Using Windows 10 System Image to recover system after 1709 feature update?

[terry4536]

I need some assistance in recreating my old system from the system image that I made last April (2017). Then hopefully I can update Windows without loosing my users. I've reviewed basically how to do it. There is one possible complication. The system image file is on an internal hard drive. I have never had to use a system image file. Any advice would be appreciated. At this point, I don't have much to loose if I have to just start over with a fresh install.



In November 2017, I received the version 1709 feature update for Win 10 Pro 64. I had no idea that this was anything other than just another windows update. This update installed a fresh version of Windows after removing the old installation. Among other things it installed was a new user. All of the programs, documents, games, pictures, and files that were transferred from Windows 7 Pro 64 (or created afterwards) are inaccessible or gone.

Since the file structure and permissions are associated with each user, once the user is deleted those files become inaccessible. The restore points that were available after the update suddenly disappeared (all of them).

I've recovered some documents from backups (not at all easy to do). But programs are a different story. For the most part they are just gone. They were installed while logged in as a user that was deleted. I've tried recreating the user file, but it doesn't fix the issue.

Programs that were working fine before will not run (if they are still there). Plus some programs like ASUS AI Suite II V2.01.01 will not start after reinstalling on the latest version of Windows 10.

I am so sick of Windows 10!!!!

 

[evolt]

Hello,

If you used your windows 10 built in backup tool to backup system.

Then go to recovery and choose advanced startup

Choose System Image Recovery and follow the wizard.

Regards

 

[terry4536]

Hello,

If you used your windows 10 built in backup tool to backup system.

Then go to recovery and choose advanced startup

Choose System Image Recovery and follow the wizard.

Regards

The options you mention seem to be more inclined towards installing another fresh install of Windows 10 Pro (which is what the feature update did in my case).

The procedure I am leaning towards is using an installation disk (ISO) and using the option of the system image at that point. I'm just wondering, If I would need a new Windows 10 Pro ISO disc. I made two ISO disc's last April when I made the system image.

As I said before, I've never had to use a system image. So I don't know what problems will show up in the process.

Another possibility (more of a long shot) is that I still have the Win 7 Pro 64 installation that I updated from. I never got around to getting rid of it (mainly because I haven't needed the extra storage). But it is pretty dated at this point, and I don't know if it would even be possible to recreate the update process. But it remains a possibility if all else fails (it is on a separate SSD by itself.

 

[USAFRet]

1. How did you create this 'system image'?

2. Every 6 months, there is a large Win 10 update. Spring and Fall. It is almost but not quite a "new install". But I've never seen it wipe all the previous user accounts. And I've been running Win 10 since the beginning, on multiple systems.

 

[evolt]

Hello,

If you used your windows 10 built in backup tool to backup system.

Then go to recovery and choose advanced startup

Choose System Image Recovery and follow the wizard.

Regards

The options you mention seem to be more inclined towards installing another fresh install of Windows 10 Pro (which is what the feature update did in my case).

The procedure I am leaning towards is using an installation disk (ISO) and using the option of the system image at that point. I'm just wondering, If I would need a new Windows 10 Pro ISO disc. I made two ISO disc's last April when I made the system image.

As I said before, I've never had to use a system image. So I don't know what problems will show up in the process.

Another possibility (more of a long shot) is that I still have the Win 7 Pro 64 installation that I updated from. I never got around to getting rid of it (mainly because I haven't needed the extra storage). But it is pretty dated at this point, and I don't know if it would even be possible to recreate the update process. But it remains a possibility if all else fails (it is on a separate SSD by itself.

Hello,

The points I mentioned to you will pop up a system image restore not a fresh installation(Don't choose Reset PC or Refresh PC).

Also you can use windows 10 disc and choose repair then you will be able to choose system image recovery.

Regards

 

[terry4536]

1. How did you create this 'system image'?

2. Every 6 months, there is a large Win 10 update. Spring and Fall. It is almost but not quite a "new install". But I've never seen it wipe all the previous user accounts. And I've been running Win 10 since the beginning, on multiple systems.

The system image was created on the same screen that allows you to create a manual system restore point (If I remember correctly, it was last April.). I did a little investigation of my issue on google, apparently it isn't that unusual of an occurrence. The only advice was to try to recreate the user to access the files. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. In my case there were exactly two document file in both my "new user" account and in my attempt at recreating the user. I assume that they are default document files. But it has affected every document, program, picture, game that I loaded or created.

I was able to get some of the documents from Windows backups. But those backups that everyone depends upon are not that complete.

If you do a search of "feature update wiped users", you will see that it does happen.

Here are a few links. The first one is from Tom's.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-3574413/windows-fall-creator-update-1709-wiped-account.html

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-update/windows-10-update-deleted-everything/ceed3ba9-fade-4a48-8f94-869257e8191b

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-security/update-1709-install-wiped-out-all-documents/63f62931-ad9a-4c87-9a7c-582aaf63ef23

https://www.easeus.com/file-recovery/files-are-missing-after-windows-10-update-2017.html

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-files/new-windows-10-update-deleted-my-files/5c9ed131-6a6a-4389-98ac-66b1a4a2cd19

 

[terry4536]

1. How did you create this 'system image'?

2. Every 6 months, there is a large Win 10 update. Spring and Fall. It is almost but not quite a "new install". But I've never seen it wipe all the previous user accounts. And I've been running Win 10 since the beginning, on multiple systems.

I looked into the system image that I did last April. At the same time a Windows 10 System Repair Disc was also made in conjunction with the system image (file index included).