System Image Recovery - Can't find System Image

Anonymous
2010-08-12T02:37:45+00:00

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!!!

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Recovery and backup

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Anonymous
2010-08-12T08:41:31+00:00

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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  1. Anonymous
    2018-04-06T20:00:54+00:00

    Thanks, very nice article!

    I'm still having this issue when all the 6 checks listed below are done.

    Any idea how this can be possible? I'm suspecting BIOS settings for my external hard drive now

    Checks i've done already:

    1. The change of folder name of system image "WindowsImageBackup" will cause windows cannot find a system image on this computer error. So, do not change the folder name.
    2. Putting the folder "WindowsImageBackup" into another folder will cause the error. It must be at the root (top level) of your external hard drive (it cannot be inside any sub-folders). If not, Windows won’t be able to find it. So, make sure the folder named "WindowsImageBackup" is still in the root of the external drive where it was originally created. Like H:\WindowsImageBackup
    3. The change of sub-folder name will cause the error. The next sub-folder must be exactly the Windows computer name that it had when you created the system restore. 
    4. Adding any other folders in the "WindowsImageBackup" folder except disk images of other computers will cause system image not to be found. So, make sure not add any other folder in the "WindowsImageBackup".
    5. If you have multiple system images on one USB drive and rename the mediaID file on any of the images, then all images alphabetically trailing the one with the renamed mediaID file will not be found. MediaId or MediaiD.bin is a file created as a result of your backup. If you move your backup files to any other location, make sure you copy mediaID.bin along with it. 
    6. If you put your system image in a USB flash drive, for some default reason, Windows could not recognize it. That means cannot do system image restore from USB drive. You can change USB flash drive to other available external hard drive.

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-04-04T21:07:06+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?

    Exit out of the Command Prompt window and go back to Troubleshoot and then click Restore System Image.

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  3. 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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  4. Anonymous
    2018-03-14T13:20:41+00:00

    If booting to re-image console from Backup and Restore in the Control panel or from Recovery disc, you need have following folder structure on your USB connected HDD ( Pendrives might not work at all):

    g:\WindowsImageBackup\Yourcomputersname\

    I.e. folders with the actual backup ( Backup yyyy-mm-dd xxxx, Catalog and SPPMetadataCache) need to be inside g:\WindowsImageBackup\Yourcomputersname\

    If you took backups of multiple computers on the same backup drive make sure :

    1. Your backup is located in WindowsImageBackup folder and
    2. Its name needs to be listed as first one in alphabetical order if there are other computers' backups in that folder.

    e.g.

    If your computer name is "AComputer" and if we have following backups of different computers in a g:\WindowsImageBackup\

    AComputer

    or

    AComputer

    BComputer

    XComputer

    and so on...

    Then it should work fine.

    However if your computer's name was  "BComputer", then it wouldn't work because it is second in an alphabetical order.

    P.S.

    my USB disk was listed under letter g: in the re-image console. ( you can verify this with the "load drivers" dialog) ( in fact you can even copy /paste/rename files and folders using this dialog)

    Hope that makes sense to you guys.( It doesn't make any sense to me however, it works.)

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