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

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Hello fg2001

Thanks for all your help which I'm sure others will find useful.

Before I looked this forum, I contacted the PC manufacturers' or assemblers and this was their response

"The Windows 7 ‘System Image’ is still a part of Windows 10 but whether it works or not is debatable.

I would argue that any form of System Image is not a reliable backup method. Even back in Windows 7 it was an unreliable technique in my experience.

A clean install and then re-installing the software from the website of the creator is the best way. A reinstall of a piece of software should take no more than 10 minutes realistically, with most taking less than 30 seconds on modern hardware."

They also knew nothing about products like Acronis etc. They've never been helpful. Reinstalling several hundred applications from scratch is going to be a long job. They did the last Win 10 repair which apart from the cost, took a week to do plus two days travelling on my part.

Best wishes

fg2001

Thanks for your patience with this -  I think I've nearly got it

Just to clarify

The existing system HDD is indeed Disk 0 named C:

The WD Enterprise that will replace it is Disk 1 and named Z:

The WD Black that will hold the SIB is Disk 2 and named J:

I will create the USB recovery disk after the backup

The system image is on Disk 2 J:

I remove the duff original HDD named C: and replace it in the same physical SATA port with the new Enterprise currently named Z:

I boot up from the USB stick and choose the SIB on J:

I assume now that Z: becomes C: with the system on it

The spare drive named J: will stay where it is and be used for future SIBs

I will keep the USB stick for future repairs

You mention 16299.125 which I presume is the last build that SIB worked with until the very latest build fixed the problem

I apologise for my wariness on this as I don't have anything to practice on - I hope that it doesn't happen

Thanks again

Thanks for clarifying fg2001

This is the scenario - existing primary HDD crashes.

So if I understand it now, I need something like a USB stick with recovery medium created from the old Win 7 backup and restore.

I also need something like an internal HDD or DVDs with the system image on it.

I also need the new replacement HDD.

As luck has it, I have a second new HDD (WD Black 500-Gb) connected to the MB SATA.

I put the system image onto the WD Black

When disaster strikes, I boot up from the USB stick

Presumably I get an option to choose the location and date of the SIB (on the WD Black)

I then get an option of where to restore the image to (WD Enterprise)

All being well, next time I boot up (assuming the boot order has been set) the PC will reboot from the WD Enterprise which is now the primary drive.

Tigger11,

The windows 7 reference is just a confusing name, this is a SIB for windows 10.

 The recovery medium can simply be the Windows 10 installation DVD or on a USB stick at build level 16299.125 that you can download directly from Microsoft, or you could use a recovery disk created after you completed your backup.

I assume your primary HDD is on Sata port 0 and it is disk C: and the second internal HDD is on Sata port 1 and it is disk D:.

So using the function on file history you created a good Windows Image Backup and saved it on your D: disk.

Now your primary disk fails and you replace it with a new one on Sata port 0.

Boot from the DVD or USB recovery disk and go to " Repair your computer " - Troubleshhot -System Image Recovery - Windows 10, then it will show you which image you have available to restore (Usually the latest or you can select which one you want)  proceding from there it will format your new  C: drive and restore the image on it.

After the restore is complete it will reboot your freshly restored system.