Question Restoring Windows 10 from Backup

Dom46

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Jun 26, 2019
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I believe in backing up my systems. I have an HP 580T from 2011 that has served me well. It's only purpose is to check email and browsing for research.

Lately, the system has been acting a bit peculiar, and I suspected that the hard drive was the problem. But before my replacement drive arrived (Samsung 860 EVO SSD) arrived, the drive refused to boot.

Upon further examination, I found that the existing drive was mechanically fine, but that its boot files had become corrupted. So my plan was to reinstall Windows 10 and then restore my backup from an external USB drive. This is necessary for two reasons:

1. All of my files and applications are on my backup.

2. When purchased, the system was licensed with Windows 7. But after a scan and thumbs up from Microsoft, I chose to do the free Windows 10 upgrade. THIS is the bigger reason to restore the backup as it is where my license is located. As it stands now, I have a "trial" version running.

As I said previously, with the trial version installed, I expected to restore my licensed copy from the backup. The newly installed Windows 10 system, sees the drive and it's label ("Recovery") on the desktop, it does not see the directory tree. Furthermore, when I enter into the recovery utilities and select "restore from image", the utility does not see the drive. But when I exit out, it is there. Additionally, the complete file structure is 100% there when plugged into my MacBook.

There is an issue with Windows 10 where created folders are read only, and when you try to remove that attribute, it goes through the motions but the changes don't take. Could this possibly be that cause of my problem?

I am open to suggestions.

Thank you.
Dom
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
And this is the second most issue with backups...not knowing how to recover.
(The primary issue is not making them at all)

So you have a new install on another drive, and you're trying to recover the old install?

A new install of Win 10 in that same hardware should NOT incur an issue with the licensing. Even without the backup issue.
 

Dom46

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Jun 26, 2019
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Which windows 10 backup and recovery utility did you use? Was it File History? If it was file image, it needs to be done outside windows. Further, have you considered try to rebuild the booting files?

I tried posting a screen shot of my file directory on the recovery drive when viewed on my MacBook Pro. But I am unable to browse to it on my Mac.

It looks like this:

- EFI <folder>
Boot <folder>
Microsoft <folder>
- FileHistory <folder>
Dom <folder>
reagent.xml
- Sources <folder>
$PBR_Diskpart.txt
$PBR_ResetConfig.xml
Reconstruct.WIM
Reconstruct.WIM2

I thought it was an image of the drive, but is it possible that it is a file history backup?

When I first created the backup, I provided the blank USB drive and let windows do what it needed to do. Once I received a message that the backup was successfully completed, I trusted it would be there if I needed it.

Can you tell me they type of backup based on the file structure?
 
What you have is a Windows 10 repair disc. Its purpose is to boot to the Windows 10 recovery/repair environment, aka WinPE, if you can not boot to Windows, to access either a system image or restore; it contains no backup information on it's own. After doing a system image, Windows 10 will ask if you want to make a system repair disc.
 
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Dom46

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Jun 26, 2019
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What you have is a Windows 10 repair disc. Its purpose is to boot to the Windows 10 recovery/repair environment, aka WinPE, if you can not boot to Windows, to access either a system image or restore; it contains no backup information on it's own. After doing a system image, Windows 10 will ask if you want to make a system repair disc.

Yes. And when booting from the repair disk, the system will not allow me to point to the drive with the information.

So if I understand correctly, what I have will not allow me to restore my system to the state prior to failure?
 
Yes. And when booting from the repair disk, the system will not allow me to point to the drive with the information.

So if I understand correctly, what I have will not allow me to restore my system to the state prior to failure?
Since you said you planned to restore your system from an USB, it sounds like you used File History, as Windows will not let you save an image to an USB; it wants a hard drive of Network location. File History takes a while to do a backup and is supposed to run continuously. If you used File History, you will need to install Windows 10 and use File History to restore your personal files afterword. If you used file image, where did you store your backup?
 
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Dom46

Reputable
Jun 26, 2019
79
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4,535
Since you said you planned to restore your system from an USB, it sounds like you used File History, as Windows will not let you save an image to an USB; it wants a hard drive of Network location. File History takes a while to do a backup and is supposed to run continuously. If you used File History, you will need to install Windows 10 and use File History to restore your personal files afterword. If you used file image, where did you store your backup?

I am in agreement; your description of File History sounds more like what I did. A fresh Windows 10 install is the way to go.

But as I mentioned earlier in my post, my license came from a free upgrade from a licensed version of Windows 7. Do you think there is some way to get this license restored or should I bite the bullet and buy a copy?

I appreciate the input and patience.

Thank you.
Dom
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
I am in agreement; your description of File History sounds more like what I did. A fresh Windows 10 install is the way to go.

But as I mentioned earlier in my post, my license came from a free upgrade from a licensed version of Windows 7. Do you think there is some way to get this license restored or should I bite the bullet and buy a copy?

I appreciate the input and patience.

Thank you.
Dom
For a clean install in that same system, you don't need to worry about the license key. Even if it was the free Upgrade from a previous version.
Just install, and it will activate itself later.