Which of the users of Windows-systems did not encounter a situation where the "OS" crashes and needs to be restored? The vast majority of uninitiated users rely on automated Windows tools, but such actions very often lead only to the fact that when critical errors and malfunctions occur, the system simply reports that the computer could not be restored. That is why restoring a computer from an image created using OS tools or using third-party programs seems more preferable, since it allows you to bring the system into working condition in a short period of time and with a 100% guarantee (if only the external removable media on which the image was previously recorded is not damaged). And removable drives or USB drives do not always need to be used.
In some cases, you can save a backup directly in the logical partition of another disk included in the RAID array (if it is not planned to restore it later), or, if possible, in a network share folder with open shared access on another computer.
Why create a system image?
Before we begin to consider restoring a computer from a Windows image, we will briefly dwell on why you generally need to create such copies and how it all works. When creating an image file with a .vhd extension (like virtual disk files), for example, for a partition with an installed operating system, absolutely all system objects of the operating system, installed programs, and user data are copied to it. When using the standard procedure using Windows tools, the file is necessarily copied to removable media or an external hard drive, since the logical partition can be located on the same physical drive as the archived one (then it can be copied to any other place).
When the computer starts recovery from the image, the section for which such a procedure is performed completely overwrites all the contents with formatting, as a result of which absolutely all files and directories (even damaged ones) are replaced with those that were saved in the image. It is easy to guess that in the end the user receives a workable system in the form in which it was before the appearance of failures or fatal errors.
How to make an image of one or several partitions?
Now a few words about how to prepare for recovering a computer from an image. It goes without saying that you need to create this image in advance by selecting the section for which you may need to perform such operations. In all versions of Windows for this in the "Control Panel" there is a special section for backup (backup) and recovery, in which the creation of the image is selected.
After the initiation of the procedure, the location for saving the image, the archived section is indicated and the main procedure starts. Please note that if you select DVDs as your media, they can be extremely large. Therefore, it is best to save the image either on an external HDD or on the Web.
Note: sometimes you can use the backup settings item, and then tell the system on which drive the created copies will be stored.
Recovering a computer from a Windows 7 image: a standard process startup option
So, we assume that the image is created. Now you can proceed directly to the procedure for recovering a computer from an image, if required. In a working system, for this, in Windows 7 and below, the above section is used, where the recovery options for system parameters and advanced recovery methods are selected.
After that, the use of the previously created image is indicated, and the archiving item is skipped. At the last stage, the restart of the computer is confirmed. Finally, after this, the language layout is selected, the user, and the access password is entered, if one is installed. When a window with recovery options appears, the image recovery item is marked in it, and then the last available image is searched.
After all the preliminary steps are completed, all that remains is to confirm the operation (you can skip setting additional parameters in the form of disk exclusion, re-partitioning or installing drivers).
Restoring a computer from a system image when Windows cannot be booted
Now it’s worth considering the situation when some irreversible failures occurred in the system, but the image was previously created and saved on removable media.
In this case, you will first need to enter the special start menu, called in Windows 7 and below with the F8 key, select the troubleshooting item and go through the above procedure.
You can do even easier by first setting up the emergency media in the BIOS / UEFI settings with the image as the first device to start. Such actions are more necessary to restore the computer from a Windows 8 image or higher. In the process, the layout and image file are selected in the same way, after which the restoration is confirmed. If the desired file is stored in a logical partition, but the recovery tool does not find it on its own, you must specify its location. This is usually the WindowsImageBackup directory.
Windows 10: recovery procedure
Restoring a computer from a Windows 10 image can be done by following the steps described.
But in the case of independent activation of the process in a working system, you will have to use the item of special boot options (to get to the start menu, which is not called with the F8 key when loading), and only then use the previously created image.
Start automatic recovery with image selection
You can often encounter situations where the user initially relies on the use of an automated system rollback to the previous state, but after all the actions are completed, a message appears on the screen stating that the computer was not started correctly and that the system could not be restored. Autorecovery is usually triggered by a three-time forced shutdown of the computer or laptop with a restart and interruption of the download. The rollback starts for the fourth time.
But when the specified notification appears, many do not pay attention to the fact that the window has a button for additional parameters. You need to click it, and then, as in all previous cases, select the appropriate item using the previously created image.
How to use an image file located in a networked environment?
Finally, restoring a computer from an image in a networked environment can be done just as easily. Initially, the file itself can be saved on the hard drive of another terminal, but the folder with the image (s) will need to be shared, and the computer terminal itself should be allowed to be discovered on the Web (for example, with a wireless connection). In this case, restoring a computer from an image in a network folder may take a little longer, due to some speed limits on the network connection itself, which affects data copying. But the actions performed are practically no different from what was presented above.
Note: if there are several images in the directory, be especially careful when choosing the source file, because instead of your system you can get someone else’s with unnecessary programs and user files installed in it.
Partial File Recovery
But the use of images is not limited to the above actions, because the operating system sometimes may not be required to be restored, and only lost or some damaged files need to be returned. In such a situation, the image file can be used as a regular virtual hard disk. To do this, simply call the computer via PCM on the computer icon (in Windows 10, it is located directly in the "Explorer", and not on the "Desktop", and then use the tool for working with hard drives. The easiest way to call it from the "Run" console with the command diskmgmt.msc.
Next, in the "Action" menu, select the connection of the virtual hard disk and specify the path to the file with the .vhd extension (to the same previously created image). After that, you just need to select the desired file and press the open button. The disk will appear in the "Explorer", and from it you can copy the necessary information, as from a regular logical partition.
The disadvantages of the standard method
Alas, the standard methodology for many users, to put it mildly, does not inspire confidence, because it has a number of significant shortcomings. The main one is that it is not possible to fully configure archiving using automatic mode (this may require additional utilities). And with this approach, depending on the size of the system or logical partition itself, a backup can take up a lot of space. For example, if the size of the system partition with the “top ten” is 235 GB and the occupied space is at the level of 80 GB, 164 GB is needed to create an image. It remains only to use an external drive in the form of a USB-HDD, since such a volume of data will not fit on any flash drive. And we are not talking about optical media at all. Can you imagine how many disks (even two-layer ones) will be needed, not to mention the time taken to copy the files?
Third Party Software
As for specialized programs from third-party developers, Acronis True Image utility looks most relevant. In it, creating an image and restoring the system is much simpler than using standard Windows tools.
It is believed that one of the most important “features” of the program is the ability to directly save the image in the Acronis cloud service, although many note that this service is paid and is actually simply imposed on users. In addition, saving the image on a remote server is not the best and safest solution, especially if important confidential information is present in the image file. Naturally, in the program you can configure automatic archiving and create bootable media for recovery in advance. But this is a clear plus.
Afterword
This is briefly and all that relates to the restoration of the computer using a previously created image. The main emphasis was placed solely on the tools and tools of Windows systems, since many users of special third-party applications may simply not be at hand. And in such a situation, a rollback can be performed with a very high probability of a successful system recovery.