Windows 8.1 System Image File question

Hi all

I bought an Acer Switch 10 and made a System Image File of the drive

I saved this file on an USB hard drive and it re-imaged without issue after a reset of the PC

I then had to exchange the Switch 10 due to a cracked screen while under warranty

I am now trying to install the system image from the original Switch 10 onto the new replacement, but the system stops me with the message:

"To restore this computer, Windows needs to format the drive that the Windows Recovery Environment is currently running on. to continue with the restore, shut down this computer and boot it from a Windows installation disc or a system repair disc and then try the restore again"

I have no problems getting to this drive, but the laptop didn't come with any installation or system repair discs

Is it even possible to put a system image from one computer onto another computer with the exact same specs?

Acer support wasn't a lot of help as they kept telling me to format my hard drive and start form scratch...

Can someone please tell me what I am missing in the above message or what I am doing wrong?

Thanks

Hi,

this is just my ideas.. i Don't know tablets as I believe that is what the Acer 10 Switch is correct??

- First can you make a copy/backup of that original image from your first original Acer. Do that if you can. Clone/copy/backup whatever you need to do to make an exact clone so you actually will have 2 exact clones/copies of that "image" from your original ACER 10. that is for if anything goes wrong with 1 or you format the wrong thing etc..

- Second, I really don't like tablets and such (cause I'm a full computer/laptop kinda guy) but once you make that clone of the image you have from your original Acer 10, then go ahead and just do what it says to do and format..


also try making another image with your new Acer one right now. (then you would have 2 old original images and 1 new one from your new acer) But do not overwrite the original one you have! as i say earlier, backup/clone that now!


or are you saying you don't know how to Format it?

Thanks for the reply

This Acer Switch is what they call a "2 in 1" - a tablet that docks to a keyboard.

It has a 32 gig eMMC SSD (non-removable as far as I can tell)

The challenge is that this product doesn't have recovery/installation disks - Win 8.1 comes pre-installed and you're just supposed to use the refresh/restore functions

I'll put a copy of the original image in a safe place and try making an image of the second laptop to see what happens

Not a tablet person myself - this is for the wife to use and I'm just trying to avoid having to repeat removing the bloatware and reinstalling her preferred programs

I'll let you know what happens, but may not get to this until the weekend

yes, I guess it's best to google "recover acer switch" or google "make recovery acer switch 10" anyway you get the idea and probably already did this..