Windows Update Won't work after imaging new C: drive

Hello all. First post here. My oem drive was failing under warranty. After replacement, I reimaged from an Acronis backup. Everything seemed fine for a day, then I noticed Windows Update is not working and my system recognizes the OS, in msconfig for example, as "Windows 7 Professional (recovered)". (How does it know it's recovered?)

I've spent hours already Googling, and tried the most common advice, notably, to rename the Windows\SoftwareDistribution directory, and to re-register the AU drivers. Nothing has worked.

I'll paste below the most recent lines from the WindowsUpdate log.

I'd be eternally grateful to anyone who could save me from having to reinstall the OS and all my software.

Many thanks, -Ron

2013-03-01 22:32:17:916 1772 7ec AU AU Restart required....
2013-03-01 22:32:17:917 1772 7ec AU ########### AU: Initializing Automatic Updates ###########
2013-03-01 22:32:17:917 1772 7ec AU AU setting next detection timeout to 2013-03-02 03:32:17
2013-03-01 22:32:17:917 1772 7ec AU AU setting next sqm report timeout to 2013-03-02 03:32:17
2013-03-01 22:32:17:920 1772 7ec DtaStor FATAL: Failed to initialize datastore, error = 0xC8000247
2013-03-01 22:32:17:920 1772 7ec Agent WARNING: GetServiceList failed with error 0xc8000247.
2013-03-01 22:32:17:920 1772 7ec AU WARNING: QueryRegisteredProvider failed with error 0xc8000247
2013-03-01 22:32:17:920 1772 7ec AU # Approval type: Pre-download notify (User preference)
2013-03-01 22:32:17:920 1772 7ec AU # Will interact with non-admins (Non-admins are elevated (User preference))
2013-03-01 22:32:17:920 1772 7ec AU # Will display featured software notifications (User preference)
2013-03-01 22:32:17:920 1772 7ec AU # Power management is turned off through policy
2013-03-01 22:32:17:923 1772 7ec DtaStor FATAL: Failed to initialize datastore, error = 0xC8000247
2013-03-01 22:32:17:923 1772 7ec AU FATAL: Failed to get session from datastore, error = 0xC8000247
2013-03-01 22:32:17:923 1772 7ec AU FATAL: Failed to Unserialize from data store, error = 0xC8000247
2013-03-01 22:32:17:923 1772 7ec AU # WARNING: Exit code = 0xC8000247
2013-03-01 22:32:17:923 1772 7ec AU ########### AU: Uninitializing Automatic Updates ###########
2013-03-01 22:32:17:923 1772 7ec AU WARNING: InitAUComponents Failed, will restart AU in 30 mins, error = 0xC8000247
2013-03-01 22:32:17:923 1772 7ec AU AU Restart required....

Please post back Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image - Windows 7 Forums.

Then work through these steps for Windows Update - Reset - Windows 7 Forums

AddRAM said:

Has windows been activated on the new pc ?

Why is Disk 1 Dynamic ??

Not sure what you mean by activated. It's not a new PC, just a new hard drive to which I restored an Acronis .tib file which was an image of the original drive. Win 7 is running without any "not registered" error that I've noticed, if that's what you mean. I ran the restoration using the Acronis boot disk - ie. it was not done from Windows - and I simply accepted the settings in the restoration routine (which from my reading is what I was supposed to do). Was this a mistake? Note that Disk 1 is just another internal drive. I'm not booting from it. Do you think it is related to this problem? Should I put it "offline" and try WU again? Sorry for all questions, I'm a long time user but at the edge of competence here. Never messed with partitions before.

Any help appreciated. -Ron

Edit - Just remembered, that drive 1 had two partitions on it - I had created a second using Acronis but never used it - so after the restoration, I deleted it and expanded the original. Could this have changed the status of that partition? Don't see how this could be related to the problem, though.

AddRAM said:

start/rightclick computer/properties

And check to see if windows is activated.


The Dynamic partition must be made Basic

Can't sleep, so back here. Yes, windows is activated and the product key is given.

However, on awakening the computer I have a "windows is not genuine..." window. What the....? Some quick searching and I see it may have to do with the usb drive I plugged in to transfer the files on that Disk 1 so that I can wipe that partition and change it as you say. But these usb drives didn't cause an issue as I was using them prior to the imaging of the new drive.

Oh boy... going back to bed.

Sometimes during reimaging there is drive letter slippage which makes Win7 non-genuine. This is solved by Paragon Rescue -change drive letters.

However you have a more obvious problem: You're using customized drive recovery to recover to a HD that still has the factory Recovery partition marked Active - which if it was done at the factory is only meant to make it bootable, which you do not need if you are customizing recovery in this way.

So I would suggest you strongly consider getting a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 to the HD after wiping it first with Diskpart Clean Command to clear the boot sector and get the freshest start. Then after its set up and running fine capture your image to use going forward in place of reinstall.

An alternative is to wipe the HD and reimage only C partition to the full HD or space to the left closest to where the disk reader parks. Then Mark Partition C as Active (Method Two) and run Startup Repair - Run up to 3 Separate Times to write the System Boot files to C and start Win7. This may avoid the need to reinstall, although that is always preferable if you haven't gotten a perfect install to begin with - read the steps in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 to see.

Do these operations with all other HD's unplugged. When you plug them back in, Convert dynamic disk to basic disk with Partition Wizard since Dynamic should only be used to span partitions across multiple HD's.

If you're customizing your recovery using a backup imaging program then it's not necessary or advisable to include the Recovery and OEM partitions. You should make your Recovery disks, wipe the HD to Clean Reinstall without the corrupting factory bloatware, then capture your image of System Reserved and C to use in place of Recovery.

Otherwise you're compromising the image integrity with a Recovery partition that isn't needed since it contains the worst possible install with all of the bloatware and useless duplicate utilities that throttle Win7. In your case this partition also contains the boot files and is booting Win7 which is dodgy to begin with when set up that way at factory so that Recovery will run from its hotkey.

I doubt whether Recovery will even run from its hotkey from a reimaged Recovery partition but you can try it if for some reason you want to preserve the corrupt Recovery image. If you haven't made your Recovery disks you can also try that since having them is always good in case you want to sell the PC.

I would wipe it and get a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7without having the Recovery image tagging along which no tech enthusiast would use to begin with.