How to restore windows on asus laptop? Step-by-step instruction. How to start recovery on Asus Restore Windows to the first partition

Due to the presence of viruses, inconsistencies in drivers or software, the OS may fail. If your Windows crashes, don't panic. The situation can be corrected by returning the state of files and programs to the moment when the PC was working properly.

While running OS Windows 7, 10 or 8, certain errors and problems may occur. As a result of such failures, a new launch of the operating system in operating mode becomes impossible. In this case, it is not at all necessary to do a laborious reinstallation of the OS. It is enough to perform a system restore.

OS recovery using the recovery environment

At work, we use the following scheme of actions:

Reboot the computer, press the F8 key during boot;
Troubleshooting;
System restore, OS restore point selection;
click "Further" and again "Further";
We press the button "Ready", reboot the system (in the Menu, select boot with the last known good configuration).

Windows 7 System Restore

There are several ways that you can resort to resuming the operation of the OS. Some of them are based on reverting to saved settings. Others simply clear the data.

You can perform "resuscitation" of the OS in one of the following ways:

by selecting restore points;
by using the command line;
through safe mode;
using the recovery environment;
using an image/boot disk.

Restoring the operating system using system "resuscitation" checkpoints is one of the most affordable, effective and popular options. To apply it, you need to make a series of clicks:

Panel "Start";
"System Restore";
"Further";
"Select a restore point";
"Ready".

This operation will fix the problems with the computer, undo the changes and return the system to a working state that allowed the PC to boot normally. Loss of data, files and documents does not occur during such recovery. All data is saved. The operation is reversible. You can roll back the system to a previous state of the computer and use a different restore point.

Many people ask themselves how to make a recovery point on their own (manually) in order to choose it in the future? To do this, in the same menu "Start" - "System Restore" You can create such a point yourself at any convenient and suitable time for you. It will be saved with the current date, which can only be remembered.

From a restore point

In computer engineering, there is such a thing as a restore point. These are saved PC settings. As a rule, saving occurs automatically with each successful OS boot. The easiest way to resume Windows 7 is to use exactly this data.

Press F8 when the computer boots up. This command will bring up a menu of system startup options. Next, select the Last Known Good Configuration option.

You can also use another method. Enter the properties of the My Computer folder. Find the System protection line, clicking on which you will open the dialog box of the same name. Click Recovery - Next. We set a key date, indicate the disks that are subject to correction, and confirm the actions. After rebooting, the PC should work normally.

No restore points

You can fix OS problems without having restore points. To do this, you will need to resort to the LiveCD program. It needs to be downloaded and written to a USB flash drive with the .iso extension.
Further, all actions will take place in the BIOS. You need to configure boot from a flash drive. To do this, in the Boot section, select USB-HDD in the First boot device line.

Before proceeding directly to recovery, copy all the necessary files to a removable drive. The LiveCD program provides a special menu for these purposes.

We will fix the system error using the backup copy. Connect the flash drive, open the folder Windows\System32\config\ . Files with the names default, sam, security, software, system must be moved to any other folder. In their place, we transfer similar files from the RegBack folder and restart the computer.

The described method will only help if the problem is related to the registry.

Command line

You can resort to "reanimating" Windows 7 from the command line if the PC begins to freeze or work slowly, however, the system boots up. Enter the menu "Start" and using the right mouse button, launch the command prompt as an administrator. Issue the rstrui.exe command, which will open the System Restore program. Click "Further". In the next window, select the desired rollback point and click again "Further". Upon completion of the process, the PC should work normally.

You can enter the utility in another way. We go to "Start". To call the command line, press "Run" and write the CMD command. We click on the found file CMD.exe and wait for the launch. Next, enter rstrui.exe on the command line and confirm the action with the Enter key on the keyboard.

It is not always possible to play it safe and create OS restore points in advance. There may be problems that block the option of such a "resuscitation" of the PC. Then you can use another, no less effective and easy option - restoring the Windows system using the system itself.

Based on the diagram:

Icon "My computer"- right mouse button "Properties";
"System Protection";
In a new window, click "System Protection", restore button;
"Further";
Choose a restore point according to the date;
Specify the system disks to be restored;
Confirm the operations and reboot the system.

Restoring Windows 7 using Safe Mode

This method is preferred if the usual system boot is not possible. Then, after pressing the PC power button on the system unit, hold down the F8 key to call "Launch Menu". One of the menu options is "Safe mode". Select it and press Enter on the keyboard. As soon as Windows loads, we perform the algorithm of actions that we described earlier.

System Restore Windows 8/8.1

If you were able to start the OS, you can resume Windows 8 via "Options". Hover over the upper right corner and enter them. Click on "Changing computer settings" – . Chapter "Recovery" will offer several options:

"Typical Restore with Information Preservation".
"Delete data and reinstall OS".
"Special Option".

Decide exactly what needs to be done. Then follow the menu prompts.

If you choose the latter method, in the window that opens, click on the diagnostic item. You will be offered the following options:

"Reestablish";
"Return to original state";
"Extra options". This item includes the ability to roll back to the desired resume point.

To resume Windows 8.1 press Win+R and call sysdm.cpl . In the system properties window, on the tab "Protection" specify the required system drive. Click "Reestablish". Clicking "Further", you will be able to see a list of rollback points. Select the one you want and click "Search for affected programs". Changes that have been made to the PC since the selected moment will be deleted. End the process by clicking "Ready".

In the case of working with Windows 8, there may be problems, incorrect Internet operation, etc. To fix this, you can use the classic recovery method through restore points.

Another option is to roll back the system. To do this, open the menu "Start" - "Control Panel" - "Windows Update". Choose an item "Uninstall updates". You can do the same using the command line.

So, in the list of updates that opens, we remove those of them, from the moment of installation of which (we look at the date) problems and malfunctions began. Delete unnecessary files and reboot.

In Windows 8.1, you can perform a factory reset. Important files will not be affected during this operation. The method is effective, but for its implementation, the OS needs to boot without any problems. We use the algorithm:

Right side of the monitor - "Options";
"Change settings";
"Renewal and Recovery" - "Recovery";
"Recovery without deleting files".

If you cannot log into the system in the usual way, you must use the disk with the system. Load the installation disk, select "System Restore". We press the button "Diagnostics", and "Reestablish".

Windows 10 System Restore

If you're having problems with Windows 10, press Windows + Pause. Go to "System Protection" and press "Reestablish" – "Further". Select the desired indicator and click again "Further". When finished, press "Ready". The computer will automatically restart and the changes will take effect.

One of the advantages of the "dozens" is the ability to return the settings to the factory settings. This helps avoid having to install the system first. To reset your data go to "Computer Settings" – "Update and Security" – "Recovery" – "Reset your computer". Click "To begin".

You can take care of the possibility of rollback in case of failure in advance. Resume points can be created independently or configured to be automatically created at the desired frequency. To do this, in the settings, in the Update and security item, select the Backup service. Specify where to save copies, click Add disk. After selecting a device, the function will be activated.

You can restore the Windows 10 system again through the use of restore points. In this case, the system will be rolled back to the moment when it was freely loaded and worked without failures. This recovery method is described at the beginning of the article.

If the OS is not loaded, then a warning table appears on the screen with the key "Additional recovery options". Click it and choose "Diagnostics" - "System Restore". We make a choice of a Windows restore checkpoint, we are waiting for a system rollback and reboot.

If such operations did not help and the computer continues to work incorrectly, you can roll back to the basic settings. Some programs and utilities, personal PC settings will be reset, and personal data will be deleted.

This technique is used extremely rarely if the other options described above do not help. The algorithm of actions in this case is as follows:

"Start" - "Setting options"- tab "Updates and security";
Paragraph "Recovery"- button "To begin";
Choose to delete all files or save some of them.

The system rollback after that will take 40-90 minutes.

Resume using the installation disc

One of the radical methods of fixing the error involves using the installation disk. After running it in BIOS, click System Restore. In the Troubleshooting section, select the desired action. Then follow the system prompts to complete the process.

How to restore the Windows 7 system

Unfortunately, there are enough reasons for this trouble, ranging from incorrectly written drivers, the harmful effects of a virus, file system errors and ending with our erroneous actions when working with a computer, you don’t need to be afraid of such problems, you need to learn how to deal with them effectively.

Let's think about how to restore the windows 7 system, as well as insure ourselves for the future from possible troubles using the backup and recovery tools built into the operating system.

We will learn how to restore Windows 7 without using third-party backup programs, even when System Recovery Options does not load and the F-8 button is useless.

It has in its arsenal a fairly powerful and good tool -> Recovery Environment, which is created automatically when you install Windows 7 in a hidden partition and contains five other tools that solve numerous malfunctions and problems.

Note: If you learn how to use Windows 7 recovery tools correctly, and this is not difficult, then you can do without additional and paid data backup programs.

You can start the recovery tool by pressing the F-8 button on the keyboard immediately after starting the computer. After that, a menu of Additional boot options will open in front of you: Troubleshoot your computer, then Safe mode, Safe mode with loading network drivers, etc.

Small digression: Before choosing the Troubleshoot your computer item, try the simpler option - Last Known Good Configuration - in simple words, the operating system always remembers the last successful boot of the computer and enters this information into the registry.

In case of problems with booting, Windows can remember the registry settings and driver settings that were used the last time the system was successfully booted and use them if you select the Last Known Good Configuration option.

If this tool does not help, select the first -> Troubleshoot your computer,

Next, we get to the Windows 7 System Recovery Options menu, which is what we need, it is here that we can select the System Restore Tool we need, there are five in total, let's take a closer look at how they all work.

The first thing to do is apply Startup Repair (Automatically fix problems that prevent Windows from starting).

Required digression: After pressing the F-8 button when the computer boots up, you may not have an item > Troubleshoot your computer, but only Safe Mode and so on, the question arises why.

When installing Windows 7, a recovery environment partition is created automatically and is located at the root of the drive (C:) in the Recovery folder. You can also see in the Disk Management window - a separate, hidden partition of the hard drive, its volume is only 100 MB, it is used to store boot configuration files (BCD) and the system boot loader (bootmgr file).

You can see it Computer-> Management-> Disk Management. In no case can you delete this partition (many people delete it out of ignorance), otherwise you will not start the recovery environment, that is, you will not have the Troubleshooting computer item, and in more severe cases you simply will not boot the system.

On the bottom screenshot, you can see another hidden partition, with a capacity of 9.02 GB, this is a hidden recovery partition with the factory settings of my laptop, you can have it more or less. It is also better not to delete it, if necessary, you can always restore Windows 7 from it.

What to do if you do not have a partition with the recovery environment and when you press the F-8 button, in the Advanced boot options menu, the Troubleshoot your computer item does not appear? How then to restore the Windows 7 system?

The installation disk with the Windows 7 operating system can save here. You can start the recovery tool by booting from the original Windows 7 installation disk by selecting System Restore at the very beginning.

If you don't have an installation disk, then you can use the Windows 7 Recovery Disk (you can make one in any running Windows 7) in five minutes, then you can also boot from it and do the same.

So, we still got into the System Recovery Options, either using the F-8 button and the Troubleshooting item, or the Windows 7 installation disc or the Windows 7 Recovery Disc.

In the System Restore Options menu, select the first one:

Launch Recovery-> there will be an analysis of faults that interfere with the normal loading of Windows 7 and their further correction for the normal loading and functioning of the operating system.

In the process, we may be warned that problems have been found in the boot options, click Fix and restart.

System Restore-> using this function, we can select a previously created system restore point, if we have it enabled, and roll back to the time when our Windows 7 worked fine and loaded, everything is simple here.

Restoring a system image-> I personally use this tool, with skillful use it can replace paid data backup programs, if you are interested, read on.

Why is he good? It will help when you don't have the original Windows 7 installation disc and you have deleted the hidden partition with the factory settings of your laptop, but that's not all.

Sometimes there are situations when, for various reasons or due to the actions of a virus, you will not be able to load the operating system at all, or many people ask How to restore the Windows 7 system, even if the menu with Additional boot options is also unavailable. Reinstall the operating system again?

Therefore, immediately after installing Windows 7 on your laptop or computer, we use this function to create a system image restore, an archive image of our Windows 7 on your hard drive, and save it.

Be sure to create a Windows 7 Recovery Disc (read below), it will help you use the System Image if the Advanced Boot Options menu does not load.

Go to Start -> Control Panel -> Backup Computer Data.

Select "Create a system image".

In my case, the Local Disk (E :), if you have several hard drives in the system unit, then of course it is better to place the backup on the hard drive where the operating system is not installed.

By default, the data backup program will automatically select the partition with the Windows 7 operating system, if you wish, you can add Local drives for archiving yourself, as long as you have enough space.

Note: You can see that I have two operating systems installed on my laptop, so the backup program chose two Local drives.

Click Archive and the process of creating an archive with our Windows 7 will begin.

Created, it will look like this.

Now, you can deploy the archive with Windows 7 to your computer, if necessary, in 20-30 minutes. It would be better if you copy the archive with the system additionally to a portable hard drive, this will double your safety.

Let's pretend that we can't start Windows 7 and deploy the backup we created, let's do it together.

We launch the Windows 7 Recovery Tool by pressing the F-8 button on the keyboard immediately after starting the computer.

The Advanced Boot Options menu opens, select Troubleshoot your computer.

Restoring a system image

Use the latest available system image.

Of course, all our data on the Local Disk, where the operating system is now being restored, will be deleted, so you can pre-boot from any Live CD and copy what you need.

How else can you restore your Windows 7 system? Of course with the help of the Windows 7 Recovery Disk.

Let's create one that can be used to boot the computer, it will contain recovery tools with which you can repair Windows 7 boot problems, as well as restore the operating system from the backup copy that we created in advance.

Important: The bitness of the system is important for the recovery disk, you can use a 32-bit recovery disk for any 32-bit Windows 7, and a 64-bit recovery disk for any 64-bit Windows 7.

Again we go Archiving computer data.

Create a system recovery disc, insert the DVD into the drive, click "Create Disc".

When the Windows 7 Recovery Disk is ready, put it in a safe place.

In order to restore Windows 7 from the Recovery Disk, in principle, no operating system is needed at all.

You will only need to change the boot priority to the drive in the BIOS of your computer, insert the recovery disk into it and restore your Windows 7 using the archive.

Many here can draw an analogy with data backup programs, and rightly so, they work on the same principle, but their functionality is of course more convenient.

Restoring Windows 7 from the Recovery Disk. I show you how to do it. Suppose we are in trouble, we cannot start Windows 7, when we press F-8 on the keyboard, nothing happens immediately after starting the computer.

We cannot get into the menu with Additional boot options and an error message is displayed. In this case, the system archive on the hard disk is not available to us. It was precisely such a nuisance that happened to our reader Ilya, who wrote us a letter asking for help.

In this situation, many reinstall Windows 7 from scratch, but not us, because we have a System Recovery Disc.

We insert it into the drive and reboot, set the BIOS to boot from the drive, as I said the disk is bootable, the System Recovery Options program starts.

Press Enter until the offer to boot from disk is gone.

Automatically, the recovery tool running from the disc will try to repair the startup of Windows 7.

If all else fails, select any tool, try for example Recovering a computer using a previously created image of the operating system.

We use the latest available system image.

What other ways are there to restore Windows 7?

There is another little-known way to restore Windows 7 boot after a crash, and I'll tell you about it. At first glance, it will seem difficult to many, but nevertheless it often helps me out.

The fact is, friends, that a very large part of the problems due to which you cannot boot Windows 7 lies in registry errors. And Windows 7 wouldn't be Windows 7 if it didn't have a mechanism to protect registry files. Such a mechanism exists and creates archive copies of the registry in the RegBack folder every 10 days, regardless of whether you have system restore enabled or not.

If you can't fix problems booting Windows 7, you should try replacing the existing (and apparently corrupted) registry files in the Config folder with the zip files in the RegBack folder. To do this, we will have to boot the computer from the Windows 7 installation disc or the Windows 7 recovery disc.

We boot into the recovery environment, select the command line.

We type in it - notepad, we get into Notepad, then File and Open.

We go into the real explorer, click My computer. Now we need the system drive C:, attention, the drive letters here can be confused, but I think you can recognize the system drive C: by the Windows and Program Files system folders inside.

We go to the C:\Windows\System32\Config folder, the current registry files are located here, we specify the File type - All files and we see our registry files, we also see the RegBack folder, in it every 10 days the Task Scheduler makes a backup copy of the registry keys.

So, we will replace the existing registry files from the Config folder with backup registry files from the RegBack folder.
So, first of all, let's delete the SAM, SECURITY, SOFTWARE, DEFAULT, SYSTEM files from the C:\Windows\System32\Config folder, which are responsible for all registry hives (my advice is to copy the registry hives somewhere before deleting just in case).

In their place, copy and paste files with the same names, but from a backup copy, that is, from the RegBack folder.

Note: You cannot delete the SAM, SECURITY, SOFTWARE, DEFAULT, SYSTEM files all together, delete them one by one. Then copy the same files from the RegBack folder in their place.

Friends, if this does not help, apply Windows 7 File Integrity Recovery, if the operating system does not boot, it is done in the same way as in Windows 8.

What else do we have left of the Windows 7 recovery tools?

Memory Diagnostics 7-> checks system memory for errors. Command line-> with it you can delete files that interfere with loading Windows 7.

I hope our article on how to restore a Windows 7 system helped you.

In the main WinSetupFromUSB window, select the name of our flash drive.

Put a tick in the box Auto format it with FBinst and tick the FAT32 item,

Check the box Vista/7/8/Server 2008/2012 based ISO and click on the button that opens the explorer window.

Explorer opens, we find the ISO image of the AOMEI PE Builder Live CD on the computer and select it with the left mouse, click "Open".

We press "GO".

"Yes"

The creation of a bootable USB flash drive Live CD AOMEI PE Builder begins.

The bootable flash drive is ready.

"OK"

We boot the laptop from the bootable USB flash drive Live CD AOMEI PE Builder. Our flash drive is universal, from it you can boot a laptop with a UEFI interface, as well as with a regular BIOS.

Press "Enter" on the keyboard.

The desktop Live CD AOMEI PE Builder is loaded, which is a regular Live CD based on Windows 8.1.

We connect a portable USB hard drive or a regular USB flash drive with a volume of 16-32 GB to the laptop.

Click on the Windows Disk Management button.

Disk management shows three drives connected to the laptop.

Disk 0. Laptop hard drive with all partitions:

The first hidden partition without a letter, 450 MB, contains the Windows 8.1 Recovery Environment.

The second hidden section without a letter, the volume is 100 Mb, with EFI system partition (contains the boot configuration store (BCD) and operating system boot files).

Partition (C:) with Windows 8.1 installed that won't boot.

Partition (D:) with user data files.

The last hidden partition without a letter, the volume is 20.37 GB, it is on it that the factory image of Windows 8.1 is located. We need to enter this partition and copy the factory WIM image to a portable USB hard drive (I'll explain why later).

Disc 1. Bootable Live CD AOMEI PE Builder.

Disc 2. Portable hard drive USB, 1 TB capacity.

Before work, the disk (C:) must be formatted. Right click on it and select "Format"

"OK"

Drive (C:) is formatted.

Launching the command line

and assign a letterhidden partition, volume 20.37 GB.

We enter the commands:

diskpart

lis vol (list all hard disk partitions)

sel vol 5 (with this command we select hidden RECOVERY partition without letter, 20.37 GB, with factory image of Windows 8.1)

assign (the command assigns a letter to the hidden section).

Open the "My Computer" window and see that the letter (E:) has been assigned to the hidden section, go to this section.

First of all, we turn on the display of hidden files and folders, otherwise we will not see the factory WIM image with Windows 8.1, since it has the Hidden attribute. Click the left mouse on View (View) and put a tick on the item "Hidden" items (Hidden elements)

Next, look in the folders factory WIM image. On my laptop it is in the folder"Factory" is called install.wim. Regardless of the laptop manufacturer, the file containing the Windows factory image is called install.wim.

Sometimes this file is divided into several files with the extension .swm what to do with these files, I will also explain to you later in the article.

So let's copy our file. install.wim to a portable USB hard drive. Right click on the file and select"copy"

We go to the section (H:) of the USB portable hard drive.

We click on an empty spot with the right mouse and select Paste (Insert).

File install.wim is copied to the (H:) partition.

File install.wim has been copied to the (H:) partition.

Friends, now we just need to deploy the contents of the file using the command line install.wim(factory image of Windows 8.1) to the drive (C :), for this you need to enter only one command, but you need to enter it correctly, the file index must be specified in the commandinstall.wim and is easy to identify.

Any install.wim file must have a so-called image index and in the next command we must specify it. To determine the index of the install.wim file image, open a command prompt and enter the command:

DISM /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:H:\install.wim

where H:, letter of the drive where the file is located install.wim.

As you can see, the image index 1 .

Accordingly, enter the following command:

imagex /apply /check H:\install.wim 1 C:\

where image /apply /check H:\install.wim 1 C:\ means unpack the file install.wim from disk (H:) with checking the image for errors, to disk (C :), and 1 is the image index.

The unpacking of the Windows 8.1 image from the file begins install.wim to disk (C:). In other words, we did it with the help of the command line and the utility ImageX did what the factory reset program was supposed to do - deployed the factory image from the hidden partition to the (C:) drive.

Progress 100%. Unpacking completed successfully. Factory Windows 8.1 deployed to disk (C:)!

We reboot the laptop and get into the final phase of installing Windows 8.1.

Language and regional settings do not change.

We accept the terms of the license agreement.

The laptop manufacturer may offer you to create your own ID and register the system. You can opt out by unchecking the appropriate boxes.

Enter the computer name.

You can immediately set up an Internet connection via WI-FI or refuse.

"Skip this step".

You can manually adjust the settings, I told how to do it.

Or you can "Use default settings"

Enter the username and click "Finish"

Windows 8.1 is loading.

When connected to the Internet, the operating system is automatically activated.

I anticipate your questions:

1. Hello admin! You have learned the index of the image install.wim using the utilityDISM, why didn't you deploy the image further with it?

Yes, you are right, you can use the DISM utility, the command will look like this:

Dism /apply-image /imagefile:H:\install.wim /index:1 /ApplyDir:C:\

but I've been used to the ImageX utility since Windows 7, DISM does the same, but the commands are 2 times longer, which means that the probability of errors (especially for an inexperienced user) increases.

2. Why move the install.wim file from a hidden partition of a laptop hard drive to a portable USB hard drive?

Basically, no matter where the file is install.wim, and on the command line you can specify the full path to the file, for example, in my case, the command would look like this:

imagex /apply /check E:\OKRBackup\Factory\install.wim 1 C:\

3. What to do if there is no file on my laptop in a hidden partition install.wim, and there is a group of files:

install4.swm...?

In this case, you need to add the key ref and the command will look like this:

imagex /apply /check /ref H:\install*.swm H:\install.swm 1 C:\

If you use DISM, then the command will look like this:

Dism /apply-image /imagefile:H:\Install.Swm /SWMFile:H:\install*.swm /index:1 /ApplyDir:C:\

4. After expanding the file install.wim, Windows 8.1 bootloader gave an error. What to do?

It is better to restore the bootloader in the recovery environment. AOMEI PE Builder Live CD desktop has a shortcut to go to WIN 8.1 Recovery Environment - Windows Recovery Environment.

5. I have a 32-bit operating system and your image Live CD AOMEI PE Builder 64 bit, not suitable for me.

Introduction

So, you have finished installing the operating system, drivers, updates and programs, checked its performance and stability, were satisfied with the result and want to be able to “roll back” to this state of the system in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Windows 7 is equipped with quite powerful backup tools that can reduce the time to restore the system.

Those who bought new computers with Windows 7 pre-installed are familiar with the restore function, after which the operating system, and sometimes the contents of the entire hard drive, is returned to the factory state. This may result in the loss of user files that were on the hard drive.

If you have an installation disk with the operating system, you are spared such losses (How to reinstall Windows 7, keeping the settings and installed programs), but the subsequent installation of drivers and updates is inevitable.

I offer you a method that will significantly reduce the time spent on setting up the system after reinstallation, and besides, it does not require an installation disk to complete it.

The article uses materials from Vadim Sterkin's blog and Valery Volobuev's video report Setting up the Windows Recovery Environment (recovery environment) in Windows 7.

The algorithm described below does not require specific knowledge and is relatively easy to implement for a home user. We will perform the task in the following order:

prepare a partition for the future recovery partition;
create a system image in the Windows RE environment;
set up the recovery environment;
Let's reinstall and reconfigure the recovery environment.

Preparing the recovery partition

First of all, you need to create a partition, on which later we will place the operating system image file, as well as the file for deploying the recovery environment.

There are many ways to perform this operation, I will use standard tools: Disk Management and the command line utility DISKPART. You can read about this in the article.

The size of the partition is determined based on the current occupancy of the partition with the operating system and the availability of free space. For example, if the system is about 20 gigabytes, the optimal size would be between 5 and 10 gigabytes.

In my example section D:\ was first compressed

Figure 1 - shrinking the D:\ partition

then in the resulting unallocated area

Figure 2 - Unallocated disk space after compression

using the utility DISKPART primary partition was created, formatted, labeled Recovery and letter R. (DISKPART was used due to the fact that the fourth partition created by Disk Management will be an additional partition. Feel free to experiment with placing the recovery partition on an additional partition.)

Run in sequence:

::Launching DISKPART Diskpart::Selecting a disk. If there are several of them, then the number of the desired disk is determined by the command LIST DISK Sel disk 0::Create a primary partition on the entire unallocated area of the disk. If necessary, specify the partition number with the command LIST PART Create partition primary::Quick formatting of the created partition and assigning the label “Recovery” to it Format LABEL=”Recovery” quick::Assigning the letter R to the partition

Figure 3 - working in DISKPART

Here and in what follows, we will work on the command line, .

Before proceeding to capture the operating system image, create on the partition R:\ folder WinRE to store it.

Figure 4 - WinRE folder at the root of the future recovery partition.

Create an operating system image

Once downloaded, launch a command prompt and a text editor:

Use the "Open" menu (shortcut Ctrl + O) to define the section letters.

In my example, as you can see from Figure 7, the partition with the system received the letter D:\, utility imagex.exe is in the folder E:\WAIKTools\, while the section Recovery- letter F:\.

Figure 7 - Partition letters in a WindowsRE environment.

One note: Since we won't need to transfer the customized image to another computer, we'll use the command in the "Boot to Windows PE and Save the Image with the ImageX Utility" section of the article above. Run the command:

"E:\WAIK Tools\amd64\imagex.exe" /capture D: F:\WinRE\install.wim "Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 Custom"

Necessary explanations:

"E:\WAIK Tools\amd64\imagex.exe"- Path to the imagex.exe utility. The quotation marks are used to avoid problems with spaces in the folder name.
/captureD:- The key points to capturing an image of the system located on the D: partition (as it is visible in WindowsRE).
F:\WinRE\install.wim "Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 Custom"- Saving the captured image to the install.wim file (this is important, since only this name is allowed in this case) to the F:\WinRE folder. The file comment is specified and the default compression method is used. For more information, see the TechNet Knowledge Base article ImageX Command Line Options

Figure 8 - creating an image of the operating system in the Windows RE environment

Quit the WindowsRE environment and reboot. We proceed to the final stage of creating a recovery partition.

Setting up the recovery environment.

In addition to the operating system image file, I decided to place a file on the new partition that provides booting into the recovery environment. With this arrangement, it will not depend on the partition with the operating system.

As you know, the recovery environment is deployed from an image file WinRE.wim located in the folder Recovery at the root of the partition with the system. Through Windows Explorer, access to this folder is closed. File attribute - hidden system. How to place the file in the location we have chosen? Let's use command line utilities.

First disable the recovery environment. I draw your attention to the fact that any actions with the recovery environment must be preceded by its shutdown! To do this, on the command line, run

Reagent /disable

After executing this command, the file WinRE.wim will move to the folder c:\Windows\System32\Recovery . From it we will copy the file to the folder R:\WinRE. Use the team xcopy with key /h:

Xcopy /h c:\Windows\System32\Recovery\winre.wim r:\WinRE

Figure 9 - copying the WinRE.wim file

And finally, a few final chords:

::Set custom path (key /path) to the system image file located in the folder specified by the key /target Reagentc /setosimage /path R:\WinRE /target c:\Windows::Set custom path (key /path) to the System Recovery Environment deployment file located in the folder specified by the key /target Reagentc /setreimage /path R:\WinRE /target c:\Windows::Enable recovery environment Reagentc /enable::Check recovery environment settings Reagentc /info

As you can see from Figure 10, the setup was successful. Don't close the window - you still need the command line.

Figure 10 - Setting up a custom recovery environment.

It is interesting to see what changes have taken place on the section Recovery. To do this, enable the display of hidden and system files.

Figure 11 - changing the contents of the R section.

As you can see, the file WinRE.wim in folder WinRE no, but there was a folder Recovery at the root of the section. Believe me - the file is now in it. I will not dwell on the structure of the Recovery folder - if you wish, you can examine its contents, and also compare it with the BCD parameters (using the bcdedit / enum all command).

It remains to protect the section from accidental impact by users. To do this, you need to hide it from Explorer and exclude the possibility of working with it in Disk Management. The utility will help us with this again. diskpart. In the command line, execute sequentially (the disk and partition numbers correspond to the configuration given in the article):

::Launching DISKPART Diskpart::Selecting a disk. If there are several of them, then the number of the desired disk is determined by the command LIST DISK Sel disk 0::Select a partition. If necessary, specify the partition number with the command LIST PART Sel part 4::Removing a letter - the partition will be hidden in Windows Explorer Remove::Setting the partition identifier ID=27. This ID is set specifically for recovery partitions. It becomes impossible to work with such a partition in Disk Management, which provides its additional protection. Set id=27

Figure 12 - working with the recovery partition in DISKPART

Changes in the system

Firstly, the partition is not visible in Windows Explorer, and in Disk Management it does not have a context menu.

Figure 13 - File Explorer and Disk Manager.

Secondly, in the advanced recovery methods window in the description of reinstalling Windows, there is no requirement for an installation disk.

Figure 14 - Windows advanced recovery methods menu.

Thirdly, the recovery environment menu has changed:

Figure 15 - Additional menu item in the Windows recovery options in the recovery environment

This could have ended. But there is a need to dwell on a few nuances that arise after reinstalling the system in this way. I will reinstall the system from the recovery environment.

Setting up a recovery environment after a system reinstall

For the purity of the experiment, I will format the partition with the system and the partition with boot files. Moreover, I strongly recommend formatting the "Reserved by the system" section in order to avoid confusion with loading in the future.

Figure 16 - formatting partitions in the WindowsRE environment.

User participation is not required during the reinstallation process. You will receive a system identical to the one you had at the time of the image removal.

Figure 17 - the beginning of the reinstallation of the system.

The only thing you need to do after reinstallation is to make a few changes:

due to a complete rebuild of the BCD, the recovery environment needs to be reconfigured.
hide section in explorer Recovery.

Disable the recovery environment with the command

Reagent /disable

Turn on the display of hidden and system files, open the folder WinRE on the section R:\ and make sure the file exists Winre.wim. If necessary, copy it from the folder Windows\System32\Recovery or from a folder R:\Recovery\xxxxxxxx -xxxx -xxxx -xxxx -xxxxxxxxxxxx.

Then delete the folder Recovery on the section R:\.

Figure 18- deleting the Recovery folder

Then enable the recovery environment:

Reagentc /enable

Make sure the settings are correct (note that the name of the folder where the WinRE.wim file is located in the Recovery folder is different. Therefore, you can safely delete the old one before connecting the recovery environment.):

Reagentc /info

Figure 19 - connecting the recovery environment after reinstallation.

Delete a letter from a section R:\

Diskpart Sel disk 0 Sel part 4 Remove Exit

Your computer is ready for a new reinstallation.

One final note. In the course of performing numerous reinstallations while preparing the article, I noticed the appearance of an incomprehensible folder in the list of available drives on the System Protection tab. Perhaps this is due to the absence of a folder in the system image System Volume Information or changing partition IDs.

Figure 20 - phantom partition in the list of available disks on the "System Protection" tab.

To get rid of the incomprehensible folder, disable system protection on this phantom partition and enable it on the partition with the current system.

Conclusion

There are probably easier ways to back up, especially using different programs. I do not pretend that you will definitely use the method described above, but I consider it convenient and practical.

Of course, over time, the system will be updated. To keep the image up to date, periodically overwrite the file in Windows RE. Install.wim.

Restoring the Windows 8 system may be required when critical errors occur in the PC. So that the user does not have to completely reinstall the OS, special tools are provided that allow you to restore the computer even without deleting files and changing general system settings. In this article, you will learn how to start recovery of a computer or laptop on Win 8 in different ways.

Below are two scenarios for the development of events: with a working operating system and with a faulty one. In the first case, you can restore from the Windows 8 interface without a disk or flash drive, and in the second, you will need bootable media to copy system files. All methods are shown below:

rollback from a restore point;
using Refresh your PC;
reset to factory settings on a laptop;
recovery using a boot disk or flash drive.

Let's consider each of the methods in detail. All instructions are fully working and suitable for any builds of Windows 8 32/64 Bit.

System restore point

This method allows you to roll back the OS to a certain state. You must do the following:

Open File Explorer using the icon on the taskbar.

In the left directory, find the item "This PC" and right-click on it to select "Properties" from the menu.

In the window that opens, click on the "System Protection" button.

In the selected tab, click on the "Restore" button.

On the first screen, click on "Next".

From the list, select a checkpoint according to the date when the state of the computer was stable and working. Click Next.

To start the procedure, click the "Finish" button.

Now you know how to use a checkpoint to roll back the OS state.

Create a checkpoint

If you don't have checkpoints set up automatically, you can do it manually. This option is useful in case of problems with the OS in the future:

Open the Properties window again and click on System Protection.

Next, click on the "Create" button marked in the screenshot.

Enter a name and click Create.

Wait until the end of the procedure. After it, the current OS configuration will be saved as a checkpoint. You can easily restore this state in the event of a Windows 8 malfunction using the above instructions.

Rollback through "Options"

Windows 8 first introduced the Refresh Your PC tool. With it, the user can roll back the state of the OS to the required one. You can save applications and settings, reset your PC to factory settings, completely reinstall the system, or launch a safe environment and perform the necessary actions through it.

First you need to open "Computer Settings":

Right-click on the "Start" icon and select "Find".

In the search bar, enter the query "computer settings" and open the appropriate application.

In the list of partitions, select Update and Recovery.

Go to the "Recovery" subsection. Here are tools that allow you to restore the original state of the OS or start safe mode.

The first option (1) allows you to restore Windows 8 to factory settings without losing personal files, music, photos, etc. Using the second item (2), you can call up a menu for completely reinstalling the OS and returning it to the factory preset settings. This will remove all personal files and installed applications. By clicking on the button in the third paragraph (3), you can call up a safe environment and continue settings through it. The first two options allow you to roll back the system from under the Windows 8 interface.

It is worth dwelling on the secure environment in more detail, since advanced functionality awaits you there.

Click on the "Restart now" button and wait - on the screen you will see how the menu starts with the choice of action. Click on Diagnostics.

As you can see, here you can perform all the same operations as in the Windows 8 interface. However, the diagnostic menu can come in handy if the OS does not boot. Click on the "Advanced options" button to go to advanced functionality. With it, you can:

roll back the OS to a checkpoint;
use a wim image for recovery;
roll back the system through the command line.

Let's consider all the possibilities in more detail. We dealt with the first point above - the procedure is no different from running in running Windows 8.

By clicking on "System Image Recovery", you launch a program to automatically unpack a pre-created wim archive. It should contain the entire OS with personal settings and programs. You can connect a disk or flash drive to your computer to unpack a third-party wim image. This way you get a complete system.

"Command line" allows you to run the rollback procedure using simple commands. Click on the appropriate button to launch the application. Now enter the command "rstrui.exe" and press Enter to run. After that, you will get access to the menu with restoring the PC through the checkpoint.

You can launch this menu through bootable media if the installed OS does not work correctly and does not start. Let's consider such a situation.

Performing the procedure using a flash drive

To perform the procedure in this way will require some preparation. First, you need to create bootable media. To do this, you need to visit the official Microsoft website, where the Windows 8 web installer is located and download it to another computer. The bootloader will download the OS files and create the boot drive automatically.

Secondly, you need to make settings through the BIOS. To do this, when starting the PC, press the button responsible for entering the BIOS menu (it is indicated on the initial screen of turning on the computer). Go to the "Boot" menu and set the bootable USB flash drive to the first place in the boot priority. To save the settings, press F10 and restart the PC again.

Now, when you turn it on, you will see the installer menu. Here you will find the possibility of uninstalling, reinstalling the system, formatting the hard drive. The creators also highlighted the recovery function in a separate menu:

When downloading the application, select a language and click next.

On the second screen, click on the marked button.

Open the Diagnostics menu.

With "Restore" you will open the Rollback to Checkpoint tool. The "Reset to original state" button launches a tool to return the OS to the factory state. You are already familiar with the contents of the Advanced Options menu.

Select the desired item and start the procedure.

Rollback on a laptop with a preinstalled operating system

Notebook manufacturers that sell devices with pre-installed software provide the ability to roll back using proprietary utilities and tools. Part of the hard drive space is allocated for recovery, so in a couple of steps you can start the procedure for returning the PC to its original settings.

This applies to laptops from Asus, Lenovo, Acer, HP, and more. Consider the procedure using the Acer Iconia tab w5100 as an example. By default, this company uses the keyboard shortcut Alt + F10 , which must be pressed on the initial boot screen with the Acer logo.

You will see the "Acer eRecovery Management" menu. Select the marked item.

After that, wait until the end of the procedure. During the process, the laptop may restart several times. You can cancel the recovery process only by restarting the PC. After the end of the rollback, you will receive a device with factory settings.

The names of the utilities and how to access them differ depending on the manufacturer of the laptop, but using this example, you can easily restore Windows 8 on any device.

Conclusion

Using the described methods, you can return the working or original state of Windows 8 in almost any situation. Use checkpoints to restore your computer to its previous state. The Refresh Your PC functionality is useful when you roll back your PC to factory settings. A safe environment is useful if Windows 8 does not start - the necessary tools can be opened through a bootable USB flash drive.

Video

Below you can watch a training video that clearly shows all the steps in this article. Together with the video instruction, you will be able to understand the difficulties and restore your computer without outside help.

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