ms windows 7 and ms windows 10 system repair discs, system image backups and media ids #gotcha

It would seem that ms windows 7 and ms windows 10 backup writes a media id to the System Repair Disc CD/DVD it creates and puts the same media id in the system image subdirectory in WindowsImageBackup\MACHINENAME\ to LOCK the windows System Repair Disc CD/DVD with the USB disk System Image backup/restore disk you are creating.

ie if you lose the original System Repair Disc CD/DVD you CANNOT restore from your USB System Image with a different/new System Repair Disc CD/DVD

Possible workarounds:

• Always keep MATCHING CD/DVD disc and USB disk drive backups together

or

• Install a clean Windows 7 or 10 on target machine
• Create a NEW System Repair Disc CD/DVD
• Create a NEW USB System Image
• Copy MediaId file from NEW USB System Image to OLD USB System Image
• Boot from new System Repair Disc CD/DVD with OLD USB System Image