Windows 10: Can't revive computer either through restore drive or system image

I have in the recent past and am currently trying to run Windows 10 Pro on a fairly old Dell laptop. Some driver updates went awry and forced me to rebuild. Sadly, I have no System Restore points to go back to. I do have a System Backup USB and another USB with a disk image I downloaded from the Microsoft website. Unfortunately, neither one is working for me. The disk image restore only gets as far as 6% before stopping and undoing its work. When I try the System Backup USB, I'm told to switch the system from "legacy" to "UEFL"; however, I can't find where to change the setting in the BIOS

:)

 

restore system image from command prompt, drive d: not seen by system restore

Hi,



Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.



To be able to help you with the appropriate troubleshooting steps, please reply with the following details:

• Are you trying to restore the system image or create a system image?
  
• Are you able to see the external drive in File Explorer?
  
• Could you please briefly explain the procedure that you are following to initiate a system image restore?
  

In the meantime, I suggest you to refer the articles on
How to: Create a system image in Windows 10 and

How to restore a Windows 10 system image to an existing or larger storage device created by Andre Da Costa.



Please reply with the detailed information, to help you in a better way.



Regards,

Nikhar Khare

Microsoft Community - Moderator

 

Restoring Windows 10 system image to an insignificantly smaller drive

Thanks for reaching out! I'm an Independent Advisor and a Microsoft user like you.

Restoring a Windows 10 system image to a slightly smaller drive can indeed be frustrating, especially when the size difference is minimal. Here are some steps and tools you can use to resolve this issue:

1. EaseUS Todo Backup:

EaseUS Todo Backup is a reliable tool that can help you restore a system image to a smaller drive by compressing the backup. Here’s how you can use it:

Creating a System Image:

1. Launch EaseUS Todo Backup and select "OS" under "Select backup contents."
   
2. Choose the backup destination (Local Drive or NAS).
   
3. Complete the backup process.
   

Restoring the Image:

1. Boot your computer using the EaseUS Todo Backup emergency disk.
   
2. Select "Browse to Recover" and navigate to your backup file.
   
3. Choose the recovery disk and ensure the partition style matches.
   
4. Customize the disk layout if needed and click "Proceed" to start the recovery.
   

2. AOMEI Partition Assistant:

AOMEI Partition Assistant can clone only the used space of your drive, making it possible to clone a larger drive to a smaller one. Here’s how:

Cloning the Drive:

1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant.
   
2. Click "Clone" and select "Clone Disk."
   
3. Choose the source disk and the destination disk.
   
4. Adjust the partition size on the destination disk and enable "4k alignment" if the target is an SSD.
   
5. Click "Apply" and "Proceed" to start cloning.
   

3. DiskGenius Free Edition:

DiskGenius Free Edition is another tool that can help you clone a larger HDD to a smaller SSD. Here’s the process:

Cloning the Drive:

1. Open DiskGenius Free Edition and select "Clone Disk" from the "Tools" menu.
   
2. Choose the source and destination disks.
   
3. Click "Start" to begin the cloning process.
   

1. Prepare the New Drive:
   
   • Ensure the new drive is properly connected and recognized by your system.
     
   • Use DiskPart or any disk management tool to clean and initialize the new drive if necessary.
     
2. Create a Bootable Media:
   
   • Use EaseUS Todo Backup or AOMEI Partition Assistant to create a bootable USB drive.
     
3. Boot from the Bootable Media:
   
   • Restart your computer and boot from the USB drive.
     
4. Clone or Restore the System Image:
   
   • Follow the steps provided by the chosen tool to clone the old drive or restore the system image to the new drive.
     
5. Adjust BIOS Settings:
   
   • After cloning or restoring, enter the BIOS setup and set the new drive as the primary boot device.
     

Additional Tips

• Backup Important Data: Before starting the process, ensure you have backed up any important data from the old drive.
  
• Use a Reliable Power Source: Ensure your computer is connected to a reliable power source to avoid interruptions during the process.
  

Please do let me know if the method I suggested works for you or if you need further assistance.

 

Unable to use System restore from a windows 10 image on Windows 7 with error: "windows cannot find a system image-the usb drive is not visible"

Please help me restore windows 10