Solved Windows 7 System Image not finding image files

[SIW2]

Can your PE disc project restore an image created with the built in Windows imaging program?

Yes.

If it can, what steps do you take after booting with the PE disc?

I click the MsImageRestore icon under start menu\program files

 

[Barnstormer]

Does the build you create change the system it is being built on ie. registry etc?

Also, I don't know if you already have this or would be willing to do it but in my case I do not know about a lot of the tools available on your PE disc. If more of the same info above on how to use the items on the PE disc was available it would definitely help promote the project.

Thanks for taking the time to create it. I will be building the PE disc after I get this thumping 4TB Gold drive replaced

 

[SIW2]

1.

Does the build you create change the system it is being built on ie. registry etc?

No.

2. It includes the exact same MS recovery tools already present in winre ( startup repair, system restore, system image recovery ).

It also includes windows explorer, windows disk management, windows device manager, windows service manager.

It supports usb 3.0 and includes most nic drivers.

I assume people know how to use those standard windows functions.

3. It offers to download and include qtweb ( small web browser) and the well known file recovery program Recuva, and ESET free offline av scanner. It checks if you have installed any of the popular partition managers/ disk imaging programs and if found, it includes those also.

I assume people know how to use their own installed software.

4. There are a couple of small programs included you may not have come across - a gui for dism, and an nt6 repair tool ( basically a boot repair tool ). They should be self explanatory.

 

[joethejet]

So, am I completely hosed if I touched a directory? Is there NO way to get it to see the image files that are obviously there?

 

[SIW2]

You can mount the vhd file and copy out anything you want.

So, am I completely hosed if I touched a directory? Is there NO way to get it to see the image files that are obviously there?

 

[joethejet]

So, yeah, the hard drive is still fine, I just cannot boot. I don't have problem getting to files, I just want to be able to reinstall the image so that the OS will run again. It's hosed.

 

[SIW2]

1.Where is the image

2.Why do you think you can't get to it?

 

[joethejet]

The image is on a NAS and when I point the restore at it, it doesn't find the image.



From what I read here, because I renamed a directory.


So, in the mean time, in a Christmas miracle, the computer actually booted and I made another image (I haven't tested it yet however) I'm thinking that maybe I have a bad disk, but the disk(s) is Raid 1 so I'm a little confused at how I have a bad file when I would expect that the Raid would take care of that.



I know it's a little off topic, but should I replace the hard drive and then take the image on the NAS and install it on the new disk. Will that work?

 

[Bree]

So, am I completely hosed if I touched a directory? Is there NO way to get it to see the image files that are obviously there?

The built in Windows system imaging is temperamental, there appears to be no rhyme or reason as to why sometimes it cannot see an image that could be restored.

It doesn't make any sense, but I have occasionally found that an 'invisible' image can be made visible again by renaming the WindowsImageBackup folder to WindowsImageBackup.old, creating a new WindowsImageBackupfolder, then copying the image folder from the old one to the new one. If you have renamed the sub folder, change its name back to the name of the PC.


I use Macrium Reflect Free these days, far more reliable.

 

[joethejet]

Oh OK, thanks for the recommendation, I will check that out.