Restore Windows From Data Backup?


  1. Posts : 2
    Windows 10 and Arch Linux
       #1

    Restore Windows From Data Backup?


    So I managed to break my partition table, but I was able to recover my entire C: drive and copy every file and folder to an external drive. My question now becomes, is there anyway to, when I reinstall Windows, to restore from that backup (since it's just a data backup of files and folders, not a system image)? Would booting into linux (so that partition isn't in use by Windows) and simply copy-past-overwriting the old files effectively give me my system back?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #2

    If you were able to recover the entire C: drive and copy all the files from it - why weren't you able to just boot back to it?

    Copying the files back might restore it - but if the C: drive is still intact it would be much easier/greater chance of success to create a Macrium Reflect Free rescue disc, boot the computer from that, and either attempt to fix the boot files with the utility to fix startup errors - or to actually image the C: drive to the external drive (the image will save as one file). Then after you re-install Windows, go back and restore the image using Macrium Reflect Free.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 2
    Windows 10 and Arch Linux
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Pretty sure I wasn't able to just boot back to it since the bootmanager was corrupted along with the partition table.
    But that actually worked perfectly, thanks for your help!
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 3,506
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit 21H1 (May 2021 build 19043.1083)
       #4

    Yes, if you backup and restore everything, all you need is to repair startup to make it bootable. Then probably you have to reactivate Windows and that's it.
      My Computer


 

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