Windows 7: How to make sure to create and USE an image for restoring

Hello everybody!
I'm searching for a way of restoring windows 7 with all the software I need already installed, instead of re-install windows from the beginning and the install again all my programs.
It should be easy, but it's not!

Once I format, re-install windows 7 and install all my software, one of these things happens:



if I set a restore point everything seems ok, but when restore time comes, my restore poit is disappeared, or, if I can see it, after everything is done and rebooted, system tells me something like "impossible to complete the restore process" and so nothing is done, so I have to re-install everithing manually.

Instead, if I use the windows tool for creating a restore CD/DVD, when I boot from such CD/DVD, i can't see anything that refers to the time i created the disk.

In the endm, every time I have to format my PC (I use to do this about once every 6 months), I install all my software by hand and then I say: "Now I want to make sure that next time I have to restore, i will not have to install everything"... but actually I never cn do this, and i ALWAYS have to intall everything by hand!

Anyone can help me, please?

Welcome
The best way to back up everything is with the free Macrium Reflect. Once the computer is running the way you want, make a back up. On a regular basis make a current back up. In the event of problems you can just reinstall. I had a problem and Macrium saved me.
http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx
Use an external hard drive to store your images.
Imaging with free Macrium

thank you for very quick reply! I already heard about macrium. Once I created the image and stored in on an external drive, shall I boot from that drive, or can I create a DC/DVD?

by the way, you are telling me that windows 7 has NOT a tool to make what I explained?

It has what is called System Image, which works like Macrium. Many, including myself, prefer Macrium the choice is yours.
System Image Recovery

1. To restore you need the WinPE CD. The download link for the .iso is in my tutorial is under "Note". You cannot boot from the image.

2. Do NOT use windows 7 native imagimg. It is a big mess and will give you nothing but headaches.

Be sure to read additions I made to my above post, plus post of WHS.

Actually I was asking if I could use windows tool since last time I formatted, I made everything I could in order to save an image (creating restore point, create restore DVD), so I would like to be able to use them and avoid re-installing everything

Restore points and restore CD are different than images. If you want to save the status of your system at a given point in time, you need images. Absolutely no need to reinstall for that. Suggest you read the tutorials that Rich linked.

If you want to use Backup and Restore to create a DVD image backup for your system, yes you can. You will have to boot into the recovery environment to restore the image as whs mentions. I like to get my system set up and activated before I create such an image.

Make sure you insert the last DVD first when you are ready to restore. Testing may be a good idea to ease your mind.

I normally keep my images on a second internal drive, or an external one. But I did do a DVD backup to test just yesterday.