usb flash drive not a valid backup location for system image

Anonymous
2013-08-14T13:07:06+00:00

OK, Microsoft continuing to confuse me and others it would seem.

Tried to make system image to USB flash drive in Windows 8 and Yes it would not work. It States " the drive is not a valid backup location ".

Yes its formatted to NTFS. and I have read various sites where it gives instructions how and ive read sites and Microsoft who seem to have conflicting statements.

Please can someone HELP all I want to do is go to windows 7 file recovery in windows 8 - press make system image - select usb drive and sit back.

Windows for home | Other | Recovery and backup

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

105 answers

Sort by: Oldest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2016-10-06T18:46:19+00:00

    TLDR: Using Brion's method to save the system image directly onto a usb flash drive - works.

    It is the most elegant solution provided thus far.

    Q: How do we now use the usb, to restore the clean image?  

    (E.g machine got infected with malware, or harddrive had failed and was replaced).

    Many thanks,

    Kojac Singh

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2016-11-16T01:03:07+00:00

    Ok /Claus, done a lengthy but useless backup that cannot be restored. Just a system backup that the windows does not find or recognise even if you give the correct path. I am gonna reformat the drive again after all as the image is of no use when it comes to restoring it unless you can tell us how which is appreciated very much. ta

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2016-11-16T01:10:48+00:00

    Yeah Brion Bell it works so far as creating system image, done a lengthy but useless backup that cannot be used to restore. I just tested it to see the fruits of my hard work waiting for backup sys image being created but Just a system backup that the windows does not find or recognise when you try to restore even if you give the correct path. I am gonna reformat the drive again after all as the image is of no use when it comes to restoring it unless you or someone can tell us how to restore from it and have they successfully done it? which is appreciated very much. ta

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2016-11-23T19:18:23+00:00

    Thanks. That worked. Hopefully the recovery process also works. Can't understand why Microsoft makes this so difficult, now flash drives are so huge.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  5. Anonymous
    2016-12-09T18:26:41+00:00

    Hi,

    Thanks for the updates.

    Have you successfully saved a System Image to the USB drive?

    In the link, these steps are mentioned. I have customized them for your issue.

    **a.**Create a folder in the USB drive named Refreshimage.

    **b.**Press Windows key + X on the desktop and select Command Prompt (Admin).

    **c.**Type recimg -CreateImage <USB drive>:\ Refreshimage and press Enter.

    Please get back to us with the status of the issue.

    When I attempted the command Prompt instructions suggested, an error occurred in Windows 10, "recimg is not a recognized command"

    oldernrocks

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments