I cannot restore any system image which was created in Windows 10 v1709 using Backup and Restore.

Hi Travis,

For us to isolate and provide you an accurate resolution regarding your concern with 1709, we would like to know the following:

• What is the exact issue are you experiencing with 1709?
• Are you getting any error messages? If yes, what is the exact error message?
• To make sure that we have not missed on anything, what troubleshooting steps have you done so far?

We look forward to your response.

There are many reports about the windows 10 1709 Image Restore  to a new disk bug.

Perhaps not many when you posted your reply.

The error 0x80042302 happens on EFI systems on restore when the reformat and recreate partitions is checked.

The restore only works if you don't need to reformat the drive

The restore fails to recreate and reformat the 4 partitions required on the EFI systems.

This is an example of the 4 partitions created during installation on a 512GB SSD drive:

DISKPART> list partition

Partition ###  Type              Size     Offset

  -------------  ----------------  -------  -------

  Partition 1    Recovery           499 MB  1024 KB

  Partition 2    System             100 MB   500 MB

  Partition 3    Reserved            16 MB   600 MB

  Partition 4    Primary            476 GB    616 MB

The restore program should recreate the same partition from the image, but it fails with the error 0x80042302, it looks like the problem is with the EFI partition that looks 4MB shorter in the vhdx file. The issue could be also on the 16MB Reserved GPT partition since there is no vhdx file for that reserved partition, only for the other 3.

This is a bug very easy to recreate, not sure why Microsoft doesn't have a fix yet.

Perhaps nobody is working on it ?

You need to escalate this basic bug !

For the record, 'deprecated' means no longer being developed, which is why Microsoft recommends using a third-party solution.

I can't believe this thread is still going on, and with such convoluted 'solutions' being offered, when Macrium Reflect is rock-solid reliable and virtually effortless once you've learned how to use it. And Reflect isn't the only worthy third-party image solution. Moreover, third-party solutions can do things that System Image Builder can only dream of.

Maybe some of you folks enjoy making an engineering paper out of this. Me, I'm busy making and occasioinally restoring backups. Yes, restoring ... because every now and then one of the Bulldog's computer experiments has a rough landing.

Macrium worked for me too, but as most third party solutions, it requires a different bootable recovery media for each PC because the winPE bootable media they create is customized with drivers for the specific machine and it will not work on a different one.

With the same windows 10 installation media I could handle pretty much every machine I needed to recover and there is no need to create a separate bootable media.

The MS image restore just has a stupid bug when it needs to reformat the disk for a UEFI machine, Microsoft guys just need to fix what they broke.

Two things:

1. Deprecated does not mean removed. 
2. In my case, I was able to create the system image from 1709 but not restore.

The long-winded answers are pointless. Yes, MS recommends using a third party tool so that at some point in the future when the status goes from deprecated to removed users won't be left high and dry, but the tool  they provide to do the job currently  creates backups just fine. It fails to restore. Period. That's broken. Not deprecated.

I agree, it is broken!

It works fine with the old Legacy machines.

It also works on a UEFI machines as long as you don't need to reformat the disk.

If you try a restore to a different disk it needs to recreate the partitions and reformat, that is the phase when it fails.

Using third party programs is not a solution as suggested by some in this thread.

Microsoft needs to fix the bug.

Another problem with third party programs is that you need to create a bootable disk or USB stick for every PC, because they just setup the drivers for the PC where you create the bootable media.

The windows installation media works pretty much on every PC unless you need some new driver that is not yet included.

I surely don't want to keep a separate bootable recovery media for every different PC I have to deal with :(

I think I figured out the fullpathofvhdxindoublequotes  , but there is more than one .vhdx files in the image backup folder, I figured it was the biggest one.

Also on the step to Format C:   perhaps /Q  would save some time ? or do I need to clean up the disk ?I'm now waiting for the disk to complete the format and then do the last step...

I finally got to last step and my image has been restored on the new disk (SSD)

Your procedure worked for me.

One note on Step 6 the external drive letter may be different when I just installed windows It showed as J: and when I restarted in recovery mode it showed as E:

I think a check is needed to verify where the CapturedWIM is.

Thanks for the workaround procedure.

Now Microsoft still needs to fix the Restore Image program.

Third party utilities are just another risky bet.

Microsoft has broken a critical safety safety feature relied upon by millions of non-technical users.  Users who do not have any exposure to or understanding of the official 'notice' and don't know what 'deprecated' means. 

The unconscionable and criminal element is that the backup has not been disabled, just the restore.  Users will not find out about it until their data has been permanently and unrecoverably lost, with unlimited potential for material damages. 

This is exactly like taking your car in for an oil change under warranty to the dealership, during which the seatbelt anchors are secretly replaced with 1# breakaway tabs.  There is some fine print on the website saying the seatbelts have been 'deprecated' and a 3rd party restraint system should be installed.

I am shocked the Microsoft legal department hasn't stepped in and demanded that an emergency patch be issued for Windows backup.  At very least the backup feature should be riddled with pop-up warnings stating that the restore may not work post-1709.  This is the most egregious example of gross negligence I have ever seen in software (30 years in the business).  I know that EULAs are ironclad and could teach the dukes of hell a lesson, but this is so bad I doubt a well-informed jury would give Microsoft a pass.

Seriously, Microsoft:  this is not only wrong and bad for business, this is going to cost you in court.  Warn people or disable the backup feature post 1709 NOW.

I am totally in agreement. Vast majority of computer users are not technical or computer literate  enough to be able to troubleshoot why a feature is failing. 

But as Allen Hall mentioned, Who would go to court to sue MS because a Windows Feature was disabled without proper notification. Unless as mentioned, as a Class Action suit, that can show millions of dollars of damaged due to the fact users weren't able to restore their System Image.