System image restore failed

Anonymous
2011-02-22T18:58:50+00:00

Hi, I have a system with a C:drive (a SSD drive that Windows runs on) a E drive (ordinary hard drive) an external drive used for backups and a CD/DVD drive.  The C drive died.  My computer supplier (it's less than a year old) told me to extract the drive, I sent it to them, and after a long wait received a replacement.  That's now installed and running.  I have Windows on it anc can access the files on my other drive.  But I cannot get the system image from my external backup to copy back across.  I keep getting "The system image restore failed.  Error details: The disk that is set as active in Bios is too small to recover the original system disk.  Replace the disk with a larger one and retry the restore operation (Ox80042407).  But the replacement disk is the same as my original which died.  It also wants to reformat my E drive, which is rather worrying, as there was no problem with that.  This is after having followed its previous instruction to boot from the Windows Install disk.  Desperate for help.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Recovery and backup

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-03-10T03:21:06+00:00

    I'm thinking that one or more of the .VHD files contained inside the WindowsImageBackup folder may be corrupt. One basic test would be to use 'Disk Mangement' to mount each of the .VHD files (as virtual disks) and see if you can browse the contents using Windows Explorer. The System,Reserved .vhd file would be the first one to mount. Set Windows Explorer to view hidden files and folders or you may see an empty drive.

    Sorry for the delay in replying but the site is not responding again.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-03-10T08:53:06+00:00

    OK please talk me through how to do that.

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-03-10T13:53:39+00:00

    You can use the basics of the article posted below. Don't extract anything, just see if you can mount/attach and view the contents of each VHD file. A drive letter may or may not be assigned, if it not assign a letter. Son't forget the the show hidden files and folders option may need to be set for each drive (.vhd) you attach. The end of the article shows you how to unattach/unmount a Virtual Hard Disk.

    http://www.pagestart.com/win7bckprstvhd10131001.html

    J W Stuart: http://www.pagestart.com

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  4. Anonymous
    2011-03-10T17:32:11+00:00

    Hi they look to be in order, though the system reserved one is empty.  In any case I now need to give up on this I think.  My hard disk failed 6th Feb, and it's now taken over a week trying and failing to do the system image recovery.  I need to start rebuilding my programs and settings manually, and will have to accept what I may loose (like my mailbase).

    Thank you so very much for all the efforts you've made on my behalf.  Will you stay with me to help with the clearing up?  The following issues have occurred as a result of the things we've tried:

    1. There's a load of unallocated space at the start of the E drive (I think I just slide that back with partition manager)
    2. At boot up there I have to choose from 2 versions of Windows 7.  The first goes to a copy which claims it is "not genuine" (it is).  The second goes to "Windows failed to start... insert your installation disk... repair my computer"  I can probably find out on-line how to fix the "not genuine" issue, but I don't know how to remove the failing version cleanly.
    3. My F drive (the external one) is now labelled G.  Disk management is picking up the remaining System reserved partition as F.  (I've unmounted the 3 vhd virtual ones).  I'd like to have it back to F

    And then I'll start the restoration of programs and files.

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  5. Anonymous
    2011-03-10T18:20:08+00:00

    Actually I seemed to have resolved issues 1 and 3 now (via partition manager and disk management respectively). Would like your thoughts on issue 2.

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