Fixed: Windows Could not Find a Backup for This Computer
Recovery error: Windows could not find a backup for this computer
“Hello. I just met a weird problem. Here is the thing. A couple of months ago, I made a system image backup using Create a system image link in Windows Backup and Restore. I backed up PC to external hard drive since it won’t allow me to do this on the USB flash drive.
Anyway, I need to restore the system image this time because it prompts me that some system files are corrupted. However, I am having trouble in restoring the backup. When I go to Control Panel > Backup & Restore, a message appears in the restore section, saying ‘Windows could not find a backup for this computer’.
I’ve also tried reconnecting my external drive as well as restarting the computer, but no luck. Windows Explorer knows the backup yet the Backup & Restore cannot. When I click on the files to restore, it says ‘Windows was not able to find any backup sets’. Any help would be greatly appreciated.”
Possible causes for Windows restore error
A lot of Windows users have complained about this “Windows could not find a backup for this computer” issue in Windows 10 or Windows 7 when doing system restoring.
Coincidentally, when you run restoring on Windows Server, a similar message may appear as well: Windows Server Backup could not find any backups stored on this computer.
If you go back to check the backup in File Explorer, you’ll find it lies still in the drive. Windows just cannot see the backup file. Why would this happen? In general, the following two actions may be the main reasons:
- You make changes to the system image backup created by Windows Backup and Restore. For example, you change computer name or the"WindowsImageBackup" folder name.
- Your backup image is saved on the network.
6 methods to fix Windows cannot find backups error
The error message "Windows cannot find a backup on the hard disks or DVDs on this computer" can be frustrating, especially when you need to recover your system. Let's go through the steps to identify and resolve the issue.
- Restore system backup from network location.
- Change the folder name to WindowsImageBackup.
- If you're experiencing issues with Windows Backup, try placing the WindowsImageBackup folder at the root folder of the drive. This is a simple yet effective solution that may resolve the problem.
- Don't add any folder in the WindowsImageBackup folder.
- If you're experiencing issues with Windows Backup, try keeping the sub-folder name as it was. This is a simple yet effective solution that may resolve the problem.
- If you're experiencing issues with Windows Backup, try ensuring that the MediaID.bin file and system are stored together. This is a simple yet effective solution that may resolve the problem.
Powerful alternative to solve “Windows could not find a backup” thoroughly
If you're experiencing issues with Windows Backup, such as the error "Windows could not find a backup for this computer" or "Windows could not find backup devices on this computer", try using a powerful third-party backup software like Qiling Disk Master Professional.
Are you looking for a reliable way to back up your boot drive for Windows 11, 10, 8.1/8, 7, XP, or Vista? Look no further than Qiling Disk Master Professional.
- You can use any storage device as backup destination, such as internal/external disk, USB drive, network drive, NAS, etc.
- You are allowed to save backup images on any location instead of limiting to the root location of a drive.
- You are able to edit the backup name as per your needs.
The recovery feature also comes along with this backup software. If you know where the backup image is, just navigate to that location and start restoring. If your computer is in an extremely poor condition that it fails to boot, you can create a bootable USB with this utility to restore the image in WinPE mode. More importantly, you can successfully backup Windows 7 and restore on another computer with dissimilar hardware.
It has a user-friendly interface as well as 30-day free trial. Download to have a try.
How to restore your computer via Qiling Disk Master
Step 1. Connect the external device that contains the backup image to your PC, if any. Install and run Qiling Disk Master.
Step 2. Click Restore and Select Task in the main console.
Step 3. Select the right backup task and click Next to continue. If the backup task you need is not detected, click Back > Select Image File to manually navigate to the backup image location.
Step 4. Tick Restore this system backup and click Next.
Step 5. (Optional) Generally, the program selects the original system partition(s) as the destination path to receive the restored data automatically. If not, select a destination path manually.
Step 6. After selecting the destination path and choosing the restore options, the program will display the Operation Summary window. This window provides a summary of the restore operation, including the source and destination paths, the type of restore, and any additional options selected.
- ★Tips:
- This software supports restoring Windows image backup over network as well. You just need to input the IP address.
- If you’re running Windows Server, please turn to Qiling Disk Master Server edition.
Summary
System image backup errors can be frustrating, but there are steps you can take to resolve them. Here are some common errors and their solutions:
To completely solve this problem, it's suggested to back up system drive directly via Qiling Disk Master. It's a great alternative to Windows 7 Backup and Restore. With it, you can also backup disk, partition, files as well as set schedule automatic backup to keep changes made later.
Also, You can find many helpful features that Windows backup utility does not have. For example, you can migrate OS to SSD with System Clone, replace laptop HDD with SSD using Disk Clone, mirror folders with File Sync, etc. Please download it to explore more.
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