Windows 7: Cannot find system image file

I have copied my system image files to my external HDD and now need to restore. However, Win 7 cannot see these files since I moved them onto my external HDD and then copied them back into the folder: windowsimagebackup.



Note: I had a problem with my data drive where the windows images were stored, which required a disk format... and had to copy the data off(to my external HDD). Then I deleted the drive and formatted it, then copied the data back. This has now caused the problem.

I have looked at the security settings as I realise there may be some difference but I cannot find anything major. If I make a new system image file Win 7 can find this however, the previous one that was moved onto the external HDD and copied back cannot be found by the system.

IT must be possible to copy this file to a back up disk in case of failure/prob

Note I have a number of system image files including the vanilla build of my system, I would like to be able to use this in the case of any problems to be able to restore the system back to day one.



Any help gratefully received.

Many thanks.

Simon

Welcome to Seven Forums simonwinkler. You are saying you copied the folder to another drive, and have now copied it back with it's original name, to it's original location, and windows cannot locate it? The original backup is a full image, subsequent backups are incrimental. Changed sectors from each incremental are stored in shadow copy storage.

You can enter the Windows Recovery Environment by booting to safe mode and choosing the Repair Your Computer option. If no system image can be found, it will ask you to manually select an image. Then you can browse for files including USB device and DVDROM.

It's possible windows will not recognize the image because it is an image of your previous version of your OS, and that is changed after your reinstall and the Shadow Copy portion is missing. A Guy

Due to the many things that people can do to do themselves in, I recommend the following for system image backups which are handled differently from data backups by Windows Backup & Restore, then
if you want to keep different System Images--
Make yourself a new small partition on your external drive let Windows Backup & Restore put the new system image there.

This is not ideal but I try to come up with solutions that will always work for all people.

Make extensive use of WIN + F1 key combo to learn more about Backup & Restore and system images and data backups.

Personally, I find that there are only two system images that I want anyway, namely, the one made after installing Windows 7 and Office and all updates and then
the current one which I make about once a month. I install/uninstall different software and despite all its wonderful features, system restore still doesn't cover all the damage that I can inflict upon myself.

Hi and thanks for the reply I tried this but the problem is the same it says Windows cannot find a system image on this computer, if you select yourself it is also blank. The only other option allows a network search or allows you to install drivers for a device. My images are on the D: drive and since I moved them off to the external drive and reformatted the drive the images cannot be found its all just blank. It does not allow for any type of searching for them ? Weird.

Guess I'll just have to make a new back up which works and use that as my vanilla back up even the the machine is now 2 weeks old !

Any other thoughts greatfully received

Thanks that too is all I want the vanilla system build with just win and open office and then the monthly thats what I have always doen in the past with ghost and then moved the old monthly image to the ext drive to keep for 1 extra month. This time when I moved back it cant find either image on either my D: or my ext drive.
Weird !

Thanks anyway