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Where do I get a recovery disk for the client to restore from a WHS 2011 backup?

Current Solution: Now I've found my recovery disk (CD). I made the following observations: My CD drive seems to be faulty. Also the generation of the USB recovery media doesn't work. Don't know if the USB 3.0 stick was the problem here. I haven't tried another one. Perhaps that would help. The solution was that I copied the files from CD to USB and now I was able to boot.

Nevertheless, from where would I get the recovery disk if I don't have the CD anymore and the USB approach also fails? Doesn anyone know how I could report this error to Microsoft?

Old question:

I followed these instructions Create a bootable USB flash drive to restore a client computer for Windows Home Server 2011 to create a bootable media to restore a client from a backup.

The operations only takes a second at it says it is finished. If I want to remove the USB drive I can't. I only see ... in the window. So I put out the USB drive and boot from it with the client. But the screen stays black. If I want to view the content of the USB drive neither on the WHS nor on another PC I can access the files. I can only format it.

I tried to use another USB port, another file system (exFAT, NTFS) and did multiple restart. My problem now is that I need a bootable media. Where do I get one? The above doesn't work at all.

EDIT:

PC even doesn't boot from another CD despite everything should be set up ...

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testing
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  • Is your BIOS set to boot off optical media and USB first? If the hard drive is hosed or missing the boot record, then computer might be trying to boot to the HDD and stop there. Check this on changing [BIOS boot order](http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixtheproblem/ss/bootorderchange.htm) or a superuser article on changing boot order with [secureboot turned on](http://superuser.com/questions/776671/bios-wont-allow-me-to-change-boot-order). – Sun Sep 13 '14 at 20:53
  • Have you yet taken up the suggestion from the other question to try a CD drive from another computer that does boot a CD? http://superuser.com/questions/811349/pc-does-start-but-cannot-boot-from-usb-cd At least then you'll know you can boot a CD. It may be possible to convert a bootable USB to CD – barlop Sep 13 '14 at 23:14
  • furthermore, looking at your new title. Since your link to MS, says for those that odn't have the CD.. and suggests using a usb. So even they don't say where you can get it. The obvious way where you can get it is to buy it. Or somebody might pirate one though that wouldn't sound legal. I don't think you'll get any other answers as to where to get the CD that comes with something, other than to buy it.(then insert it into your computer that -if you're right- can't boot CDs, and watch it not boot the CD) – barlop Sep 14 '14 at 00:33

2 Answers2

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Try something different?

Rufus is a utility that helps format and create bootable USB flash drives, such as USB keys/pendrives, memory sticks, etc.

Rufus screenshot

Sun
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  • But where do I get the software (WHS 2011 recovery disk) to start the recovery mode on the client? – testing Sep 13 '14 at 17:38
  • Just use the installtion media, when you boot to the installtion media, you are given the exact same recovery environment. – Ramhound Sep 13 '14 at 18:49
  • @testing Putting aside the fact that you can't boot from cd or usb.To make a bootable USB, you (when booted into windows), insert the cd, generate an ISO from the CD, and point rufus to the ISO. – barlop Sep 13 '14 at 19:48
  • @Ramhound You are telling him to use a bootable CD that you think he has, rather than creating a bootable USB. (I think he'd have tried that if he had a CD), but anyhow, the instructions he pointed to say "If you need to restore a client computer from an existing backup but cannot locate the Restore CD that came with your server, you can create a bootable.. " And furthermore, anyhow, as he says in his update, he cannot boot from CD/USB – barlop Sep 13 '14 at 19:51
  • @barlop the original question made no mention of his inability to boot from a DVD or USB so your comment is NOT helpful! – Ramhound Sep 13 '14 at 20:53
  • My point is that the installation media IS THE RECOVERY DISK nothing I said was incorrect – Ramhound Sep 13 '14 at 20:54
  • @Ramhound I agree you weren't wrong, I was just saying he probably doesn't have it, given that the instructions he link to say it's for one that doesn't have it.. Your suggestion isn't bad, but indeed he doesn't have the CD and has now updated his title to ask where he can get it. Though I don't know what he has in mind given that he can't boot from CD anyway! – barlop Sep 13 '14 at 23:12
  • Thanks for your help. I updated my question to the current solution I have and what the problem was. But the question still is where do I get my recovery media from? – testing Sep 14 '14 at 11:23
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Others tried what you tried and failed. So, you are not alone on this. Maybe look at this forum thread on recovery media for WHS 2011 and see if you get further. The actual ISO file name seems to be en_client_restore_disc_windows_home_server_2011_x86_x64_cd_658475.iso

Sun
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