Windows Backup and Restore System Image

BJB said:

Not quite what I said -

"After installing Grub4DOS as boot manager Win 7 booted normally, but when I then restored the System Image it failed to boot."

So what are you saying. My natural assumption is you made the Windows system image before installing Grub - yes or no? If you made it before then you should have no problem booting after a reimage.
If this is the case and you have problems booting then it is more likely that you have some inherent problem with the inbuilt Windows system imaging program and are best using a 3rd party imaging program such as free Macrium Reflect..

You can try using the Windows image restore again then run the startup repair option (from a system repair CD) up to 3 times booting between. This should fix up boot problems (MBR, bootmgr, BCD). There are other ways to fix up the MBR and boot files but try that first.

BJB said:

Kaktussoft said:

Was GRUB4DOS already in MBR at time of backup?

No, thank goodness! That image is my only way back to a booting system atm.

I've seen the Linux solutions while searching but the only Linux I have is a Puppy disk for accessing my files if ever necessary.

Don't understand. So you say you hadn't installed GRUB4DOS at the moment of backup? So of course it's not in the backup

So what's the "not quite what I said" all about. You have a problem with your image. See my previous post (#11) on how you might resolve it if it is only a booting issue.

mjf said:

BJB said:

Not quite what I said -

"After installing Grub4DOS as boot manager Win 7 booted normally, but when I then restored the System Image it failed to boot."

So what are you saying. My natural assumption is you made the Windows system image before installing Grub - yes or no? If you made it before then you should have no problem booting after a reimage.
If this is the case and you have problems booting then it is more likely that you have some inherent problem with the inbuilt Windows system imaging program and be using a 3rd party imaging program such as free Macrium Reflect..

You can try using the Windows image restore again then run the startup repair option (from a system repair CD) up to 3 times booting between. This should fix up boot problems (MBR, bootmgr, BCD). There are other ways to fix up the MBR and boot files but try that first.

startup repair and other win7 repair tools like bootrec/fixmbr overwrite the master boot code with the win7 default master boot code. That's what he likes to avoid.

BJB said:

mjf said:

So what are you saying. My natural assumption is you made the Windows system image before installing Grub - yes or no?

Yes

If you made it before then you should have no problem booting after a reimage.

I've tried it twice, hung at boot both times

You can try using the Windows image restore again then run the startup repair option (from a system repair CD) up to 3 times booting between. This should fix up boot problems (MBR, bootmgr, BCD). There are other ways to fix up the MBR and boot files but try that first.

I did use a system repair disk the previous times but I'll give it a third go . Thanks for that.

So GRUB4DOS was definitely not in backup.

I've tried it twice, hung at boot both times

What error did you get? Or freeze? Some grub or win7 related stuff on screen?

Kaktussoft said:

startup repair and other win7 repair tools like bootrec/fixmbr overwrite the master boot code with the win7 default master boot code. That's what he likes to avoid.

This is a one time suggestion to boot the desired Window image. Unless the Windows image is particularly important I'd scrap it since he has a working Acronis image. You need to be pragmatic about system imaging. If your PC configuration is experiencing problems with Windows inbuilt imaging then move on to another program (eg. Macrium Reflect).

BJB said:

Kaktussoft said:

What error did you get? Or freeze? Some grub or win7 related stuff on screen?

Just the Win 7 splash screen for about 30 seconds and a reboot. It didn't get near Windows so there won't be anything in Event Viewer

So it did pass the win7 boot menu entry. So it was written by win7 bootmgr.

Win7 splash screen.... it was booting win7!!! No grub at all.... because it wasn't in backup.
I don't know why it rebooted. It did crash... without bsod dump I can't determine anything.

Problem seems unrelated to grub4dos