Windows 7: Red X on drive, cannot perform System Image

I know how to perform a System Image, but now can't do so. I am using a Seagate Expansion External hard drive. Somewhere along the line there was a glitch and a red X (disconned) appeared on the drive icon in back up. I tried the same drive in an identical Windows 7 computer. Now I have red X's on both computers. The drive is fine, wiped and formatted, and the computer recognizes it. Still the red X on both computers. I can't get it off. The "start back up" tab is grayed out



I went online and was advised to change the drive letter. I did. The start back up" tab was working. I have tried over and over, but it says it is progressing, but about a 6th of the way in on the fill bar (green fill) it hangs up, and the back up never occurs. It just keeps spinning forever, and never progresses.

How can I reset the System Image program to work correctly ? This is driving me crazy.

dustman

Hello dustman and welcome to Seven Forums.

Drives can have different configurations. They can be active, inactive, logical, dynamic, primary, etc. It's possible that something might have changed the Seagate's status. With the Seagate plugged in could you post a screenshbot of your Disk Management window. It may offer a clue as to what's going on. Please make sure to follow the instructions in Step 5.

Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image

Hi, marsmimar,

Thanks for the post. I tried to comply, but my prtscrn key didn't work. This surprised me. I messed with that for about 30 minutes, then gave it up and decided to do a Windows repair. (I am using 2 identical Dell Studio XPS 8000 desktop computers, 1TB hard drives, Windows 7, Microsoft USB 4000 Natural Ergonomic keybards, 24" HP Brightview monitors, using Windows firewall, and Avast virus protection, Spybot, etc.). I was finally able to wipe and reformat the Seagate Expansion external hard drive, and tried to do a system image. It again went t to the 1/6th completed point on the fill bar, and eventually changed to all red, and said the process failed.

I thought fine, I will do a Windows 7 repair. You have to do this by booting from the Windows 7 disk, which you have to boot through the bios.Guess what? NOW I can't get into bios!.Seems there is something called an F-lock key (default position OFF) that changes what the F keys do. So when you press the F2 key to get into bios, it offers you nothing to get into bios to change the boot menu. It seems this F-lock key has to be off, if it is activated, the F keys change functions.And, of course, my keyboards don't HAVE an F-lock key, so I spent most of the day trying online to figure THAT out, everybody seems to have that problem too, but nothing fixes it, so I am stuck. And everywhere you go onlline now seems to attach cookies, malware, viruses, etc. to your computer, even trusted sites like CNET and Microsoft. When I eliminate one threat I get 3 more, what in the world is going on with this???

Again, thanks for the reply.

Dustman