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Troubleshooting

The space on the target drive is insufficient​

The backup page warns below Destination file when the target drive is expected to run out of space.

Choose a destination with more free space with Browse..., or add another folder under Settings > Target folders; new backups are stored in the folder with the most free space. A strategy with incremental backups and compression also reduces the space needed. See Backup destinations.

A scheduled backup did not run​

Check the execution of the backup on the start page under Last performed backup: Customize shows whether a schedule or a hotplug backup is set, and the status bar shows whether a backup is planned.

A backup to an external drive or a network directory can only run while the destination is connected. Connect the drive or check the network connection, then run the backup manually with Run backup under Restore backups. See Schedules and automation.

A backup does not start when the drive is connected​

Perform automatic backup when connecting a drive (Hotplug) must be selected in the execution settings, and the connected drive must be the destination drive of that backup. Wait for the configured Execution delay after connecting the drive. See Backups when a drive is connected.

The system drive cannot be restored or selected as a target​

While Windows is running, the system drive is in use: it cannot be overwritten by a restore and cannot be selected as the target of a duplication. Start Fortress Mode under Tools, which gives protected access to all drives, or start the PC from the startup medium. See Fortress Mode and startup medium.

Fortress Mode cannot be set up​

Fortress Mode needs a working Windows Recovery Environment. Run Check & Repair under Tools with Check Windows recovery environment enabled, then set up Fortress Mode again. If the recovery environment cannot be repaired, use the startup medium.

The PC does not start from the startup medium​

  • Change the boot order in the boot menu or in the BIOS/UEFI setup so that the medium is started first. The order chosen in the boot menu usually applies to the current start only.
  • Disable Secure Boot if the Windows PE medium does not start.
  • Start the PC in the same boot mode (UEFI or Legacy/CSM) in which the medium was created.
  • Use a USB 2.0 port; some PCs do not start from USB 3.0 ports.
  • If the medium is still not detected, recreate it with Creating a Startup Media.

A disk or the network is missing in the recovery environment​

The driver of the storage controller, NVMe SSD, RAID array or network adapter is missing. Load it in the O&O System Settings dialog on the Drivers tab from a USB stick or another drive. In most cases a missing disk is caused by missing RAID, AHCI or NVMe drivers, or by changed BIOS settings such as the RAID/IDE/AHCI mode. See Work in the recovery environment.

A BitLocker-protected drive cannot be used in the recovery environment​

Encrypted volumes can only be used after they have been unlocked. Unlock the drive with its BitLocker recovery key before backing up or restoring it.

A VHD or VHDX backup cannot be restored​

Backups in the VHD and VHDX formats cannot be restored with O&O DiskImage. Mount the backup with Tools > Mount drives and copy the files you need. For backups you want to restore, use the O&O DiskImage format. See Backup options.

The backup had to be forensic​

If an empty area of a drive is selected under Back up drives, or a partition has an unknown or unsupported file system, O&O DiskImage must back up all sectors instead of the used sectors. A forensic backup needs storage space for the full size of the drive. Deselect empty areas if you do not need them.

The validation reports errors​

A backup that fails validation cannot be relied on. Check the source drive with Check & Repair or chkdsk, create a new backup and check it with Check backup. Keep an older, validated backup until the new one is checked. See Tools.

A backup is not listed​

Backups from other PCs, on external drives or in network directories are added with Import backups under Restore backups or Tools. Connect the drive or network directory first. See Manage backups.

A password is not accepted​

Enter the original password of the backup and check the capitalization and the keyboard layout – in the recovery environment the layout is often English (US). An encrypted backup cannot be restored without the correct password.