System Image Recovery

Shadowjk said:

JWrn said:

This tutorial does not work for me.
If I pick the " Select a System Image” rather than use the recommended latest one, I get an error message stating that the system image is on a hard disk but Windows need to format that disk to restore your computer.
Everything works fine when I select the select the recommended latest system image but not when I select one of the older system images.

The images were created in the Windows 7 Backup & Restore utility and I'm running the image restore from the System Recovery disk.
I have 2 internal hard drives. The system images of the primary drive were stored on the secondary drive. And now I'm trying to restore the primary drive system image.
Any suggestions?

Which method are you following?

Josh

Sorry Josh, I don't know what you mean "method".

Brink said:

JWrn said:

This tutorial does not work for me.
If I pick the " Select a System Image” (Step 2 #6) rather than use the recommended latest one, I get an error message stating that the system image is on a hard disk but Windows need to format that disk to restore your computer.

Everything works fine when I select the select the recommended latest system image but not when I select one of the older system images. It doesn't get to #7 and I get the error msg " the system image is on a hard disk but Windows need to format that disk to restore your computer". The only optiosn I get is back or close.

The images were created in the Windows 7 Backup & Restore utility and I'm running the image restore from the System Recovery disk.
I have 2 internal hard drives. The system images of the primary drive were stored on the secondary drive. And now I'm trying to restore the primary drive system image.
Any suggestions?

Hello JWrn, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You are getting that error message since the system image you wanted to use is located on the same drive that it would be formatted and restored to. You can only select a system image from a drive that is different that the one that is being restored.

Does it give you any other options?

Did you move this system image there? If so, follow STEP ONE in the tutorial to move it back to it's original location.

The system images are located on the secondary drive, let's call it D.
And the system image was of the primary drive C, which is what I'm trying to restore.
So, they are on different drives.
There are no other options when I get the error message.
I didn't move the system images, they were stored (on the secondary drive) by the Windows 7 Pro Backup & Restore utility.
So, I thought everything should work.
Cheers, Jack.

Can you post a screen shot of the exact error message.

You can have any number of images you care for on multiple drives/partitions, moved, renamed.....Windows imaging is totally happy with this.

It doesn't make sense that Windows wants to format the drive the image is on except if the image is from a drive with a different partition structure to the drive you want to image to. Then Windows will want to format the drive the image is being returned to.

Clearly, if you store an image on a partition of the same drive - say drive 0 has partitions C: and D: then you store an image on D: then don't change the partition structure of drive 0.

mjf said:

Can you post a screen shot of the exact error message.

You can have any number of images you care for on multiple drives/partitions, moved, renamed.....Windows imaging is totally happy with this.

It doesn't make sense that Windows wants to format the drive the image is on except if the image is from a drive with a different partition structure to the drive you want to image to. Then Windows will want to format the drive the image is being returned to.

Clearly, if you store an image on a partition of the same drive - say drive 0 has partitions C: and D: then you store an image on D: then don't change the partition structure of drive 0.

I sorry, I can't get a screen shot - the Windows system image restore process reboots the pc and puts it in a mode where you can't do anything other than follow the steps.

The exact error msg is "The System image is on a hard disk, but Windows needs to format that disk to restore your computer. Choose a different image to restore."
The title of the pop-up window is "Re-image your computer" with a sub-title "Choose additional restore options.

I did a test and it works as you say.
I have Disk 0 with 2 partitions: System reserved (D) & Backup (E).
Also have Disk 1 with 2 partitions: Active System reserved & (C).
Before your post I thought perhaps the problem was (D) was included in the older system image creation processes, but I see now that is not the problem.
Thx.

However that still leaves me with 20+ older system images that I cannot restore from, but really, really want to.

A bit of background in case it helps:
Recently we started to have problems with the pc. After it was on/active for more than 8-10 minutes it would freeze. I thought it was a problem with the primary hard drive especially after I put the hard drive into another similar pc as a secondary drive.
Processes such as Windows Explorer and MS Security Essentials scan would stop after 8-10 mins.
But when I took the pc to the service dept they said it was a Windows problem (based on the fact that when they re-installed OS the problem was gone).
So I got the pc back with a fresh OS install with no apps and data, which I thought I had backed up with the system images.

It's a bit tricky - but you can reinstall your entire o/s from a shadow copy.

You would need to do that from outside windows of course - that means you need another o/s installed on the machine, or a decent boot disc.

Simpler:

If you can find the shadow you want, you can at least copy the data out.

Open an elevated command and type

vssadmin list shadows

(then press enter)

I assume you can boot into Windows.
Can you do a screen shot of all the relevant drives
- all internals
- one external if that is where a problem image resides.

Snipping tool with Disk Management.