How do I check Windows 7 Image Backup

[wealth14]

I have a new hard drive and I want to use my windows image backup that I created previously. It was a whole system backup. When I select the restore my computer using a system image that I created earlier, it did not do anything, but going around and around in circle. Could it be the image backup itself? If not, why didn't it perform what it is supposed to do? BTW, it is windows 7 home edition, 64 bits.

 

[JimLewandowski]

I assume a "whole system backup" was using the CREATE SYSTEM IMAGE function via the Backup and restore GUI panel??

Click on Start ORB, search on "cmd", when it comes up, right-click and "run as administrator".

Issue this command:

wbadmin get versions

It will list information each "known to Windows" System Image that you took.

Did you move or rename your WindowImageBackup folder?

See this thread for examples of wbadmin get versions output:

http://www.sevenforums.com/backup-r...system-restore-storage-internal-workings.html

 

[whs]

With Windows imaging and on the high seas you never know what is going to happen.

But seriously, do you kow to where the image was written. Could it be to some partition on the old drive which you removed.

PS: Next time use a better imaging option - e.g. free Macrium or free Paragon.

 

[JimLewandowski]

With Windows imaging and on the high seas you never know what is going to happen.

But seriously, do you kow to where the image was written. Could it be to some partition on the old drive which you removed.

PS: Next time use a better imaging option - e.g. free Macrium or free Paragon.

Good point.

OP says a new drive is involved. We assume he still does have the old drive hooked up!

The "going around in a circle" I assume is the mouse pointer wait. That's the confusing part of this. Whether backups are found or not, it still comes back quickly.

 

[wealth14]

@Jim, It detects where the location of the image file correctly, except it sees as a local drive. The problem is when I click it, it would display same steps again. It did not execute the imaging process. I wonder what is wrong with it.

Yes, I use the CREATE SYSTEM IMAGE function via the Backup and restore GUI panel. Should it work as it is supposed to?

 

[marsmimar]

Hello wealth14 and welcome to Seven Forums.

As the other members have said, it would help if you gave us some more information.

1. Where was the System Image created? On an external hard drive? A separate partition on the internal C: drive? How long did it take for the Image to be created and how many gigbytes of data was imaged?
2. Is the new hard drive already installed in your machine? Is it a laptop or desktop? More info about your system specs?
3. Is it a "bare" HDD that needed to be partitioned and then formatted before use? Is it larger or smaller than the original HDD?
4. An SSD?

The more info you can provide the better we can help.

 

[JimLewandowski]

@Jim, It detects where the location of the image file correctly, except it sees as a local drive. The problem is when I click it, it would display same steps again. It did not execute the imaging process. I wonder what is wrong with it.

Yes, I use the CREATE SYSTEM IMAGE function via the Backup and restore GUI panel. Should it work as it is supposed to?

You mean on the Windows Recovery Environment "repair computer" -> Restore using system image you created earlier, when you click on NEXT to actually START the system image RESTORE process, the GUI loops back to a prior screen rather than actually performing the restore?

Has the hard drive that contains the System Image been moved from its original motherboard port?

How/where have you connected the new hard drive?

For what it's worth, when System Repair SHOWS you the system images he was able to find, those come from the actual, physical WindowsImageBackup folder itself rather than the Volume Shadow copy/Restore point System Volume Information internal/hidden folder. (i.e. wbadmin GET VERSIONS).

 

[wealth14]

Hello wealth14 and welcome to Seven Forums.

As the other members have said, it would help if you gave us some more information.

1. Where was the System Image created? On an external hard drive? A separate partition on the internal C: drive? How long did it take for the Image to be created and how many gigbytes of data was imaged?
2. Is the new hard drive already installed in your machine? Is it a laptop or desktop? More info about your system specs?
3. Is it a "bare" HDD that needed to be partitioned and then formatted before use? Is it larger or smaller than the original HDD?
4. An SSD?

The more info you can provide the better we can help.

marsmimar, here is detail information:
1- The system image was created on an external hard drive. It is a big file. It takes about 4 hours to create the file. It is about 114 gigs.
2- Yes, the new hard drive is already install in my laptop.
3- I reformatted once already. It is the same size as the original one, but the system image file is on a smaller external drive.
4- It is not SSD, but USB drive.

Thanks for your support and let me know if you need more info.

 

[mjf]

I'm still unsure the exact nature of the problem.
As I understand it, when you go through the process of restoring an image stored of an external HDD the image is detected ok. You are in some sort of loop and cannot proceed???

1) Is your new HDD the only HDD connected? It should be.
2) Are you booting from a system repair CD/DVD? You should be.
3) When an image is detected and displayed you may need to highlight it (click on it) in order to proceed using "next". Are you doing this?

Windows should automatically format and partition the new HDD without you doing anything.

 

[wealth14]

@mjf,
1-Yes, it is the only HDD connected.
2- Yes, I can boot from a system repair CD/DVD when I tried to use the windows image backup.
3- Yes, when I highlight it and click the "Next" button, it would should show the steps on how to image backup, instead of automatically formatting etc.. without me doing anything. That is the problem I'm having. Would it be because it is too big file to handle (>114GB). Is there a way around this?

 

[mjf]

?? So you hit the next button to follow through the process...exactly what happens then.

Also. What are the sizes of the old and new HDDs??

Add: Never mind the sizes of data and images. Your new HDD must be at least as big (not one byte smaller!) than your original HDD the image was made from.
The only problem with larger image files is they take longer to make and reimage (~50GB max is my rule of thumb). Move more static data out of the imaging partition.

 

[kado897]

OK. These are the steps you should see after booting your install DVD. This was run in a VM for demonstration purposes.

 

[wealth14]

Kado897,
Thanks for your help, but what install DVD are you talking about? Is that the original Win7 installation DVD or recovery media? Unfortunately, I only have the recovery media and tried the steps mentioned there, but it failed. I can't wait to try your way.

 

[kado897]

The recovery DVD is pretty much the same as the install DVD from screen 2 onward.

1. Are you getting the second screen as shown above?
2. Have you checked the radio button highlighted before pressing Next.
3. What screen do you get after those steps?

 

[mjf]

You can use the Windows 7 install (Retail) DVD or more typically the System Repair CD/DVD. The System Repair CD is an important repair (/restore) CD which everyone should have and the option to make one is in the "Backup & Restore" screen.
See the recovery steps in this tutorial
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/675-system-image-recovery.html

When restoring to an image to new the disk the Format option will almost certainly be ticked and grayed out (you have no option!).

 

[Bumpkin]

Just a thought...
If you made the repair disk and later installed SP1, it might not work.
I remember reading that after installing SP1 you need to make a new repair disk using the updated system.
My images are made using W7 image & backup, also EaseUS Todo just in case of problems like yours.

 

[kado897]

I heard that too but I can't see how that would affect the image restore, I can't see why it would need to interact with the installed OS. Startup repair would be a different animal though.

 

[Bumpkin]

Yeah, I don't see how the disk could affect a restore either. But as wacky as Windows Backup & Restore is, who knows what Microsoft has done.

 

[kado897]

There is that.

 

[wealth14]

The recovery DVD is pretty much the same as the install DVD from screen 2 onward.

1. Are you getting the second screen as shown above?
2. Have you checked the radio button highlighted before pressing Next.
3. What screen do you get after those steps?

@kado897,
I did not get the second screen as shown above. The main problem that I got is the last part that it prevents me from clicking "Next" button. That is where it did NOT format and mirror the file.

BTW, I use the factory recovery disks because I forgot to make one set for this situation. I followed the Microsoft way of restoring computer through system image system. Restore your computer from a system image backup. Again it failed to mirror images backup.

Thanks for your help.