Restoring via system image using external hard drive

[PatrickRobinson]

Despite the great help I received yesterday, I am still in the same boat. I am trying to "clean up" my Dell Inspiron 1012 (Dell Mini). It does not have a CD drive...only USB ports. I have an external hard drive connected to one of the USB ports. The computer has the Windows 7 Professional OS (although the computer came from the factory with 7 Basic; I used Windows anytime upgrade). Anyway, I want to use the Windows "create system image" option to backup, wipe clean, and restore. Will the computer boot from the USB? Any pointers on this process? I really appreciate the forum help!!!!

Patrick

 

[Kaktussoft]

The ISO can be downloaded from Windows 7 Direct Download Links, Official Disk Images from Digital River . You can put on usb flash stick by doing Windows USB/DVD Download Tool - Microsoft Store

Does the machine boot from that stick? If so... with that stick you can "wipe clean" and do the win7 built-in restore. Use USB2 ports .... most likely usb3 doesn't work.

 

[DavidE]

Here are a couple of tutorials by Brink:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/663-backup-complete-computer-create-image-backup.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/675-system-image-recovery.html

 

[PatrickRobinson]

a bit further

What about information that I already have on this external drive I plan to use for the system image? Will it remain untouched?

 

[Kaktussoft]

What about information that I already have on this external drive I plan to use for the system image? Will it remain untouched?

No will NOT remain!!! Use an empty flash stick. Or copy all files that are inside the ISO to the root of the usb drive and make that drive bootable.

 

[PatrickRobinson]

Davide help

Here are a couple of tutorials by Brink:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/663-backup-complete-computer-create-image-backup.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/675-system-image-recovery.html

What about information that I already have on this external drive I plan to use for the system image? Will it remain untouched?

 

[PatrickRobinson]

Sorry for all the confusion. The external hard drive will be formatted also? That doesn't make sense.

 

[DavidE]

I don't use the built in Windows Imaging program, so I don't want to give you answers (guesses) that might be wrong.
I use Acronis (paid) and Macrium (free) because they offer more control and options that I like.

You can follow Kaktussoft's advice, or post questions in Brink's tutorials.

 

[DavidE]

We were posting at the same time...
I agree with your last post of

The external hard drive will be formatted also? That doesn't make sense.

With the built in program, it can decide what to include in the Backup Image, so you have to make sure you know what it is doing.
I don't believe it could include the external drive when that is the destination for the image...but like I said, I don't use this program.