[garyjbradley1]

Sorry the below is a bit long winded but I wanted to include all steps that I actioned…

Laptop purchased with W11 and created W11 updated backup image to internal and external drives.

Downgraded from W11 to W10 and created W10 updated backup image to internal and external drives.

So I have both W10 and W11 updated system backup images on my internal and external drives.

My laptop is presently running on W10 operating system.

I have no problems restoring a W10 system backup image from an internal or external drive to my laptop running on W10 using the Windows Recovery Function or with a Windows Recovery thumb-drive.

I have no problems restoring a W11 system backup image from an internal or external drive to my laptop running on W11 using the Windows Recovery Function or with a Windows Recovery thumb-drive.

I also have no problems restoring a W10 system backup image from an internal or external drive to the laptop running on W11 using the Windows Recovery Function or with a Windows Recovery thumb-drive.

But I cannot restore a W11 system backup image from an internal or external drive to the laptop running on W10 using the Windows Recovery Function or with a Windows Recovery thumb-drive.

I wish to upgrade the laptop operating system from W10 to W11 using the W11 updated system backup image from the internal and external drives but I have problems in doing so. It keeps telling me - To restore this computer, windows needs to format the drive that the windows recovery environment is currently running on. To continue the restore, shut down this computer and boot it from a Windows Installation Disk or a System Repair disk and try the restore again.

As my laptop does not have a CD/DVD-Rom Drive to use a Windows System Repair Disk, I used a W10 & W11 Recovery thumb-drive but the same problem still occurs - To restore this computer, windows……..

Internet research found: While you can use both tools to access the Windows advanced boot options for troubleshooting startup, we recommend using a USB-based recovery drive when possible, since it contains all the same tools as the system repair disc.
How to Create and Use a Recovery Drive or System Repair Disc in Windows 8 or 10

I also have no problems restoring a W11 system from the W11 factory restore partition on the laptop running W10 using the Windows Recovery Function or with a Windows Recovery thumb-drive.

But I also cannot restore the W11 updated system backup image from the internal and external drives to the laptop after the factory W11 restore. It keeps telling me - To restore this computer, windows needs to format the drive that the windows recovery environment is currently running on. To continue the restore, shut down this computer and boot it from a Windows Installation Disk or a System Repair disk and try the restore again.

One other thing that I did also find very strange is that when running the laptop on W11, I created a backup image in the Windows Image Backup Folder on the E: drive partition.
When running the laptop on W10, I also created a backup image in the Windows Image Backup Folder on the E: drive partition.

BUT post W11 system restore from the W11 factory restore partition, the Windows Image Backup Folder appears on the D: drive?

All other folders on the D: and E: drive partitions remain in their original locations, ONLY the Windows Image Backup Folder changes drive partition locations when changing from running W10 to W11 system?
The laptop Disk 1 contains both C: and D: drive partitions and Disk 2 is the E: drive partition.

I could not quite believe what I was seeing so I do have screenshots of the above…..

Anyway, all I want to achieve is to restore my laptop running W10 with my W11 updated system backup image….
I hope someone out there has a few answers for me.

Thanks in advance
Gary

 

[spunk.funk]

You do not need to restore an image to upgrade to Windows 11, in fact you can't upgrade Windows 10 using a Windows 11 Image.
You can Upgrade your Windows 10 computer to Windows 11 using Windows Update. You would select Keep Files and it will update your system to Windows 11 without touching any apps or files.
You can also download the Windows 11 ISO image and right click it and choose Mount. This will create a Virtual DVD drive, browse for Setup,exe, right click it and Run As Administrator. Again Keeping Files.
Or you can create a USB Flash Drive using the Media Creation Tool on the same page. Plug the Flash drive in the computer while booted into Windows and Browse the flash drive and Run Setup.exe as outlined.

Once you have got your computer updated and the way you like it. Make a New Image File using Macrium Reflect or your favorite imaging app.

 

[WndrWmn]

Just a little sidenote here, even though you don’t have an optical drive as in a DVD or a CD drive they are available inexpensively usually about $30 as external USB drives. Also, the windows operating system now has virtual DVD or cd drives.

 

[garyjbradley1]

Not the answers I was looking and hoping for but thank you for your time help and input.