Image Restore Problem: Can't Locate Image

[Guest]

I created a backup image to an external HD using Vista's backup program. My
system crashed so I am trying to restore my system to a new HD. However,
when I select to do a complete PC restore after booting from my Vista DVD,
Vista does not find my image. It is unclear if it doesn't see my external
drive or if it just can't search the external drive for the image, which is
in a folder that I named. Any suggestions on how I can get my Vista DVD to
allow me to select where the image is? Or, how can I determine that it does
indeed see the external HD, which other applications like Acronis and Copy
Commander do see it when I boot from their CDs?

 

[Jerry Grabill]

When you reboot your system, you have an opportunity to install drivers
and other things. watch the screen immediately on rebooting. This may help
you

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm replying back in case anyone else encounters
the same problem.

I checked with the manufacturer of my external HD (Seagate) and turns out
that they don't provide an driver for that use. So, I've had to go to plan
B, which is to copy the image over to an internal drive (my image is 170GB;
so they can be rather large).

Guess the "Lessons Learned" here is NOT to backup an image to an external
drive, particularily if there's not a driver available that can be loaded by
the Vista DVD repair process. Hindsight's a wonderful thing, isn't it?

Thanks again.

 

[Gary G. Little]

A few weeks ago I exchanged my 80 gig drive on a Dell leptop for a new 160GB
drive. The very first thing I did was run Complete PC Back to a 160 GB
Seagate External HDD. Once the drives had been swapped I then booted to the
Vista Premium install DVD, went to System Repair and restored the backed up
image to the new, larger HDD. External USB drives should not need "drivers"
unless the enclosure manufactuor does soemkind of "weirdness". Sorry ...
don't know how else to describe it. I've used Complete PC Backup to maintain
images of working drives both at home and work and have used Seagate branded
external drives and HP branded external drives, 160G, 300G and 400G, and
have never had problem in Vista Ultimate finding the exteranl drive.

Were you restoring to the image to the same size or larger drive?

 

[Guest]

I was installing to a 500BG drive, same size as the old HD. Your note is
encouraging that it should see the Seagate external HD. Looking at your
reponse and seeing some other notes, I now believe my image was flawed
somehow as the Vista DVD did not find the image even after I copied it to
another HD.

I'm in the process of reinstalling Vista now. I'll see if it can detect the
image after I get it up and running again. I don't remember if there is a
verify function or not. If there is, I'm going to use it in the future.

Thanks again for the feedback. It's been very useful.