Problems with Windows Restore from System Image

Question

Ok so, I was using win10 and decided to give win11 a try. But before changing my c drive to gpt and updating, I made a win10 system image using built-in win7 system imaging tool. I ended up having a lot of trouble with win11 and decided to roll back to win10 using my system image. The Windows RE was very picky and I had to clean my both c and d drives using command prompt and then convert c drive back to MBR. The problem? The restore process finally started and managed to restore the c drive image (the c, system reserved, and recovery partitions)... BUT ON THE WRONG DRIVE. It restored contents of my c drive on my d drive and left the entire physical c drive and the remaining space on d drive unallocted (the restoration of d drive failed). I have honestly no idea why it keeps happening (I tried few times) and don't know how to fix it. All the hardware is as it was when the image was made so why it has problems now? Any help would be greatly appreciated ❤🙏.

Answer 1

It sounds like you're experiencing issues with the restoration process of your system image, particularly with the partitions being restored to the wrong drives. Here are a few things to consider that might help you troubleshoot this problem:

1. Drive Letter Assignments: When restoring a system image, Windows may assign different drive letters than expected. Ensure that you are selecting the correct target drive during the restoration process. You can use DiskPart to verify the drive letters and ensure that they match your expectations before starting the restore.
2. Partition Structure: Since you converted your C drive to GPT and then back to MBR, ensure that the partition structure is correct and that the system reserved and recovery partitions are set up properly. The restoration process may fail if the expected partition layout is not present.
3. Using the Correct Recovery Tools: Make sure you are using the appropriate recovery tools that correspond to the version of Windows you are restoring. The Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) can behave differently depending on the version, so ensure that the tools you are using are compatible with Windows 10.
4. Unallocated Space: If the restoration process is leaving unallocated space, it might be due to the partition sizes or the way the image was created. Ensure that the image was created correctly and that it includes all necessary partitions. You may need to manually create partitions that match the original layout before restoring the image.
5. Check for Errors: If you encounter errors during the restore process, take note of any specific error messages. These can provide clues as to what might be going wrong. You can also check the logs in the Windows RE for more detailed information about the restore process.

If these suggestions do not resolve the issue, consider using a different imaging tool that may provide more flexibility or better compatibility with your current system setup.

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References:

• Capture and apply Windows, system, and recovery partitions
• Hard drives and partitions

Answer 2

Thanks for reaching out, Igor. The restore might be messing up the disk layout due to your changes (GPT/MBR switch, drive cleaning, partition edits). The old Windows 7 tool is picky, it wants the exact disk setup it saw before. If things don't match, it restores wrong or fails.

What's up and how to fix it:

Disk ID Problem: The image links partitions to disk IDs. Cleaning disks changes these IDs, so the tool can't find “C.”

Partition Order Change: If C and D were in a set order and are now flipped, the tool guesses wrong.

Fixes:

Leave only the target drive plugged in. This makes the tool use that one disk.

The target should be the same size or bigger than the old C drive.

If you can, redo the old partition layout (same number, close to the same sizes).

If it still fails, try Macrium Reflect or AOMEI Backupper. They handle disk layouts better.

Another way. If you just need files, mount the image as a drive and copy them instead of restoring.

Let me know what happens.

Regards,

Rez