Cannot Find System Image

[jmccleary50]

Just upgraded to windows 10 version 1511 build 10586.218. Advanced startup is more available than it was but creating a system image and then looking for it results in "windows cannot find a system image on this computer".
Found this on Ben's personal blog @benz145. The folder for your backup MUST be named windows image backup and it must be at the top level of your external hard drive (not inside any sub-folders).
I'm going to attempt an attachment showing where my backup image is and hope someone can comment on why windows can't find it.

 

[bassfisher6522]

This exactly why I don't like using Windows for backups....it's can be so convoluted, that it's just not worth the effort. Personally there are better (free and paid) 3rd party software that do this.....Acronis, Macrium and Aoemi to just name a few.....but see here.

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/maintenance/tp/backup_software.htm

 

[Saltgrass]

You could try renaming the partition to something different such as images.

Otherwise, what are you using to look for the image, some bootable media or from the recovery options? What you use to find the image must be compatible with that image. I have not tested images made with a specific build of Windows 10 to see if the minor changes would work with earlier versions.

There used to be some requirements as to what drive the image is on, but I believe now you can recovery an image on the same physical drive as the install if you aren't wiping the entire drive.

I have also not tested restoring an image to a drive with multiple OSes as I always put mine on separate drives.

 

[jmccleary50]

bassfisher6522 thanks for the link. I downloaded Ease US Todo. Just created a system image on an external drive and there is actually an option to send the image back the other way via recovery. That's the part that was so frustrating to me. At least something works now.

 

[Chriswm11]

SOLVED:
I have just wasted two days trying to recover my hdd from a Windows 10 system image after my hdd failed.

In the end to solve it: The system image utility creates a folder called Windowsimagebackup, followed by a subfolder which is the Windows computer name that you gave it when installing Windows 10 (NOT the name in the BIOS).

Now, because I backup various family Lenovo laptops to my external drive, I renamed the computer name folder to something more 'meaningful' so that I could easily identify it when needed. This was however my downfall because the name "Dad" that I added to it, caused the system restore utility not to find it. So rather leave that computer name sub-folder exactly as it was created by system image because it looks like it gets cross referenced to the MediaID file inside the backup. Rather rename Windowsimagebackup to something like Windowsimagebackup_Dad if you want to identify it because you can easily and safely rename it back when needed.

My solution:
1. The Windowsimagebackup MUST be in the root folder of the backup drive.
2. The next sub-folder must be EXACTLY (and I mean EXACTLY) the Windows computer name that it had when you created the system restore.

"Miraculously" Windows found it immediately then and I could restore my drive. But what time wasted because of some Microsoft programmer's silly ideas and why Microsoft decided not to have a "search for system image folder" option defies all logic for me. Anyway, that's Microsoft.
19 April 2017

 

[demike]

HOW I SOLVED:

To solve the problem "WINDOWS CANNOT FIND A SYSTEM IMAGE ON THIS COMPUTER" I had to use the "acronis true image" program so that it could see the backup image files which windows itself couldn't find. First, I did a backup of the image files that were in .vhdx extension located inside the WindowsImageBackup folder (it's not on this level, it's deeper in this folder). So, in order to restore from these system image I also downloaded the "StarWind V2V Converter" to convert the extension of the image files from .vhdx to .vhd. After this, I put the files with .vhd extension inside the WindowsImageBackup folder and follow the steps in this quick video about restoring using acronis true image.

I'm very HAPPY I was able to restore my system image to when it was fresh running with no problems. Hope I can help someonelse resolve this as well.

 

[Chriswm11]

Thanks for sharing your solution Demike - yes, there are hundreds of threads about this issue and I just cannot understand why Microsoft does not respond to this with widespread issue with a solution!

 

[demike]

Yeah, no problem, Chriswm11. By the way, the quick video I mentioned above is on this link

.

 

[Saltgrass]

Thanks for sharing your solution Demike - yes, there are hundreds of threads about this issue and I just cannot understand why Microsoft does not respond to this with widespread issue with a solution!

The requirements you mention in your earlier thread about naming and location of the WindowsImageBackup folder, have been in effect since day one... Why would Microsoft need to address this..

 

[jmccleary50]

Here's a new twist. Did you ever see a message that a system image made on a EUFI cannot be run on a BIOS machine? Well I did and I didn't know what to do.

 

[Saltgrass]

UEFI and MBR systems use different drive configurations and are booted differently. If the image was made with one then it has different partitions a boot configurations.

A system image is meant to restore a prior install... I don't think eventhe vaunted third party imaging software can do alternate configurations.

 

[jmccleary50]

Live and learn. I have a Dell Latitude which can be either UEFI or legacy boot. The system image I created in UEFI mode wouldn't re-image the drive in legacy.
I am currently running Dell Factory Recovery for a Dell Inspiron in which I screwed up windows 10 so bad I have to start over.
Everything takes about a half hour.
What fun!

 

[rcgldr]

I have a similar issue. I have a multi-boot system (XP, XP X64, Win 7 Pro 64 bit), and just added Win 10 Pro 64 bit to it (each OS is on a separate partition on a separate hard drive). I did a system image backup from Win 10, but when I try to restore I only see the Win 7 system image backups, not the Win 10 system image backup.

 

[ladylady]

Sincerely delighted that one or two of you appear to have yielded a solution for computer geniuses, while sad that this entire site has not a whit of resolution-focused advice for normal people. Thanks anyway.

 

[Norton]

Are you using the created Win 7 Recovery media the view the Windows Image backup files?

 

[Chriswm11]

Hi James, what a pain Windows Restore still is (after so many updated versions). You need a thousand nerds to solve its mysteries! Microsoft simply do not care!

The only thing I can notice that you can try here is that the name "JamesMcCleary" sounds like your Windows logon user name and not the original computer name Windows computer name (or "System name" in System Information) that was created when Windows 10 was installed.

My system name is for instance DESKTOP-18V2H01 (even on a laptop) and not my normal logon user name "Christiaan". So the way I understand it is that the subfolder under the WindowsImageBackup folder, MUST be exactly this System Name because the system name is embedded in code elsewhere in the backup to check its integrity. The only problem with that is that we can often not remember the system name and if your laptop is unable to boot, it will be difficult to find if you cannot remember it. If you can boot, run the System Information utility and check the System name.

By the way, this naming convention of Microsoft will prevent you from loading a system image to a another laptop easily (you will have to change and tweak many things first).

Hope it helps! Christiaan

PS I think it also follows that if you have changed the System Name (which you can in Windows) then you have to first change it back to the SAME name that was used to create the system image. They must be the same as I understand it.

 

[Chriswm11]

LadyLady, Welcome to the wonderful world of Microsoft!! Where "ordinary" customers are not important.

 

[rcgldr]

I have a similar issue. I have a multi-boot system (XP, XP X64, Win 7 Pro 64 bit), and just added Win 10 Pro 64 bit to it (each OS is on a separate partition on a separate hard drive). I did a system image backup from Win 10, but when I try to restore I only see the Win 7 system image backups, not the Win 10 system image backup.

I missed posting a workaround for the multi-boot system image backup issue here at this forum. The solution is to use multiple instances of WindowsImageBackup by renaming them. On my system, I have two of them, normally named as WindowsImageBackup.w7 and WindowsImageBackup.w10. If I'm backing up or restoring Windows 7, I rename WindowsImageBackup.w7 to WindowsImageBackup, do the backup or restore, then rename back to WindowsImageBackup.w7. If I'm backing up or restoring Windows 10, I rename WindowsImageBackup.w10 to WindowsImageBackup, do the backup or restore, then rename back to WindowsImageBackup.w10. There's still an issue if the boot partition is lost, in which case Win 10 can't be found, so when I do a Win 7 system image backup, I include the Win 10 partition as a data partition for the Win 7 backup. Through a complicated install process, I managed to have Win 7 and Win 10 installed on partitions without relettering each of them to C:, I have Win 7 on partition N: and Windows 10 on partition T:

 

[Trouble]

It seems, that this thread is destined to be resurrected once a year.
It began in April 2016
Continued in April 2017
AND
Has now been resurrected a year and a half later by a new, one time poster who is apparently dissatisfied with the level of support / information we provide.
Although in fairness, I didn't actually see him or her post a question or ask for help.

Personally, I'm going to reserve any such judgement about this site for another year or two and see how this thread develops
AND
In the meantime, continue using Acronis for my backup / disk imaging needs..

 

[jmccleary50]

Personally, I'm going to reserve any such judgement about this site for another year or two and see how this thread develops

OK, you've touched my press to talk button. Speaking of this site this is where I learned how to double boot operating systems which is astonishing for someone of my limited prowess.
And did you see the thread Thanks Ian where he bailed me out of a login problem?
The point being that nobody should criticize this site for cooperation and good information.