Solved System image recovery stops partway through

[W33plo0]

Thread summary: Attempting to restore a Windows 7 system image, but progress bar seemed to stop after initially making good progress. Turns out the recovery wasn't hanging, it just took longer for some segments than others.

 

[Petey7]

While it is restoring the images, it has to erase what is currently on the drive. I would try the steps in the tutorial below. It will take awhile but it will clean the entire hard drive. Then you can try to restore the image and see if it goes any faster.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/91339-ssd-hdd-optimize-windows-reinstallation.html

 

[W33plo0]

What I have done is click the cancel button when the system image restore stops. When I let the computer try to boot up, it tells me there is no operating system (makes sense to me), but doesn't this mean that it has already wiped off what was previously on the computer? When I do a clean install of Windows 7, it doesn't take nearly as long (probably 20 or 30 minutes).

I am currently working on a different solution, but will give this a try next. Please continue to feed me solutions!

 

[Petey7]

I recently had to do an image restore (even us smart people catch a case of PEBKAC from time to time) and I remember it slowing down after a while and it took more than an hour (can't tell you exactly how long). I just think starting off with a 100% clean hard drive would help.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello Schwidus, welcome to Seven Forums!





Contrary to popular belief, formatting a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) does not remove data from the HDD, it just checks for sector errors and marks the HDD to be over-written as needed.

 

[Petey7]

As BFK says, a regular format does not remove anything. However, the steps in that tutorial does remove everything on the hard drive by over writing everything with zeros.

 

[karlsnooks]

Schwidus,

Before this disaster occured, did you make a System Repair Disc?

If not, go to a friend who also has a 32bit system or heck to a friendly computer store and make a System Repair Disc.

The System Repair Disc MUST be made on a 32bit system since you have a 32bit system.

I know that there are other ways of doing things, but I know what has always worked for me and we are going to need that System Repair Disc.

A CD is plenty big, you do not need a DVD but you can use one if you desire.

Now here's how to make the System Repair Disc:
________________________________________
CREATE A SYSTEM REPAIR DISC
START | type System Repair | Enter key | Create Disc button
________________________________________


Now first we will go for the gold. I will not be surprised if this easy way out does not work but since the procedure is simple, let's do it.

You are going to make sure that your bios is set to boot FIRST from Cd/Dvd.

After that, insert the System Repair Disc.

Power down your computer.

Connect the external drive.

Power up your computer.

Follow the restore procedure which follows:
RESTORE A SYSTEM IMAGE BACKUP
• NEXT button (change language if desired)
• Restore your computer using a system image
that you created earlier radio button
• NEXT button
• Use the latest available system image radio button
• NEXT button
• Format and repartition discs checkbox
• NEXT button
• FINISH button
• YES button
________________________________________

Let me know the results.
.

 

[W33plo0]

I didn't make one, but I burned one from an ISO that a friend sent me. I'm not sure if it was burned from a 32 bit computer or not (to match my OS), but I did try using the System Restore on the 32 bit Windows 7 disk that I burned. I also tried restoring through the Backup and Restore within a clean 32 bit Windows 7 installation, which also had the progress bar stop about a third of the way in. I think its safe to say that its not related to how I am running the System Restore utility.

 

[karlsnooks]

I'm patient. Please make a System Repair Disc by the procedure I gave. This eliminates all variables.

After doing that, make sure you do not get creative, but rather follow the procedure given precisely.

Remember that the Restore is going to be formatting a large drive which will take ages so be patient.

 

[W33plo0]

While it is restoring the images, it has to erase what is currently on the drive. I would try the steps in the tutorial below. It will take awhile but it will clean the entire hard drive. Then you can try to restore the image and see if it goes any faster.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation - Windows 7 Help Forums

When I wipe the hard drive and am going to redo the partitions, is it important I make them the same size as what they were when I made my system images? The way ASUS makes them is not to any specific GB, they are just odd numbers.

I assume since there is a checkbox to recreate the partitions as they were for the system images, this is not important, but thought I would ask or bring it up.

 

[Petey7]

I don't think it would matter at all. I would tick the checkbox for recreating the partitions of course. But other than that you should be fine. Remember, that process does take a while. Let it finish, then to the image restore.

 

[karlsnooks]

Petey,
In the procedure I gave him he will let MS format and partition the drives.

I'm trying to avoid any creativity or deviation so that I can if there is a problem and what the problem is.

I just hope he follows the procedure to the letter as I've used the procedure many times with zero failures.

 

[gregrocker]

Sometimes the image will not reimage to the same or another HD. This is why it is best to have a second image using Macrium or Paragon's free app to be failsafe.

You can mount the images in Disk Management to access and copy out your files if necessary.

On the Action Tab, select Attach VHD and browse to the image file(s).

 

[karlsnooks]

Greg,
He will be able to restore the image. We just have to wait for his progress report to see if further steps are required.

 

[W33plo0]

Thanks for the tip gregrocker. I also did some manual backing up of files, but that could come in handy as well.

My current plan of action right now is to wipe the hard drive using the guide Petey7 provided me and then to use my 32bit Windows 7 DVD to perform the System Recovery, going off of the steps karlsnooks posted. Just waiting for my HDD to wipe right now though.

 

[karlsnooks]

Wiping the drive with the CLEAN ALL command of DiskPart will eliminate many possible problems and is a good idea although I'm not sure that it is necessary but will certainly do no harm.

 

[W33plo0]

So I did the wipe, just created one large partition, then booted into my Windows 7 DVD and followed the instructions karlsnooks provided. The restore started, but once again it appears to be stuck at about a third of the way in. I've been timing it and its been restoring for a total time of 1hr 45min and has been stuck at the same point for 1hr 30min. Underneath the progress bar it says "Restoring disk (C".

I'll continue to leave it be for a couple more hours since it did take me 1hr 20min to wipe the HDD and I might as well give it an ample shot just incase its running something that takes a long time and isn't something that increases the progress bar. Any other ideas? I'll keep the thread updated incase something happens.

 

[W33plo0]

Great news thread followers! I ended up leaving the system restore going while I left for a shopping trip. When I got back I saw my laptop was sitting at the Windows 7 login screen with the same users I had backed it up with.

I suppose the end result of this was that I just needed to be very patient! Seeing the restore get a third of the way in in just 15 minutes was very misleading in my case. Even after doing the wipe (not sure if it helped or not), the project took somewhere between 3 and 7hrs.

Thank you for everyone who took the time to read the post, and especially to those who offered their suggestions. I feel a little more complete now that my treasured documents and programs are all the way I left them.

 

[SIW2]

That is a very long time.

How big was the image? Unless it was many hundreds of gb's , there is something wrong there. You are fortunate it worked in the end.


I recommend not relying entirely on windows sys image. There are other free imaging solutions which are much more flexible.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello again.





Very glad to see you got it sorted and thanks for the update.




As has been said, it would be best to use another, more reliable, excellent program (also?) to create an image; have a look at the links below.


Macrium Reflect FREE Edition

Imaging with free Macrium