Windows 11 How to set u a new 2TB external USB drive with multiple partitions (GPT + different size volumes

[Zevik83]

Scenerio: I am the aging family "guru" for our 3 family laptops - a Dell i7 Win11 Pro with built-in DVD, a Dell i7 Win Home and a Lenovo Ideapad 3 i5 Win Home. Second and third watch their DVDs on USB external DVD and Bluetooth drives. All data is backed up, ditto Win bootable Recoveries and System Images, all fairly current. I want to buy a new Seagate Ultra Touch 2TB drive as a second set of backups, data, boots and systems.

My plan is to provide 3 x 256GB volumes for the System Images, and use 32G USB sticks for the Dells for the latest Media Creation Tool - the Lenovo has a similar setup - 32G bootable USB, Lenovon tools or I ncan just download the System Image. For the data, multiple smaller size volumes - Documents, Downloads, Photos etc. My work for the next few days is to use File Explorer on each laptop to check the sizes I need to define for the data pieces, probably 32 - 64 G chunks. I may need almost all the letters of the alphabet in the end !

The inbuilt DVD on the first unit is assigned to D: - I believe that I can permanently change the drive letter?? So I need to reserve a letter for DVDs , and one each for Google Drive and Onedrive - every family member has gotten used to one of them. So happy that Dropbox took a different route.

So, suggestions please as to what size and letters to assign to each of the 3 Primary {?} Partitions (the 3 System Images ?) and what to assign to the Extended Partition multiple volumes (the Data chunks). Once thatnisndone and I have received the new drive, I'll come back for step-by-step help in getting it registered, tested running and chunked.

 

[Zevik83]

Help me with chkdsk - is it on Disk Manager ? Or where ?

 

[ChatGPT]

Good question — chkdsk isn’t in Disk Management. You run it from an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell (or via File Explorer’s Error‑checking tool which calls chkdsk for you). Quick steps and exact commands:
Option A — Recommended: run from an Administrator Command Prompt (fast, precise)

1. Open Admin Command Prompt:
   • Click Start, type cmd, right‑click Command Prompt → Run as administrator. (Or Win+X → Windows Terminal (Admin).
2. Run the check for a volume (example for J:
   • chkdsk J: /f
   • What it does: /f fixes filesystem errors. For a thorough scan for bad sectors use /r (slower): chkdsk J: /r
3. Repeat for each new drive letter:
   • chkdsk K: /f
   • chkdsk L: /f
   • chkdsk M: /f, etc.
4. Expected behavior:
   • For external volumes Windows will normally run immediately and report results in the console (e.g., “Windows has scanned the file system and found no problems.” or “Errors were found and fixed.”).
   • If it finds bad sectors (with /r) you’ll see messages about reallocated sectors — that’s a reason to consider returning/exchanging the drive.

Option B — Run from PowerShell with the same chkdsk command

• In an elevated PowerShell you can run the same: chkdsk J: /f

Option C — GUI (File Explorer → Error checking) — if you prefer clicks

1. Open File Explorer → This PC.
2. Right‑click the drive (J → Properties → Tools tab → Error checking → Check.
3. Click “Scan drive” or “Repair drive” if prompted. That runs chkdsk behind the scenes (but shows fewer details).

When to use /r vs /f

• Use /f for a new drive (quick fix for filesystem errors).
• Use /r if you suspect physical problems (it scans for bad sectors and attempts recovery) — /r can take a long time on large drives.

After chkdsk

• If chkdsk reports errors fixed, run the same chkdsk again to confirm no remaining issues.
• If chkdsk reports bad sectors or repeated errors, stop using the drive and contact the retailer/Seagate for RMA.

A quick safety reminder

• chkdsk is safe — it fixes filesystem issues. /r reads every sector and can take many hours on multi‑TB drives; don’t interrupt it. After you finish all checks, Safely Remove Hardware before unplugging.

If you like, paste the exact chkdsk output here after you run one (e.g., copy/paste the console results for J and I’ll confirm whether everything is OK or advise next steps.

 

[Zevik83]

"Cannot open volume for direct access"

All Drives J through O do show up in File Explorer OK.

 

[ChatGPT]

"Cannot open volume for direct access" means something else on the PC has a handle on the drive (File Explorer, an indexing or backup/sync service, antivirus, VSS, etc., so chkdsk can’t get exclusive access. Your drives can still show in Explorer and be usable — but chkdsk needs exclusive access to scan/fix. Here are short, safe steps to fix it and run chkdsk.
Quick checklist (try these in order)
1) Open an elevated Command Prompt and set your working folder to C:

• Start → type cmd → Right‑click Command Prompt → Run as administrator.
• At the prompt run: cd /d C:\
  (Important: don’t run chkdsk while your command prompt’s current folder is on J:–O:.

2) Close anything that might be using the drives

• Close any File Explorer windows that show J: through O:.
• Quit any backup, Seagate utilities, or sync apps (OneDrive/Google Backup & Sync) that might be writing to those volumes.
• Pause OneDrive quickly from its tray icon (Pause syncing).
  These are the most common causes.

3) Try chkdsk again (example for J

• In the elevated CMD run: chkdsk J: /f
• If it runs, repeat for K: L: M: N: O:.

4) If you still get “Cannot open volume for direct access”, temporarily stop services that commonly lock volumes

• Stop Windows Search (indexer) while you test: net stop WSearch (run in elevated CMD).
• Stop Volume Shadow Copy (VSS) while testing: net stop vss.
• Then try chkdsk J: /f again. After testing restart the services: net start WSearch and net start vss.
  (Stopping these services briefly is safe; start them again when done.

5) If you prefer not to stop services, try the GUI error check (calls chkdsk internally)

• File Explorer → This PC → Right‑click J: → Properties → Tools → Error checking → Check → Scan drive.
  Sometimes the GUI will be able to run while the CLI cannot.

6) If it still fails, find the locking process (optional / advanced)

• Download Sysinternals Process Explorer or Handle, run as Admin and use Find → Find Handle or DLL… and search for "J:\" to see which process holds the drive. Kill or exit that process and retry chkdsk. (I can walk you through this if needed.

Other quick checks

• BitLocker? If the volume is encrypted, unlock it first. Check with: manage-bde -status J: (run as admin).
• If chkdsk reports fixed errors after running, run it again to confirm no remaining issues. If chkdsk reports physical bad sectors, stop using the disk and contact Seagate/retailer for RMA.

Why this happens (brief): external/USB drives are often accessed by background services (indexer, antivirus, backup) that keep handles open; chkdsk needs exclusive access so it refuses with that error. The steps above close or pause those services so chkdsk can run.
If you want, do this now and paste the exact chkdsk error/output (or tell me which step failed). I’ll tell you the next command to run or walk you through the Process Explorer handle check.

 

[Zevik83]

File Explorer was closed when I ran chksk and nothing else was open. The only antivirus I have is MS Defender. I am on the Lenovo doing all this (Ideapad3).

Wow !! - File Explorer shows my first Img for J now on D: There is no J: Drive. I'll check Disk Management to see what it says and then let you know.

 

[ChatGPT]

Thanks — that’s a helpful status update.
Short diagnosis

• When chkdsk says “Cannot open volume for direct access” it usually means some process or service has a handle on that volume (indexer, backup/sync, VSS, antivirus, or a mounted image/VHD) so chkdsk can’t get exclusive access.
• The fact File Explorer now shows the image on D: and J: is missing suggests Windows changed which letter is assigned (or a VHD/image got mounted and took a letter). We’ll check the real mappings in Disk Management / diskpart and then re‑assign the correct letter.

What I need you to do (quick — paste the results here)
1) Open an elevated Command Prompt (right‑click Start → Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows Terminal (Admin).
2) Run these two commands and paste the outputs here (copy/paste all text):

• diskpart
• list disk
• list volume
• exit

If you prefer PowerShell, run (Admin) and paste the single‑line outputs:

• Get-Disk | Format-Table Number,FriendlyName,BusType,PartitionStyle,Size,IsRemovable -Auto
• Get-Volume | Format-Table DriveLetter,FileSystem,Size,HealthStatus -Auto

Why I ask: those will let me see which physical disk is your Seagate, which volumes currently have which letters, and whether Windows reports the device as Removable (which affects partition behavior).
If you want to try fixing chkdsk now (optional, before you paste outputs)
A — Close likely blockers

• Close all File Explorer windows showing the drives (you already did).
• Pause OneDrive/Google Drive syncing if running.
• Defender rarely blocks chkdsk but some background service can. If chkdsk still errors, try stopping the indexer and VSS temporarily: run these in the same elevated CMD, then try chkdsk again:
  • net stop WSearch
  • net stop vss
  • chkdsk J: /f
  • net start WSearch
  • net start vss
    Stopping those services briefly is safe and often frees the handle that blocks chkdsk.

B — If a process is still locking the drive

• We can locate the handle with Sysinternals Process Explorer or Handle.exe (I can walk you through that). Use Find → Find Handle or DLL… and search for "J:\" to see which process holds it, then close that process and rerun chkdsk.

If the problem is a missing/changed drive letter (likely)

• After you paste diskpart/list volume output I’ll give the exact safe command to re‑assign the intended letter J: to the correct volume (or the exact GUI clicks in Disk Management). You can also reassign from Disk Management: right‑click the volume → Change Drive Letter and Paths → Add/Change → pick J:. Make sure you match the volume by size/label before changing it so we don’t move the wrong letter.

If a VHD/VHDX (image) is mounted

• Disk Management will show a mounted virtual disk (or the volume will list a different label). If a VHD is attached and using D:, detach it (Action → Attach VHD / Detach VHD) or use diskpart: select vdisk file="C:\path\to\file.vhdx" detach vdisk. Tell me if you see anything about VHD in Disk Management.

Next step

• Please paste the diskpart list disk + list volume output (or the PowerShell Get-Disk / Get-Volume output). I’ll read it and give the exact safe command (or GUI click) to restore J: and to run chkdsk successfully. If you prefer, attach a screenshot of Disk Management (whole window) and I’ll read it.

 

[Zevik83]

All fixed - used Disk Management to change Drive letter from D: to J: and chkdsf ran fine. "...no problems. No further action required".

I'll run chkdsk on the rest and dont expect any further issues.

 

[ChatGPT]

Nice work, Zevik83 — glad that fixed it.
Quick checklist / next steps (short)

1. Run chkdsk on the remaining volumes exactly as you did: open an elevated Command Prompt and run chkdsk <letter>: /f for each drive (e.g., chkdsk L: /f, chkdsk M: /f, etc.. If you suspect physical issues later, use /r but it takes much longer.
2. After each chkdsk returns “no problems” you’re good — repeat until all new partitions are checked.
3. When finished: safely eject the Seagate (Safely Remove Hardware) before unplugging. Keep the SeaTools pass result in case you need an RMA.

A couple of small optional checks

• If you want to be thorough, run in Admin PowerShell: Get-Disk | Format-Table Number,FriendlyName,BusType,PartitionStyle,Size,IsRemovable -Auto — it confirms Windows sees the device as fixed (IsRemovable = False). If it’s True we can discuss the VHDX workaround.
• If you want stable, memorable letters, you can change drive letters in Disk Management (right‑click volume → Change Drive Letter and Paths).

If anything comes up (errors from chkdsk, missing letters, or anything unexpected) post the exact error text or paste the output of:

• diskpart → list disk → list volume
  and I’ll give the exact next command/click to fix it.

Otherwise — well done. If you want, I’ll wait while you finish the remaining chkdsk runs and then give a one‑line final checklist.

 

[Zevik83]

All done except I'm getting the usual Windows cannot eject because it is in use. And I get the same with my other Seagate 2TB. I read recently that I can ignore that error - a Win11 problem - and just manually disconnect from the USB-C port. What say you?

 

[ChatGPT]

Short answer: don’t habitually force‑unplug while Windows says the device “is in use.” If you’ve closed apps and syncing/backup, and Windows’ removal still complains, you can either find and stop the process holding the drive (safe), or shut down the PC and then unplug (definitely safe). If you prefer convenience and your external’s policy is the default “Quick removal,” it’s usually low‑risk to unplug after you’ve closed files — but there’s still a small chance of corruption if something actually has the drive open.
Quick checklist (fast, pick what you prefer)

• Safest (recommended): Close apps using the drive → use “Safely Remove Hardware” → if still “in use,” shut down the PC → unplug.
• Practical & safe most of the time: Close all Explorer windows and pause OneDrive/backup apps → use “Safely Remove Hardware” → if it still complains and you’re confident nothing is writing, you can unplug, but only after verifying Quick removal is enabled (below).

Steps to try now (in order)
1) Close obvious things

• Close any File Explorer windows on that drive, Quit OneDrive / Google Drive / backup apps, close apps that may be using files (image viewers, editors, etc..
  2) Try Safely Remove again
• Click the Safely Remove Hardware icon in the taskbar and choose the device. If it succeeds, you’re done.
  3) If still “in use,” briefly stop likely services (safe) and retry
• Open an Admin Command Prompt and run:
  • net stop WSearch
  • net stop vss
• Try Safely Remove again. Then restart those services:
  • net start WSearch
  • net start vss
    (This often frees indexer/VSS locks.
    4) Find the locking process (if you want to be precise)
• Download Sysinternals Process Explorer (free). Run as Admin → Find → Find Handle or DLL… → search the drive letter (e.g., “J:\”). It will show the process holding the handle — close that app or kill the handle (advanced). I can walk you through this if you want.
  5) Remove the drive letter (last resort, GUI)
• Disk Management → right‑click the volume → Change Drive Letter and Paths → Remove. That unmounts the volume (Explorer will no longer show it) — then you can unplug. Note: this only removes the mount point; if a kernel process still has a handle it may not help. Use with caution.

Check the device removal policy (to know your risk)

• Windows usually uses “Quick removal” by default (no write‑caching) for USB externals. That reduces the chance of data loss when unplugging but doesn’t eliminate problems if files are open. To check/change:
  • Device Manager → Disk drives → double‑click the external disk → Policies tab → see “Quick removal” vs “Better performance.” If you set “Better performance,” you must always use Safely Remove.

When it’s reasonably OK to ignore the message

• If you’ve closed everything, chkdsk reported “no problems,” OneDrive is paused, and the device policy is Quick removal, unplugging is low risk. But the safest single action is still to use Safely Remove or power off the laptop first.

If you want, I can:

• Walk you through using Process Explorer to find the handle (I’ll give the exact clicks), or
• Give the exact commands to stop/start the indexer/VSS and try ejecting again.

Which do you want — quick check with stopping WSearch/VSS, or the Process Explorer route so we see the exact culprit?

 

[Zevik83]

I'll just shutdown - as I did when I got that meg using the other 2TB Seagate. So I am done for the day.

 

[ChatGPT]

Perfect — that’s a safe, simple choice. Shutting down before unplugging guarantees no process has the drive open, so nothing to worry about.
Quick final reminders before you put everything away

• After shutdown it’s safe to unplug the Seagate.
• Keep the SeaTools test result or note that it passed in case you ever need an RMA.
• When you next power on, run chkdsk on any remaining volumes you didn’t finish (Admin CMD: chkdsk <letter>:/f).
• If you want to confirm Windows sees the device as fixed (not removable) later, run Admin PowerShell:
  Get-Disk | Format-Table Number,FriendlyName,BusType,PartitionStyle,Size,IsRemovable -Auto

If anything comes up tomorrow (drive letter weirdness, eject errors, or chkdsk output you’re unsure about) post here the exact message or paste the small command outputs and I’ll walk you through the fix. Enjoy the rest of your day — well done getting this far.

 

[Zevik83]

Amna Lynn - tx for suggestionsn buit I have already set up differently. Each off the 3 family members only use their own laptop -its not "use anynone you want".

So I have 3 x 256 partitions, one for each laptop system image and 3 x 128G partitions for each laptops data, each partition containing folders for the data you listed mfor the data partitiojns.

Basic problem is that the 2 software apps I tried and bought - Macrorit and 4DDIG just cannot do what I wanted - I have been in detailed discussion with each respective support, giving them screenshots as well. So I now waitm patiently for one or both of them to reprogram accordingly, of they choose too.

Irony is that the money I spent on the 2 apps more than covers one year's subscription to Macrium Reflect which I believe would have worked.

 

[ChatGPT]

Thanks — I’m sorry that ran into the product GUI limits and a lot of wasted time. You did the right things (kept the image off the source drive, tested imports, contacted vendor support). Short, practical next moves and options so you can pick the least‑pain path.
Quick recap of your situation

• You have a multi‑partition Seagate organized with 3 × 256GB system‑image partitions and 3 × 128GB data partitions (one set per family laptop).
• You created the recovery image you want to put on a 128GB flash.
• Both Macrorit and 4DDiG are failing to let you restore the imported image to a different physical USB target because of UI/caching/auto‑mapping quirks and you’ve already raised it with their support.
• You’re waiting on vendor fixes and understandably frustrated (and note the money spent could have bought a Macrium subscription that likely would have worked).

What I recommend now (pick one)
1) If you want a quick reliable fix now — switch to Macrium Reflect (trial / paid) or use Clonezilla

• Macrium Reflect (commercial, very user‑friendly) will do image → restore and expand target partitions reliably. You can buy a 1‑year subscription or try their trial; I can walk you step‑by‑step through: creating Rescue Media, imaging D:, and restoring/expanding to the 128GB USB.
• Clonezilla Live is free and reliable (bootable environment). It’s a bit manual (boot and run a guided restore) but it avoids Windows GUI bugs. I can give exact step‑by‑step instructions for Clonezilla if you prefer free tools.

2) If you prefer to keep using 4DDiG / Macrorit and wait for vendor fixes

• Continue your support thread with them. Ask for (a) a clear ETA, (b) whether they can provide a WinPE/Rescue‑mode restore option (that usually bypasses the Windows GUI bug), and (c) a refund or temporary unlock if the feature was advertised but is broken.
• While you wait, don’t delete or change anything on the Seagate — keep the original source safe and keep your exported image copy on C: or another external drive.

3) Use 4DDiG Rescue (WinPE) on the Lenovo (the robust workaround)

• Even if you want to keep the vendors’ apps, the Rescue/WinPE path avoids the Windows GUI bug. Create a 4DDiG Rescue USB on the Lenovo, boot into WinPE and run the restore there — that normally lets you choose the image (on C and the 128GB flash as target cleanly. I can walk you click‑by‑click for that.

4) Refund / escalation

• If the vendor won’t fix this quickly and you paid for a non‑working workflow, ask them for a refund or escalate to their billing/support manager. I can draft a short support message you can paste to them summarizing the bug and steps to reproduce.

Safety reminders (important)

• Don’t put the image file on the same Seagate disk you’re imaging. Keep it on C: or a second external until you test the restored USB.
• Always create Rescue/boot media before doing restores.
• Keep the original Seagate unchanged until you confirm the 128GB USB boots and works.

If you want me to do one of these now

• “Macrium” — I’ll give the exact official download link and walk you step‑by‑step through image → restore → expand on your Lenovo (I’ll wait for your “Done” after each click).
• “Clonezilla” — I’ll give the exact download + Rufus steps and the bootable restore sequence.
• “Rescue (4DDiG WinPE)” — I’ll walk you through creating the rescue USB and the WinPE restore step‑by‑step.
• “Help write support email” — I’ll draft a concise message with reproduction steps and suggested logs/screenshots you can send to Macrorit/4DDiG support and their billing if you want a refund.

Which path would you like me to take?

 

[Zevik83]

Alot to absorb in your response. Going to take some time but I'm leaning towards the 4DDIG/WimPE route.

No, I do not do Trials of software. Bitten too many times by ignoring my cancellation and billing me for yet one more year, ignoring refund requests, or just billing me for another one of their apps which I did not authorize (e.g. TotalAV, but they are not alone). Once they have your credit card number, you are at their mercy, says one who has had to change card numbers 5 times in my many years, none of those for scams or vendor data breaches.

 

[ChatGPT]

Good choice — WinPE/rescue is the most reliable way to avoid the 4DDiG Windows‑GUI mapping bug. Below I’ve written a short, exact, safe checklist you can follow on the Lenovo to create a 4DDiG WinPE rescue USB and perform the restore to the 128 GB flash. I’ve included the troubleshooting / repair steps you may need if the restored stick doesn’t boot. I’ll wait and walk you through any click if you want — just say “Ready” and tell me when you’ve done each step.
Important safety notes (read before you start)

• Do NOT store the image on the same Seagate USB that contains the D: source. Keep the image on C: (or on a SECOND USB) until the restore is tested.
• Use a spare small USB (8–16 GB) for the Rescue media — do not use the 128 GB target for the Rescue USB.
• Leave the Seagate (source), the 128 GB target, and the Rescue USB plugged in when you boot WinPE.
• Work as Administrator on the Lenovo.

Part 1 — Create a 4DDiG WinPE Rescue USB

1. Run 4DDiG as Administrator (right‑click → Run as administrator).
2. Menu → Tools (or Rescue Media / Create Rescue Media).
3. Choose WinPE Rescue (default) → select the spare 8–16GB USB as destination. If prompted to download WinPE components, allow it. Let the tool complete the Rescue USB creation.
4. When finished, verify the Rescue USB appears in File Explorer and has files (do not test boot yet).

Part 2 — Make sure the image file is available to WinPE

1. Confirm your backup image (.img/.bak/.4ddig) is on the Lenovo’s internal drive (C:\Users\<you>\Documents\4DDiG_Recovery) OR copy it to a second (temporary) USB so WinPE can find it.
   • Recommended: copy to a second small/medium USB (not the Rescue USB, not the 128GB target). This avoids path issues in WinPE.

Part 3 — Boot the Lenovo into the 4DDiG WinPE Rescue environment

1. Shut down. Plug in: Rescue USB, Seagate (with source D, 128 GB target. Also plug the USB that contains the image (if you copied it).
2. Power on → enter Boot Menu (F12, Novo, Esc — whatever your Lenovo uses) → boot from the Rescue USB.
3. Wait for the 4DDiG WinPE UI to load.

Part 4 — Restore the image inside WinPE (exact)

1. In WinPE 4DDiG choose Restore (or Windows Backup → Restore).
2. Use Browse / Select backup to locate the image file (on the internal C: path or the second USB you copied to). Select the correct image.
3. LEFT pane (Source): expand the imported image and tick the RECOVERY partition (≈32 GB) inside the image. “Required” should show ~32 GB.
4. RIGHT pane (Target): expand the physical disks list and find the 128GB flash (shows ≈116–128 GB). Tick only that USB partition as the target.
5. Options: enable “Fit to target / Use full capacity” (so the 32GB partition expands) and ensure “sector‑by‑sector / Copy all sectors” is OFF. Uncheck “Restore to original location.”
6. Confirm the centre mapping is image:RECOVERY → 128GB USB. Click Restore.
7. Wait for completion. Don’t unplug during the restore.

Part 5 — Test the restored 128GB USB

1. After restore completes, shut down. Remove the Rescue USB and the Seagate (you can leave the 128GB flash inserted).
2. Boot a machine (or the Dell when available) from the 128GB USB using the Boot Menu (F12). Confirm it boots into the recovery environment.
   • If it boots and shows WinRE / recovery tools, success.
   • If it does not boot, or you get “No bootable device,” follow the repair steps below.

If the restored USB won’t boot — quick repair from WinPE
(Only do this if you boot into WinPE/rescue and can see the restored partition contents.
A — Identify the restored Windows/Recovery partition and EFI partition

1. In WinPE open an elevated Command Prompt.
2. Run:
   diskpart
   list vol
   (Find the volume number for the restored partition by size / label — note its volume number N.
   select vol N
   assign letter=R
   exit
3. If there’s an EFI/FAT32 system partition on the USB that has no drive letter, repeat:
   diskpart → list vol → select vol M (EFI) → assign letter=S → exit

B — Create EFI boot files (if missing)

1. In the elevated Command Prompt run (replace R: with the restored partition containing Windows or WinRE):
   bcdboot R:\Windows /s S: /f UEFI
2. If that succeeds, reboot and try to boot the USB again.

Notes about the repair step

• If the image you restored was only a WinRE recovery partition (not a full Windows folder), the steps differ: instead of bcdboot R:\Windows you may need to copy or rebuild the correct WinRE files or use the Rescue’s built‑in “Fix boot” option. Tell me the exact error if this happens and I’ll give the exact commands.
• If you’re uncertain which volume contains Windows, in WinPE run dir R:\ on volumes you assign until you see a Windows folder.

If you prefer not to create Rescue media

• The temporary‑hide approach in Windows (remove letters for Seagate partitions except D: in Disk Management) works too — but WinPE rescue is more robust and avoids messing with drive letters.

If you want live step‑by‑step guidance

• Say “Ready for Rescue” and confirm you have:
  • spare 8–16GB USB for Rescue,
  • the 128GB flash (target),
  • the Seagate connected, and
  • the image on C: or a second USB.
    I’ll wait for you at each click/step and confirm what to click next.

Finally — billing / vendor comment

• Your reluctance about trials is well‑founded. If you create the Rescue USB and restore successfully, you’ll have the USB for the Dell and you can continue with 4DDiG (and press support for the GUI bug). If you want, I can draft a short refund/escalation message to 4DDiG/Macrorit support you can paste into their ticket system describing the reproducible bug and asking for remediation or refund.

Which do you want me to do now — “Walk me through Rescue” or “Draft vendor escalation message”?

 

[Zevik83]

I have to wait until the broken Dell is repaired to ytest the new bootable. So no rush rioght now. Also have bought a new 32G Fat32 to replace 128G.

Another question: Was wondering whether an MS Media Creation tool USB I already created on the second working Dell would do the same as creating a new Win/RE. Also have a bootable USB for the Lenovo created with their DDRS tool. Would that work instead of creating a Win/RE on 4DDIG?

 

[ChatGPT]

Short answer: the Media Creation Tool (MCT) USB or your Lenovo boot USB can help with repairing or preparing a system, but they cannot replace a 4DDiG Rescue USB when you need to restore a 4DDiG image. Use the rescue WinPE from 4DDiG to run a 4DDiG restore; keep the MCT / Lenovo sticks as fallbacks for boot/repair.
Details and why

• 4DDiG images are restored with 4DDiG’s tools. The 4DDiG Rescue (WinPE) includes the exact restore engine and drivers the image expects — that’s why I recommended making a 4DDiG Rescue USB.
• The Microsoft Media Creation Tool produces Windows installer media / Windows RE (WinRE). That gives you: Startup Repair, System Restore, Command Prompt and ability to run diskpart and bcdboot to fix boot configuration. It does not include 4DDiG’s restore functionality or proprietary image readers. So you can use MCT USB to repair a non‑booting restored stick (fix BCD/EFI), but not to perform the 4DDiG restore itself.
• Your Lenovo bootable USB (Lenovo recovery / DDRS) may be WinPE‑based too — if it contains the same restore-capability as 4DDiG (unlikely) or if it can run generic image tools and access the 4DDiG image format, then it could work. In practice, vendor recovery sticks are built to restore vendor images and rarely include third‑party image restore engines. So don’t rely on it to replace 4DDiG Rescue unless the Lenovo tool explicitly supports restoring the 4DDiG image format.

What you can do with the MCT / Lenovo sticks (useful)

• Boot a machine and: run Command Prompt, use diskpart to assign letters, use bcdboot to recreate UEFI boot files, and verify partitions/files. This is valuable if a restored USB doesn’t boot because the BCD/EFI entries are missing — MCT can repair them.
• Example repair commands (run from Admin Command Prompt in WinRE):
  • diskpart
  • list vol ← find the EFI (FAT32) and Windows volumes
  • select vol <N> ← select the EFI or system volume
  • assign letter=S
  • exit
  • bcdboot C:\Windows /s S: /f UEFI
    (Replace C: with the letter of the restored Windows/WinRE partition and S: with the EFI volume you assigned.

Recommendation (what I’d do)

1. Create the 4DDiG Rescue USB on the Lenovo (small 8–16 GB): this is the proper tool to restore the 4DDiG image to your 32 GB / 128 GB flash.
2. Keep the MCT USB and Lenovo boot USB as helpers: use them to boot the machine if Rescue has trouble, or to repair boot entries with bcdboot if the restored stick doesn’t boot.
3. After restoring with 4DDiG Rescue, always test boot the restored USB. If it fails to boot, use MCT or the Rescue to run the bcdboot/diskpart steps above.

If you want, I can:

• Walk you step‑by‑step to create the 4DDiG Rescue USB and perform the restore (I’ll wait after each click). — OR —
• Walk you through using the MCT/WinRE Command Prompt repair commands if you restore first and the stick won’t boot.

You said no rush — when you’re ready I’ll guide you click‑by‑click for whichever route you pick. Which do you want now: “Create 4DDiG Rescue” or “Save repair commands for MCT / test later”?

 

[Zevik83]

Wait - weeks perhaps since repair part was ordered from China AliExpress expected Dec 7. Then have to get my local guru to come over and install. Then make sure it works or has to be restored via D: drive bootable on the Seagate.

So Wait. I have your instructions on my cellphone so even if I forget how to access my community threads, I have backup.

 

[ChatGPT]

Sounds good — that’s a sensible plan. I’ll keep this short and practical so you can save it to your phone and pull it out when the Dell is repaired.
Quick one‑page checklist (copy to your phone)

• Do not modify or delete anything on the Seagate source drive (D until you’ve confirmed the recovered USB works.
• Keep a second copy of the backup image off the Seagate (C:\ or another external) — don’t store the image on the same physical disk.

When you’re ready to create and restore (recommended Rescue/WinPE route)

1. Prepare
   • Spare small USB (8–16 GB) for 4DDiG Rescue.
   • Target USB (your new 32 GB FAT32) ready.
   • Seagate (with D connected to Lenovo.
   • Image file available on Lenovo (C:\Users\<you>\Documents\4DDiG_Recovery) or on a second USB.
2. Make Rescue USB on the Lenovo
   • Run 4DDiG as Administrator → Tools → Create Rescue Media → write WinPE to spare 8–16GB USB. Let it finish.
3. Boot Rescue & restore (WinPE)
   • Plug Rescue USB, Seagate, 32GB target, and the USB/image‑USB (if used).
   • Boot Lenovo from Rescue USB (F12/Novo/boot menu).
   • In WinPE 4DDiG → Restore → browse to image → LEFT: select RECOVERY partition (≈32GB) → RIGHT: select 32GB USB as target.
   • Options: enable “Fit to target / Use full capacity”; OFF = sector‑by‑sector. Uncheck “Restore to original location.”
   • Restore → wait → shutdown.
4. Test the restored USB
   • Remove Rescue and Seagate, leave restored 32GB stick inserted. Boot from it (F12) to confirm it loads recovery/WinRE.

If the restored USB does not boot (repair commands you can run from WinRE / MCT)

• From an elevated Command Prompt in WinRE / MCT:
  • diskpart
  • list vol (note EFI and restored volumes)
  • select vol <EFIvol>
  • assign letter=S
  • select vol <RestoredWinVol>
  • assign letter=R
  • exit
  • bcdboot R:\Windows /s S: /f UEFI

Notes & tips

• The Microsoft Media Creation Tool or Lenovo recovery USB are useful for repairing boot records (bcdboot, diskpart), but they don’t replace the 4DDiG Rescue when restoring a 4DDiG image. Keep MCT/Lenovo sticks as backup repair tools.
• If 4DDiG or Macrorit support provides a fix later, you can retry their GUI method — but Rescue/WinPE is the robust workaround.
• If you want me to draft a short support/escalation email to 4DDiG or Macrorit (saying the UI won’t let you pick imported images as source/target and showing the exact screenshot), I can prepare that — paste the recipient or I’ll draft a generic one you can paste into their ticket form.
• When you’re ready to do the restore I’ll walk you step‑by‑step and wait for your “Done” after each click.

No rush — whenever the Dell is repaired and you’re ready, say “Ready — Rescue” and I’ll guide you through creating the Rescue USB and the restore. If you prefer a short text file you can save to your phone with these steps, say “Send summary” and I’ll produce a compact plain‑text checklist you can copy.