Questions regarding Windows 10 System Restores

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  1. Posts : 5
    Windows 10
       #1

    Questions regarding Windows 10 System Restores


    Hi all,

    After building my new computer and installing the OS/Programs last year I created a system restore point on another internal hard drive using the windows recovery tool (Settings -> Update & Security -> Recovery). I have a 500 gb Samsung SSD operating as the primary boot drive (C: )and the recovery image was saved to another internal IDE drive (E: ).

    Here we are a year later and I want to restore the primary drive to the image that is on the E: without having to deal with a full reformat and program installation. My initial attempt was to boot into recovery (shift + click on restart) and use the restore tool to load the recovery image. Come to find out that the restore tool not only did not detect the E: drive but also had seemingly no capability of allowing me to select the recovery image or any other drive. In fact, it didn't detect any restore points at all and only offered the ability to search a network or scan for drivers. I chalked that up to a loss.

    I thought that maybe if I dragged the recovery folder onto the desktop and repeated the above it would remedy the issue. It did not. After some googling I thought that maybe if I mounted the .vhdx file with Disk Manager and assigned it a drive letter that it would detect. It did not.

    I began looking for 3rd party software and after reading countless posts that claimed Acronis True Image was the solution to all problems, I purchased it. Upon running the program I have the option to clone drives and other things but nothing that seems to allow me to image the .vhdx and install its contents to my primary C: which means I may have wasted $30. That is to say, every time I run Acronis' clone feature and use the .vdhx as the source and C: as the target it reboots, begins the process then spits back an error pop up that says "one or more of your removable disks may not have started", asks if I want to wait and if I click 'yes' it does it again. Clicking 'no' ends the process and it boots back to desktop.

    All I want to do is use the windows recovery image that I created to do what it was intended to do: overwrite my C: and start over without having to re-do driver/program installation.

    After 3 hours and $30 wasted....can someone help me?
    Last edited by fifthmanstandin; 03 Oct 2016 at 12:30.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 31
    win 10 64bit Home
       #2

    Restore points have nothing to do with a drive image.vhdx file is an image created by windows.
    You can go back in time from within windows using the image.

    settings>Update&Security>Recovery>advanced Start-up

    Not running windows 10 ,then you need a system repair disk or win 10 install disk.Boot from one of those.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 5
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Kryten said:
    Restore points have nothing to do with a drive image.vhdx file is an image created by windows.
    You can go back in time from within windows using the image.

    settings>Update&Security>Recovery>advanced Start-up

    Not running windows 10 ,then you need a system repair disk or win 10 install disk.Boot from one of those.
    I'm aware that they're two different thing. My intended purpose for the image was to revert the drive back to the image instead of having to reformat and install drivers/programs. As is the recovery disk that I've already made does the same thing as shift+clicking restart and goes to the same recovery menus. I don't have restore points pre-most recent windows update and I am not pursuing a restore point avenue to solve my issue. Basically I have a system image in the form of the vhdx and I need to find a method to format the C: with the image.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 31
    win 10 64bit Home
       #4

    Thats how you do it.Worked for me multiple times.Dont know why it cant find the image on your hard drive.
    Is it a win 10 image? Why do you want to go back whole year?
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 5
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Well it doesn't detect the system image, my presumption is that it is because the image is stored on an internal drive that I use for storage.

    I want to go back an entire year because I built this system a year ago and upon completion and having installed driver and programs (Creative suite and host of other softwares that I don't particularly want to spend time reinstalling) and setting the UI like I wanted...I made this recovery image for the express purposes of being able to roll the comp back in the the event I had a virus or some other reason to roll it back. Far more efficient, in theory, than reformatting and spending the time re-doing everything. Except now, obviously, I've hit a hitch in the plan and am trying to find a way around it
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 31
    win 10 64bit Home
       #6

    AH ok.Ive restored images stored on my internal drive which i also use for storage.
    Maybe the image is corrupted? There have been reports that windows imaging is a bit flaky but i have never had any problems with it.Thats why some people prefer acronis.
    Dont think acronis can work with an image "created" by windows.

    Dont know, maybe someone else can suggest something else to try .
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 31,459
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       #7

    I've found the most reliable way to restore a system image created by Windows Backup & Restore is to boot from the recovery disk that it offers to make at the end of making the system image. In particular, you seem to need the recovery drive in the same type of OS (x86 or x64) as the image you are trying to restore, else it doesn't recognise the image as being valid.
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 15,441
    Windows10
       #8

    A far better tool to image backup pc and a firm favourite on this forum is Maxrium Reflect Free. Far superior and less confusing than the Windows image tool that MS have not developed since Windows 7.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 31
    win 10 64bit Home
       #9

    Is the WindowsImageBackup folder in the root of your internal E drive.
    Also try moving it to the root of an external USB HDD formatted by Win 10.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 5
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #10

    Yes the image is at the root of the E:. When it comes to making usb's mountable for Windows' various utilities, what's the proper process to make something like this recognizable when using one of these menus? I've had hit or miss success making things like windows reformat discs bootable via usb before.
      My Computer


 

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