This video shows how to restore your computer using a system image in Windows 8.
A system image is a file containing a snapshot of all of the data on a hard drive at any given time.
If your hard drive fails or is corrupt, you can restore your files and settings to the
point when you created the system image.
To create a system image, you will need a storage device such as an external hard drive
or DVDs.
For this example we will use an external hard drive.
From the Start Screen, press the Windows and W keys to search in Settings.
Begin typing File Recovery, and select Windows 7 File Recovery from the list of results.
Click Create a system image.
Choose the storage device you would like to use, and then click Next.
Select the drives you want to include in the image, and then click Next.
Make sure that you have enough blank space on your storage device to create the system
image.
Confirm the settings, and then click Start backup.
Continue to follow the on-screen instructions until the image is complete.
Processing time will vary based on how much data you are backing up. Don’t disrupt the
process even if it takes over an hour to complete.
When the system image has been created, you will be asked to create a system repair disc
that can be used to boot the computer in case of startup problems.
It is not necessary to create the repair disc to complete the system image process. If you
would like to create a repair disc, click Yes and follow the onscreen instructions.
If you have already created a system repair disc or do not want to create one now, click
No to proceed.
The system image has been created.
Click Close.
Connect the storage device containing the system image to the computer.
From the Startup screen, click Settings, then select the Power button.
While holding down the shift key, click Restart to reboot the computer to open the Advanced
Startup menu.
When the computer restarts to the Advanced Startup Menu, click Troubleshoot, and then
select Advanced options.
Click System Image Recovery.
Enter the user account and password, and then click Continue.
Select Use the latest available system image, and then click Next.
Click Next.
Click Finish, and then click Yes.
Windows begins to restore the computer.
Follow the on-screen instructions to completely restore the computer. Processing time varies
and could take up to a few hours to complete. Do not interrupt the process.
When the system image is restored, your computer automatically restarts.
Thank you for viewing this video. For more help, go to hp.com/support.