copy whole os to new hardrive??

[justcheese]

Windows Backup in Windows 7 is awesome, create a full backup and system image of the old drive, then after the new one is installed you can pop in the windows 7 dvd or a system repair disc created with the same program, you just need to boot from it and follow the steps. Use Restore Image and it will restore everything, including programs. I tested and did that with my laptop when i bought a new drive for my laptop and all task ended flawless.

I understand how to use Windows backup. I've done all that, with both the repair disk and the installation disc, but it's not finding the image.

Greg: I have the WindowsImageBackup folder in my external's root. It's still not recognizing it. Any other ideas?

 

[gregrocker]

Are you booting the Win7 DVD Repair console or Repair CD and choosing "Recover using System Image" then having it scan all drives including external for the image file?

What is the failure error or message?

I also place my WindowsImageBackup file in a Primary Partition on a secondary or, if necessary, the primary HD and normally it finds both that and the external drive's file kept in the root. Maybe you can try moving it to a primary partition for it to be seen by imaging app.

 

[SIW2]

Boot to the command prompt - type;

Diskpart

lis vol

find the drive letter for the external ( it may be different from how you see it in windows).

exi.

type:

wbadmin get versions -backuptarget:z:

( replace z with the drive letter of your external )

Post up exactly what it says.

 

[justcheese]

Boot to the command prompt - type;

Diskpart

lis vol

find the drive letter for the external ( it may be different from how you see it in windows).

exi.

type:

wbadmin get versions -backuptarget:z:

( replace z with the drive letter of your external )

Post up exactly what it says.

It says:

wbadmin 1.0 - Backup command-line tool
Copyright info

The times of the backups displayed are based on the time zone of the current operating system that you are using.
The time zone being used is (GMT -08:00) Pacific Standard Time.
ERROR - No backup found.

 

[gregrocker]

You said earlier that you haven't been able to boot the Win7 Repair CD or the Install DVD? How are you attempting to reimage the HD using WindowsImageBackup file? It would need to be from the booted Repair CD or Install DVD.

Are you able to boot the Repair CD or Install DVD on the target machine, or any other? Are you following these steps: http://pcsupport.about.com/od/tipstricks/ht/bootcddvd.htm?

 

[justcheese]

No, I have been able to boot from the install DVD the whole time, but it still isn't finding the image on the external HD. A problem with my internal disk drive prevented me from booting from the repair disk initially, but I connected an external DVD drive yesterday and was able to boot from it. However, it isn't finding the image with the repair disk either.

I know how to go through this whole recovery process. I restored Win 7 from an image on this same computer with no problems a couple months ago. I just can't figure out why the recovery program isn't recognizing it now. The only factor in the equation that has changed is the (internal) hard drive.

On another note, I have a backup of just files and folders that is about a month and a half older than the image as well. I have tried restoring that backup a couple of times, but it's only restoring my folders. It's not restoring any of the music, movies, pictures, etc. that were within those folders. I don't know if that helps at all.

 

[gregrocker]

Can you browse into the folders on external drive to see if the contents is there? If so, and Backup will not recover them correctly, try to copy the whole contents of each folder (Pictures, etc) over into the new Win7 folder.

This is why I don't use Backup utility to do this, just drag my active folders over to external and drag them back after reinstall.

I am not sure what you mean about Win7 DVD/CD not booting when old HD was connected, but will boot now from external HD. A disk needs to boot from the BIOS of the computer, by either autostarting if the HD is blank or wiped, or after giving the prompt "Press any key to boot from DVD/CD."

Is this what happens? Then describe how you proceed to attempt to reimage your HD.

 

[justcheese]

Can you browse into the folders on external drive to see if the contents is there? If so, and Backup will not recover them correctly, try to copy the whole contents of each folder (Pictures, etc) over into the new Win7 folder.

This is why I don't use Backup utility to do this, just drag my active folders over to external and drag them back after reinstall.

Ok, I'll look into this tomorrow.

I am not sure what you mean about Win7 DVD/CD not booting when old HD was connected, but will boot now from external HD. A disk needs to boot from the BIOS of the computer, by either autostarting if the HD is blank or wiped, or after giving the prompt "Press any key to boot from DVD/CD."

Is this what happens? Then describe how you proceed to attempt to reimage your HD.

Not the HD, the DVD/CD/disk drive. Something is wrong with my internal DVD drive. It has let me boot from the Win 7 install DVD since the beginning , but I had to connect an external DVD drive to get the repair disk to boot. I can boot from both discs now, but it always stops me on step 4 from the forum's tutorial, and tells me it can't find any images. Then it will let me move to step 5, but again can't find an image.

 

[jorpe]

In case this has not been mentioned...

If you own a western digital drive, their website has copies of Acronis True Image on it for free.