Image for Windows – Restoring a Full Backup Using the TBWinRE Boot Media

Image for Windows users can restore backup images of the main Windows drive using the TeraByte imaging programs. Which one you use is a personal choice as long as it supports the system (all support restoring images created with Image for Windows).

To restore in a Windows-like environment, see the TBWinRE or TBWinPE tutorial to create the desired boot media:

Then, return to this tutorial for details on restoring the main Windows drive on your computer from an external hard drive connected to your computer through a USB port. This tutorial uses the most commonly selected options. You can restore using other types of devices and use other options (refer to the Image for Windows manual for complete details). Using Simple Operations mode is not shown in this tutorial.

 

  1. Attach the external hard drive to a USB port on your computer.

  2. Insert your TBWinRE boot media (CD/DVD or UFD) and reboot your computer into the TBWinRE environment, where Image for Windows will run automatically as shown below.

    To boot your computer using this boot media, you might need to edit your computer’s BIOS settings to reorder the drives and permit your CD/DVD drive or UFD to boot first. As your computer begins to boot, you may see a message—before it gets to Windows or the operating system—that tells you what key to press to enter Setup—typically the Delete key, F2, or F12. Once in the BIOS, follow the instructions provided in the BIOS to reorder the boot sequence and permit the boot media to be examined for boot information before the normal boot drive. If your system starts by offering you the option to select a boot menu, you can use the boot menu to identify the drive you want to use to boot.


  3. On the Welcome to Image for Windows screen, click the Restore button and click Next.



  4. On the Please choose the type of restore screen, click Normal and click Next.

    If you are restoring the image back to the same system and you select Automatic you usually won't need to perform Steps 8 or 10. However, if Image for Windows is unable to determine the destination for the restore it will revert to Normal mode.



  5. On the Select where the backup file is located screen shown below, select the drive in the Windows Drives list or click the plus sign (+) beside the drive containing the backup you want to restore. The plus sign expands the drive and displays partitions available on it. You can identify a partition by the green icon beside it, normally followed by a drive letter. In the screen below, HD 1 contains two partitions and the drive letter for the Backups partition is (E:). Click the partition containing the backup you want to restore and click Next.



  6.  On the Select the backup file to restore screen shown below, if you selected a partition with a drive letter, make sure the partition you selected in Step 5 appears in the upper right corner. Then select the name of the backup file you want to restore. Image for Windows displays the name in the Filename box. Click Next.



  7.  On the Select the drive or partition(s) to restore screen shown below, check the box beside the HD icon that represents the entire hard drive (Image for Windows automatically selects the drive and all partitions on it). Click Next.



  8.  On the Select the drive you want to restore to screen shown below, select HD 0 and click Next.



  9.  Image for Windows displays the warning message shown below. If that is the correct drive then click Yes.



  10.  On the Restore Options screen that appears, select the options you want to use and press Enter (or click Next).



  11. The Summary screen appears, showing you the actions you're about to take. When you click Start the restoring process begins and a progress bar appears on-screen.



    You can interrupt the restore and validation operations at any time by clicking Cancel. Image for Windows will ask you to confirm that you want to cancel before it interrupts the current operation. When Image for Windows finishes a message appears on-screen indicating that the restore process completed successfully and you can click Close.

  12. To restart the computer after the restore operation has completed, click on TBLauncher to open it and then click the Restart button. Make sure to remove the TBWinRE boot media before the system restarts.