Windows 10: Recovery of Windows 7 image after updating to Windows 10

I have some files that I encrypted on Windows 7 using the Windows EFS encryption. Like a fool, I did not decrypt them or backup the certificate anywhere (that I can find..)

On Windows 10 recovery it says I cannot revert to Windows 7 because I installed it more than 10 days ago, is there any way I can access an old image of Windows 7 so I can get in to save the EFS certificate?

submitted by /u/birdgangztheword
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:)

 

windows 10 worth the upgrade?

I just tested Windows image back up in windows 10. They put the system imaging back into Windows after taking it out in Windows 8. Last month after I did a clean install I made an Image.
Its a little hidden. After creating an image. To restore:
Settings/update and security/recovery/restart now/advance/use image

It literally took 10 minutes to restore my system

To make an Image just use Backup and restore in the control panel it says (Windows 7)

 

Windows 10

no, you can't go back..
I suggest creating a backup image of your os drive

 

Repair Windows 7/8/10

Repairing Windows 7

Methods of advanced CLI repair were introduced with Windows 7 and Server 2008 that can allow sysadmins and end-users to attempt to resolve issues without wiping their hard drive, re-installing and either losing or restoring data.

I will list the important repair processes I use in the field, at my bench, remotely, for family, etc. that have allowed me to keep a current Windows 7 system deployed and running smooth. Keep in mind this is not a cure-all, some issues will require what is called an in-place upgrade. In more severe cases, a system re-install may still be required. For many it is worth the time to try and avoid that process and I am hopeful that some of you will be saved that hassle with this part of the guide!

If you're having issues with Windows 7, hopefully the below repair instructions will help you confirm OS file corruption and help resolve it.

Spoiler: Windows 7 Repair In-Place Upgrade

If CHKDSK and SFC fail to repair the issues with the system, then the next option is to perform an in-place upgrade. This is comparable to an Operating System Refresh in Windows 8/8.1 and 10. In that it re-installs most of the operating system's files without losing your profiles, data or programs. In many cases this process accomplishes just that.

Time to close the CLI windows and get back into the GUI, unless you want to deploy Windows through CLI. You'll have to source a different guide for that process!

Requirements to perform a Windows 7 and Server 2008 in-place upgrade:

• Must have installation media that matches the installed OS version and type. You can download that media click here.
• Must be able to get to the desktop on the affected system to correctly initiate this process, booting to the media will not allow an upgrade to be performed.

That last rule is the frustrating part of this repair process if you cannot get that far, backup what you can and do a fresh installation. Otherwise proceed.

• Start the process by using autorun or manually running setup.exe from the installation media.
• You'll come to the installation window, the options will be Upgrade or Custom. Choose Upgrade. This is critical as choosing custom will force you to overwrite, append or wipe out the current install rather than performing any kind of repair.
• Follow the on-screen prompts, which should be very few for you to interact with. The overall process looks and is the Windows 7 install GUI. Once it is completed, the system will automatically reboot (may need to more than once).
• After the reboot(s) after the in-place upgrade you should have a fully functional Windows 7 without issues or corruptions.

Performing an in-place upgrade makes sense, and gives you a stable and clean running operating system when there's an issue or corruption you just can't fix but things aren't broken enough to warrant a fresh installation. The point of this process is to refresh the Windows 7 OS files but retain your data, programs, and settings. That is precisely what the in-place upgrade procedure accomplishes.

I should also add that this process can be accomplished remotely as well, from start to finish. I have done so with persistent LogMeIn, ScreenConnect and Teamviewer installations on various remote systems I have performed this task on, RDP should work as well. Being able to do this level of repair remotely is a huge benefit to any sysadmins out there looking to keep a client happy and perform that "remote magic" IT guys are known for.

**If at this point your issues are not fixed, then there is something else occurring that is causing the issue be it Malware, hardware, drivers, etc. Please refer to the OP in this thread to run through some of those tests and diagnostics, or create a new thread seeking help and stating what you've tried.**
Spoiler: Update Windows 7 Successfully Update Windows 7 Successfully

Many of us have or will run into it, the endless hours of waiting for the Windows Update process to actually update or fail trying to update a Windows 7 install. Could be a fresh install, or a years-old install. This will eventually happen to you, unless you run a WSUS server, and even then the OS can get held up. Microsoft has been changing how all supported versions of Windows update, trending towards the cumulative monthly releases. This transition seems to be one of the tipping points on the matter.

Regardless, there are some excellent solutions available to help you keep up your Windows 7 installation.

• Solaris17's Windows Update Utility
  • Recommended method for most users that simply want their Windows 7 installation updated. Run as admin, follow directions, be patient.
  • Please comment in that thread if you need assistance or run into issues. Solaris has made many useful changes and revisions due to good feedback.
• Update Windows 7 Manually
  • Manually perform the tasks that Solaris's utility does if you prefer.
• Update Windows 7 Manually
  • Another source.
• Update Windows 7 Manually
  • One last source for good measure!
• Windows 7 Refreshed Media Creation
  • Creating a Windows Image file (WIM) that contains the necessary updates can make future deployments boatloads easier. This is well worth a read for the more technical types and sys admins.

Those links should provide you with some very useful ways to handle updating Windows 7. If you run into any issues updating Windows 7, please start a thread or post in a relevant linked thread if its kept current.