Need Help Restoring Dead Laptop

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I had a nasty crash that left me unable to boot. I had to do a System Restore, But I messed up, wiping out my program and data files. Anyway, the HD is now blank (empty) but I am able to boot into Windows Restore from a boot disk.

I had made a full image backup a month ago and put the files on an external hard drive, E:. I went there and click on Restore From Image, but get a message saying that the program couldn’t find the backup file.

How do I let Restore know where the image is? Is there any way I and load the image to HD through Command Prompt commands? It’s the only tool that works…

Windows 8.1 on Toshiba Satellite laptop. Cloned image was made using CloneDrive.

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From my reading of the blurb on the website (https://www.redfox.bz/en/virtual-clonedrive.html), it appears you’ll need to reinstall CloneDrive before you can access the image you made with it. You’re probably best off seeking detailed advice from that site’s Support or Forum pages.

Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

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That’s not a good backup program if you have to re-install everything to recover your backup.

cheers, Paul

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That’s not a good backup program if you have to re-install everything to recover your backup.

Especially if the program you need to reinstall is in the backups…

Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

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If you hadn’t created Recovery disks which are a copy of what was in the Recovery partition, then you can contact Toshiba and buy them and then factory reset the machine.

You can then install CloneDrive and restore from the image.

I’ve bought recovery media from Toshiba for two of my Win 7 laptops – for the older machine, that came as a single disk which cost me about £30 and for the newer one, that came on an USB stick which cost me about £40.

You will need to give them the details as on the underside of the machine such as Part No. and Serial No.

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Alternatively, the CloneDrive makers may have software (perhaps supplied with CloneDrive itself) that caters for situations such as this.

Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

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Perhaps, but a lesson learned that it’s probably better to stick with Windows own tools – I’ve never had a problem with Windows System Image and I’ve always created recovery disks should I ever need to factory reset from a dead situation, or if the recovery partition ever became corrupt.

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What about the built-in “restore to factory original condition” utility that is built into most every computer? Do an online search with your model number to see how to access that. Usually accessed by holding down a key or key combination at boot.
But I would second Macropod’s suggestion, it would seem Clonedrive would have the ability to create a boot disk or drive, using another computer, that you should be able to boot from to restore your image.

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Vincenzo, I took your suggestion and Toshiba says to hold down the zero key while powering up. Unfortunately, it does nothing but ask for a boot device. Tried F8 key for good measure with same results. I can still boot and access command prompt, however.

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Vincenzo, I took your suggestion and Toshiba says to hold down the zero key while powering up. Unfortunately, it does nothing but ask for a boot device. Tried F8 key for good measure with same results. I can still boot and access command prompt, however.

When you reboot with the zero key, do you not see an option that says “Troubleshoot”?
see http://forums.toshiba.com/t5/System-Recovery-and-Recovery/How-do-I-reset-my-Windows-10-computer-to-factory-defaults/ta-p/657990

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When you reboot with the zero key, do you not see an option that says “Troubleshoot”?
see http://forums.toshiba.com/t5/System-Recovery-and-Recovery/How-do-I-reset-my-Windows-10-computer-to-factory-defaults/ta-p/657990

Nothing, just a black screen that says “no boot device. Insert boot disk and press any key to continue.” I press a key and it repeats that.

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I realize it’s too late for the OP, but I have several hard rules for baking up any computer.
My HD backup rules date all the way back to the DOS days, long before Windows ever showed up on the scene.

The way it works today:
1 The backup/Restore program must not be on the hard drive, but on some form of media, like a Cd or Flash Drive that can boot up the PC. That should be thoroughly tested to make sure that the Boot disk can reliably boot up the PC.
2 Then the program MUST be able to make an exact copy, either actual size or compressed, of at least the C: partition of the hard drive.
3 The backup Image file must be saved to a reliable medium like an external Hard Drive. Multiple backups to various external devices will insure that if one device fails there will be another as a backup. (backup to the backup)

I use an old but still viable backup program called Ghost. I use the last DOS version of the program, written in 2005, that I run from either a boot CD or Flash Drive. Ghost 11.5 will reliably back up any OS from DOS to Windows 10.
It will perform either a Partition to Image backup, or a Disk to Disk backup, also known as a Clone. There are other options that I don’t use. It will not do a data only backup. I use a batch file, using XCOPY for that.

So once a week, I backup my C: drive to an external 1TB USB 3.0 hard drive, and then to a 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive. Finally I back up (clone) my entire SSD (two partitions) to a 2TB mechanical hard drive that I only connect to do the clone, and then I disconnect it, for safety.

If my SSD drive totally fails, like a PNY SSD did, last summer, I can restore my last backup to a new drive and be back in business in less than an hour. I’ve had to repeat this process many times over the past years, and Ghost has been my savior every time.

May all your hard drive crashes be recoverable.

The Doctor

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DrWho,

Is it ‘idiot proof’ when imaging say W10 ?
Wouldn’t one (that’s me) need to know which of the special partitions (mbr’s or whatever) that has to be included in the image ?

Can the program be downloaded ?
Is it free ?
Can the iso for the bootable CD be downloaded somewehere
Is there a site with lots of instructions for the elderly and the feeble minded (me again)

Rob

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Is this the same machine as in your other thread ?

I’m just wondering if you will be able to do a clean install with a Win 8.1 install disk and if you still get leeway on activation as you did on Win 7 so that you can reinstall CloneDrive and then restore.

I linked this MCT site in your other thread, but create bootable media from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows8?tduid=(6e458d73f5f1502fd0a36de34997638a)(266696)(1503186)(skim97702X1552857X0df6e157d20ad0889468467c4a7090b1)()

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No boot device indicates the computer cannot find either a hard disk, CD or USB to boot from – we expect this if the hard disk is blank.
Have you got a boot CD/DVD loaded? Or a USB key?

cheers, Paul

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No boot device indicates the computer cannot find either a hard disk, CD or USB to boot from – we expect this if the hard disk is blank.
Have you got a boot CD/DVD loaded? Or a USB key?

cheers, Paul

Yes I am using the recover/boot usb that I created before the problems.

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You may need to edit the BIOS settings so the laptop tries to boot from the DVD drive first – and make sure you have a bootable CD/DVD in it.

Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

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You may need to edit the BIOS settings so the laptop tries to boot from the DVD drive first – and make sure you have a bootable CD/DVD in it.

I’m not sure how to do that. Can you enlighten me please?

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Does tapping F12 as you switch on get you the one off boot order change ?

If you are using an USB then you have to insert that first, but when the menu comes up, use the cursor keys to select either ODD (disk drive) or USB.

If disk, insert that and press enter.

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Does tapping F12 as you switch on get you the one off boot order change ?

If you are using an USB then you have to insert that first, but when the menu comes up, use the cursor keys to select either ODD (disk drive) or USB.

If disk, insert that and press enter.

Yes, the F12 offers selection of disk options to boot from, I use my USB choice and the troubleshooting/restore selections appear. I then plug in my external drive that contains the original clone, I choose the “restore from image” option but it doesn’t see the “backup.” I hit “retry” to no avail. I tried using the expernal drive (that contains the clone) as a bootup but it says “no bootable device” even though the boot partition in that clone is set to “active.”

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”Yes, the F12 offers selection of disk options to boot from, I use my USB choice and the troubleshooting/restore selections appear. I then plug in my external drive that contains the original clone.”

This may be the problem. I would think this drive needs to be plugged in before booting.

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I’m not sure how to do that. Can you enlighten me please?

See, for example: https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-change-the-boot-order-for-a-toshiba-satellite

Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

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See, for example: https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-change-the-boot-order-for-a-toshiba-satellite

Thanks – Wasn’t aware of pressing C or U at start would give you those options and I’ve been using Satellites since 2010, although I changed the boot order early on in the life of my three Toshiba laptops.

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Solved! I downloaded Windows 8.1 OS installation software today, burned the ISO to DVD, and the system came back up to factory specs. I actually got it working online. I have no idea why the laptop wouldn’t find my original image back up which I created with DiskClone. But, sa la vie…
Many many thanks to everyone who helped out with my computer problems. You are all gentlemen and scholars (and there are very few of us left!) lol

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I wonder if it needs the program to point it to it ?

Go back to my Post#11 and download the Win 8.1 ISO and create bootable media to perform a clean install.

If you can use the OS without having to activate straight away, download the program and then you should be able to restore with the image.

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I wonder if it needs the program to point it to it ?

Go back to my Post#11 and download the Win 8.1 ISO and create bootable media to perform a clean install.

If you can use the OS without having to activate straight away, download the program and then you should be able to restore with the image.

I will try that tomorrow (Thursday.) Thanks.

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Hope it works out.

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One take-away from this thread and others should be that you not only need a reliable backup, but you need to test it and have a recovery plan in mind should the worst happen. But even the best backup plans can have holes in them. Consider…

I have used Macrium on the half dozen PC’s I’ve owned over the last few years. I’ve been able to restore individual files numerous time and an entire drive on a couple occasions. BUT, if I lose an entire PC to theft or disaster then I’m not sure I can restore a drive image to a completely different PC.

It’s something I’ve never tried and have no idea how Windows would cope with such a situation when it boots.

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I have used Macrium on the half dozen PC’s I’ve owned over the last few years. I’ve been able to restore individual files numerous time and an entire drive on a couple occasions. BUT, if I lose an entire PC to theft or disaster then I’m not sure I can restore a drive image to a completely different PC.

It’s something I’ve never tried and have no idea how Windows would cope with such a situation when it boots.

Apparently Macrium Re-deploy can restore an image to a replacement computer, in all but the free edition.
Fortunately I have not had to do it yet, but the instructions are in the Macrium KnowledgeBase.
http://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW/Re-deploying+to+new+hardware

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Have you download CloneDrive to see if it can pick it out ?

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Have you download CloneDrive to see if it can pick it out ?

Yes, Clone Drive is downloaded. Haven’t tried any backups yet.

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I posted a link to the site earlier in the thread (post #2 – the very first reply, actually). Did you look at what it says on the website?

Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

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I posted a link to the site earlier in the thread (post #2 – the very first reply, actually). Did you look at what it says on the website?

Yes – RedFox forum.

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