System Image - Extract Files Using Disk Management

How to Extract Windows 7 System Image Files Using Disk Management​

   Information

When you create a system image, Windows 7 creates a Virtual Hard Disk VHD file that contains all of your files. This will show you how to attach (mount) this VHD file using Disk Management to manually extract and restore specific files of your choice from the system image instead of doing the default full system image recovery.

   Note

System images are saved in this format:

(selected backup location's drive letter)\WindowsImageBackup\(your computer name)\Backup (year-month-day) (time-hhmmss)

For example, if your computer name is Windows7-PC, your backup image location is on hard disk or partition (network or local) D: , and you backed up on September 14th 2008 at 4:39:45 AM (it uses 24 hour time), then that system image VHD file will be located in the D:\WindowsImageBackup\Windows7-PC\Backup 2009-09-14 043945 folder.

OPTION ONE

To Attach the VHD to Extract Files from System Image

1. Open the Control Panel (icons View).
A) Click on the Administrative Tools icon, and click on Computer Management.

B) Go to step 3.
OR

2. Open the Start Menu.
A) In the Search box, type compmgmt.msc and press Enter.
3. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.

4. In the left pane, right click on Disk Management, and click on Attach VHD. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: You can also click on Disk Management, Action on the menu bar, and Attach VHD.

5. Click on the Browse button. (See screenshot below)

6. Navigate to the drive or partition that you selected to save the created system image to, then select a listed VHD file for the disk that you want to extract files from. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: See the NOTE box at the top of the tutorial to see where to find your system image VHD file at.

   Note

There will be a VHD file for each hard disk that was included in the system image backup when it was created.

You will not be able to open the VHD for the 100 MB System Reserved partition if you had one created during the installation of your Windows 7.

7. Click on OK. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: Be sure to leave the Read only box unchecked if you wish to have more than read-only access.

8. You will now notice that the VHD file has been attached (mounted) as a separate virtual disk with it's own drive letter (ex: F: ) in Disk Management. Close Disk Management.(See screenshot below)

9. You may also get a AutoPlay pop-up window. Double click on the Open folder to view files option. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If you did not get a AutoPlay pop-up, then you can open the new attached VHD virtual disk (ex: F) from the Computer window like any other hard drive or partition.

10. You can now copy any files that you want from the attached system image VHD disk (ex: F: ) to restore back to your Windows 7 C: drive. (See screenshot below)

OPTION TWO

To Detach the VHD in Disk Management

NOTE: This will show you to detach the VHD file in Disk Management from OPTION ONE above without affecting the system image.
1. Open the Control Panel (icons View).
A) Click on the Administrative Tools icon, and click on Computer Management.

B) Go to step 3.
OR

2. Open the Start Menu.
A) In the Search box, type compmgmt.msc and press Enter.
3. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.

4. In the middle pane, right click on the Disk # of the attached VHD (ex: F: ), and click on Detach VHD. (See screenshot below)

5. Click on OK. (See sreenshot below)
WARNING: DO NOT CHECK the Delete the virtual hard disk file after removing the disk box. If you do, you will destroy the created system image. Leaving this box unchecked will leave your created system image intact an unharmed so you can still be able to use it to do a full system image recovery.

6. You will now notice that the VHD (ex: F: ) has been detached in Disk Management. (See screenshot below)

7. Close Disk Management.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Extract Files from Windows 7 System Image using Virtual PC
• How to Manually Extract Files from a Backup in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Extract Files from the Windows 7 Installation DVD
• How to Restore your System with a Broken Windows 7 System Image
• How to Create a System Image Backup in Windows 7
• How to Backup User and System Files in Windows 7
• How to Do a System Image Recovery in Windows 7
• How to Enable or Disable the Ability to Create a System Image in Windows 7
• How to Unattach and Delete a Virtual Hard Disk in Windows 7
• How to Create and Attach a Virtual Hard Disk in Windows 7
• How to Restore Files and Folders in Windows 7 with Previous Versions
• How to Delete Windows 7 User Data and System Image Backup Files
• How to Extract Files and Folders from System Restore Points in Windows 7 and Vista

 

[frsgalaxy]

Shawn

No drive letter was assigned to the .vhd after attaching it (at least not in Start --> Computer) in fact no drive even showed up in that section, It was "only" displayed in disc management.

As for a system restore from boot that is not an option as there is no restore point available according to my laptop at least (even though a restore point is created every week, I'm an Indie Game Dev so I need everything to be safe and secure ).

Kaktussoft

There is no option for a factory reset on my laptop (apparently laptop's don't have them according to my local microsoft engineer or at least my brand of laptop doesn't) but yeah I guess so or just replace all the file's and regi's that are created during setup if at all possible (Don't really fancy paying £199.99 for a copy of windows 7 seem's the laptop only cost me £200, Additionally I can't afford to pay out for one, Damn I need a new computer :-s)

If you attach the vhd in disk management:

• Is only 1 partition in vhd?
• Look in windows explorer. When was vhd file created? Prior to buying laptop... so vhd is made by shop?
• Assign a drive letter. Just right click in disk management on partition in vhd and assign drive letter P for example
• In windows explorer: P has folders like windows, users etcetera. So looks like a win7 disk?

Make a new thread for this problem and post url here

Keep getting this error when I try to assign a drive letter or change path:-

get the same error after restarting the laptop and refreshing the disk managment as well :-s

vhd file was created mid november last year (around about the same time I had a crash on the computer, So I'm guessing it was the microsoft engineer that fixed it who made it.

also 1 partition in vhd??? what do you mean?

 

[Kaktussoft]

Disk 1 is vhd? If so:

In http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/783-elevated-command-prompt.html

diskpart
select disk 1
select part 0 (or maybe select part 1)
assign letter=N
exit

Works? DISK 1 shows 1 partition is screenshot.
Can you explore N now?

 

[Kaktussoft]

Anyway are you willing to do a factory restore? (i know it's not working yet)

So vhd has been created just before microsoft engineer fixed the issue (or maybe after fixing). I think before fixing so he could restore in case of faulty repair actions(?) Anyway you don't know the state of vhd!! So it's uses to restore

 

[frsgalaxy]

Disk 1 is vhd? If so:

In http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/783-elevated-command-prompt.html

diskpart
select disk 1
select part 0 (or maybe select part 1)
assign letter=N
exit

Works? DISK 1 shows 1 partition is screenshot.
Can you explore N now?

everything is fine upto the point were I have to assign the letter, It keep's saying "There is no volume specified". "Please select a volume and try again".

 

[frsgalaxy]

Anyway are you willing to do a factory restore? (i know it's not working yet)

So vhd has been created just before microsoft engineer fixed the issue (or maybe after fixing). I think before fixing so he could restore in case of faulty repair actions(?) Anyway you don't know the state of vhd!! So it's uses to restore

Yes I am willing to do a factory restore if it is possible without the disc.

The microsoft engineer didn't actually fix the issue as I ended up having to run 6 different anti-viruses and delete a crap ton of stuff (also had to do a registry scan and fix) before it would work again (which I could of done without taking ti to him), But yes it was created about 30 minutes after I took it to the engineer.

No I don't know the state of the vhd? (I'm not too sure what you mean by this :-s)

 

[Kaktussoft]

Make your own thread for this problem. And post link here so I know where it is!

Is the VHD the state of computer you want to go back to? I don't think so. It's a backup just after bringing it to engineer. So actually just after delivering it. So must be the faulty state as it was!

You want a factory install... hmmm any important files on computer now? Backup them all first.

Factory install means: back to state when you bought it. So no extra applications on it! All has to be reinstalled! Is that a problem?

Do you have a win7 COA "Certificate Of Authenticity" on computer? Maybe below battery, maybe on back of laptop? Product key is on it
Something like this: https://www.google.nl/search?q=coa&...cp.r_qf.&fp=d80faf2dfabc1150&biw=1366&bih=600

 

[frsgalaxy]

Here ya go Kaktussoft ^_^

http://www.sevenforums.com/backup-restore/294772-need-help-factory-restore-lenovo-3000-series-g530.html#post2442278

 

[MisCelineous]

Thanks for the tutorial. I was able to follow it easily, however, I'm still having trouble accessing the VHD file.

I've attached the VHD file and assigned it's own drive letter, but when I opened the drive, it says "This folder is empty." Am I doing something wrong? I'm sure I followed everything to the T. Any advice is much appreciated.

 

[Brink]

Hello MisCelineous, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You may have attached the wrong VHD file, or the VHD file is corrupted. Go ahead and post a screenshot of what you see like under step 6 of Option One pointing out which VHD file you attached to see if that may be the issue or not.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

 

[MisCelineous]

Thanks for the quick reply!

I've attached screenshot, as advised. I don't think it's the wrong file, and I sincerely hope it's not corrupted! I really need some files in this backup, and I'm grasping at straws here...

 

[Brink]

It looks ok. As a test, copy the VHD to your desktop, then mount it in Disk Management to see if it does the same.

 

[MisCelineous]

I've copied it over and tried attaching the copy as a VHD, but it's still not working... It still says the folder is empty when I open it.

 

[Brink]

Ok. See if you may be able to open the VHD from within the free program 7-Zip.

 

[SIW2]

If 7-zip can't do it, try Pguru.

Use the Pro version - you don't need to buy it , most of the features work unregistered.

Surprisingly useful program.




Recover deleted files, Partition manager and Windows backup - PartitionGuru

 

[MisCelineous]

I've tried opening the VHD files via 7-zip, but they're appear in some unknown application files (to me at least!) as shown in the screenshot below.

I've also tried using PartitionGuru, but when I selected "Open Virtual Disk File" for the VHD file, nothing happens. I'm sorry I'm so ignorant in this, but I really don't know what to do.

 

[Brink]

Looks like it's a bad VHD image.

What do you see in the top two folders?

 

[MisCelineous]

The first folder is empty. The second one is screenshot below.

 

[Brink]

For whatever reason, the files for the system image are not in the VHD.

When you open the VHD, it should basically look the same as when you open the C: drive like the screenshot under step 10 Option One.

 

[SIW2]

Have you got any shadow storage?

You can have a look with shadow explorer

ShadowExplorer.com - Downloads

 

[Peter Pan]

Read-only checkbox MUST be checked at first time at least

Nice tutorial and very handy.
7. Click on OK. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: Be sure to leave the Read only box unchecked.

Why not readonly? you only want to mount it and READ files from it.

Hello all,
I have tried mounting several VHD images and I have always to allow writing (Read-only unchecked) the first I mount a given image. Otherwise I get an uninitialized drive. After a first mount with writing permission, I can mount any image as read-only. I also noticed that the date stamps are updated for the images with writing permissions at the time of first mounting operation. So something has been written to the image, even I do not even open it in Explorer.

Some explanation for that?

Cheers from France