Win7 System Image on USB Thumb Drive = NO?

[Sasqui]

Just got my laptop all re-set up with Win 7 pro and Office 2010, including about 500+ updates. Decided to make a system image, needing about 100GB of space, so I went out and bought a Sandisk Ultra fit USB 3.0 128GB thumb drive. When I went to do the backup, it said the drive needed to be NTFS (it was exFAT). So, I reformatted it to NTFS, but then it simply said it couldn't create a system image on that disk. Why?

I plugged in a 2TB WD USB 3.0 passport drive and it created the system image to that no problem.

ps... I returned the USB drive to Best Buy. By the way, it was a good deal at $34.99, though the performance was not at the 150 mark as advertised, but close for read.

 

[DRDNA]

I don't know why but couldn't the back up created on the WD been simply moved to the thumb drive?

 

[Sasqui]

I don't know why but couldn't the back up created on the WD been simply moved to the thumb drive?

In theory, it should work, I've saved multiple system images to other drives before but honestly never tried recovering any. I read somewhere you can't have more than one backup on the same drive... not sure if that has something to do with simple folder and filename conventions needed during restore. Don't have a spare laptop drive to try it with unfortunately.

 

[John Naylor]

I remember trying to do a Win7 ISO install from a 64 GB NTFS drive... it wouldn't go. I remeber reading that this might be a MoBo issue rather than anything else. I the used a smaller FAT formatted USB and it worked just fine.

 

[Sasqui]

I remember trying to do a Win7 ISO install from a 64 GB NTFS drive...

That's something I've never tried. Install from bootable USB thumb drive, yes... though with Skylake+, you need to first install USB 3 drivers. That whole shit show is in another thread.

 

[qubit]

Sounds like the system image is too big for that 128GB drive since it worked on the 2TB drive. Get a bigger drive.

What was the all-important error message you were seeing? What method were you using to make that system image?

 

[Sasqui]

Sounds like the system image is too big for that 128GB drive since it worked on the 2TB drive. Get a bigger drive.

What was the all-important error message you were seeing? What method were you using to make that system image?

The total used space on the OS drive was far less than 128 GB, so I don't think that was the problem.

It said something to the effect of 'Cannot make an image on that device type' ...nothing about space, etc.

 

[qubit]

The total used space on the OS drive was far less than 128 GB, so I don't think that was the problem.

It said something to the effect of 'Cannot make an image on that device type' ...nothing about space, etc.

Ok, so maybe it's not space then, although your OP did state that the image was about 100GB in size, which could be uncomfortably close to the limit, depending on the amount of temporary workspace it needs to use to make the image. Sounds like a driver issue otherwise perhaps, but my money is still on a flash drive that's just a bit too small. It would be worth Googling the error message to try and get to the bottom of it.

Again, what method did you use to make the backup?

 

[eidairaman1]

The way windows measures is in Gibibytes, drive makers still measure in Gigabytes, thats the reason. Get a larger flash drive

 

[qubit]

The way windows measures is in Gibibytes, drive makers still measure in Gigabytes, thats the reason. Get a larger flash drive

Damned good point.

Just so you know, I thought of this first, but beamed it to your mind telephathically for you to post it.

 

[John Naylor]

The storage manufacturers misrepresentation of drive size by using base 10 numbers instead of base 2 only accounts to 7%. The base 10 number is a sales invention by said manufacturers to make customers think they getting more than they are. When it 1st happened, was just one manufacturer ... others whined and complained but consumers didn't tend to bother read the explanations ... so within a year, other manufacturer's followed suit.

A 128 GB drive has more than enough room for 100 GB of files with just under 120 GB (119.2) of storage

 

[jsfitz54]

Windows7 Pro and Office 2010 is not going to exceed 32GB.
Incompatible USB drive or some other issue at work, but I would have tried USB FAT32 formatted. EXFAT is not going to work at all, it's not native.

 

[dorsetknob]

Damned good point.

Just so you know, I thought of this first, but beamed it to your mind telephathically for you to post it.

56k dial up connection

 

[Sasqui]

Windows7 Pro and Office 2010 is not going to exceed 32GB.
Incompatible USB drive or some other issue at work, but I would have tried USB FAT32 formatted. EXFAT is not going to work at all, it's not native.

It specifically said NTFS was needed, so that's what I did.

The way windows measures is in Gibibytes, drive makers still measure in Gigabytes, thats the reason. Get a larger flash drive

And for the amount of space, the OS drive was 97GB and the USB drive said 117GB total (approximate numbers) - I'm not THAT dumb.

 

[eidairaman1]

It specifically said NTFS was needed, so that's what I did.



And for the amount of space, the OS drive was 97GB and the USB drive said 117GB total (approximate numbers) - I'm not THAT dumb.

That drive could be failing. I would switch to another usb port and try again because ive extracted isos before so that they could act like CDs on bootup lol.

By the way I never said you were dumb.

I only give info to help not condenscend.

 

[Sasqui]

That drive could be failing. I would switch to another usb port and try again because ive extracted isos before so that they could act like CDs on bootup lol.

USB drive was literally hours off the shelf, and I did a FULL format (not quick) back to exFAT after trying that, no errors or problems. It appeared that windows image backup didn't like a thumb drive... ergo the question.

 

[eidairaman1]

Try in another slot, heck even usb 2.0, if no dice send that drive back lol

 

[jsfitz54]

It specifically said NTFS was needed, so that's what I did.

I understand, but there was no success. Look here at directions: https://kb.sandisk.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/19258/~/formatting-usb-drives-with-third-party-tools

You need a low level format tool above 32GB, don't quote me.

Originally, you could load W7 using FAT32 or NTFS. Flash drives are hit and miss and I have returned some that when left in the PC won't boot properly.
https://www.easeus.com/partition-master/format-128gb-usb-flash-drive-to-fat32.html

 

[Sasqui]

Try in another slot, heck even usb 2.0, if no dice send that drive back lol

I bought it at Best Buy off the shelf late Saturday, and after getting the image saved to the passport, returned the thumb drive Sunday morning...

I understand, but there was no success. Look here at directions: https://kb.sandisk.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/19258/~/formatting-usb-drives-with-third-party-tools

You need a low level format tool above 32GB, don't quote me.

Originally, you could load W7 using FAT32 or NTFS. Flash drives are hit and miss and I have returned some that when left in the PC won't boot properly.
https://www.easeus.com/partition-master/format-128gb-usb-flash-drive-to-fat32.html

You sir, may have found the answer. Though I wouldn't consider Windows 7 "3rd party", I guess they are in the eyes of Sandisk?

I certainly have noticed some USB drives can do things like be bootable and some not, etc... yea, hit or miss for sure. I go to a lot of trade shows and the newest trend for "SWAG" are USB thumb drives (cheap ones). I have over 20 of them, most are 8 or 16 GB

 

[eidairaman1]

I bought it at Best Buy off the shelf late Saturday, and after getting the image saved to the passport, returned the thumb drive Sunday morning...

Good deal there.

 

[Sasqui]

Good deal there.

It was this: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sandis...sh-drive-black-silver/9208221.p?skuId=9208221

On sale for $34.99... site says it's $119.99 I almost kept it, but don't need it.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

I use DVD for Windows 7-Vista, CD for Windows XP and older, USB for Windows 8 and newer. UEFI does well with USB, BIOS does not.

Windows 10 Media Creation Tool creates a 32 GB partition on the USB drive regardless if the drive is larger than that. I bought a USB3 32 GB pen drive just for Windows 10 install media.

 

[Sasqui]

I use DVD for Windows 7-Vista, CD for Windows XP and older, USB for Windows 8 and newer. UEFI does well with USB, BIOS does not.

Windows 10 Media Creation Tool creates a 32 GB partition on the USB drive regardless if the drive is larger than that. I bought a USB3 32 GB pen drive just for Windows 10 install media.

The topic is for a system image backup, not install media... if it makes any difference?

 

[eidairaman1]

The topic is for a system image backup, not install media... if it makes any difference?

I don't think I saw you using a system image backup software . Are you just using the default one or are you using a third-party?

 

[Sasqui]

I don't think I saw you using a system image backup software . Are you just using the default one or are you using a third-party?

Built in Windows 7 system image backup.. creates an OS partition image to restore in case something goes bad. ....I assume it's in 8 and 10?

I've done a restore only once before, thankfully.