Using imageX to restore a .wim image from a USB/DVD

This guide is to recover a windows image(.wim) from a recovery partition that has been

previously saved/stored on a USB key/drive or DVD, using windows tool imagex with a

Vista/Win7 install DVD.

 

 I will be using a Dell Recovery Partition as a reference but this works with any .win

image. make sure the tools folder with the imagex tool is included while saving

the .wim image to a USB or burning a DVD with the image for storage.

 

Tools:

 

1.  Windows Vista/Win7 install DVD.

2. Recovery Partition saved with imagex tool onto a USB Key/Drive or DVD.

 Step1: Format the Drive.

 

  1. take the Vista/Win7 installation DVD and insert it into the drive,then boot from it. at

this point you can use CMD to fire up Diskpart to format the drive or if you are not

familiar with command prompt(CMD), then do as if you would be installing vista.

 

      a. select advance from the drive selection screen. delete the primary partition and

any other partition you want to delete. then create another partition and format, once

that's done you should end up with a clean c:/ partition at this point you gonna cancel

the installation.

 

      b. boot from the DVD again this time you gonna choose the repair option, then it

will try to look for a VistaWin7 installation, but wont find it. so a screen should come out

with different options like recover to an early state, memory diagnostic at this point

you gonna choose command prompt or CMD.

 

c. once CMD its open, cd(change directory) to the c:/ drive by entering cd c:/enter, or

cd.. until you are at the c:/ directory. now your Dell Recovery Partition with your .wim

image should be D:/ drive or replace the drive letter where the image is.

 

 

Step2: you gonna use a tool already included in the Dell Recovery Partition called

IMAGEX(located in the tools folder of the Recovery Partition you have).  cd to the

directory where imagex is. cd D:/Tools/imagex 

now the ease part comes. you gonna use this command

 

D:/Tools/imagex /apply d:\Dell\image\Factory.wim 1 c:\

 

 thats it.

 

 

The Imagex installation should start and be done in about 10 minutes, then boot

normal. if you get a message that something is missing, or the system can`t find a

bootable image, then boot from the DVD again and do the start up repair option. the

DVD will repair the boot problem and that's it. once is done reboot, and you should end

up with a fresh clean factory installation.

 

you can do this from USB drive or DVD. just put all the files from the recovery partition

into a USB drive or burn it to a DVD, then save it and once you need it again you can do

the same.

D:/Tools/imagex /apply d:\Dell\image\Factory.wim 1 c:\