Restore fails to find backup images

Hi ,
I done bad.
I've been creating system image backups on a network drive and copying them to different directories to keep multiple backups. I copied the files and directories in the <Computer_Name> directory somewhere else and removed the original WindowsImageBackup and sub directories. I know now I should just rename the WindowsImageBackup directory!
When I copy the directory back, the date modified is wrong on the WindowsImageBackup, <Computer_Name> and Backup 2012-05-06 191946 directories. Recovery doesn't find any system images.

I have verified that I can connect to my network share and can access the directory (boot rdisk, net use from command prompt and cd to directory).
Recover asks for credentials which I supply but then shows a blank form (no images). My guess is the modify date is wrong on the directory but I can't find a way of modifying this to the original date.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

You might try using a system recovery disc, and see if you can point at the image.
When I was testing Win 7 imaging I copied images around to different drives.
Didn't hack the names, just copied the image directory.
I only do cold imaging/restore. The sys recovery disc was always able to find my images and restore them, but only the latest version. No selecting prior incrementals.

Victor S said:

You might try using a system recovery disc, and see if you can point at the image.
When I was testing Win 7 imaging I copied images around to different drives.
Didn't hack the names, just copied the image directory.
I only do cold imaging/restore. The sys recovery disc was always able to find my images and restore them, but only the latest version. No selecting prior incrementals.

I tried that but it does not work. It does not accept an image that is not in its original location.

Folder structure is intact. I can even place it back at its original location and it wont detect it.

How do people do this?

Is there a way to make an IMAGE and be able to COPY it to our server?

So if the disk fails we have it safe else were. (which was the case)


Should I use another software for such purpose?

zuzullo said:

Is there a way to make an IMAGE and be able to COPY it to our server?

So if the disk fails we have it safe else were. (which was the case)


Should I use another software for such purpose?

I think Macrium is more flexible on manually relocating the images that are made. Most of the 3rd party imaging apps I'm aware of don't care how you move them around.

After reading the thread, I decided to do some testing, as Victor S seems to have done.

I had good backup images on a NAS and on an internal hard drive. Making sure I altered the name (changed back later) of the Backup Folder, I copied the NAS version of the image to my internal hard drive. I also copied the version on the internal hard drive to the NAS and to another computer on my network. The result was image files moved from their original location but still using the WindowsImageBackup designation..

Using the Windows Recovery Environment to restore an image, I could find all the images. No problems with dates or whatever.

Things to keep in mind, if an image in on your system, it needs to be in the root directory of the drive. I do not think the image can be found if it is within another folder. On the network, putting it inside other folders is allowed, like public or whatever. You just have to make sure you know the designation and have credentials.

My system is a little different in that the Windows Recovery Environment will not load a driver for my Network adapter, so my network does not work. When this was the situation, I would get an Internal Error message about the network not being reachable. Loading a driver using the Advanced button, allowed me to get the network working. Using Shift+F10 to open a command prompt and typing ipconfig will tell you if your network has been assigned an IP address.

So, I will conclude the answer to your original question is, yes it should be an option to copy backup images to network locations. Backing up directly to a network location is also an option.

I only tested images, and not the full backup capability which also backs up files.

Saltgrass said:

After reading the thread, I decided to do some testing, as Victor S seems to have done. "..."

When I bought a new HDD I first copy the "WindowsImageBackup" folder to the root of the disk and then run the "WindowsRecoverBoot" and point it the folder but nothing. I can browse it but nothing else! Is does not work that way.
How dont understand how can we use this Wtool if it is so unreliable!