# Can't restore backup image



## Shlouski

I have done entire backup images and restores on vista lots of times before with no problems, but now i am having problems doing it with windows 7. I've tried doing a restore on two different computers, one with the image on an external hard drive and the other with it on a separate internal hard drive. The images are not found under "Use the latest available system image", but they are in "select a system image", but when i select the image i want, i get the same error on both computers "The selected system image cannot be restored in this recovery enviroment", then it give me the intructions on how to restore with this image, which is the same process as i just tried.

1. Insert windows insallation disc. Which i did

2. Boot from disc. Which i did

3. Choose "restore your computer using a system image that you created earlier", and then select this system image, which i did, which brings me to this error. RETARDED

Any ideas whats going on?


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## th3d3stroy3r69

Take a look at these links they may or may not help you

http://www.petri.co.il/restore-windows-7-from-backup-image.htm

http://www.petri.co.il/working-with-system-image-backups-in-windows-7.htm


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## Shlouski

no what they say on there is exactly what i did. I had a lot less problems with vista, plus i prefer the way it works and looks, so i might load up my old vista backup.


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## Shlouski

ok, I am get a wiered error now saying " This version of system recovery options is not compatible with the version of windows you are trying to repair". Well im trying to repair windows 7, with an windows 7 installation disc, maybe it wants an xp or vista disc lol.


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## Shlouski

SOB, im going back to vista.


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## majik1213

I have the same issue (although I'm sure this has resolved for you ..).  First, I have windows 7 home premium, but was using a windows 7 profession DVD disc, which I feel explains that "This version of system recovery options is not compatible with the version of windows you are trying to repair" message; however, the other issue, the one for the original post, is more complex.  I foolishly made one of my partitions active by accident, and reloaded my laptop only to see the dreaded bootmgr is missing file.  Now, on one of the partitions I have a system image I backed up before this happened, but I believe the reason I can't access it is because of this parition issue.  The "drives in backup" tab under the Re-image your computer window is wrriten out as, "\\?\Volume{6412cb71-0122-11e0-a804-806e6f6e6963}, C:" .. but this image is found on drive D, not C.  In addition, I am not sure why there is the ? present, but I do not know computers to this extent and cannot interpret.  Anyone out there that can help me figure out what's going on?  The key for me is to get that partition fixed, which I think I can do through the command prompt, but i don't know what commands to enter to make this happen ..


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## majik1213

My solution right now is to install windows 7 professional, to transfer the image folder from the partition to an external hard drive, to delete the D: partition, to expand the originial C drive volume to absorb the space the deleted D: partition left behind, and to perform system image restore (at the level of the operating system) using the external hard drive as the source of the image, mostly because the external hard drive is clearly not associated with this partition madness.  

You know, I don't even know why this happened.  I marked the operating system partition, the C drive, as active.  I think it's related to this dell XPS15, because Dell establishes it's own OEM protected partitions, and it's possible that one of those needs to be the active one for a successful boot.  Not sure though, and would love to hear community's opinions.

I'm sure there is a slicker option out there that probably involves re-educating the PC about what partition needs to be active.  In this scenario, a reinstallation would not be necessary, nor would system image restoration. If anyone wants a stab at it, know that i have 4 partitions, and OEM-reserved partition, a "recovery" partition (small, unsure whether it's the one I need to mark active?), a OS partition (the one I marked as active), and a newly made "Resurrection" partition, which has the system image on it, even though I can't actually use it in the system recovery tools offered by the windows 7 professional installation DVD.

As of now, the windows 7 installation is proceeding smoothly.


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