System image cannot be saved on this location?

[below20hz]

I'm trying to set up a system image backup on one of my storage hard drives. But when I select the drive I want, it says "system image cannot be saved on this location" because its says a system image cannot be saved to a drive that windows boots from or has Windows OS on it. But I do not boot from this disk or have any version of Windows on it, and I never have.

Can anyone tell me what the deal is?

thanks,
Ethan

 

[Jonmor68]

One way to confirm that said drive has no OS files on it, shut down and unplug the drive you are trying to save to.
If it still boots ok then there is no logical reason it can't be saved to, if it fails to boot then you will know that it contains some system files.
How many physical hard drives do you have, not how many partitions?

 

[below20hz]

i have five physical drives: one SSD (with Win 7 on it), one 750gb HDD, and three 1tb HDD, one of which is the drive I'm trying to save my system image to. I've unplugged all three 1tb drives already and Windows 7 boots fine, so I have no clue why it won't let me use one of these drives to create a system image.

Any scenarios that might make Windows 7 *think* there's an OS or boot info on a drive when there's not? Could it be cuz there's an MBR on the drive?

 

[arjunp2085]

Could it be that you were running a different operating system from that Drive??

Since you have a lot of space you can try to move the data to other drives.. and Try to remove . recreate and format the drive and try again to same the system image.

Long process but might work

 

[below20hz]

Could it be that you were running a different operating system from that Drive??

Since you have a lot of space you can try to move the data to other drives.. and Try to remove . recreate and format the drive and try again to same the system image.

Long process but might work

nah there was never any OS on that drive. But I like your idea. Its so crazy it just. might. work. I'll try it!

 

[arjunp2085]

It has a good chance.. will take a long time as well... all the best

 

[arjunp2085]

nah there was never any OS on that drive. But I like your idea. Its so crazy it just. might. work. I'll try it!

So does it work?? let me know how it went

 

[rwpritchett]

I had this same problem. The cause was there is a hidden partition 100MB in size when you install Windows 7. For some reason, when I installed it put that 100MB hidden partition on a secondary drive while it installed the OS on the actual drive I intended. Go to disc management in Windows 7 and see if you have a hidden partition on the drive you are trying to back up to.

 

[arjunp2085]

the 100 Mb partition is a feature of the OS . it provides recovery tools for the operating system without the Disk. and that partition cannot be mounted..

 

[number13]

use Acronis True Image

 

[below20hz]

haven't got a chance to try it yet, but I did check disk management and 100mb recovery partition is on the C drive where it belongs. i might just buy a new hard drive anyways, so i might not have to worry about it.