Trying to restore after blue screen

[jk15090]

Hello,

Recently I had a blue screen error on my desktop pc.  At the time, I was running Windows 10 that was upgraded from the Windows 7 home premium which came installed on the pc. At first, the stopcode error message was BAD SYSTEM CONFIG INFO. After rebooting, it changed to CRITICAL PROCESS DIED. I ended up using system recovery. I managed to get into the HP recovery manager and make a backup onto my external hard drive before needing to do a factory reset. So now I'm back to Windows 7 home premium until I figure out my issue. Although I have the backup files from my external hard drive downloaded onto the desktop, I can't get them to do anything. I don't see any .exe files in the backup, and I can't figure out how to get my files back onto the pc. Any info would be greatly appreciated! 

[itsmyname]

@jk15090 -- I don't see any .exe files in the backup, and I can't figure out how to get my files back onto the PC

As is typical for most "backup" utilities, you must use the same app to do the "restore" as you did to do the "backup".

I would temporarily attach an additional, and "empty", disk-drive to my computer, and then use that backup/restore app, to see if I target that "restore" to that disk-drive, instead of my "C:" disk-drive. Then, it should be easy to copy your Personal Files onto your "C:" drive-letter.

Since your computer was running Windows 10, just reinstall Windows 10.  If asked for the 25-character product-key, just click "I do not have one".  The Windows Installer will "call home" to Microsoft, to retrieve the previously-used product-key, and will automatically "activate" your computer.

[jk15090]

Thank you for your reply. I did try to use the HP Recovery Manager, which did as I described in my original post. Backup is there in a folder, but nothing "works".  I did do the Windows 10 upgrade, but then the HP Recovery manager disappears, apparently it was discontinued in 2018 if I read correctly. So I removed windows 10 and the HP Recovery manager is back on my pc, but like I said before, the backup folder doesn't "do" anything...no way to access those files even using the HP Recovery manager, which is what I used to create it. 

I will look into getting another **bleep** drive and try what you described. I hate to think my backup is all gone.

[Prométhée]

Hi

you are probably talking about this

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c04683485

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c04688331

and often it doesn't work properly
If so, you should find files in SWM format

Check, if that's right, you should be able to open them with

7-zip  www.7-zip.org

There is a clear answer here:

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Operating-System-and-Recovery/Recover-files-swm/m-p/7002892