[SOLVED] Windows 10 system restore failure

Jim Wells · Feb 13, 2022

I've recently run a Win 10 system restore that has failed, and I'm hoping you might be able to assist.

The background is that after some recent issues I feared the hard disk was dying. GSmart reported read errors, and a comprehensive check that ought to have taken hours ended in minutes.

I was able to take a system restore image to an external USB hard disk without any error messages, so I assume it succeeded.

I bought a new hard disk and fitted it. I was able to start the machine from a Win 10 install DVD, but had to adjust some BIOS/UEFI setting to allow this (may be relevant?). I restored the system image. This took an appropriately long time, and seemed to be progressing OK. However, when I came back to the machine it was showing an error message:

The system image restore failed.

Error details: The parameter is incorrect. (0x80070057)

Sure enough, the PC will not start from the hard disk. I can photograph and share exact error messages if useful.

Booting from the Win 10 install DVD and trying start up repair didn't help: "Start-up repair couldn't repair you PC".

Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

For info, the I still have the failing disk, safely away from the PC and the system restore image on the external USB hard drive, which is still plugged into the PC.

Googling gives some limited information. One of the pages looked good initially, but ultimately trying to sell me their tool. Another looked like a collection of partial replies borrowed from other places. At the point I decided to ask the experts here.

Thank you in advance.

Jim

FreeBooter · Feb 13, 2022

Make sure to setup BIOS mode correctly if the image was on GPT disk set BIOS mode to UEFI.

The low disk space can cause this error.

An incompatible file system format or a corrupted system image file could be the probable reasons.

Execute following commands:

Code:

diskpart

list disk

sel disk x

clean

exit

In the sel disk command, you have to replace ‘x’ with the relevant disk number to which the image restore is being done.

Close Command Prompt and restart your device and try again.

x BlueRobot · Feb 13, 2022

Jim Wells said:
I was able to take a system restore image to an external USB hard disk without any error messages, so I assume it succeeded.

Did you create an image from the possibly faulty disk?

zbook · Feb 13, 2022

Jim Wells said:
I was able to take a system restore image to an external USB hard disk without any error messages, so I assume it succeeded.

Was this using Windows or third party software?

Please post links.

Jim Wells · Feb 14, 2022

x BlueRobot said:
Did you create an image from the possibly faulty disk?

Yes. Does this mean I could have captured problems within the image, as well as just the data. A system image from a suspect disk worked last time I did this (for someone else - my disk this time), and I was hoping for the same again.

zbook said:
Was this using Windows or third party software?

Please post links.

Windows 10 built in functionality. Apologies for not being explicit. (I'm assuming you only wanted a link if third party software, but please correct me if needed.)

Jim Wells · Feb 14, 2022

FreeBooter said:
Make sure to setup BIOS mode correctly if the image was on GPT disk set BIOS mode to UEFI.

The low disk space can cause this error.

An incompatible file system format or a corrupted system image file could be the probable reasons.

Execute following commands:

Code:

diskpart list disk sel disk x clean exit

In the sel disk command, you have to replace ‘x’ with the relevant disk number to which the image restore is being done.

Close Command Prompt and restart your device and try again.

Thank you.

I have to admit we are at (beyond) the limits of my knowledge here. I'm away from the problem machine today, but will look further as soon as I can.

FreeBooter said:
Close Command Prompt and restart your device and try again.

To ensure I am understanding properly, it is restoring the system image that I should re-try here?

I might have to come back on the BIOS mode setting, but I'll need to re-visit that when I am in front of the the machine.

Thank you all for your input so far. Greatly appreciated.

zbook · Feb 14, 2022

The feature was deprecated beginning with Windows 1709:

System Image Backup (SIB) Solution

We recommend that users use full-disk backup solutions from other vendors.

1709

Windows 10 features we're no longer developing - Windows Deployment

Once you're in good shape consider using third party software to make free or pay backup images.

Backup images can be saved to another disk drive or the cloud.

(Acronis, Aoemi, EaseUS, Macrium, Paragon, etc.)

If you need to save files and install a fresh version of Windows consider a custom install.

This is performed by using a bootable Windows 10 iso.

(drivers and applications need to be reinstalled)

FreeBooter · Feb 14, 2022

Jim Wells said:
Thank you.

I have to admit we are at (beyond) the limits of my knowledge here. I'm away from the problem machine today, but will look further as soon as I can.

To ensure I am understanding properly, it is restoring the system image that I should re-try here?

I might have to come back on the BIOS mode setting, but I'll need to re-visit that when I am in front of the the machine.

Thank you all for your input so far. Greatly appreciated.

Yes after executing the commands, try restoring system image.

x BlueRobot · Feb 14, 2022

Jim Wells said:
Yes. Does this mean I could have captured problems within the image, as well as just the data. A system image from a suspect disk worked last time I did this (for someone else - my disk this time), and I was hoping for the same again.

Yes and you may have been fortunate last time. It is generally not recommended to image from a failing hard drive because of the exact problems you're experiencing now.

Jim Wells · Feb 16, 2022

zbook said:
The feature was deprecated beginning with Windows 1709:

System Image Backup (SIB) Solution We recommend that users use full-disk backup solutions from other vendors. 1709

Windows 10 features we're no longer developing - Windows Deployment

Once you're in good shape consider using third party software to make free or pay backup images.

Backup images can be saved to another disk drive or the cloud.

(Acronis, Aoemi, EaseUS, Macrium, Paragon, etc.)

If you need to save files and install a fresh version of Windows consider a custom install.

This is performed by using a bootable Windows 10 iso.

(drivers and applications need to be reinstalled)

Hi zbook,

Thanks for this - useful to know.

I've done a Win 10 fresh install previously (on someone else's laptop that had a dying disk), so am open to doing the same. But I'd prefer not to if it is avoidable! I think I could list the major frequently used applications and re-install, but I fear I'd be discovering missing lesser-used tools for months.

Jim

Jim Wells · Feb 18, 2022

Hi Freebooter,

Thank you for your advice to date ...

FreeBooter said:
Make sure to setup BIOS mode correctly if the image was on GPT disk set BIOS mode to UEFI.

The low disk space can cause this error.

An incompatible file system format or a corrupted system image file could be the probable reasons.

Execute following commands:

Code:

diskpart list disk sel disk x clean exit

In the sel disk command, you have to replace ‘x’ with the relevant disk number to which the image restore is being done.

Close Command Prompt and restart your device and try again.

Boot mode it set to UEFI and this would appear to be correct. I a restore it with boot mode set to BIOS (or possibly legacy - I don't recall exactly how it was labelled) and got a message telling me a restore wasn't possible.

I followed (as far as I can tell) your diskpart instructions. I've included a photo, in case you can spot anything I've missed.

I acted on disk 0. 2 and 3 are external hard disks.

Diskpart succeeded, and I re-tried the restore.

Unfortunately it failed again, giving what appears to be the same error message.

Have I failed to follow the instructions properly, or other wise missed something?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Jim

FreeBooter · Feb 18, 2022

You did everything correct, but corrupted system image will cause this error message.

Jim Wells · Feb 19, 2022

Thank you FrreBooter.

At this stage do I have any options other than installing Windows 10mfrom scratch on the new disk?

On the basis that I am expecting the answer to be "no", do you have any recommendations for easing the pain?

Do I need to run the diskpart steps again before I install?

Once installed, would it be possible to temporarily add the original disk alongside the new, to make retrieving documents etc easier? Will the machine cope with two bootable disks?

Thanks

Jim

Jim Wells · Feb 19, 2022

Apologies for the typos in my post above. That'll teach me to use tablet without putting glasses on.

A further thought. The (believed) failing disk appears to still be useable. If there any way to fix errors in the data, and then take another system image that might restore successfully?

FreeBooter · Feb 19, 2022

You can clone the hard disk to your new storage drive with Macrium Reflect Free it should have option to not clone damage sectors.

Reflect Free Edition

Jim Wells · Feb 22, 2022

I've tried cloning with Macrium Reflect Free.

Before doing so, I ran chkdsk and (as far as I can tell) it fixed the issues it found.

I've tried the clone twice, with the ignore bad sectors option. It failed both times. I did not note the full details of the first failure, but on the second attempt it completed the cloning of partitions 1 to 4 of 7, and failed 94% of the way through 5 of 7 - the biggest one. It failed with error codes 9 and 23, which appear to be read errors

Both times I've got an error message about not being able to access drive E: This drive did not exist until I started this cloning - somehow E: has been automatically assigned the first partition on the new (clone-to) disk.

At the end of the process yesterday Macrium Reflect Free hung and would not re-start after I killed it. (Did not try re-starting the machine though, just powered down and stopped work for the evening.)

At this stage I am open to doing a fresh Windows 10 install, adding applications, and retrieving what documents etc I can from the failing disk if that's what you'd recommend, but I thought I'd ask if you have any further advice before I start on that route.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Best wishes,

Jim

FreeBooter · Feb 22, 2022

There is not much you can do, clean installation is your best option.

smyasir · Feb 25, 2022

@FreeBooter is it possible to clone from a backup hard drive back to a corrupted hard drive, using windows recovery ?

I had cloned a HDD from my windows install to portable hdd but my hard drive won't go to windows login screen.

How can i possibly clone the portable hdd back to my hard drive through windows recovery ?

Jim Wells · Mar 1, 2022

smyasir said:
@FreeBooter is it possible to clone from a backup hard drive back to a corrupted hard drive, using windows recovery ?

I had cloned a HDD from my windows install to portable hdd but my hard drive won't go to windows login screen.

How can i possibly clone the portable hdd back to my hard drive through windows recovery ?

Hi smyasir,

I'm having some success with my problem, and I think what you are trying to do ought to be possible as long as the corrupted hard drive you mention has corrupted contents only and the disk is not failing. However, I don't really feel qualified to advise you. I think your best bet might be to start a fresh thread for your issue, with as much background as possible, and the good folks here might be able to help.

Goods luck!

Jim

Jim Wells · Mar 1, 2022

Hi @FreeBooter and colleagues,

Thank you for your assistance to date. I now have a working Windows 10 installation on the new disk, and various applications have been added, with more left to do.

I'm currently working to transfer documents. photographs etc to the new disk. A significant chunk has been done, with more left to do - and I am seeing some slightly odd results.

I have:

A new, working Win 10 install on a new disk
A working Win 10 install on the old (failing) disk which appears to still be usable
A large external USB HD which contains the system image I was unable to restore to the new disk
Other folders and files on the same external USB HD, copied from the old disk, to be copied to the new.

I've tried three routes.

Running both the old (failing) and new hard disks
If I understand correctly, I should be able to run the two internal hard disks (1 and 2 above) together and copy material between the two. I tried this, booting from the new one (as far as I can tell, and supported by the lack of material on on the desktop), and it slowed the machine to a crawl. Should this have worked?

Mounting the system image as a virtual drive
When I do this I don't have access to c:\user\Jim\

This is probably fair enough, because despite the fact that all the folders and filed are mine, me on the new Win 10 install isn't the same user as me on the old disk/installation. I think (hope) I am granting permissions now, but it is working through the files and is clearly going to take a long while. (And periodically it pauses waiting for input because it can't enumerate files in a folder, so I can't even set it going and walk away.) Any suggestions of a better way to do this would be very welcome.

Copying material from the old to the new internal HDs via the external HD
This is the oddest of all.

I have successfully copied a large chunk of material (documents, pictures) from the old HD to the external HD, switched the internal HD for the new one, and copied material from the external HD to the new internal HD. This appears to have been successful.

I then copied another chunk of material (videos, music, extra stuff I found) from the old HD to the external. I switched the machine to use the new HD, expecting to be able to copy to material from the external HD to the new disk, as had worked for the previous (docs, photos) batch.

This failed because the 2nd batch of appears not to be on the external HD. Fair enough: did I not do the copy I thought I had done? It was late, did I mess it up?

No! When I re-start the machine from the old HD the 2nd batch of material is on the external HD - proving (as far as I can tell) a successful copy.

However, when I re-start the machine from the new HD, the 2nd batch of material is still not visible.

I'm baffled: I don't understand why the second batch of material is visible on the external HD when the machine is started from the old disk, but not when started from the new. The first batch of material continues to be visible whichever of the old or new disk the machine is started from. As far as I know I did not do anything differently when I coped the first and second batches of folders/files.

Again, any suggestions anyone has would be very welcome.

Thanks

Jim

[SOLVED] Windows 10 system restore failure

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