Strange 64bit Windows 7 problem

[Mike Connor]

On the recovery partition there is a 132GB VHD file

There is probably a load of trial software and other stuff in it. See if you can mount it, as described above, and prune the useless stuff out of it using explorer. Once pruned save what's left as an image using Easeus.

You can also try restoring directly from the existing image on D: using Easeus. Make the bootable recovery media on your pen drive as described above. Boot from the pen drive, choose restore when Easeus is loaded, and then just choose the recovery image on D: to be restored to C:

You might need to use some other software to load and restore the VHD image. Like this;

http://arainia.com/software/gizmo/overview.php?nID=4

Sorry, but doing things like this can become quite complex!

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[gregrocker]

Please try the Easeus boot disk as Mike describes above, to see if it will run your Recovery from D to C. This will be very interesting to see if it works and will help others.

It is a huge image, such that I wonder if you're reading it's size correctly. The image might not run if you prune it any but here is how to mount it in Disk Mgmt. to do that: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/566-virtual-hard-disk-create-attach-vhd.html

Also enable Private Messaging in your Control Panel (CP button at top).

 

[Mike Connor]

Please try the Easeus boot disk as Mike describes above, to see if it will run your Recovery from D to C. This will be very interesting to see if it works and will help others.

It is a huge image, such that I wonder if you're reading it's size correctly. The image might not run if you prune it any but here is how to mount it in Disk Mgmt. to do that: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/566-virtual-hard-disk-create-attach-vhd.html

Also enable Private Messaging in your Control Panel (CP button at top).

That does work on some machines, but it fails on others.

Directly mounting it might work, but I have tried that a few times with netbooks, notebooks etc, and although you can mount it alright, you can't usually run it! At least not on those machines where I have attempted it.

Regards.... Mike Connor

 

[pheonixman]

Hi Again

I not sure what the purpose of backing up the image file will do? Surely I should just be able to browse to it using the windows recovery from the d: partition

 

[pheonixman]

Please try the Easeus boot disk as Mike describes above, to see if it will run your Recovery from D to C. This will be very interesting to see if it works and will help others.

It is a huge image, such that I wonder if you're reading it's size correctly. The image might not run if you prune it any but here is how to mount it in Disk Mgmt. to do that: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/566-virtual-hard-disk-create-attach-vhd.html

Also enable Private Messaging in your Control Panel (CP button at top).

Ok will do that

How do i enable Private messaging?

 

[pheonixman]

Hi

I have managed to attach the vhd file using the guide provided, I'm a bit unsure what I need to do next?
Should i backup this using the other software?

 

[DocBrown]

Please try the Easeus boot disk as Mike describes above, to see if it will run your Recovery from D to C. This will be very interesting to see if it works and will help others.

It is a huge image, such that I wonder if you're reading it's size correctly. The image might not run if you prune it any but here is how to mount it in Disk Mgmt. to do that: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/566-virtual-hard-disk-create-attach-vhd.html

Also enable Private Messaging in your Control Panel (CP button at top).

Ok will do that

How do i enable Private messaging?[/QUOTE]


I think you need 15 or more posts for it to be available to you. Then you need these settings in your User CP (User Control Panel)

 

[Mike Connor]

Hi Again

I not sure what the purpose of backing up the image file will do? Surely I should just be able to browse to it using the windows recovery from the d: partition

It's just a safety measure in case anything goes wrong. Also, if you jigger the image, you still have a copy.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[Mike Connor]

Hi

I have managed to attach the vhd file using the guide provided, I'm a bit unsure what I need to do next?
Should i backup this using the other software?

I would back it up, and then have a good look at it with explorer.

You can also try to restore directly from it. That was the original purpose of the image.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[Mike Connor]

Just to clarify.

The reason for mounting the disc and then making an image of it, is to be certain that it is in a format that Easeus can read and restore.

( This sometimes works without having to make a new image, the only way to find out if it will work on your machine is to try it).

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[gregrocker]

Since the HP bloatware is mostly installed programs, you'd probably be better off not hacking away at their program files, but instead wait til after reimaging to Clean up factory bloatware

 

[Mike Connor]

That is definitely better, no doubt about it.

Only reason for suggesting pruning it was to reduce image size so that it can be run from a pen drive. There are massive amounts of absolutely useless bloatware on these machine.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[Bill2]

Hi

I have managed to attach the vhd file using the guide provided, I'm a bit unsure what I need to do next?
Should i backup this using the other software?

Win7 backup and restore utility also creates images as .vhd (along with some xml files that describe the partition structure etc.). Try pointing it to your .vhd.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/675-system-image-recovery.html

 

[pheonixman]

Hi Again

Sorry for the delay in reply, i will backup the image tomorrow using the Easeus software and try to restore over my c: partition.
Question: Can you just clarify when i have the image on the usb flash drive how do i recover onto my c: partition, do i have to boot using some recovery software or will it just work from the windows application?

thanks

 

[pheonixman]

Hi

I have managed to attach the vhd file using the guide provided, I'm a bit unsure what I need to do next?
Should i backup this using the other software?

Win7 backup and restore utility also creates images as .vhd (along with some xml files that describe the partition structure etc.). Try pointing it to your .vhd.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/675-system-image-recovery.html

thanks Bill2 i have tried and fail at step 5 as it says it can't find the image and it will not browse to it, could the machine name being changed after the image was created cause a problem seeing the image or user account?

 

[pheonixman]

Please try the Easeus boot disk as Mike describes above, to see if it will run your Recovery from D to C. This will be very interesting to see if it works and will help others.

It is a huge image, such that I wonder if you're reading it's size correctly. The image might not run if you prune it any but here is how to mount it in Disk Mgmt. to do that: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/566-virtual-hard-disk-create-attach-vhd.html

Also enable Private Messaging in your Control Panel (CP button at top).

Ok will do that

How do i enable Private messaging?[/QUOTE]


I think you need 15 or more posts for it to be available to you. Then you need these settings in your User CP (User Control Panel)

Thanks for the tip DocBrown

 

[Mike Connor]

Hi Again

Sorry for the delay in reply, i will backup the image tomorrow using the Easeus software and try to restore over my c: partition.
Question: Can you just clarify when i have the image on the usb flash drive how do i recover onto my c: partition, do i have to boot using some recovery software or will it just work from the windows application?

thanks

There are a number of possibilities, and some have already been outlined here.

In order to do the job with Easeus, you need to get the image into a format that Easeus can use. The simplest way to do this is to mount the image as a virtual disc and then back that up as an image, using Easeus.

In order to be able to restore that image, you have to have an operating system running. The Easeus boot media you build contains a small Linux operating system which allows you to boot your machine directly from that media, and restore the image.

SOMETIMES!!! Easeus can restore the image directly. Without any conversion at all. You just boot the Easeus recovery media, and ask it to restore the image on the D: drive to the system drive.

You can also mount the image as a virtual disc and it is possible that you can restore from that, but this is unreliable.

The main problem you have to overcome here is that you can not normally restore an image to the system drive of a running system. This overwrites the system drive, which the system requires to operate, and the system crashes. The boot media installs a completely different operating system and does not need to use the system itself.

Problems with boot media capacity are a separate matter.

If anything is still unclear, don't hesitate to ask.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[pheonixman]

Hi Mike

Thanks for the info

Just to outline my plan which i will do tomorrow

Step 1 - Mount the VHD image file in windows 7 and take a backup of the partition using Easeus to a usb flash
Step 2 - Create bootable CD or usb / Still a bit unclear about how i do this but think it can be done with the Easeus software
Step 3 - Restore image which Easeus has created when booted from bootable cd or usb

Hope this is correct

thanks

 

[Mike Connor]

Hi Mike

Thanks for the info

Just to outline my plan which i will do tomorrow

Step 1 - Mount the VHD image file in windows 7 and take a backup (IMAGE) of the partition using Easeus to a usb flash
Step 2 - Create bootable CD or usb / Still a bit unclear about how i do this but think it can be done with the Easeus software
Step 3 - Restore image which Easeus has created when booted from bootable cd or usb

Hope this is correct

thanks

Yes, that is correct.

To create the bootable media, just start Easeus, go to "tools", and ;



Regards....Mike Connor

 

[pheonixman]

Ok
Will post back tomorrow, thanks for the help so far