Server 2008 r2 restore problem

I have used windows server backup to make a backup of this server. According to the console, the backups have been working correctly. The drive (single) died in the server and I went to restore. I replaced the original drive. I have the backup image on an external drive. I put in the Windows 2008 setup disk, get it running, go to repair my computer. It looks for the system image file but can't find it. I try 'retry' without any luck. If I skip and go to the network / install a driver section and I go into the dialog from finding the driver, I see the external drive with the proper designation. Why can't the restore see the image file? Is there a way that I can make it see the image file?

Thanks in advance for your assistance with this.

Regards,

Bill
w_marquardtOwnerAsked:
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David Johnson, CD, MVPOwnerCommented:
See my article When Windows Restore Won't from what you describe you need a custom install disk that has the drivers injected.
noxchoGlobal Support CoordinatorCommented:
One of the reason why I never use MS Server Backup feature. Can you copy the backup image folder to a second internal HDD or to network folder and see if it is detected by Restore Wizard.
bas2754Commented:
I am not sure you can go from an external USB.  I ran into something similar and think if I remember correctly the resolution was to share the external drive as a network share off of another computer in the network and then in the restore backup dialog tell it to look in other locations and point it to the network share.

Hope that helps.
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w_marquardtOwnerAuthor Commented:
Due to time constraints, I was forced to just rebuild the server. Thankfully, it wasn't the domain controller but it was still a pain as it was the terminal server and all of the accounts had to be recreated. This is the second time Microsoft's backup solution has let me down. I'm done with it and am going to change over to Macrium.

David, thanks for your very thorough and well thought out article on the restore problem. Noxcho and bas2754, I wish I had the time to give that one a try but the pressures were to great to get it running, no time for experimenting regardless of how much I wanted to.

Since I wasn't able to truly test any of these solutions, can someone tell me what I need to do with the points / solutions on this question?

Thanks for the assistance with this.

Regards,

Bill

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noxchoGlobal Support CoordinatorCommented:
Request either deletion or accept your own solution.
bas2754Commented:
You could also split the points if any of the proposed solutions helped you determine your course of action.
w_marquardtOwnerAuthor Commented:
The other solutions may have worked but due to time constraints, I decided to go the rebuild route. I accepted my own solution as the best solution not because I thought it was the best but to leave this question / message as a warning to anyone using Windows Server backup to either do a lot of testing to make sure that it works or find a different and better backup solution. We have chosen to go with Macrium which actually works the way Microsoft's backup solution should. You put in the recovery disk, find the image and then reimage the drive. I don't understand why this is a difficult issue for Microsoft to get a handle on.
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Windows Server 2008

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