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Windows 2007: Windows cannot find a system image on this computer

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Introduction

This posting consolidates notes and references associated with resolving two consecutive problems associated with assisting a user performing a system migration (from an older and smaller 250 GB drive to a newer and larger 500 GB drive) using Windows System Recovery tools. The new internal hard drive came per-formatted and presented a single partition. The user's legacy workstation motherboard and disk drive were 8 years old and hosted Windows 7. The legacy motherboard featured both USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports. The workstation featured a single hard drive that presented two partitions: a system partition (C:) and a user content partition (D:). The workstation also featured a standard R/W optical disk drive. The user purchased a new USB external drive and intended to use this external drive for the system recovery image.

First Problem

The user connected the external drive to the USB 3.0 motherboard port, and then successfully created a system recovery image (and system repair disk) that included the user content partition. He then disconnected the older internal drive, but left it in-situ. He also left the external hard drive connected to the USB 3.0 port. He then installed and connected the new hard drive and booted the workstation. On boot, he worked through the usual options until reaching the System Recovery Options panel. On this panel, he selected Restore your computer using a system image that you created earlier, and then hit Next. The Select a system image backup panel was displayed, but another prompt immediately also appeared stating:

Windows cannot find a system image on this computer

First Problem Solution Steps

After performing testing and research for the user, I was able to get him past this problem by performing the following action:

Prior to booting the system, connect the USB 3.0-compatible external drive containing the system image to one of the motherboard's USB 2.0 ports.

On boot, he again worked through the usual options and again reached the System Recovery Options panel. On this panel, he selected Restore your computer using a system image that you created earlier, as before, and then hit Next. This time, the Select a system image backup panel was displayed; and on this panel were presented the details of the system image he had created on the external hard drive. First problem solved.

Second Problem

On the Select a system image backup panel, he verified the details that were presented of the system image, and then hit Next. A new prompt appeared stating:

The system image restore failed

No disk that can be used for recovering the system disk can be found

Clicking the Details link revealed Error 0x80042412.

Second Problem Solution

After performing testing and research for the user, I was able to get him past this problem by performing the following action:

Remove all formatting and data from the destination drive before recovering to that drive a system image containing multiple partitions

After performing this action, the user was able to complete all steps for recovering his system to the newer and larger hard disk.

Summary

Resolving the original problem for the user actually involved resolving two problems:

  1. Connecting the external USB 3.0-compatible hard drive to a USB 2.0 port and
  2. Removing the newly purchased hard disk's default partition before restoring a system image containing more than one partition.

References

  1. System Image Recovery - Can't find System Image
  2. No disk that can be used for recovering the system disk can be found
  3. Diskpart

Notes

  • Steps for removing all data and formatting from a new drive prior to performing a system recovery to that drive:
    1. On the System Recovery Options panel, clicked Command Prompt. A DOS shell appeared.
    2. In the DOS shell, type diskpart and then hit Enter. The prompt changed to DISKPART>.
    3. Type list disk, and then hit Enter. A listing of disks appeared. Two disks were presented: the system hard drive and the external drive. The system drive was listed as Disk 0.
    4. Typed Select disk 0, and then hit Enter.
    5. Typed list partition, and then hit Enter. One partition was listed for the new internal hard drive
    6. Typed clean, and then hit Enter. The message Diskpart succeeded in cleaning the disk was returned, and then the prompt re-appeared.
    7. Typed exit, and then hit Enter. The DOS prompt was returned.
    8. Typed exit again, and then hit enter. The DOS shell closed.
    9. On the System Recovery Options panel, clicked System Image Recovery.
    10. Worked through all of the usual steps as before and was able to move past the Select a system image backup panel and complete the restoration.