Restoring System Image W7

[doncarlos]

Perhaps I am missing something and if you have the opprotunity can explain the process and what I am trying to do.

My question: How do I do a restoration of my system image?

1) I made a system image and backup on my external drive a couple days ago.

2) I needed to do a complete install of W7 on a new HD, so I installed W7 using the factory CD install.

3) So after W7 was reinstalled, I went to my external thinking I could just grap the image off the external and install it over the W7, I wanted the image becase it had all my settings, desktop and updates, etc...that is not found just on the file backup. But not as easy as I thought.

4) Went through a restore of the image process that took me to a reboot of W7 and at one point it asked me to make a back up cd and it ended.

What am I doing wrong? Is it necessary to do a cd backup? I wonder could I just use the factory install disk and do a repair or recovery through that and be able to choose the image that is on my external?

Perhaps I have made this too complicated, so any comments you have is appreciated (I am kind of new at this using Windows....in my Mac I would simply go to an external image and restore it).

Help

Thanks

 

[robdsgb]

have you tried restoring the image from the external hardrive without doing a clean install, it work for me when i went from 250gb to 500gb on my laptop.I almost forgot you will need to use the repair dics to use this method.

 

[doncarlos]

Thanks for such an immediate reply.

Well I had already done the clean install.

I guess I will just use the install disc and see where that leads me.....I am thinking it will give me a repair option and I can go through that to restore the image that is on my external drive.

Or I can just bite the bullet and load all the back up files, and redo the updates and programs that didn't transfer over.

I will wait for any other comments and then try that.

Thanks again

 

[robdsgb]

i do believe the win7 disc has the repair utility in it, i created a repair dics when i made my own recover image on my harddrive via partition. you might want to create a repair disc once your back up and running.

 

[doncarlos]

Alright

Got it done. Yay !!!

Used the install disk, used repair, and restored the saved imge that was on my external image. Now my desktop, programs and all files are back as they were before.

Thanks again for your responses. It helped to clarify that the repair route was the way t go.

 

[techkisses]

Hi. Does this work for "BOOTMGR image is corrupt. The system cannot boot". Im having problems with my laptop, dell inspiron mini 1012, a windows 7

 

[TrainableMan]

If you have a system image then you do not need to reinstall first. The system image restore should completely recreate.

Techkisses, do you actually have a system image backed up to another location (external HD, online storage, a second internal HD)? If so then yes you should be able to completely recover.

 

[cma6]

System Recovery Console (hidden partition on HD).

i do believe the win7 disc has the repair utility in it, i created a repair dics when i made my own recover image on my harddrive via partition. you might want to create a repair disc once your back up and running.

When Rob and DonCarlos refer to the "repair utility", do you both mean the "System Recovery Console, which can be either a hidden partition on the HD or else a separately created CD?

 

[TrainableMan]

cma6, If you go to Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Backup and Restore there is a Create a system repair disc option on the left side. Once you create that disc it is actually bootable so you can actually set your BIOS to boot to DVD first and then it will boot and you have the option to repair system files.

 

[cma6]

Thanks for the informative reply. My intention was to create a hidden partition for the System Recovery Console during Windows 7 installation on a new system.
My concern was about the reliability of restoring the system image if necessary from the Console (or bootable CD).

 

[TrainableMan]

I'm only aware of hidden systems coming from the factory and would never consider creating one on my own. In your other thread you mention an external USB HD and that is what I am familiar with setting up for system image/restore.

There is some info HERE but it requires a paid product called Norton Ghost. Also there is no date on that page so I have no idea if it is compatible with Windows 7.

 

[cma6]

Perhaps I didn't phrase my question carefully enough. I have Win 7 on a current system. I created a Restore CD = System Recovery Console. I did not install Win 7 originally. However, it is my understanding that in the Win 7 installation process, one can choose to Install the System Recovery Console as a hidden partition on the main HD.
This has nothing to do with an external HD for backups and System Images.

 

[TrainableMan]

The System Recovery Console was hidden away since Vista. Restore CD <> System Recovery Console; there are major differences and/or advances. There is very little need for the System Recovery Console because of the more automated options and there is no need for you to implicitly create a hidden partition on W7 install, the option is already there. If you still need the System Recovery Console then see HERE.

 

[davehc]

Techkisses.
"Hi. Does this work for "BOOTMGR image is corrupt. The system cannot boot". Im having problems with my laptop, dell inspiron mini 1012, a windows 7 "
If you have the original DVD, you can run it up to the window which shows the repair option. Choose "repair startup". and follow the prompts. You may need to do it a couple of times, as it sometimes does a partial repair and considers it "done".

 

[cma6]

What seems contradictory is the following:

"So can you get the Recovery Console back in Windows 7?
The good news is that it was never missing, it was just very very well hidden. You can access it through the Control Panel applet in the system recovery options.

You can access this in three ways…

1) Through the boot menu by pressing the F8 key on your keyboard after the BIOS screen disappears but before the Starting Windows logo appears. Select Repair Your Computer from the menu that appears.
2) From a System Repair Disc. You will need to tell Windows to restore from a backup and then cancel that to see these options.
3) From the Windows 7 install DVD. Click Repair Your Computer at the Install screen."

None of the 3 ways listed is the "Control Panel applet".

Are there 4 ways to access the Recovery Console?


The System Recovery Console was hidden away since Vista. Restore CD <> System Recovery Console.
I thought that the Restore CD was identical to the System Recovery Console in the hidden partition.
What is the difference?

From p. 24 of "Windows 7 Tweaks".
"There are 2 ways to access System Recovery Console: the hidden recovery partition set up when Windows 7 was installed. This is done by pressing F8 right after POST is complete, providing a special boot menu that gives the option to repair your computer...After you select Repair, the System Recovery Console is loaded.l...If Windows 7 was installed without creating the hidden partition, then you will need to access the System Recovery Console with the System Recovery Console Boot CD."

So this book contradicts the ghacks.com article, but maybe not. When ghacks.com lists option 1) above, he may have forgotten to add that it works only if you have installed the hidden recovery partition on Windows 7 Install.

On my Win 7 x64 Pro system, I found deeply buried in the Control Applet, the following: Control Panel > Recovery > Advanced Recovery Methods > User File Backup > Restart.
I did not dare test that option, but hopefully if I needed it, Restart would find the System Recovery Image on my external F: drive.
What seems to support your view that one does not need to install the hidden recovery partition is that I booted up using F8 and found the Repair option at the top of the Advanced Boot Option Menu.
Again, I did not dare click "Repair" as I actually have a System Image stored on an attached external drive. I wonder if there is a safe way to test if Windows can find the System Image and then cancel out of the restore?
So perhaps "Windows 7 Tweaks" is incorrect. Or else the hidden recover partition is something different than the Repair option at the top of the Advanced Boot Options screen I saw. (The hidden recovery partition was not installed on my system.) It is all very confusing.

 

[TrainableMan]

Restore CD <> System Recovery Console

I'm saying that what was called the System Recovery Console in XP is now just so hidden away that most users will never see it; that the Restore CD is a much more user friendly and higher level application and should no longer be referred to as the System Recovery Console. You can apparently still get down to the System Recovery Console but it is only a minor portion of the Restore CD.

Personally, I much prefer tucking away a CD to having a hidden partition and wasting that space on a daily basis for something I may need once in 3 years. So rather than give you incorrect speculation I will bow out now, perhaps others will come along with more thoughts/knowledge on this subject.

 

[cma6]

TrainableMan, you did a fantastic job on this issue. I was able to create the Recovery Disk and boot up into it and then select my System Image on the attached external HD. (I had to unplug and plug back in the USB connection to the system and then click Refresh in the "Re-image your computer" dialog.)
Naturally, I did not actually do a Re-image but now I'm convinced that this recovery method is totally viable.
I also agree with you 100%: there is no reason to create a hidden recovery partition on a new Win 7 install.