Windows 10: In between Win10 and Factory Default Win7

I am in W7 because I became stuck after an unsuccessful restore from image. I know the error code, but I am unsure of why it failed. I am trying to get back to W10 and my head is exploding - as it is day 5.

External HD works, but I can't find my backups (pst file from 6/17). That is one path to recovery through a recovery of files.
As I can't find my Outlook data, I cannot figure out my next step. After I had an image recovery failure on Tuesday, I cannot locate that image in my computer or on my external HD. I can't see it - hidden or un-hidden. Where is the WindowsBackupImage from my C drive? When I open Backup & Restore, it shows 0 files and 90GB of a system image.


When I woke up, my goal was to recover using Restore from Image via .vhd file.

Because I cannot visually eyeball any of the data that should be in multiple folders/files, I am upset.
Backups are always sent to HD. Backups done daily and images weekly. Without having had a HD failure, I should have data backups between 6/2 and 6/17. Images from 6/17, 6/10, and 6/3 unless the earlier were overwritten.
I had a lot of room on HD...

Seagate thinks MS did something with W10 updates. He is sure my data is somewhere. So am I. How could it be corrupted, yet leave an image along with photos, texts, docs, Word, PDF, .pst files?

MS online support not knowledgeable enough with Seagate's hunch. If computer became corrupted, it was between installing 3 clean W10 OS and then resorting to a Win7 factory default because my computer wouldn't boot.
I would swear Windows broke my computer. This statement by way of explaining that my computer was working fine - no hard drive errors or failures, no corruption or viruses - (just SafeSear.ch, which showed up with the factory installation on Wednesday).

If I restore from Image, do I remove everything first? (I installed Office/Outlook.) Is it possible that I cannot see certain missing folders/images/files because I don't have W10 installed? I guess the stupidest questions come from the fact that my hard drive didn't fail, yet I'm missing PRIMARILY the data that I need to restore Outlook. Hence, where, why, how, and what? Or, since my drives didn't fail internally OR externally, where is everything?

If I can restore from Image, I should have W10. If I have to go back earlier than 6/17, it's better than having Outlook with no calendar, contacts, settings, etc. If I can recover data but not OS and software, as long as I can take Outlook with me, I should be fine.

Not sure the most successful way to achieve a fully functioning Office/Outlook.
That's why I am here.

Thank you.

:)

 

Windows 10

I'm using win10 from the free upgrade. Now if I restore my hp laptop to factory default, will I stay in win10 or go back to win7??

 

Password on start up

Win10. Sorry, I didn't realise default was Win7, so made a new post in Win10.

 

UPDATE TO POST.

I just found the backup image in HD, but Recovery Mode in Win7 won't find it - that I know with certainty as I tried it with a tech on the phone. How do I get this backup image to Win 7 using Advanced Tools?

Thank you.

 

If it is a .vhd file can you just mount it and explore it to retrieve the files you need from it?

This is why the majority of members here recommend using Macrium Reflect Free to make backup images in stead of Windows Backup and Restore. It's more reliable and versatile.

 

You cannot pick and choose files in an Image Restore. All or nothing.
I called MS for help. After 45 minutes of troubleshooting, she determined that you cannot use Restore from Image in Win7. She was familiar with the .vhd method, but I still have to restore image on top of 10, not 7.

I will definitely start using Macrium Free after installing Win10. Thank you for the suggestion.

Thank you, NavyLCDR

 

Thought that I would try it myself. So, I am running Windows 10 Pro build 14372 Insider. I created a system image backup using Windows Backup and Restore (Windows 7). I mounted the .vhdx file that was created. Went into disk management and assigned a drive letter to the partition inside the mounted .vhdx. I navigated to my user folder in the new drive letter and pulled out a single file from downloads and copied it to my current documents folder.

So, I know at least that part works. I don't have any Windows 7 computers any more so I can't comment on mixing/switching between Windows 7 and 10, but later will at least try the same operation using this backup file and a different computer. If I get bored, I will install Windows 7 on a spare hard drive and give it a whirl, I've been wanting a Windows 7 installation for testing anyway.

 

Win10 has more options than 7. (Win7 is superior in other ways. I would keep it if I could.)
Do not know how or why, but the "X" part of your file might be the answer. I only have .vhd.

Enjoy yourself - I would/could do a million other things with my time.

 

Navy has been very helpful there, taking the time to try out something to help you. I'm not an expert and sorry if I miss the point, but I had a similar issue trying to reinstall Windows 7 from a system image onto a computer I had upgraded to Windows 10 (the computer in question had a cedartrail processor and wouldn't run Windows 10). I had a lot of problems - I'm not sure what the technicalities are but it seems trying to restore a Windows 7 image onto a computer which has Windows 10 on, doesn't play ball. I ended up reinstalling from the original recovery disks that came with the computer. Do you have all your personal files (docs, music etc) backed up elsewhere? After my experience with the system image thing, I now keep separate back ups of personal files on a FAT32 removable hard drive, as well as system images on an NTFS removable hard drive. That way whatever operating system you have or are trying to load, you still have your personal files in tact to use from any computer.

Anyway, if you have all your personal files backed up, then maybe forget trying to install the system image. You could do a clean install of Windows 10, or you could reinstall Windows 7 from recovery disks. I think there's also an option (if you have your Windows 7 product key still on the back of your laptop) to do a clean install of Windows 7 from a burned disk or from any Windows 7 disk if it's the same (ie Home, 64 bit or whatever). So all is not lost as long as you have your personal files backed up somewhere else.

If you don't then, as Navy says you need to try and get the files off the image, which would be a bit beyond me too!

I actually really like Windows 10 now I've done a clean install (ie everything works properly after a clean install) and the only reason I'd go back to Windows 7 is if there was no graphics driver or display driver available for the laptop in question. But Windows 10 seems to have a lot more drivers available now and found all of them for me on a recent install to a 7 year old HP laptop.

I also missed Windows 7 and went back for a bit, but if you set Windows 10 up right, it's just like 7 only a bit zippier. The only things I miss are - Chess Titans and Moviemaker. I keep a netbook with Windows 7 on just to play Chess Titans.

Anyway based on my experience of not being able to get the System image to restore, you might need to use a Windows 7 retail disc (or burn a copy of it to use with your product code) and install Windows 7 from disc, formatting the partitions to clear everything, then when it is installed, restore the Image from within Windows. The issue I found with doing that was I needed to do all the Windows updates first - which took days and was a pain. So decided it was easier to reinstall from recovery disks which were SP1.

Anyway the point is - as long as your personal files are backed up, you don't need to restore the image to get Windows 7 back.

 

Anyway, if you have all your personal files backed up, then maybe forget trying to install the system image. You could do a clean install of Windows 10, or you could reinstall Windows 7 from recovery disks. I think there's also an option (if you have your Windows 7 product key still on the back of your laptop) to do a clean install of Windows 7 from a burned disk or from any Windows 7 disk if it's the same (ie Home, 64 bit or whatever). So all is not lost as long as you have your personal files backed up somewhere else.

If you don't then, as Navy says you need to try and get the files off the image, which would be a bit beyond me too!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I thought I made it clear - I cannot find any backed up files, which is why I know I have to recover the System Image.

Recovery points to a 6/10 image, which isn't listed in HD. I need to direct to 6/17, which is shown in HD, but not in Recover Image. HELP!
Inside external, "Mount"is an option, but it tells me to open Disk Mgt. Can't even find DM on reinstalled W10.
This is NUTS.

If you can help, I've never used recover by image. What I see is unclear.

Thank you.

 

Ok so you have to try and get the Image back on to get your files back. Do you have the Windows repair disk as well as the drive the image is on? You need to run that to be able to reinstall the image. But that might not run properly while Windows 10 is still on. Before going any further, is Windows 10 still on the laptop? ie can you boot it up and have a working operating system with Windows 10? Also was it an upgrade on top of your previous Windows 7?

Sorry if I've misunderstood anything, your first message was a bit confusing! So what is actually installed on the computer right now? And is it booting up and working as an operating system? If so you might be able to download and run Recuva - Free Download to recover your files.

 

Hazel23,

I am now in Win10, the upgrade. I have the external HD w/Image on it. Repair disk wouldn't load on Wednesday, but yes, I have it. I also have the vhd on my internal drive. Isn't that also an option? Both were created in Win10.

The Win7 was a temporary situation thanks to ASUS, because he couldn't get the computer to reboot to my repair disk. I've had a mix of very good and very bad tech support from ASUS to Seagate. I was able to change BIOS and everything else after I hung up the phone. Meanwhile, I spent most of my time figuring out the best option to restore the most data after I repaired my OS.

HD works fine, even though many files are missing. I am certain that the removal of some files was from a Win corruption. Seagate thinks maybe Microsoft moved files around since releasing a million updates in time for the July launch. He could not explain how else I have some files, (photos, docs, older .psts, etc.) and not others.

The value of the image is immeasurable. I am glad you understood that.
Microsoft restored W10 (the 4-hr marathon) via ISO file this morning.

I apologize greatly for the confusion. I never spent a week troubleshooting an OS. I never had so many corrupted installations.

I upgraded from Win7 in January. Can't say it's been a pleasure, but Win10 was working. I had three weeks of BSODs after my May 14 Cumulative update. That's why I finally decided to refresh - which isn't what I ended up with.

I hope I've answered all your questions.
Thank you.

 

Thanks. No need to apologise. I'm not an expert or an IT person so I'm probably not much help now - just thought I'd try and help having done a few installs. I only know about installs on a hard drive within a computer so am lacking understanding about how things work with vhd. It does sound quite complex. What makes me think though, is that when you did the refresh of Windows 10 in May it may have done a reset without keeping your personal files - there are two reset options - one with keeping your files and one without.

Regardless of what happened there it seems Windows 10 reinstalled without your files. Due to my limited knowledge, my take on this would be to try and go back to basics and forget external drives and vhd, wipe your internal drive by filling it with zeros, format the drive with a Windows 7 disk, reinstall Windows 7 from a Windows 7 ISO and then try and install the Windows 7 system image from within Windows 7. I had to do this on a laptop that had a Cedartrail processor and crashed consistently with Windows 10. I also couldn't get my Windows 7 image to reinstall or accept the recovery disk. I ended up doing what I suggested above.

1) Wipe the internal disk
2) Reinstall Windows 7 - either from a Windows 7 disk, or from recovery disks, or from a burned Windows 7 ISO.
3) Restore your Windows 7 image within Windows 7 or -
4) After re-installing Windows 7, then try using the recovery disk to restore the image.

For some reason I found I couldn't actually restore the image until I had done all the Windows 7 updates first. So this is a slow solution, but it should get you back to a clean Windows 7 install, and then be able to recover all your files by re-imaging after you have an up to date clean install of Windows 7.

Someone more experienced may be able to suggest a quicker route. It actually took me 10 days to get Windows 7 back on that machine! But then I tried various different things, so it might be quicker for you if you have a Windows 7 Disk with Service Pack 1. My manufacturer recovery disks didn't have Service Pack one. The quickest option might be to download the Windows 7 ISO from Microsoft and use your Windows 7 product key with it - it's more likely to be up to date and need less updates.