Unable to restore files backed up using "Windows 7 Backup and Restore" tool

PCR: THANK YOU for your very detailed instructions! I can't express how crestfallen I've been for the last two weeks at the thought of losing all of these files.

Following #1, I was able to add a letter to the "Windows" partition and am currently copying files from that partition over to C. Is it necessary to proceed with #2-3, or is that only if I want to go through with a system image restore?

I think I've found everything I need from the Windows partition (Pictures, Music, Downloads, Documents, browser data and preferences, Microsoft Office, Adobe).

And thank you for the Greg Shultz article. Right after my reinstallation and realization of my back-up issue, I did come across and attempted to follow that article as well as his subsequent article about recreating the user account. Recreating the user account did not make the old backup appear, but that very well could have been my own user error.

"However, when I reinstalled Windows, I may have accidentally replaced the old File History backup with a new backup of the new installation (essentially, I think I overwrote the old File History with the new)."

Well, here is an article by Greg Shultz that clearly explains the sadly nonintuitive way you needed to restore the files to the new installation...

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-correctly-use-file-history-to-transfer-data-files-to-a-new-windows-10-installation/

How to correctly use File History to transfer data files to a new Windows 10 installation

It does say at bottom, "The workaround to this problem involves deleting the File History backup you inadvertently made and re-creating your user account on your new system. Then you'll be able to use File History the correct way. In next week's follow-up article, I'll explain these steps in detail."

However, recreating your user account sounds like a bugaboo in & of itself. It's a pity MSFT didn't do a better job with all of that.

Thank you, PCR. I think that I made both a system image (last December, which is better than nothing) and also used File History (on 30 May, the day before reinstallation of Windows). However, when I reinstalled Windows, I may have accidentally replaced the old File History backup with a new backup of the new installation (essentially, I think I overwrote the old File History with the new). That leaves the system image option.

You wrote, "I think you do not want to restore the system image." However, I think I do because the new installation of Windows does not have any data on it yet that I am worried about losing. Everything that matters to me (pictures, documents, music) is in the back-ups. So, unless I am overlooking something obvious about reinstallations, I do not see the harm in restoring the system image (if I could only figure out how to do so!).

Since double-clicking on the .vhdx files within File Explorer produces the error, I opened Disk Manager as you suggested. When I look at Disk Manager, I am not sure which items are the mounted images. I also do not see how to apply a letter to an item on the Disk Manager screen. The .vhdx files are located on the ADATA hard drive (F).

(1) File History is separate from the Backup & Restore (Win 7) tool. If you did not use it in the prior installation to backup your files, you can't recover them with that now. If you did use it, there is a specific (possibly nonintuitive) way to turn on File History in the new installation to have it use those files. I'd have to go look that up.

(2) But it looks like you did use Backup & Restore (Win 7) to make a Windows system image backup of the 4 Windows partitions: EFI, MSR, Windows, & Recovery. (The MSR doesn't get its own .vhdx but is incorporated in that of the Windows partition). Your Windows partition is the .vhdx file that is 300 GB huge. I think you do not want to restore the system image. That would wipe out your current installation. But, as was said, you can mount the Windows partition & copy individual folders & files off of it. To do so, double-click the largest .vhdx in the backup folder in File Explorer.

That will be the image of the C: partition. It will get a letter (say, E:) & open in a 2nd instance of File Explorer. You may put it side by side with the 1st instance. Then browse to your files & copy them from E: to C:. (But I wouldn't try the reverse.) When done, right-click E:, & select "Eject".

But the first time you double-click a .vhdx, it may give an error message. So, as was said, just OK the error, & open "right-click START, Disk Management". The mounted image will have the same name it did when the image was made -- but no letter. Put a letter on it, & it will show up in File Explorer.

Critical partitions for a UEFI install, Recovery, EFI System, MSR and OS. The MSR will be visible on the partitions page of the repair tools.

You also have the same or more space available as the original install the image was created from..

To be on the safe side you may want to copy whatever is on the F: partition to a safe location. Things can go wrong.