System restore from bootable Windows 11 USB drive
vb95 Posted messages 47 Registration date Status Contributor Last intervention -
Hello everyone.
On my Windows 11 up-to-date PC I’ve gotten used to backing up the entire system with the Control Panel -> Backup and Restore (Windows 7).
I make a backup with every Windows 11 update, with one of my software, or with a graphics, sound, network driver, etc....
This allows me to always have an up-to-date backup.
For about a week now it’s impossible for me to perform a system restore by booting from a USB flash drive made with mediacreationtool.exe (the creation tool to install or restore a Windows 11 environment).
When I restart the PC with this USB drive plugged in I do boot from the USB drive correctly. I have the confirmation of a Windows 11 environment as well as an AZERTY keyboard.
then I have the option to install Windows 11 or to repair my computer. I choose to repair my computer and there: a black screen and the PC reboots.
Has anyone already had this problem and found a solution?
Thank you in advance
2 answers
Hello, good evening,
Would it be possible to use WinRE instead of the USB key?
By powering the PC on 2-3 times in a row with the power button?
The drivers that may be integrated into WinRE may not be integrated into the ISO (If it's a branded PC), they would need to be integrated using NTLite, into all images.
Otherwise we would need to know what changed in the configuration since the last time it worked.
Otherwise, to diagnose, and if you have data to recover, from a working PC you can download the Hiren's Boot CD PE (WinPE) ISO
https://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/
(At the bottom > HBCD_PE_x64.iso)
And Rufus
Create a bootable USB key of Hiren's Boot CD PE from Rufus in GPT mode for EFI
Boot from it using the PC's Boot Menu
Use (In Hiren's Programs) in Hard Disk Tools > Diagnostics > CrystalDiskInfo and see if the disk is detected as Good.
Copy data if possible (Copy > Paste = Copier > Coller)
Hello Fabul
I didn’t specify: The PC works perfectly.
No slowdowns, no blue screen of death as before, the system drive SMART is good.
It's just that with the Windows 11 installation key made with mediacontroltool.exe, if I choose Repair my computer it would open a menu where I could perform a system restore from a disk image made with Backup from the Control Panel.
Right now my disk image in WindowsImageBackup on a non-system hard drive is useless to me if in case of trouble I cannot restore Windows 11 with the installation key from the WindowsImageBackup folder.
In case of a problem I would need to reinstall Windows 11 from scratch as well as all my software and the various settings for all that. This complete reinstall takes about 4 good hours whereas restoration only takes 5 to 10 minutes.
Thank you for your response