Why can't I do an image backup on second internal hard drive?

[mjf]

Yes, I've attempted to assist him storing on his other internal. My point is that if he has system files on that HDD he should know what they are then decide to move them or get rid of them. To repeat:
1) Find out exactly what is on F:
2) Disconnect F: to see if he is actually booting through F: by some chance (=not good)

I think it is possible that a partition on F: may "solve" the problem but the OP will never know the root cause of the problem.

 

[Gary]

You can use Windows inbuilt imaging (use "Create a system image" button) and store the image on any non system partition. This can be another internal HDD or even another partition on your OS drive. You do not need to use an external HDD. But clearly you need sufficient storage space (as you have) and no system files on the partition you are saving your image to. This is a fact.
You have not commented on the questions I asked in my previous post.

It will not perform an image backup on an internal drive. I had a full unused formatted 1TB drive and windows image said it could not find a drive to use. Win 7 Pro 64 Bit.

 

[Gary]

How to Create a System Image in Windows 7

Decide where you want to save the image. You can choose an external drive, burn to multiple DVD’s, or store it on a network location.

3-img

 

[ICIT2LOL]

I think this is easy to fix. Shrink the current partition on that drive and make a second partition and image to that.

Well I am with you my friend on that and also why I wondered what was in that drive via PW.

 

[mjf]

You can use Windows inbuilt imaging (use "Create a system image" button) and store the image on any non system partition. This can be another internal HDD or even another partition on your OS drive. You do not need to use an external HDD. But clearly you need sufficient storage space (as you have) and no system files on the partition you are saving your image to. This is a fact.
You have not commented on the questions I asked in my previous post.

It will not perform an image backup on an internal drive. I had a full unused formatted 1TB drive and windows image said it could not find a drive to use. Win 7 Pro 64 Bit.

I have done it many times on different drives, different partitions, different PCs. It is only correct to say that you could not, for whatever reason, in your situation.
I don't want to appear rude Gary but you are making a sweeping statement which is incorrect.

By the way the OP may have left.

 

[Gary]

Sorry but I was wrong.

 

[whs]

I suspect that the OP has something that belongs to the system on that drive. In that case the system would refuse to image to that drive/partition. That's why I suggested to create a second (empty) partition on the drive and image to that.

 

[Gary]

Well at least I learned something today.

 

[brother]

I wanted to be able to use the Windows 7 backup program but it still won't let me save a drive image to the F drive.
I did however manage to save an image using Acronis 2010 to the F drive. Looks like that's going to be my default backup program.
Thank you everyone for your help!

 

[dolan]

If anyone stumbles upon this while searching for a solution to this problem via Google like I did - check your system services (Start > Run > services.msc) for anything pointing to the disk you're trying to backup to.

I had exactly the same problem with Windows "Backup and Restore" tool not letting me backup my C: disk to a secondary HDD (D. After trying various things it turned out that the culprit was some "Futuremark SystemInfo service" from 3DMark which was installed on D:.

In fact, I had uninstalled it by that time, but the service still remained listed in the registry. I deleted it manually via regedit, and voila, backup starts working. This would also explain why OP couldn't backup to his drive even after formatting it. I bet it was some leftover system service still listed in the registry from whatever software that used to be installed on the HDD.

 

[Higgen]

Dolan, I registered to this forum solely that I could pass on my gratitude to you. There is no way I would have thought to check through services for one referencing a hard drive I had formatted. So, THANK YOU!