Solved System Image Startup Issues

[traptw1thin]

After installing windows on my brand new computer, I made a system image on my HDD. The OS is on my SSD. Before the making the system image when i started up the computer it took <10 seconds at the windows logo before getting to the logon screen. Now that I have a system image on my HDD it takes about a minute at the windows logo before getting to the logon screen. I know that the system image is definitely the problem as I've tried reformatting the HDD, restarting (<10 sec wait is back) and then redoing the system image, which brings the long wait back.

 

[SIW2]

Try renaming the system image folder.

See if that helps.

BTW -windows system image is being removed in windows 8.

So if you want to make images - might as well start using a 3rd party program to do it now.

There a good free versions from Macrium, Paragon , ( Easeus have one - but their latest is very annoying. )

 

[traptw1thin]

Do you mean rename the main folder. and does it matter what I rename it to?

 

[SIW2]

Yes, just rename it - doesn't matter what, just stick -orig on the end of the folder name .

If you want to restore from it, you will need to rename it back first.

 

[traptw1thin]

I tried this, it unfortunately had no effect whatsoever.

 

[SIW2]

It was worth a go.

Strange - perhaps it is taking a while trying to find the volume shadow copy storage on your HDD.

You could try removing that and see if it helps.

You should find it in System Protection - select the HDD , select configure , dot turn off system protection, Apply, OK.

 

[traptw1thin]

dont turn off or do turn off system protection? and what other side effects will this have?

 

[SIW2]

Dot .i.e , put a dot in the little circle.



Then Apply, OK.

Yes turn it off for the HDD.

When you save a windows image to a drive, it automatically creates shadow storage on that drive. When you make another image - it puts the older files into shadow storage. That is why it is there.

 

[traptw1thin]

so what does turning off system protection do? I just don't want to do something to mess up the computer "turning off system protection" just sounds bad, but it may just be poor language choice on windows part, so im wondering what it does, or what system protection i am disabling.

 

[SIW2]

It is just shadow copy storage.

Shadow storage on your own system/boot drive, e.g. C is used for system restore and previous versions.

On your HDD it is used exactly as described in my previous post.

A lot of people turn it off altogether on all drives because it takes up space.

The shadow storage area is just a volume carved out of an existing partition.

Think of it as another partition - your original partition is now 2 partitions.

You can't see the new one - it is hidden from view.

Windows can use that new hidden partition to store things.

When you made your system image, windows will have made a shadow storage area ( hidden partition , if you like ) on your external HD.

The next time you make a system image - it puts the old files into that hidden partition.

The system image you can actually see is the newest one.

[I have taken some liberties with technical accuracy to make that understandable]

 

[SIW2]

Windows system image is not very reliable, or flexible. It hasn't been all that popular, either.

 

[traptw1thin]

I went to turn off system protection and it was alread off for the HDD. It's on for the SSD I dont know if this matters. Also not sure if its pertinent but its an internal HDD not external.

 

[SIW2]

That's unusual if you just created a system image on that drive.

See if you can find it like this:

open an elevated command prompt and type:

vssadmin list shadowstorage

then press enter

You will get something like this:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\System32>vssadmin list shadowstorage
vssadmin 1.1 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
(C) Copyright 2001-2005 Microsoft Corp.

Shadow Copy Storage association
For volume: (D\\?\Volume{3f6d44d7-6def-11e1-a06b-806e6f6e6963}\
Shadow Copy Storage volume: (D\\?\Volume{3f6d44d7-6def-11e1-a06b-806e6f6e69
63}\
Used Shadow Copy Storage space: 0 B (0%)
Allocated Shadow Copy Storage space: 0 B (0%)
Maximum Shadow Copy Storage space: 320 MB (1%)

Shadow Copy Storage association
For volume: (G\\?\Volume{3f6d44d9-6def-11e1-a06b-806e6f6e6963}\
Shadow Copy Storage volume: (G\\?\Volume{3f6d44d9-6def-11e1-a06b-806e6f6e69
63}\
Used Shadow Copy Storage space: 27.375 MB (0%)
Allocated Shadow Copy Storage space: 320 MB (0%)
Maximum Shadow Copy Storage space: 1.05 GB (1%)

Shadow Copy Storage association
For volume: (I\\?\Volume{3f6d44db-6def-11e1-a06b-806e6f6e6963}\
Shadow Copy Storage volume: (I\\?\Volume{3f6d44db-6def-11e1-a06b-806e6f6e69
63}\
Used Shadow Copy Storage space: 389.75 MB (1%)
Allocated Shadow Copy Storage space: 673.016 MB (2%)
Maximum Shadow Copy Storage space: 3.847 GB (15%)

 

[traptw1thin]

how do i open an "elevated command prompt"?

 

[SIW2]

It will be under E for elevated in the Tutorials section .

Tutorials link is at the top of this page

Click Tutorials (at the top of this page)

In the window that opens , click windows7-tutorial index.

Click E

It is the fourth one down

 

[traptw1thin]

so am i right in thinking i need to be on the computer with the problem to do this?

 

[whs]

Another possibility is that the alignment on your SSD has been mucked up. Run these commands in elevated command prompt:

Diskpart
List disk
Select disk n
List partition

Then tell me what the offset is. It should be a number that you can divide by 4.

 

[traptw1thin]

ok so i did both things in elevated command prompt for SIW2: i got for my HDD

Used shadow copy storage space: 24.594 MB (0%)
Allocated Shadow Copy storage space: 2.93 GB (0%)
Maximum shadow copy storage space: 419.159 GB (15%)


for my SSD:

Used shadow copy storage space: 1.191 GB (2%)
Allocated Shadow Copy storage space: 1.503 GB (2%)
Maximum shadow copy storage space: 1.461 GB (2%)

What do i do with this information?



For whs: i got

Partition 1 offset: 1024 KB
Partition 2 offset: 101 MB <----not divisible by 4, i know so what does that mean?/how do i fix it?

BTW thanks so much for helping me, I'm just trying to get my first computer build to work and I know almost nothing.

 

[whs]

Your alignment is fine. No problems there. The 101MB is fine because that is 101.000KB which is divisible by 4. The divison is always at the KB level.

 

[SIW2]

You can try deleting it from your HD and see if that was causing the problem.

There is a tutorial on how to do that.

Shadow Copies - Delete