Backing up/Reinstalling OS on a Netbook

[TrishC]

Hi,

Here's what I would like to do, maybe it's not possible but thought I'd ask.

I have two netbooks here. One I'm keeping and the other I'm giving to a friend. The one I want to keep has no operating system on at present, it used to have XP but now the HD is clean. The one I'm letting my friend have has Windows 7 starter edition. My friend is not interested in Windows 7 so I will remove the OS before I let go of it.

Now the license agreement EULA allows the OS to be installed on one PC only at a time so in legal terms it's possible for me to wipe the OS from one PC and reinstall it on the one I'm keeping.

The problem is the Netbook did not come with installation CD's nor has it an optical drive. I believe there is a sort of "system reinstallation" utility on the drive, on a separate partition I believe.

Is there a way I can back up the Win 7 OS before I reformat the drive and reinstall it on the other PC. I'd have to make an install flash drive to boot from but that's the easy part. My concern is can i back up the existing OS to create an install CD/flash? I have the use of a fully functional desktop PC as well if that would help.

Thaks for any advice.

Trish

 

[jumanji]

Hi TrishC,

Welcome to SevenForums.

You are allowed to install one OS on one machine - yes - and in respect of OEM machines only on that machine and that OS that came preinstalled on that one machine. You cannot transfer the OS to a different machine. It will not work. Forget about it. Install XP on the machine that came with it and let Windows 7 remain where it belongs to and tied to.( Well, you may buy a new Windows 7 with a valid licence and install it on your machine provided it passes the hardware compatibility test to run Windows 7)

 

[TrishC]

OK well I take your point. I'll have to obtain a new version of Win 7 to install on the machine I want to keep. I presume there are versions for installing from a flash? or would I have to create one since there is no optical drive.

But this raises another question then. On a netbook with the OEM version of the OS installed what would happen if the HD either failed or became corrupted so you couldn't recover it? Am I correct in assuming that you'd be well and truelly screwed since you don't have install disks?

 

[mjf]

For installation if you have access to another PC this may help
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2432-usb-windows-7-installation-key-drive-create.html

Re the netbook: a full system image of all partitions will protect you. You can restore these to your existing HDD if something screws up or to a new HDD if your current one fails. For this I would recommend:
Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - Information and download
It is free and very popular with members.

 

[karlsnooks]

TrishC,
You will be pleased to learn that we have several excellent tutorials on installing Win 7.

To locate and view, these tutorials:
Go to the Tutorials section of SevenForums, use the built-in search feature.
Here is a snip showing the search box.



You will also find that we have excellent tutorials on making a system image backup and restoring such using the Windows 7 Backup and Restore which comes with Win 7
Here is the excellent tutorial that shows just how simple and easy this is:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/663-backup-complete-computer-create-image-backup.html

 

[mjf]

For general OS imaging Windows inbuilt works fine for me but not for some. To fully image an OEM HDD you are likely to have partitions which Windows will not image (eg. Recovery, tools). Free Macrium Reflect will allow you to image all partitions and restore all partitions (eg. including recovery, tools etc) to a new HDD. The new HDD will look exactly like the original. For a video tutorial:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html

 

[karlsnooks]

mjf,
Windows Backup and Restore will successfully image ALL partitions. One must simply put a checkmark by them.

 

[mjf]

OEM Recovery, tools ... partitions generally don't have a letter attached (for good reason) and the recovery partition can be hidden. Windows needs a partition which has a letter attached and is not hidden. Also, with Windows inbuilt you cannot restore a partition without restoring the OS partition as well. In short Windows imaging is quite restrictive but fine for normal OS recovery.

 

[karlsnooks]

mjf,
I've never had a problem on any system.
I've found Win 7Backup and Restore to be extremely easy to use.

Incidentally you can restore just a partition although that is not the normal usage.
Win 7 uses VHD files, thus allowing many possibilities.

 

[mjf]

We're going around in circles KarlS. I know Windows is easy to use - I use it all the time. It will not image hidden (recovery) partitions like I have needed to do on an ACER machine.

It would be interesting if you could give us the instructions for doing an image restore from just a vhd file. I think wbadmin still requires the WindowsImageBackup folder structure to be intact.
Ironically, when you cannot auto locate your image it is third party software that can come to the rescue. Paid Acronis can often do it and you can use Macrium in a round about fashion to recover the vhd image.

Edit: By the way in case you are confused - mounting a vhd is NOT restoring an image.

 

[karlsnooks]

mjf,
read up on VHD files.

 

[mjf]

mjf,
read up on VHD files.

I give up.

Except: You clearly cannot answer the question in post 10. This may help you understand vhd files
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHD_%28file_format%29
Get back to me if you need more help.

 

[jumanji]

OK well I take your point. I'll have to obtain a new version of Win 7 to install on the machine I want to keep. I presume there are versions for installing from a flash? or would I have to create one since there is no optical drive.

But this raises another question then. On a netbook with the OEM version of the OS installed what would happen if the HD either failed or became corrupted so you couldn't recover it? Am I correct in assuming that you'd be well and truelly screwed since you don't have install disks?

There is no seperate edition/version of Windows to install from USB. You have to create the bootable UFD with the ISO.

You may use WiNToBootic WiNToBootic - the ultimate Windows 7/8 USB Boot Disk Maker or Rufus Rufus - Create bootable USB drives . Both are as easy as it can get.

If there was no possibility of creating the Recovery CDs/ DVDs for your netbook, you should contact the OEM and ask them to send the recovery media or the OEM will undertake the installation on the new HDD. ( I did it and DELL sent me the OEM Reinstall DVD.)

If you do not want to be at the mercy of OEMs, one can take the complete image of the sytem hard drive when received ( all partitions - visible and invisible ) and save it to an external media. In the event of a HDD replacement, you can restore the complete image and get going.(I do)

And of course, you can always do a clean install and activate using the COA key on the sticker.

(Always note the COA key on the sticker on receipt of the machine and save it safely.The sticker on the machine may become unreadable in due course. )

 

[TrishC]

Bootable repair USB...am I totally screwed here?

Hi,

I'm trying to create a bootable system repair disc on a flash drive.
I have downloaded the bootable CD/USB tool from the MS website and installed it.

Here's the problem. It prompts me to locate the ISO file on my PC. I don't have installation discs for this netbook which also does not have an optical drive.
I was led to believe I could download the files for a bootable repair disk/USB from the MS wevsite. I cant find them?

Have I been misinformed or what?

Thanks

 

[ignatzatsonic]

If you are looking for a legal Windows 7 ISO, you can find all of them here:

http://www.mydigitallife.info/official-windows-7-sp1-iso-from-digital-river/

 

[TrishC]

If you are looking for a legal Windows 7 ISO, you can find all of them here:

http://www.mydigitallife.info/official-windows-7-sp1-iso-from-digital-river/

Thanks..
Uhm I'm not quite sure if thats what I need or not. I just wanted to create a system repair disc not an installation disk, or more specifically a USB .

Windows won't let me do that because it wants a cd/dvd drive. So I downloaded the tool from MS to create a USB but that prompts me for an ISO already saved on my PC which i don't have. I just need the boot files and I'm getting a bit confused.

Again all I want to do is boot from a USB if I have problems so I can then restore using a system image

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Have you looked at part 1 of this:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31541-windows-7-usb-dvd-download-tool.html

Or possibly this:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2432-usb-windows-7-installation-key-drive-create.html?ltr=U

 

[TrishC]

Have you looked at part 1 of this:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31541-windows-7-usb-dvd-download-tool.html

Or possibly this:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2432-usb-windows-7-installation-key-drive-create.html?ltr=U

Yes I have. The problem is that this assumes you already have the ISO on your hard drive or you have the installation discs which I don't.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

You can download a Windows ISO to your hard drive as I mentioned in post 15.

Can you do that?

 

[TrishC]

You can download a Windows ISO to your hard drive as I mentioned in post 15.

Can you do that?

Yes I can, I think thats the full installation ISO though.
But... I'm just reading your second tutorial link above again using command prompt. I might be able to create it fingers crossed. Will post back in a bit. I admit I got a bit confused with all this.

Thanks for help so far!