Windows 10: System Image Back Up

Trying to do a system image back up on Windows 10.Get error 0x80042302.Shows back up disc disconnected.It is connected.In file history it shows the hard drive any more deals ?

:)

 

System image back up vanishes!

Hi and thanks to all respondents for the comprehensive replies on this thread

I have changed to Administrator status and can now see all the folder/file content and size of the System Image back up.

Best regards to all

 

System image back up vanishes!

I think you are confused. The Windows installation files and a system image you create are 2 totally different things. The media creation tool is another separate program. None of them are zip files.

The windows media creation tool to (Upgrade from Win7 or Win8 to Win10) and the windows installation files "Windows.iso" (WHICH IS AN IMAGE FILE BY THE WAY) can be saved anywhere you choose for anytime to burn onto a DVD or Thumb Drive for (a clean install).
This allows you to choose the media type, the version you are entitled to and to keep your personal files and settings.

This post is not about installing windows or upgrading windows. You do not have to unzip any of those 2 files on a separate drive. Why, because neither of them are ZIP files and you still do not have to move to separate drive to use them, even if they were
zip files.

If you right click on the Windows.iso image file and select open with Windows explorer, you then will see all the installation files inside of it. If you double click on the ISO file, it will then prompt you to Burn with a DVD burn program onto a DVD or
burn on to a Thumb Drive. This is to do a clean install after you did the upgrade and it is bootable.









Then the media creation tool was to upgrade - MediaCreationTool.exe 32bit or MediaCreationToolx64.exe 64bit - and it is a program that you ran and windows would download the install files and set you up so you could upgrade and keep your files and settings
and would verify you legal copy you have and give you a new activation key code for 10 upon install.





None of this is backing up. This is having 2 files Windows.ISO and Mediacreationtool.exe that you can copy to or move to save it anywhere to use again in the future.

Even after you have Windows 10, and want to manually update to newest creators pack, then you would download the Windows10Upgrade28085.exe. This version was from last years April 2017 release.





Now back to the original post of the OP trying to create a system image of the current state of his PC once he has it all setup, so in case something bad happens anytime for any reason, he can use the repair CD or access start up options on boot to use this
system image to restore his PC back to the exact state it was when he created the image. This OP states that he did the shadow copy/image backup, but when he opened it, the files inside were missing. And as people claim, which I have not experienced yet using
Back up & restore(Win7), that people are having issues of creating the image backup after creators update 1709.

To do this, you have to create the image on a separate location other than your C:\ OS drive. What is this image, it is a shadow copy of the system that moves the shadow copy over to a folder called - WindowsImageBackup -. Inside this folder is the files
to restore your PC if you had an issue or failure. You can open this image file and view the files inside of it, just like you can open the windows.iso image file to view the windows installation files.

Along with this WindowsImageBackup Image folder is a hidden folder "Recovery" on the separate drive from your OS drive, which contains the information so windows can find the Image to restore your PC from the image backup.

So, saving a back up of windows.iso and mediacreationtool.exe on your current OS drive or another location is just so you do not have to download them again if you should need them or if you did not burn (Windows.ISO) onto a DVD or Thumb drive.

Saving your valuable system image or (Back up of just your personal files) to recover from disaster is done through a imaging program or back up program such as Backup and Restore(Win7). Or you can for just your personal files, just copy and paste them to
another safe location.

So you are not a liar, you are just confused. You think your windows.iso and/or mediacreationtool.exe that you copied or moved to another drive or location is the same as backing up you system with an image and they are not.

 

Have you updated to the Anniversary Update of Windows 10? If so, there is a bug reading external USB-connected drives.

Windows 10 Anniversary Update Might Hide Partitions After Install - Windows 10 Forums

Windows 10 Anniversary update problems, not recognizing external hdd - Windows 10 Forums

Rolling back to the November update v1511 should resolve the problem for now.