Does System Image Recovery Delete Everything?

A system image recovery is the process of restoring your Windows system to a previous state. Does system image recovery delete everything? Follow this guide to figure it out.

By @Jonna Last Updated October 11, 2024

Short answer, yes. A system image recovery will delete all your files.

If you confuse system image recovery with system restore, you might think that system image recovery won't delete everything on your computer. But in fact, it's not.

Slightly different from system restore, system image recovery restores your computer from a system image you created on disk. A system image contains everything on the system's C drive, including the operating system, programs, and all personal files. When you perform recovery by selecting a system image, it overwrites the data on the target drive.

As you can see, system image recovery does affect some programs and files on your Windows PC. So this is really not ideal for Windows file recovery. For a better Windows operating system and personal file protection, AOMEI Backupper Standard is a better option.

AOMEI Backupper - Professional Windows Backup Solution

Safeguard your precious data with robust and intuitive Windows data protection solution.

As a professional backup and restore utility, AOMEI Backupper Standard offers multiple backup options such as system backup, partition backup, disk backup, and file backup. And for restoration, you can restore your files or system effortlessly when there is a problem with your computer. Plus, it supports you to create bootable disk to help you boot your computer when a disaster happens.

Here is how to create a file backup to prevent Windows data loss before performing a system image recovery:

1Run the AOMEI Backupper backup software, and select Backup -> File Backup.

2Click Add File or Add Folder to select the files or folders you wish to back up.

3Choose a backup destination, and hit Start Backup.