Windows 10: Trouble Restoring from WindowsImageBackup

My client's Win10 Pro computer died. Got a new Win10 Home Asus laptop. Trying to restore files from a WindowsSystemImage folder on his backup drive, but the Advanced Recovery tool doesn't recognize the external drive containing the ImageBackup folder. When I attempt to mount the ImageBackup image in Explorer, I get the following error - "The disk image isn't initialized, contains partitions that aren't recognizable, or contains volumes that haven't been assigned drive letters. Please use the Disk Management snap-in to make sure that the disk, partitions and volumes are in a usable state."

I have no idea what to do with this. lol. Please help.

:)

 

Restore System Image

You will never be offered the option - Windows is not flexible when it comes to system images.

I assume that you store your images in a separate group of folders from which to pick one to restore from. I do the same.

• As long as we always move the entire WindowsImageBackup folder each time then there should never be any problems.
  
• All you need to do is complete your storage procedure by moving your latest WindowsImageBackup folder out of the root into a separate folder and then you can move your chosen WindowsImageBackup folder from your "library" back into the root.
  
• It is always the image in WindowsImageBackup that will be offered for restoration even though it is not the latest one.

There is no alternative to this for Windows images unless you decide to simply add to the same image every time in WindowsImageBackup.

• By doing this, Windows will add whatever has changed since the last image so image making is also speeded up.
  
• Windows would then ask you which date of image you wanted to restore from.
• The problem with this approach is that Windows decides which bits of previous images to clean out of WindowsImageBackup [using rules that are not published] so you might wish to restore a particular one but it will not be offered to you if Windows has not
  kept it intact.

Denis

 

Move the EXISTING system image backup to another disk

I found that I can RENAME WindowsImageBackup folder to have several images of my system. Also I learned that I must rename the one I want to use for restore back to WindowsImageBackup.

But the question is - can I MOVE the existing WindowsImageBackup folder to another drive? Or it contain some hidden/system attributed files which will not be copied and thus to be lost finally?

Thanks!

 

Hi, unfortunately problems with Backup & Restore are relatively common, and often not resolved. I know it doesn't answer your question, but this is one reason why we constantly recommend disk imaging using e.g. Macrium Reflect (free) as being much more robust, maintained, documented and supported.

In your case, as you're dealing with two different PCs, it may be a permissions issue.

Hopefully someone may offer a precise course of action. Meanwhile here are some similar or related threads taht might help or prompt an idea:

Can't Restore from any of my System Images - Solved - Windows 10 Forums
(Solved!)
windows 10 system image recovery - Solved - Windows 10 Forums
(Solved!)
System Image Recovery Troubleshooting - - Windows 10 Forums

...and the tutorial with extensive comments is here:
Create System Image in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Backup Restore Tutorials

Windows 10 System Image not recognized for recovery - - Windows 10 Forums

 

another. solved one..
Recover Folders of Files from System Image?
...and another tutorial.
Mount or Unmount VHD or VHDX File in Windows 10

Your "The disk image isn't initialized..." error message is just telling you to go into Disk Manager and give it a drive letter.

 

Well, I mounted it. Assigned it a letter, and then Windows told me it needed to be formatted. *cry

However, I did notice that when I mounted it in Disk Management, it came up as RAW instead of NTFS. Why would that be?

 

Probably because the file is corrupt. Once the VHD or VHDX file is mounted, I believe you can run regular disk repair tools on it and maybe recover bad partitions. What about the primary hard drive from the old computer?

 

Yeah.... that's my theory, too. Do we think it makes any difference if the WIB is on an internal drive? He's got plenty of space on a 2tb internal and it's currently on a 500gb ext.

Also, a colleague suggested an app called Acronis Home may be able to repair a corrupted WIB file. Any thoughts on that?