I have the image but i cant restore it - LOST EVERY THING :'(

If you need to use the commands - probably best to restore only your windows partition (the 300gb ) shouldn't have any trouble with that.


X:\Windows\system32>WBADMIN GET VERSIONS -backuptarget:d:

(Obviously use the drive letter your backup is stored on for the backuptarget instead of d ) It will return something like below - should show two volumes - I only had one in that backup


Backup target: Fixed Disk labeled APPS(C:)
Version identifier: 04/26/2010-17:23
Can recover: Volume(s), File(s)
Snapshot ID: {f18b9ea0-b902-43ae-a1b7-446e66113aaf}

( You want to restore only your windows partition - it was probabaly C when you were in windows - if so, it will be listed as C above. The recovery target is the letter you want to restore TO , so use that instead of f )

X:\Windows\system32>WBADMIN START RECOVERY -version:04/26/2010-17:23 -itemType:V
olume -items:c: -backuptarget:d: -recoverytarget:f:


Retrieving volume information...
You have chosen to recover volume(s) c:
from the backup created on 4/26/2010 9:23 AM to a different location, f:.
Warning: You have chosen to recover a full volume. This will delete any
existing data on the volume you recover to, even if the operation is canceled
or fails. Before you continue, make sure that this volume does not contain
and data that you might want in the future.

Note: If the recovered volume contains applications, you will need to recover
those applications after you recover the volume.

Do you want to continue?
[Y] Yes [N] No y

Running a recovery operation for volume APPS(C:), copied (0%)...
Running a recovery operation for volume APPS(C:), copied (99%).
The recovery operation for volume APPS(C:) successfully completed.


X:\Windows\system32>bcdboot f:\windows /s f:

You should be good to go.

An alternative is to use another operating ( preferably win 7 ) to mount the vhd , shrink the partition(s) and make an image of them with a free 3rd party app.

Restore the 3rd party app. images.

i did that
i got a blue screen after Sarting Windows logo showed then shut down
Thanks

No i totally lost faith in Microsoft products, they tell the image work and find out it simply put u in a situation when u &^#*# up

Hi asmgx,

Well done - you did all you could to get windows sys img to work.

There are still a couple of thigs you can do:

1. If you have the factory.wim , then perhaps you can apply it, and later mount the vhd file and copy out any data you want..

I just did it a few days ago with the files from a sony recovery partition.

Have you got the factory.wim still ?



Or,

2. as I mentioned earlier - you could mount the vhd - image it with a more reliable app. , then restore that new image.

mjf said:

By all means follow the above
format fs=ntfs quick will be faster.

If this doesn't work:
-Based on limited info.-
I think your factory recovery partition (if that's what you are referring to) is gone.
If your image is on an external HDD you could try restoring to either your unallocated main HDD or a simple primary unpartitioned ntfs formated (inactive) HDD.
A Windows reimage should reformat and partition according to the old partition structure. Any data or recovery partitions wil be empty.

Alternatively if it is an OEM PC and you have factory restore/recovery disks you could run these first. Then run the Windows reimage. This may rebuild your recovery partition.

I'm curious why:
1) you are jumping through all these hoops
2) why the advice I have given you isn't relevant.

Your original error message suggests Windows is telling you it cannot restore to a small apparently active partition. The BIOS looks at the MBR (512 bytes at the front of the HDD - nothing to do with the 100MB partition) which contains the partition table and the partition active status. This may be pointing to an old active 100MB system reserved partition.

If all this doesn't work clean install. If it's an OEM PC use or buy the factory restore disks.

From the posts on this thread so far, the image is not on an external HD.

He has 2 HD's in the machine.

He also said he had deleted the partitions on his main HD (including the recovery partition ).

The windows sys img contains an image of the recovery partition as well as an image of the main windows partition.

However, win sys img refuses to restore.

Unless he can get access to an external enclosure, or somehow mount the vhd and image it, or extract the factory.wim from it.

He might have the factory discs - but he probably would have mentioned it by now - don't you think?

The odd thing is - on an entrirely different thread - asmg says he has the factory.wim

I cant find imagex to restore factory.wim file

Pretty easy to apply it - don't know why he hasn't done that - except he would need to put imagex on some kind of boot media.

I did it just the other day myself in about 10 mins.

Once he has done that and is back in windows 7 - he should be able to mount the vhd and get at whatever he needs.

Perhaps our poor OP asmgx could just reinstall Windows (making sure he doesn't overwrite the image), open backup and restore this image from the new installation?

I concur with Michael: There should be no error message about failure due to a too-small Active partition if OP was attempting to reimage to a wiped HD. There are partitions or code there interfering.

If booting to try to reimage to wiped HD fails, then mount the Win7 and any System Reserved partition VHD (only) from image file then create an image with Macrium as suggested. Virtual Hard Disk - Create and Attach VHD
Macrium - Image your system