Windows 10 System Image failed with error code 0x80780086

Windows Desktop Windows 10
1

Hi,

I have a PC which has a 1 TB HDD which is very OLD I am not satisfied with the performance so I decided to replace replace it. I bought one new 1 TB Seagate disk online and using Windows 10 Image backup restore It took the backup and then removed the HDD and Inserted the New HDD.

Using Windows 10 Media Creation Tool I downloaded the Windows 10 iso and with the help of rufus I created a Bootable Drive.

I thought recovery was going smooth and successful but in the end like at 99% I got the below error which I have shown below

SystemImageFailed_999tech
SystemImageFailed_999tech1080Ă—810 50.7 KB

1 Like
2

I don’t have a specific answer for you, but perhaps the following may help.

I note first that “Automated System Recovery” was a Windows XP feature. I have no idea why an error about this might come up when trying to restore a Windows 7 image. It sounds like some MS programmer neglected to update the error handling.

The following exchange from 2012 (!) is about a problem similar to yours. Read the entire thread to the last post and check your BIOS settings. Redirecting

If that didn’t help, here are some more thoughts.

A System Image created by Windows Backup & Restore comprises some VHD (Virtual Hard Disk) files and a bunch of XML files that presumably are used by the “Restore” function to figure out how to use the VHDs.

You can mount a VHD using Disk Management and access the files. How to mount a VHD file in Windows 7 This could be used as a last resort: copy your data files to an external backup, clean install Windows 7, re-install all of your application software, and finally copy back your data files. Obviously, this is a far from ideal solution.

According to post #15 in this thread (https://www.sevenforums.com/backup-restore/193570-help-complete-system-image-restore-vhd-files-2.html), you can image an attached VHD and then restore the image (back to your hard drive) using (free) Macrium Reflect https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree

In the past I have imaged attached VHDs with Macrium and was able to restore those as non-VHDs. You have to use the Macrium Linux restore CD for that (easy to make). You should try to mount the VHD in a running Win7 or Vista system though (via Disk Management) and image it from there.

The only problem you might run into is that you may not have an operational 100MB active partition that contains the bootmgr. In that case you will have to fix the bootmgr in C:. That one you have to play by ear.

Here is a tutorial about Macrium in case you never used it: Imaging with free Macrium

With respect to the 100 MB “system” partition, I looked at a Windows System Image and saw that there were two separate VHDs: one for the “system” partition and the other for the main C:\ partition. So you would have the possibility of restoring that small image or fixing the bootmgr manually. The following posts in the thread have some discussion that may be helpful.

Note that by the time you get to post #29, they are considering converting the VHDs to files used by (not free) Acronis True Image.

And so … see https://kb.acronis.com/content/3648 (although the content of that article says that it applies to rather old versions of Acronis, I’m fairly certain that the current version has not lost that ability). Note that this article confirms what I mentioned above about the two VHDs in the system image backup.

It may be worth spending the money to buy Acronis True Image – it’s a lot better than Windows Backup & Restore.

Good luck!!

3

Hello @Sadam

You can try the solution as by umer

4

This issue often happens in Windows 10/8/7 and there is always an additional message followed:

  • The parameter is incorrect. (0x80070057)
  • An error occurred while performing the recovery operation.
  • No disk that can be used for recovering the system disk can be found.
  • Windows cannot restore a system image to a computer that has different firmware. The system image was created on a computer using BIOS and this computer is using EFI.
  • A Volume Shadow Copy Service component encountered an unexpected error. Check the Application event log for more information. (0x80042302)
  • Additionally, the error code 0x80042414, 0x80042407, etc. may appear.

How to fix the system image restore failed issue in Windows 10/8/7? The following are the solutions

Operation 1: Back up Another PC System
Operation 2: Restore System Image to the System Disk of Your Non-working PC

5

The information provided by @umer contains some potential solutions, but let’s break down the issue and suggest a more concise and user-friendly solution:

Issue Overview:

The error message “The system image restore failed. Error details: The post-recovery operation to set registry keys for automated system recovery (ASR) in the offline operation system failed. (0x80780086)” indicates a problem during the restoration process.

Possible Solutions:

  1. BIOS Settings Check: The error might be related to BIOS settings. Ensure that your BIOS settings are configured correctly. Check the linked thread 2012 for a similar issue and review the entire thread for insights. Pay special attention to any recommendations regarding BIOS settings.
  2. VHD Mounting: A Windows System Image comprises Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) files. Try mounting the VHD using Disk Management to access the files. If successful, you could copy your data files to an external backup, perform a clean install of Windows 7, reinstall your applications, and finally copy back your data files.
  3. Third-Party Imaging Tool: Consider using a reliable third-party imaging tool like Macrium Reflect. It allows you to image attached VHDs and restore them as non-VHDs. Create a Macrium Linux restore CD and attempt to restore the image using Macrium Reflect.
  4. Acronis True Image: If other solutions prove challenging, Acronis True Image is suggested as a more advanced alternative to Windows Backup & Restore. It can handle system image backups efficiently.

Note: Always proceed cautiously when making system changes, especially during recovery processes. If uncertain, seek professional assistance to avoid data loss or system issues.