SOLVED Can't recover PC using System Image BIOS / UEFI conflict.

[donwb]

I’m running Windows 10 Pro ver 1909 on an HP Pavilion Desktop.

I just reinstalled the OS from an ISO file, apparently successfully.

When I tried to run Windows Backup (the old one from Windows 7 days)

it started OK, ran for 20 secs then stopped with the error message “failed to create Shadow Copy ….” and warning of insufficient partition space.

By enlarging the partition where the Shadow Copy is dumped the backup ran OK.

However, when I tried to use it by booting into BIOS with a bootable USB recovery drive, the exercise was successful right up to the last point where pressing OK should have started the procedure.

However instead, I got the message “Windows cannot restore a System Image on a computer that has different Firmware. The system image was created on a computer using BIOS and this computer is using EFI”

This is hard to understand, as we’re only talking one in the same PC here.

When I go into Bios, I can find no way of switching it from EFI to BIOS, even if that were possible.

So what I need is a way out of this dilemma.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

[Snuffy]

The answer you give is {quote]However instead, I got the message “Windows cannot restore a System Image on a computer that has different Firmware. The system image was created on a computer using BIOS and this computer is using EFI” [/quote] and very simple the Restore Image is 1) MBR and 2) is EFI and different. so to restore back You have to change back to MBR. and not GPT(EFI).
and how to do is easy enough. Change your BOOT -EFI. back to Legacy.
1. Boot to BIOS and change to Legacy.
2. Insert your Bootable Media use advanced and restore via Backup Image- your MS Backup.
3. Which seems you were in Legacy Boot not EFI.

 

[Snuffy]

Finally found this:
To access your BIOS on a Windows 10 PC, you must follow these steps.

1. Navigate to settings. You can get there by clicking the gear icon on the Start menu.

2. Select Update & security.

3. Select Recovery from the left menu.

4. Click Restart Now under Advanced startup. The comptuer will reboot to a special menu.

5. Click Troubleshoot.

6. Click Advanced options.

7. Select UEFI Firmware Settings.

8. Click Restart.

Your system will restart and take you to the BIOS.

 

[donwb]

Hi Snuffy
I used your "finally found this message" and it worked - I ran the System Image successfully using the "special menu" - but only because I did it from my correctly booted PC in the first place.
However, what I need, is to do that recovery not from a successfully booted PC, but from the BIOS, should my PC crash and not respond to the normal boot up sequence.
As I said, I can boot into Bios with a recovery USB stick but when I try to recover my PC from a System Image, it comes up with the BIOS versus UEFI problem and fails.
Unfortunately, whilst exploring this situation, something's gone wrong and I'm now totally unable to boot my PC normally.
I can get into BIOS and ensure the boot sequence is putting the drive with the Windows OS first, but it fails to boot.
So unless I can somehow make my PC boot into BIOS and to that "special menu" using the USB recovery stick (which at the moment produces a different menu, without that all import "UEFI Firmware Settings") i'm stuck.
I need more help on this please.

 

[Snuffy]

can you post (open as admin) bcdedit which will give what Boot sequence should look like.
then you should be able to use other bcdedit commands to restore is your Boot is corrupted.
also easybcd will allow you to make a backup which you can store as to then have ability to restore back if BCD is corrupt.

bcdedit.

Spoiler

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19592.1001]
(c) 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>bcdedit

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {bootmgr}
device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume2
path \EFI\MICROSOFT\BOOT\BOOTMGFW.EFI
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {globalsettings}
flightsigning Yes
default {current}
resumeobject {ee59de2e-6944-11ea-bcf1-7085c2da9da4}
displayorder {current}
{5b4bda50-6266-11ea-938b-8bbf0f71caed}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 3
displaybootmenu Yes

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {current}
device partition=C:
path \WINDOWS\system32\winload.efi
description Windows 10
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence {ee59de31-6944-11ea-bcf1-7085c2da9da4}
displaymessageoverride Recovery
recoveryenabled Yes
isolatedcontext Yes
flightsigning Yes
allowedinmemorysettings 0x15000075
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \WINDOWS
resumeobject {ee59de2e-6944-11ea-bcf1-7085c2da9da4}
nx OptIn
bootmenupolicy Standard

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {5b4bda50-6266-11ea-938b-8bbf0f71caed}
device partition=K:
path \Windows\system32\winload.efi
description Microsoft Windows
locale en-US
recoverysequence {5b4bda51-6266-11ea-938b-8bbf0f71caed}
displaymessageoverride Recovery
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=K:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {1b79f073-6677-11ea-962a-806e6f6e6963}

C:\WINDOWS\system32>

bcdedit commands

Spoiler

Commands that operate on a store
================================
/store Used to specify a BCD store other than the current system default.
/createstore Creates a new and empty boot configuration data store.
/export Exports the contents of the system store to a file. This file
can be used later to restore the state of the system store.
/import Restores the state of the system store using a backup file
created with the /export command.
/sysstore Sets the system store device (only affects EFI systems, does
not persist across reboots, and is only used in cases where
the system store device is ambiguous).

 

[donwb]

Hi Snuffy

I'm not very au fait with some of the PC lingo and abbreviations and so,
I'm not clear what you're suggesting / asking.
Would appreciate you spelling it out and I'll do my best to comply.

 

[donwb]

....... also don't understand what "spoiler" is showing

 

[Snuffy]

Ok will try - BCDEDIT is what your BIOS Boot Sequence is and how it should read, so as to boot properly.
with this same command you can copy this sequence and store (in a USB)
then you have the ability to restore this - so that then you should be able to copy, save, restore, then reboot and once again have a proper Boot sequence.
1. open command prompt as admin

a. type bcdedit /createstore

b. type bcdedit /export "X:\data\bcd backup"
The name of the file that is imported into the system store.
If the filename contains spaces, it must be enclosed in
quotation marks ("").
which is a bootable USB, X is the drive letter of your USB.

c. then if you have issues boot to your USB and use
d. bcdedit /import X:\data\bcd backup /clean
/clean Specifies that all existing firmware boot entries should
be deleted (only affects EFI systems).
now you should be able to reboot and proper sequence to you working bcd (boot sequence).

PS: if you have a Bootable Windows Media - you can use that USB to store the bcd.
if you not sure then I can post a special Win10XPE boot image that you can make then store the bcd backup there.

 

[Saltgrass]

I will be watching the thread to see if anything pops up but could I get some info now? I have not read the last post..

Do you know for sure your system is UEFI capable and you have it set for Secure Boot? It might be helpful to know how old it is or what OS it shipped with..

Where did you get the USB drive configured, the Media Creation tool? The version of Bios used depends on how the Install was handled. If you booted the USB drive to the UEFI version, it would have installed like that. UEFI boot media has to be available prior to a boot or restart or it won't be recognized as UEFI..

Now, The Volume Shadow Copy space situation can be caused by any partition which doesn't have enough room. This was a big problem when Win 8.1 was released because the Recovery partition used with Win 8 was not large enough to hold the larger files needed..

When you recover an image from the Windows Backup, you boot into the UEFI version of the Recovery Tools. Then use the Advanced options to load the image... It is important you know if you are working with UEFI or Legacy Bios. UEFI systems have a EFI System partition, Legacy Bios systems have a active partition for the boot files.

 

[Snuffy]

Do you know for sure your system is UEFI capable and you have it set for Secure Boot?

Secure Boot will not allow USB boot. and FAST Boot will also not allow USB boot due to too fast for Fkeys.

 

[Saltgrass]

Secure Boot will not allow USB boot. and FAST Boot will also not allow USB boot due to too fast for Fkeys.

I have never had a problem, I start tapping earlier in the boot process than you might think..

 

[Snuffy]

My Boot is rather too fast i guess, but any way I made a very plain Jane Win10XPE that can be use
very small and very easy to use... 857MB with RecoveryRE included.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/dtdgryzph56zwc7/Win10XPE_Clean_x64.iso/file

 

[donwb]

Gentlemen Thanks for your individual inputs and suggestions.
Since my last communication, fortunately, I've successfully recovered my PC with a new clean installation of Win 10 Pro latest version.
However, when I select as follows as per Snuffy's earlier successful suggestion:-
Settings/Update & Security/Recovery and hit Restart Now
Then from the options Continue, Use a Device, Use Another Operating System, Troubleshoot and Turn off your PC
I select Troubleshoot/Advanced I don't get that MAGIC option "Select UEFI Firmware Settings", which was available before my OS crashed.
All that's available is System Image Recovery and, as before, it ends in the conflict BIOS versus UEFI.
Now I know my System Image (on an external hard drive) can recover the PC but I can't reproduce that "Select UEFI Firmware Settings"
Option in BIOS.
I'd be grateful for more help.

 

[Saltgrass]

You don't need some of those options since you can reboot and get into the Bios that way. But if you want to check, run the command below in an admin command prompt and copy and paste the listing.. If you did a clean install, this should have been set up for you. There is no reason you should be having UEFI/Legacy situations unless the Image was done while your system was running as Legacy or Vice versa..

reagentc /info

A picture of your Disk Management window would also help. Use the snipping tool and expand the window so we can read the partition descriptions.. Attach it using the insert image icon..

If you do not know, you can mount partitions on the Image Backup and pull files out..

@Snuffy, X: is normally the letter of the RamDisk ...

 

[Snuffy]

If you did not chose EFI Bios when you (did the clean Install) (depends on how you did the clean Install. where you have the BIOS options of EFI or Legacy, Legacy is NOT EFI and Select UEFI Firemware Setting is not available in Legacy Bios Mode.
Suggest you opn the Manual and check How to change BIOS and how to check what your BIOs setting is.
Earlier you said "quote) However instead, I got the message “Windows cannot restore a System Image on a computer that has different Firmware. The system image was created on a computer using BIOS (indicates you are using Legacy) and this computer is using EFI” (therfore you should have been able to use EFI to restore the image.

@Snuffy, X: is normally the letter of the RamDisk ...

Mine is N or O or P depends on how many I have inserted ... they change. that is why I say Drive letter of your USB.
currently mine are K, L, & M. range from 1 GB to 3 TB.

 

[Grizzly]

I need some thing clarified here: BIOS does NOT mean automatically legacy. The BIOS is there if you have UEFI or legacy support.
Legacy simply means that you are using the old MBR configuration which has its limits regarding Disk size.
UEFI is more flexible and more like an extension of the BIOS in regard of bigger HDD/SDD sizes. The UEFI partition on the drive connects the rest of the drive with the BIOS.
One can compare the UEFI partition roughly like a driver for a device.

 

[donwb]

Here is a snapshot of my Disc Managerment

 

[Saltgrass]

Well, you have been very busy. This is not what I would call a "normal" install.. But it does appear you are running in UEFI. The fact you have an Active partition, might suggest at one time the system was installed as Legacy or you brought a drive from another system which was. Possibly, that is when you did the Backup which seems to be causing problems.

The easiest thing would be to not use the Image Backup since it doesn't seem to be compatible with your install. If you have data in the Image backup you need, you could move everything off Disk 2 and do a Legacy install there, assuming the Backup is Legacy.. after removing the other two drives..

The best thing to do would be to remove Disk 0 and Disk 2 and do a clean install on Disk 1 which seems to be your primary OS drive. If you don't know how to do a clean install, then just ask..

If you look in your Image Backup folder, you can see the listing. The .vhdx files are the partitions so if you see the Esp.vhdx listing then the image is UEFI..

 

[donwb]

Hi Saltgrass
Thanks for the enlightening input.

So, since I don’t have any of the 3 files (you marked in red) in my own System Image Backup, I gather this means it’s a “BIOS/Legacy” file.
See my attachment.

And as it would seem that my BIOS is running in UEFI, then that apparently explains why it won’t work when I try to recover my PC when booted into Bios.

It is essential I preserve the System Image I have on my external hard drive, as it’s the only means I have of getting back to my original PC configuration before everything fell apart.

You suggested “you could move everything off Disk 2 and do a [clean] Legacy install there…”
I could clear disk 2, but I’m not clear where you are suggesting I do the clean install, disk 2 or disk 1?

And, yes please tell me how to do that and ensure it’s Legacy..

Just my own observation – but the changes you propose, which are apparently needed to accommodate my Legacy / BIOS System Image file, presupposes that altering the SI file itself in some way, is out of the question.

 

[Saltgrass]

If there is no Esp.vhdx then the image is Legacy (MBR). You are showing two partitions which are probably the Recovery and OS ones.

There is a utility which will change the configuration of the drive called MBR2GPT.exe in the Windows\System32 folder, which will convert an install to UEFI by converting the drive to GPT and adding a EFI System partition. No guarantee it will work but if you have a Backup you should be safe..

By saying you need to keep the Image due to its original configuration, since you are not using the Same OS as it was shipped with, you have software you need to keep? Since you could clean install Win 10 and it would activate without any prior License, that part is not a problem.. But, you can think about it and let us know what you decide..