Restoring Using An Image Doesnt Work

[This is kinda related to HDs,
so I hope this is the right place to post]
Hi all, here's my problem:
1) I have a PC running Win7 with 3 HDs(not partition, different HDs).
2) I used Win7 to create an image of the OS HD(C:) and placed it in D.
3) I used the image once or twice so I know it's a god image, and it's not corrupted.
4) Lately I've been having performence/computer-gets-stuck-issues and I
suspected the HD(C:) because my RAM is fine, and finally windows alreted my that that HD
is failing.(plus, I can hear "ticks" of the HD's nittle trying to read whenever the computer got frozen for a sec or two.
5) I replaced the HD that was C: with a new one, and installed Win7 again.
6) Tried to restore using the image and the recorery system said that it needs to format
the drive that it's on(makes sense) and ordered me to perform the restore through
the windows installation disk,
7)I did. but I get a similiar error that ordered me to restore with an image but using a windows
installation disk(and I got to this error using the instllation disk)
How can I make the image work?
the only problem I can see is that the image was taken off a a different HD
than the on I'm trying to restore the image to,
but still that's not a good reason for it not to work.
Thx in advance, ZBBZ

Is the hard drive you replaced your old hard drive with as big or bigger than the old drive?

They're both 160GB HDs, but there no exactly the same model, so they're probebly
a few gigas give or take of a difference.

but the image is only a few 10s of gigas and this shouldn't be a problem,
the image is not too big.

Have a look at this tutorial in case you're doing something wrong: System Image Recovery

You can't restore to a hard drive that is smaller than the one you created the image from.

Even if it's just a few gigas of a difference? cause I believe it is a little smaller.
as I said: they're both labeled 160GB but the new one is actually 149 and I think the old one was 150+...

I'm pretty sure I did it right, since I've used this exact image to restore my system a few times
(with the old HD - before it was damaged)

zoobooboozoo said:

Even if it's just a few gigas of a difference? cause I believe it is a little smaller.
as I said: they're both labeled 160GB but the new one is actually 149 and I think the old one was 150+...

I'm pretty sure I did it right, since I've used this exact image to restore my system a few times
(with the old HD - before it was damaged)

Unfortunately, even a few gigabytes is enough to cause errors. I think even a few bytes will cause errors.

No way around it ha?

Damn. I got SO MUCH programs to install. I have a home studio, and I've got at least whole day
of installations I need to take carefull attention to...

zoobooboozoo said:

No way around it ha?

Damn. I got SO MUCH programs to install. I have a home studio, and I've got at least whole day
of installations I need to take carefull attention to...

I've been there multiple times, so I feel your pain. Went through that about a month ago, actually.

There is a possible way you can try if but it would also take some effort.
Did you have a system reserved partition?
Is your current PC still working? Do you have access to another?

How much effort?

Do you mean a 100MB partition tagged system? yes.
It's a part of my 2nd drive.

My current PC is working with the new HD and new Win7 on it, I just can get the image to restore.
I do have acess to another.