Create System Image in Windows 10

ddelo · 08 May 2017

Hi Shawn,
Thanks a lot for the quick (as always!!!) reply.

That was my first impression too, but I thought I would give it a try, by asking the question! :)

BTW what do you mean by "unless all related files on the drive are also moved to the new drive". Which are these files?

I don't know if it would add to this issue, but trying to do some troubleshooting, I just discovered that I have a second Recovery Partition (the one with red), which I'm pretty sure was not there when I created the image and I have no idea when and how was created!!! (Maybe by the Anniversary edition update?)

Create System Image in Windows 10-disk1.png

Kbird · 08 May 2017

ddelo said:

Back in March 2016, following a clean install of Windows 10, I used “Create a system image” from Control Panel > System and Security >Backup and Restore (Windows 7), exactly as described in the tutorial, to create a minimum image of the system with only Windows 10, Office 2016 and the Adobe products I use.
Since then I never used it to restore the system.
It goes without saying that since I created the image, the system was updated to Anniversary edition and kept updating.

Last week since the external drive I used to create the image was getting full, I got a new 2TB WD external drive.

I used Robocopy to copy the WindowsImageBackup from the drive I originally used for the image to the new drive:

RoboCopy "E:\WindowsImageBackup" "F:\WindowsImageBackup" /MIR /COPYALL /MT:16 /R:0 /W:0 /UNILOG+:"C:\Backup\RCopy.log" /TEE /NP /FP /BYTES

The copy finished successfully, but when I try to test the restore operation from “Control Panel > System and Security >Backup and Restore (Windows 7) > Select another backup to restore files from”, Windows does not see the newly copied WindowsImageBackup, which of course is in the Root of the new external drive.

Is there any other way to move/copy the System Image from the external drive it was originally created to another external drive and of course been able to use it for restore?

If Windows is Running fine I would suggest making a new Image of the current system to the new external , unless you really think you wil need a pre-AU backup for some reason. Win10 Creators Edition is out for many now too , I'd suggest making a backup just before allowing that update to happen too , just incase it goes badly.

I'd also suggest installing the Free Version of Macrium Reflect and run regular backups to your new drive on an automatic schedule , it works very well and has saved me several times when a Win10 Update has gone bad. Just remember to make the Rescue disk (CD) and keep it updated to the current version of Macrium ( i use a CDRW and just rewrite it with the new version).

KB.

ddelo · 08 May 2017

Thanks a lot KB!
The reason for testing is not actually to do the restore back in March 2016 (although it's a pretty good system version, with no user files and just the absolutely necessary programs!!)

The reason behind all that was to test if a Windows Image backup can be moved to another drive and be useful, for restoration.
It seems not, although if you look around in Microsoft forums, they claim that can be done!

As for backup, I'm a robocopy fan and have created a script which runs daily, and copies all my user files!
Regarding system backup I know and have tried Macrium Reflect, but once in a while, if something goes that much wrong, a good clean install never hurt anybody! :)

cereberus · 08 May 2017

Kbird said:

If Windows is Running fine I would suggest making a new Image of the current system to the new external , unless you really think you wil need a pre-AU backup for some reason. Win10 Creators Edition is out for many now too , I'd suggest making a backup just before allowing that update to happen too , just incase it goes badly.

I'd also suggest installing the Free Version of Macrium Reflect and run regular backups to your new drive on an automatic schedule , it works very well and has saved me several times when a Win10 Update has gone bad. Just remember to make the Rescue disk (CD) and keep it updated to the current version of Macrium ( i use a CDRW and just rewrite it with the new version).

KB.

Yeah - it is pretty much the overwhelming opinion of this forum to use Macrium Reflect rather than the Windows version:

Faster, more reliable, more flexible, smaller backup files (which can simply be copied anywhere). Handles linux partitions as well.

It has never let me down in many years.

Kbird · 08 May 2017

cereberus said:

Yeah - it is pretty much the overwhelming opinion of this forum to use Macrium Reflect rather than the Windows version:

Faster, more reliable, more flexible, smaller backup files (which can simply be copied anywhere). Handles linux partitions as well.

It has never let me down in many years.

Yes I run it from Win10 but it also images my WinXp, Win7 etc Partitions (dualboot) too with no issues.

I think you are correct about AU making that extra Recovery partition , you can use MiniTool Partition Wizard Free to see the hidden partitions and Explore them them or make changes etc.... been a while but I think I merged the extra partition back in after checking the the Recovery enviroment was found and working properly as partition 2 on the disk.

KB

KB

ddelo · 08 May 2017

Kbird said:

I think you are correct about AU making that extra Recovery partition , you can use MiniTool Partition Wizard Free to see the hidden partitions and Explore them them or make changes etc.... been a while but I think I merged the extra partition back in after checking the the Recovery enviroment was found and working properly as partition 2 on the disk.

KB

MiniTool Partition Wizard is an excellent, robust program which I used to have handy in the past.
But in a 500GB (464.4 as reported by W10) a 821MB recovery partition is not something that will save the day when and if that time comes, so I left it as it is.
But thanks for the suggestion!

Brink · 08 May 2017

Dimitri,

I agree with the others.

It would be best to create a new image than trying to move one.

Macrium Reflect is another good backup option.

ddelo · 08 May 2017

Thank you Shawn.
As I said before, that was just to test if it can be done! Apparently NOT!
I have already done images, of my existing installation and I was trying to see if this old one could be moved and used.

Thanks a lot for your time! Cheers my friend :)

Kbird · 08 May 2017

You can check with reagentc /info at a command prompt to see if the recovery partition is enabled and where it is....

I got two recovery-partitions - - Windows 10 Forums

or Brink's Tutorial

Find Reset Recovery Image Location in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials

Mooly · 08 May 2017

I'm sure I have moved W10 images around from location to location (as in disk to disk) and also successfully restored from them, and that is just by using 'drag and drop' to move the file from one location to another. Windows asks you to confirm the request saying that admin privileges are needed but its only a single click to accept.

You've got me wondering. Are you saying that the moved WindowsImageBackup file is non valid after such a move ?

On a related note, and I was going to ask this at some point and so this is a good opportunity, as to why in the final seconds of making a backup I see a 'creating shadow copy on backup drive xyz' message. Something does get added that doesn't show in file explorer because if I delete the WindowsImageBackup folder I do not recover all the free space back. Run disk cleanup and select the more options and delete shadow copies and I do reclaim the space. In a set of backups the unaccounted space used can be several Gb.

I'm out of time today :) but I might try this tomorrow and see what the score is because I do archive backups, and if they are not going to work then its no good. I'm pretty sure I've done this though... hmmm.