the errors (which is essentially an extended form of ‘turn off, turn on’ of course).
Or the last resort is to run Windows Update, although we’re not told why this might help. Presumably if there’s an update for the app in question, or a cumulative update for Windows is pending, it might loosen something in the system that helps (if the wind is blowing in the right direction, and so on).
Hopefully Microsoft is actively investigating this bug as it sounds quite annoying for the number of users that might be affected. Restoring your system is a rare action to take, but in cases where it is necessary, it can hardly be avoided – and there will certainly be quite a bit of recovery on a relatively large user base, such as that of Windows 11 22H2. And since Office might be affected, that could be quite frustrating for those trying to get their work done.