Question About Create System Image

BarryAllen · 28 Jan 2018

If you create a system image using Create System Image in Backup and Restore and save it to an internal hard drive in an enclosure connected via usb, can you just use that as a replacement hard drive and just replace your current hard drive and use the one the System Image is on instead? Like after the system image is finished being made to the internal hard drive in the enclosure, just put the hard drive from the enclosure into the desktop and make that the new hard drive to boot from?

Question About Create System Image-srd.png

Try3 · 28 Jan 2018

No, you have to restore the image to the drive you want to use it on.

[Edited on 30th Jan 18 to avoid duplication]

I have posted procedures for restoring a Windows 10 system image in this forum thread - H ow to restore system image backup I included a link to the illustrated Win8 procedure mentioned by Brink [below].
Page 1 - restore a system image using the onboard facility
page 2 - restore a system image by booting from an installation disk, 'system repair disk' or Windows 10 'recovery drive'.

Denis

BarryAllen · 28 Jan 2018

Ok. I have another empty internal drive that I will restore the image onto. I will be putting the empty drive in my desktop and use my Win10 recovery usb to select to restore the image from System Image hard drive in external enclosure connected via usb onto blank internal hard drive . Is that correct?

Try3 · 28 Jan 2018

Barry,

Yes, that sounds correct.
- The new disk must be at least as big as the original one form which the image was made [space used is not the criteria, disk size is what matters].
- The new disk must be fitted in the same place as the old one so all the various hardware location references in the image remain correct. [This only makes any difference for computers with more than one disk]

The last time I did what you are doing [replacing a disk], I mounted the new disk in an external enclosure first to check that it was formatted already but I do not think that was essential.

Denis