System Image Recovery - Can't find System Image

Anonymous

I am trying to restore a backup system image to my repaired PC. It is wiped clean. I have the "Repair Disc Windows 7 64 Bit" that I created in Windows 7. Using Windows 7 Backup I have a system image backup on an external WD Essentiasl 1TB USB Hard Drive.

I insert the Repair Disc and start the system. Get to System Recoevery Options. I have the external Hard Disk with the system backup image connected. Select System Image Recovery option. Says "Windows cannot find a system image on this computer. Attach the backup hard disk or insert the final DVD from a bckup set and click retry. Alternatively, close this dialog for more options. Retry gives me the same message. Tried starting with drive attached, not attached, same result. Click cancel.

Next option selected is "Select a system image." No system image listed. Hit refresh, still nothing. Top of screen says "Click Advanced to add a network location or install a driver for a backup device if it does not show up in the list below." I click on the Advanced tab. Option to "Search for a system image on the network" or "Install a driver." I select install a driver. Find the right driver for the WD Essential hard drive (disk.sys and partmgr.sys) and when I click on them I get "The specified location does not contain information about your hardware." Click OK. Can't find how to load these drivers I am being asked for.

Funny thing is that on the screen where I search for driver I can see the WD Essential Hard Drive connected to the system. I can also see the system image files but when I click on them I get the same error message, "The specified location does not contain information about your hardware."

Please HELP. This is very frustrating!!!

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

While in Repair Mode, you have an option to open a Command Prompt. From there try the following commands:

Mountvol

(This command will show you all available drives, including your external disk)

dir Q:

(Replace Q: with one drive letter at a time from the letters that the mountvol command showed you, e.g.

dir D:

dir E:

etc.

until you see a folder "WindowsImageBackup" on the screen. Let's assume it is F:\WindowsImageBackup.

dir F:\WindowsImageBackup /s

(This command should show you the contents of the image folder, with files totalling more than 10 GBytes)

Now perhaps this image folder is missing, incomplete or inaccessible.

I have to add that I am disappointed with the native imaging facility under Windows 7. It is temperamental and its functionality is extremely limited. I recently bought myself a copy of Acronis TrueImage 10 and its is to the Windows imaging tool like a fully functional motor cycle is to a child's tricycle. Other brand imaging tools are just as functional - just make sure that they are certified for Windows 7.

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95 additional answers

Anonymous

2018-04-04T18:01:39+00:00

This explains how to find the back up image in DOS but what do I do when I find it? Is there a command that starts the mounting process?

I'm struggling with the same question. Did you get an answer? What is the specific command that executes the system image restore? Thanks.
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Anonymous

2018-03-03T02:35:31+00:00

This explains how to find the back up image in DOS but what do I do when I find it? Is there a command that starts the mounting process?
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Anonymous

2018-01-25T10:14:30+00:00

I tried again and it worked this time!!!!!!

It wasn't able to get the setup information from the cd; but it found it in my removable drive. I got scared the last time and unplugged it when it said it was going to format all my drives. This time I noticed when it said, Don't worry about the drive it's getting the information from because it won't format that one. So, I left it plugged in. ha!

Thank you all for encouraging me!!! I am the happiest person ever! Now for the updates. Hallelujah!
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Anonymous

2018-01-25T01:23:31+00:00

I've changed my boot order back and forth until I gave up. My laptop can't find the set up information on either one, cd or usb.

Now I'm letting it take information off my removable backup drive. Everything I need is on that drive. If it screws up, it will be very, very bad for me.

This is what I'm letting it do now. I'm pretty sure I let it go through all this before. After running through this for hours, it said it wasn't able to restore my pc. Maybe it will work this time?
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