A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring Windows 11/10/8.1/7 System Images

When your computer crashes or you need to rescue an ailing Windows operating system, System Image Recovery can be a lifesaver. But what is System Image Recovery, and how does it work? This comprehensive guide has all the information you need to know.

What is System Image Recovery?

System image recovery is the process of restoring your computer from a system image. A system image is a complete copy of your PC, including the operating system, apps, settings, and all your files. If you can't start Windows or your PC is damaged by malware or a hardware failure, you can use a system image to restore your PC to an earlier state when the system image was created.

A system image restore is different from resetting your PC or reinstalling Windows. Resetting your PC removes all your files, settings, and apps, and returns your PC to its original factory settings. Reinstalling Windows keeps your files and settings, but any apps that came with your PC or that you installed from the Microsoft Store are removed.

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【Key Information】What other system recovery options are available in Windows?

Also, you may have heard similar terms like restore USB drive, system repair disc, and system restore point. Do you know what they mean? We'll explain them to you in simple terms with a comparison chart.

Option 1: Restore USB Drive

System image recovery requires a separate drive that contains the backup image. This can be an external hard drive, a USB flash drive, or a network location. Hence, a recovery USB drive is a bootable drive that contains a system backup image, which you can use to reinstall Windows or fix common Windows issues by booting into the Windows Advanced Startup options.

Option 2: System Repair Disc

A System Repair Disc is a bootable CD/DVD that contains the Windows Recovery Environment. You can use it to access System Recovery Options, troubleshoot and fix problems with Windows, and restore your system to an earlier state.

In Windows 7, you could create a System Repair Disc and use it to recover your system. In Windows 8/10/11, you don't need to create a System Repair Disc since you can access recovery options from the Advanced Startup menu or use a Recovery USB drive instead.

How to Restore System Image Without Repair Disc

If you're wondering whether it's possible to restore system image without repair disc, the answer is yes. In this article, we'll see a professional backup tool - Todo Backup, which can create system images on an external device and use them for device recovery.

Option 3: System Restore Point

A System Restore point is a snapshot of your system at a certain point in time. You can use it to revert your system to a previous state if problems arise.

You can create a system restore point manually, or you can have Windows create them automatically on a schedule. To perform a system image recovery, you'll need to have a backup image file that was created at the same time as the system restore point.

In short, the easiest way to restore a system image on a PC is to create regular backups of a working system state to a recovery USB drive or system repair disc.

Also keep in mind that a system image restore will overwrite the system drive, meaning you'll lose any files created on the system drive after the system image was made. So if there are important files on the system drive, back them up before performing a system image restore.

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Title: How to Perform a System Image Recovery: A Step-by-Step Guide 1. **Get Ready** - Make sure you have an external hard drive, USB drive, or DVD with the system image. - Back up your personal files if possible, just in case. - Close all running applications and devices. 2. **Start Your Computer** - Restart your computer. - During startup, press a specific key repeatedly (usually F2, F10, F12, or Esc) to enter BIOS or UEFI settings. - Look for the "Boot" or "Startup" option and set the boot order to prioritize starting from your system image storage device. 3. **Choose Recovery Option** - Follow on-screen instructions to boot from the recovery environment or installation media. - Select your language and keyboard layout, then click "Next." 4. **Troubleshooting Tools** - In the "Recovery" or "Advanced" options, find "System Restore" or "System Image Recovery." - Some systems may require using the "Command Prompt" to run the "reimg /recovery" command. 5. **Select the System Image** - The operating system should automatically detect the device with the system image. If not, browse and select it manually. - Verify the image file's date and time to ensure it's the latest one. 6. **Begin the Recovery Process** - Read the warning message, confirming that you understand recovery will delete all existing data. - Click "Next," then choose "Restore" to initiate the process. - This may take some time, depending on your hardware speed and image size. 7. **Finish the Recovery** - Once the recovery is complete, your computer will restart automatically. - Complete initial setup, including network connection, user accounts, and personalization options. 8. **Restore Your Data** - Since system recovery can remove personal files, remember to restore them from backups after recovery. - Reinstall programs and updates that were uninstalled. 9. **Security Check** - Update your operating system and all crucial security patches for system security. - Run a full virus scan. Remember, system image recovery should be a last resort, used when regular repair methods fail. Regularly creating system images is an important step to prevent data loss.

[ Diagram: Flowchart of system image restoration ]

Now that you know what System Image Recovery is, let's learn how to do it. There are four steps to performing System Image Recovery on your computer according to the flowchart, and each step must be done correctly.

You might also be interested in: What is a Surface recovery image, and how do I download, create, and use one?

☟Set up backup

As mentioned above, a system image is created from an early backup of the system state. Hence, the first step is to create a system image backup for your computer using a system image recovery tool. There is already a default option in the Microsoft Windows operating system called Windows Backup and Restore (Windows 7). Since it's free and convenient, it's worth giving it a try.

Here, we'll use Windows 10 as an example, but don't worry if you're using a different version of Windows – the steps are very similar, so just follow along.

Step 1. To launch the built-in System Image Recovery tool in Windows 10, follow either of these paths:

2. Open Settings (press Windows + I) > Update & Security > Backup > Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7)

• Open the Control Panel (press the Windows key + R, type control, and press Enter) > Backup and Restore (Windows 7).

Open Windows 7 Backup and Restore through the Control Panel

Step 2. If you have never created a backup before, the backup status should read "Windows Backup is not set up." You can click the link to Set up backup to start your first backup right away. Or, to create a system image instead, click Create a system image from the left pane, as described here, which will walk you through choosing a location to store it.

Step 3: You can choose to back up to one of three locations: hard drive, DVD, or network location. Pick the one that's most convenient for you, and click “Next.”

Tip: Which backup location is right for me?

• Choose Local Disk/External Hard Drive: If you need to back up your operating system, files, or applications very frequently. (Note: The drive must be formatted using the NTFS file system to create a system image of it.)
• Choose DVDs: If you're creating your first system image backup, or don't have an external hard drive, you can use DVDs. Just make sure you have enough blank DVDs on hand, since the system image may be quite large and a single DVD can only hold 4.7 GB of data.
• Choose Network Location: If you're backing up a running computer at work and have a network drive available, you can try saving your primary backup image on the network. The first time you choose a network location for backups, enter the network location in the format \Server\Share, along with a username and password.

Here I've chosen a local disk to save the system image, just for this example.

Step 4. Since you're backing up the operating system, the necessary disks for Windows to run are selected by default. As shown in the screenshot, my C: system drive and a System Reserved Partition are grayed out and selected by default.

Note three things: (1) You can't back up to the same disk that your system is on; (2) you can add another disk, such as D or E, to back up the whole computer; and (3) system image files can be huge (mine, as you see, is 90 GB), so it's recommended that you back this up to an external hard drive with enough storage space. You can get a 1TB or 2TB external drive for less than $100 at Best Buy.

Click Next to continue.

Step 5: Review your backup settings, then click Start backup to create the system image immediately, or schedule a system backup for a later time. You can also click Change schedule to adjust how often system image backups occur, as needed.

Step 6: Windows will now proceed with the backup according to your settings. Wait for the process to complete.

How to Keep Multiple Versions of System Images

Multiple system image versions can be kept. Older system images are deleted when disk space runs out, both on internal and external hard disks. To save disk space, delete older system images.

If you save the system image to a network location, only the most recent system image for each computer is kept. System images are saved in a folder named WindowsImageBackup\\Computer name . If you create a system image for a computer and then create a new system image for the same computer, the new system image overwrites the old one.

If you want to keep an old system image, copy it to another location before creating the new system image as described in the following steps.

• Navigate to the location of the system image. • Copy the WindowsImageBackup folder to its new location.

Of course, that is not to say that we should stop trying elsewhere.

Create a system repair disc (for startup recovery)

When it's done, Windows will prompt you to create a System Repair Disc that you can use if your computer won't start up. This is very important – do it.

Technically, to perform system image recovery, you need a system image. But when the system image backup is saved on your local disk, external drive, or network drive, you can access it as long as the computer can boot normally. What if the system crashes and the image becomes inaccessible? In fact, in over 80% of cases, it's because there's something wrong with your PC that prevents it from starting up, and you need to restore the system to a working state.

A System Repair Disc was designed for Windows 7, but is available in later versions of Windows as well. It allows you to start your computer when it won't boot, and can help diagnose and fix serious issues that might prevent Windows from starting correctly. You should create a System Repair Disc and keep it on-hand in case your computer won't start, then use the bootable disc to perform a System Image Recovery and get your computer working again.

(Users of Windows 8.1, 10, or 11 can create a Windows Recovery USB instead of a system repair disc.)

Create a System Repair Disc in Windows 7/8.1/10/11:

Step 1: Click “Start” → “Control Panel” → “Backup and Restore.”

Step 2: On the left, click Create a system repair disc. If you see a User Account Control message, click Yes to continue.

Step 3: Select the CD or DVD drive to create the system repair disc, and then click Create disc.

Step 4: The system will create the system repair disc for you; wait for the process to finish.

5. After the System Repair disc is successfully created, click Close to finish.

Now you can save this system repair disc in a safe place; it will be very useful if you ever need to restore your system image.

Restore your PC from a system image

Now comes the crucial moment to restore your Windows system. There are many reasons why you might need to do this – perhaps due to a virus or corrupted system files that have caused a crash, or maybe you've just installed too many unnecessary programs and junk apps that have slowed everything down. Whatever the reason, if you have created a System Image Backup (which we strongly recommend), you can choose System Image Recovery at any time.

We'll walk you through the process of performing an image restore in Windows 11/10/8.1/7. If you're using an older version of Windows, the interface might look slightly different, but the process is very similar.

Keep in mind that a system image restore will revert all of your backed-up content to an earlier state, and is not a way to recover a single file. If you want to recover a deleted file, use data recovery software instead.

Step 1: Boot into System Image Recovery on your computer. The entry point will vary depending on your current computer's state.

Scenario 1: Your computer still turns on.

Go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery, and under Advanced startup, click Restart now.

In the Recovery options, choose “Reboot now.”

• Scenario 2: Your computer won't start, and you need to use a system-repair disc.

Insert the System Repair disc into the CD/DVD drive, and then restart your computer. Connect the external hard drive that contains the system image backup.

Both will lead you to the “Choose an option ” screen. From there, select “Troubleshoot ” > “Advanced options ” > “System Image Recovery .”

In "Advanced options", choose "System Image Recovery"

Step 3: System Image Recovery will now scan all available disks for system images and display them in a list. Select the latest system image, then click “Next.”

4. Confirm the action. A warning will appear, letting you know that the System Image Recovery will delete all data on your hard drive and replace it with the system image you selected. Click "Finish" to proceed.

Step 5: The System Image Recovery process will start, and you'll see the “Recover your computer” wizard. First, choose the system image version you want to restore. As shown in the picture below, Windows suggests using the latest available system image by default. Click “Next” to proceed.

Select the system image you want to recover.

Step 6: You will now need to select another restore point.

• Format and repartition drives: You might want to turn this on if you're restoring to a new hard disk.
• Exclude drives: If you have more than one hard disk and don't want to restore the system image backup to all of them, choose which drives to exclude from the recovery operation.
• Advanced options: Configure other settings for system image recovery. You can also change where Windows looks for your system image backup files. Choose this option if your system image is stored in a network location.

Select other restore options

Step 7: On the next screen, confirm that you want to do this. Windows warns you that the System Image Recovery will delete everything on your hard drive and replace it with the system image you selected. Click “Finish” to proceed.

Step 8. The system image restore process will begin, and you'll see a progress bar on the screen. This can take some time depending on the size of your system image and the speed of your hard drive.

After the system image restore finishes, Windows will automatically restart and boot from the system image you just restored. You can then check if the issue is resolved and your computer is running normally. If the system image restore didn't work as expected, or you can't boot into Windows, try the other methods in this guide.

Issue: Unable to perform System Image Recovery on my computer

If you see an error message, or the System Image Recovery fails, it's likely that your system image backup is corrupt, or there's a problem with the backup drive. For example, in Windows 8.1 or 10, you might encounter an error like “System Image Restore failed. The system cannot find the file specified. (0x80070002).” This error usually means that the backup image was unmounted too soon during the recovery process.

To recover from this type of error, follow these steps.

Step 1. On the Choose an option screen, this time click Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.

Step 2. The Command Prompt window should now be open. We will use the DISKPART command line to locate the volume where the operating system is installed. When you perform System Image Recovery and encounter the error 0x80070002, the system drive will be recognized as RAW. What we are going to do here is to convert RAW to NTFS without formatting. Type: diskpart > list volume > select volume X > format fs=NTFS quick > exit.

Step 3. Back at the Choose an option screen, click Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Image Recovery. Follow the instructions in the Restore your computer wizard to complete the recovery from your saved backup.

Other issues that might lead to system image recovery failure are "Windows Can't Find a System Image on This Computer" or "System Image Restore Fails Because of EFI or BIOS Error". Errors like in the examples above usually occur when you try to restore a system image to a computer with different firmware.

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[Highly Recommended] Third-Party Windows System Image Recovery Tools

Now that you know the entire process of creating system image backups and how to restore your PC from a system image in detail, along with how to use a System Repair Disc to recover an unbootable computer, the built-in Windows System Image Backup tool is quite friendly for most computer users as a basic backup plan. However, it falls short for advanced uses like encrypting system images, compressing system images to smaller sizes to save disk space, or setting up automatic backup frequencies.

Alternatively, you can replace the built-in tool with a more complete and professional system backup and recovery software, Todo Backup, for all editions of Windows 10/8.1/8/7, like Home, Pro, Enterprise, etc. It is designed for Windows users who seek for a simple, fast, and hassle-free solution for system protection.

Unlike the built-in System Image Backup tool in Windows, Todo Backup can create system images and store them on external hard drives, USB flash drives, network shares, or in the cloud. It also supports scheduled system image backups, so you can set up an automated system image backup plan to protect your computer.

Typically, users opt for third-party system backup and recovery software over the default Windows System Restore for the following reasons. Let's examine the key points one by one.

• Reduces the risk of failed system backup or recovery attempts
• Simpler, smarter backup operations with faster restoration speeds
• Supports backing up the system to external hard drives, USB flash drives, network locations, NAS, and cloud storage, enabling users to create additional backup copies at different locations simultaneously
• Schedule system image backups by day, week, month, or event
• Perform incremental and differential backups for significantly improved recovery speed and disk space utilization
• Advanced backup options to compress, encrypt, merge, and split backup images for flexible system management
• Integrates hot cloning features for hard disks, which is useful when upgrading your system disk to a larger capacity
• Easier creation of a bootable rescue media compared to creating system repair discs in Windows
• Enables creating and restoring system images to another computer without booting, avoiding boot issues
• 24x7 technical support available via live chat, email, and phone. Remote assistance services are also provided

Now, let's see how to create a system image backup and restore the system with the help of the Todo Backup tool.

Backup system image:

Step 1: Run Todo Backup on your computer, and then click “Create Backup” on the home screen. Click the big question mark button to choose what you want to back up.

Step 2. To back up your Windows operating system, click "OS" to start the task.

Step 3. Your Windows operating system and all related system files and partitions will be selected automatically, so you don't need to choose anything here. Next, you need to click on the area highlighted in the image below to choose where you want to save your System Image Backup.

System Backup

Step 4: The backup location can be another local drive on your computer, an external hard drive, a network, the cloud, or a NAS. Generally, we recommend using an external physical drive or the cloud to store your system image files.

Step 5: If you want, click on Options to set up an automatic backup schedule (daily, weekly, monthly, or event-based), differential backups, and incremental backups. Click "Back Up Now" to begin the Windows backup process. Completed tasks will display as cards on the left side.

Restore system image:

* To perform system recovery on an unbootable computer, try to boot the computer with the Todo Backup Emergency Disk tool.

Step 1: Launch the Todo Backup tool and click on "Browse Recovery".

Step 2. Navigate to your backup location and select the system backup file you need. (Backup files created by Todo Backup are with .pbd extension.)

Step 3: Select the recovery disk. Make sure that the partition style of the source disk and the recovery disk is the same.

Step 4. Customize the disk layout as needed, and then click "Continue" to start the system restore.

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Key Points for Successful System Image Recovery

- A system image is an exact replica of your computer's system drive, containing the operating system, all installed programs, and settings. - The purpose of system image recovery is to restore your computer from a system image backup in case of system failure or data loss. - To perform system image recovery, you need to have created a system image beforehand. - There are two ways to create a system image backup: using the built-in System Image Backup tool in Windows or using a third-party system backup software. - Before starting system image recovery, ensure that your computer can boot normally. If it doesn't, try booting from the system repair disc you created and select the system image you wish to restore. - If the system image recovery doesn't work as expected or you can't access Windows, consider using the Todo Backup tool from this guide. Here are ten reasons to download backup and recovery software.