Question Reinstalling Windows and restoring a backup ?

[Jessy2001James]

Hi there,

Due to some issues with my PC, I have been suggested advised to reinstall Windows.

I downloaded Macrium Reflect and made an image back up of my entire C: drive ( ssd ) and put it on my second drive. My question is, how can I safely restore the back up after I reinstalled Windows? Can it just overwrite the new Windows files, or is there a method to it?

Ive seen videos about how to restore backups after an emergency but not spefically after reinstalling Windows.

Would be glad to provide any more info if needed

 

[USAFRet]

You created an Image of the whole C drive?
All partitions?

If so, and this Image was created when the system was fully functional, you do not need to install Windows first.

Where does this Image exist? On what drive?

 

[Lafong]

My question is, how can I safely restore the back up after I reinstalled Windows? Can it just overwrite the new Windows files, or is there a method to it?

If you in fact made a valid Macrium image file of all partitions on the drive and later "restore" all partitions in that image file to drive X, the entire contents of drive X will be overwritten. Regardless of what drive X contains at that moment.

Yes there is a method to it.

"Restore" is a formal procedure within Macrium, using Macrium menus. Totally separate and distinct from "making an image".

The very first thing you should have done after installing Macrium is to make "rescue media", using Macrium menus and a USB flash drive of at least 1 GB capacity.

If you don't have that "rescue media", how would you even start your PC to do a "restore" if your system drive dropped dead?

 

[Bob.B]

Hi there,

Due to some issues with my PC, I have been suggested advised to reinstall Windows.

I downloaded Macrium Reflect and made an image back up of my entire C: drive ( ssd ) and put it on my second drive. My question is, how can I safely restore the back up after I reinstalled Windows? Can it just overwrite the new Windows files, or is there a method to it?

Ive seen videos about how to restore backups after an emergency but not spefically after reinstalling Windows.

Would be glad to provide any more info if needed

Your too late any image of a bum OS will have the same problems.

You needed to create an image before you had a problem then you could restore the image and be back to a working pc.

 

[Jessy2001James]

Your too late any image of a bum OS will have the same problems.

You needed to create an image before you had a problem then you could restore the image and be back to a working pc.

It was more in the sense that I want to reinstall windows and get all my files back

 

[Jessy2001James]

If you in fact made a valid Macrium image file of all partitions on the drive and later "restore" all partitions in that image file to drive X, the entire contents of drive X will be overwritten. Regardless of what drive X contains at that moment.

Yes there is a method to it.

"Restore" is a formal procedure within Macrium, using Macrium menus. Totally separate and distinct from "making an image".

The very first thing you should have done after installing Macrium is to make "rescue media", using Macrium menus and a USB flash drive of at least 1 GB capacity.

If you don't have that "rescue media", how would you even start your PC to do a "restore" if your system drive dropped dead?

Yeah I dont have a spare USB yet so I went to get one today!

 

[Jessy2001James]

You created an Image of the whole C drive?
All partitions?

If so, and this Image was created when the system was fully functional, you do not need to install Windows first.

Where does this Image exist? On what drive?

My entire C: and its stored on my second 2tb drive but there's a problem with windows itself so its like @Bob.B said.

 

[USAFRet]

My entire C: and its stored on my second 2tb drive but there's a problem with windows itself so its like @Bob.B said.

If you created the full drive Image when the system was a bit 'not quite right'....well...that Image is also not quite right.
Recovering that full drive Image will be in exactly the same borked up state it was when you made the Image.

What you CAN do with Macrium, probably,....

Install your new OS.
Install the Macrium client.

Navigate to where your Image is. (Where is that?)

Mount that Image. (Functionality in the Macrium client) It will be seen as another drive letter in File Explorer.
Navigate down in that drive letter to your valued files.
Copy those out to somewhere in your new OS install.

Just "files", not applications.

 

[Jessy2001James]

If you created the full drive Image when the system was a bit 'not quite right'....well...that Image is also not quite right.
Recovering that full drive Image will be in exactly the same borked up state it was when you made the Image.

What you CAN do with Macrium, probably,....

Install your new OS.
Install the Macrium client.

Navigate to where your Image is. (Where is that?)

Mount that Image. (Functionality in the Macrium client) It will be seen as another drive letter in File Explorer.
Navigate down in that drive letter to your valued files.
Copy those out to somewhere in your new OS install.

Just "files", not applications.

I think that's the answer I've been looking for, I think Ill do just do that.

Ill just have to reinstall the applications, but hey that's life.

Thanks alot,


I can move on now XD

 

[USAFRet]

Later, if you want, we can go into a REAL backup situation, so that you're not in this position in the future...😉