Microsoft backup programs, questions....

You are welcome. That's right, an upvote is agreement with the complaint/suggestion.

Now I'm thinking, you are happy with Backup & Restore, 

I was happy, with Backup and Restore, but it just failed me for the first time.  I was in a hurry, and clicked the wrong button.  No more did we boot.  "No problem", says I, "I've got backups."  I boot from the Recovery thumb drive I created with the computer, and attempted to restore the image.  No go, it can't restore to the drive!

Martincd is right, it has problems, I just never had a problem before.

 but just fear it will be deprecated.

AIUI, it is deprecated.  Well, if it is, when you go to use it, a warning should come up telling you it's no longer supported, before new users start to use it.

Same for File History.

Then, you'd want them/someone to replace it with something as good visually. Is that it? 

Visually would be secondary.  No software is valuable, regardless of how it looks, if it doesn't work.

Also, ask them whether it is true that it will indeed be deprecated a second time. It was removed already in Win 8, but everyone has it back again in Win 10. I've had it since Win 8.1.

I just looked at my 8.1 Pro install, no Backup and Recovery.  OK, maybe I have to had it with the Add Features function.  MS wants me to buy another product key just to add features.  ****?  I already paid for this copy, and MS wants me to buy it again just to add features?  I don't think so.

I guess this is the kind of stuff you get when companies have no real competition.  At least I don't have to do this with W10.

Just makes me appreciate my Mac even more.

(1) Going by the actual definition of "deprecated", maybe you & Martmcd are right...

"

(be deprecated)

(chiefly of a software feature) be usable but regarded as obsolete and best avoided, typically due to having been superseded.

"this feature is deprecated and will be removed in later versions" · "avoid the deprecated <blink> element that causes text to flash on and off"

"

But I still say it went in Win 8 & came back again in either Win 8.1 (where I had it) or in Win 10 (where everyone got it back). And it continues to make an image for me each time. Fine, sometimes it won't get a lock on the EFI partition, but trying again may get it to work. Otherwise, a reboot definitely gets it to start with no further problem. And I can mount the image afterward to see the files & even take the image to the brink of restoring it (then back off). Looks good to me.

And it worked great that one time I needed to restore an image. It was quicker than making the image (under 15 minutes usually). I did it from the internal recovery environment (Shift+Restart) which normally is a Recovery partition. It restored all the partitions except the Recovery partition itself which was in use. But you ran it from an external recovery environment (on Win 10 Installation media). That way, it should restore all the partitions.

(2) Was your Installation media of the same or greater version than the Windows that is installed (which I think is 20H2)? It is not good to use a version that is older. Make a new one here...

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Download Win 10 -- always the latest released version, currently 20H2

Match it to the Language & Architecture (x64/64-bit or x86/32-bit) of the computer on which it will be used. The Edition to take is Windows 10, which includes both Home & Pro.

(3) Did you ever move WindowsImageBackup off the HDD on which it was originally made? Can you move it back? The original drive has a shadow copy that may be necessary for it to restore properly. When I experimented with that, things just didn't look right in the requestors during a restore. But I always backed off & never restored one.

(4) Are you restoring the image to the same HDD from which it was made? Did you move/add partitions since making the image? (But I think that should really still work.)

(5) You said you had multiple computers.

(a) Are you restoring the image from one computer to another?

(b) Are the computers of the same architecture, either both 64-bit or both 32-bit?

(c) Are the computers of the same install type, either both UEFI or both Legacy?

But I still say it went in Win 8 & came back again in either Win 8.1 (where I had it) or in Win 10 (where everyone got it back). And it continues to make an image for me each time. Fine, sometimes it won't get a lock on the EFI partition, but trying again may get it to work. Otherwise, a reboot definitely gets it to start with no further problem. And I can mount the image afterward to see the files & even take the image to the brink of restoring it (then back off). Looks good to me.

It may have, I was never an 8.x user.  I wanted to see what it was like, so paid my $40 for a copy when it came out.  But never regularly used it.

But I still say it went in Win 8 & came back again in either Win 8.1 (where I had it) or in Win 10 (where everyone got it back). And it continues to make an image for me each time. Fine, sometimes it won't get a lock on the EFI partition, but trying again may get it to work. Otherwise, a reboot definitely gets it to start with no further problem. And I can mount the image afterward to see the files & even take the image to the brink of restoring it (then back off). Looks good to me.

Mounting an image like this would be interesting to learn,  but it doesn't meet one of the current goals, simple and easy to do for a newbie.  So that will have to wait.

(2) Was your Installation media of the same or greater version than the Windows that is installed (which I think is 20H2)? It is not good to use a version that is older. Make a new one here...

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Download Win 10 -- always the latest released version, currently 20H2

Match it to the Language & Architecture (x64/64-bit or x86/32-bit) of the computer on which it will be used. The Edition to take is Windows 10, which includes both Home & Pro.

Everything was 20H2, before and after, ditto on everything else you mentioned.

Avoidance of potential pitfall like that is why I have the 2 Windows mini computers.  Simply for testing whatever, and not for daily use.

(3) Did you ever move WindowsImageBackup off the HDD on which it was originally made? Can you move it back? The original drive has a shadow copy that may be necessary for it to restore properly. When I experimented with that, things just didn't look right in the requestors during a restore. But I always backed off & never restored one.e, either both 64-bit or both 32-bit?y?

No, but remember the  newbie and simple goals.  I try to replicate what a newbie would like be able to do,  and this is not one of those things.

(4) Are you restoring the image to the same HDD from which it was made? Did you move/add partitions since making the image? (But I think that should really still work.)

Yep.  Newbie and simplicity comments again.

(5) You said you had multiple computers.

(a) Are you restoring the image from one computer to another?

(b) Are the computers of the same architecture, either both 64-bit or both 32-bit?

(c) Are the computers of the same install type, either both UEFI or both Legacy?

No, no, and  no.

Might be a good idea  if you  go  back to my original post and reread it.  And stick to solutions that meet those goals.  :-)

(1) How important is that image to you? I'm out of preliminary ideas on what went wrong with restoring it & would have to go hunt for more

(2) "Mounting an image like this would be interesting to learn,  but it doesn't meet one of the current goals, simple and easy to do for a newbie.  So that will have to wait."

Well, if you need files off it, you can mount it on one of the other computers & copy the files to USB. Then, do a clean install on the computer that won't boot & copy the files back. It would be interesting just to see whether it will mount. It would probably mean the image is good, & something else is preventing it from restoring.

(a) Plug in the external drive that holds the image into a good Windows computer.

(b) Open the WindowsImageBackup folder.

(c) Open the computername folder that is inside that.

(d) Open the Backup folder (which has a date as part of its name).

(e) Right-click the largest .vhdx file in the Backup folder, & select "Mount".

It might now get a letter (say E) & open automatically in a 2nd instance of File Explorer with the 1st instance still open behind it. Plug in a USB flash drive, & copy your files from the mounted image to it. The files you want are likely in the folders at "E:\ Users&lt;your username>". When done, right-click the E: drive in File Explorer, & select "Eject".

But, if you get this (or a similar) error message...

(f) Click OK on the message.

(g) Right-click START, & select "Disk Management".

(h) You will see the name C: had on the other computer, but it won't have a letter.

     Right-click it, & select "Change drive letter & paths", & give it a letter.

     Now you may copy files off it onto a USB flash drive. When done, Eject it.

(3)

(a) Well, what is the error message you get when you try to boot that rotten computer?

(b) Did you try "Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Repair"?

(c) Actually, we may be able to access its files at a Command Prompt in the recovery environment.

Since I can't copy and paste the quote below for editing, I'll be doing my replies a bit differently.

(1) How important is that image to you? I'm out of preliminary ideas on what went wrong with restoring it & would have to go hunt for more

It's not important at all!  LOL  That's why my two mini computers are "test" machines.  Having to start all over because things fail miserably has always been an acknowledged  possibilty.

(2) "Mounting an image like this would be interesting to learn,  but it doesn't meet one of the current goals, simple and easy to do for a newbie.  So that will have to wait."

Thanks for tine information.  I've clipped your instructions for this reply, but I did print just the instructions from your message for later experimentation.

(3)

(a) Well, what is the error message you get when you try to boot that rotten computer?

(b) Did you try "Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Repair"?

(c) Actually, we may be able to access its files at a Command Prompt in the recovery environment.

No operating system found.

And it's just getting worse!  LOL  With this last OS install, I created a Recovery flash drive no system files from the control panel.  Attempted to boot from it.  Message?  "No operating system found".  Plugged the flash drive into a different computer.  No problem, booted fine. 

Tried to create a Recover flash drive using the latest install.  Wouldn't create the drive.

Mind you, both flash drives worked fine before this last clean install of 20H2.

Who wants to have to deal with things like this?  No me.  LOL  So thank you very much, at this point I'll stick with my Mac.  <G>