I want to create a master system image for a computer that runs an x-ray machine. Windows Backup and Restore allows me to create a system image that will restore successfully from a USB Western Digital HD that boots with the Windows Recovery Environment. Recently, I have been asked to incorperate that recovery option into 32gb thumb drives that can be installed inside the machine hooked into the USB headers on the motherboard. This is so the key cannot be removed or lost (each system is set up slightly different, so the backups must be unique to each machine). The problem I am having, is that while I can create a system image to my USB hard drive, I cannot create one to a USB removable drive. The size of the Backup image is around 20gb after installation, so size isn't an issue. The issue I can distinguish is that Backup and Restore will not allow me to create a system image to a removable drive. Is there a work around for this? Ideally, if the system is powered down incorrectly (which happens a lot), I could then boot from my internal USB key (which boots into Windows Recovery Environment) and if need be, perform a restore from a system image that resides on the same bootable key. This way I would not have to take apart the xray machine just to gain access to the computer inside. It is too expensive to add USB hard disks, when 32gb keys can be bought for a song. Any advice?

Use Diskpart to configure USB as not removable. Here is an excerpt fro EHOW site: 1 Connect your USB flash drive to a USB port on your computer. Move the contents on your USB flash drive to a safe location because this process will remove all files on the drive. You can transfer the files to a folder on your hard drive or to other media, such as a CD or DVD.2 Click "Start," type "cmd" in the search box and press "Enter." A blank command prompt window will open. 3 Type "diskpart" and press "Enter." Type "list disk" and press "Enter." Write the disk number listed, for example Disk 1, of the USB flash drive. 4 Select "Disk 1," "Clean," "Create Partition Primary," "Select Partition 1," "Active, Format FS=NTFS" and "Assign." Minimize the command prompt window. The "Format FS=NTFS" command will take a few minutes to complete.5 Insert your Windows 7 DVD into your CD drive. Click "Start," "Computer" and note the drive letter for the Windows 7 DVD. For example, it may be drive "D." Also note the USB flash drive letter. For example, it may be "H."6 Maximize the minimized Command Prompt window and type "D: CD boot" and press "Enter." (D is your DVD drive letter that you found in the previous step. Your letter may be different than "D.")7 Type "CD boot" and press "Enter." Type "bootsect.exe /NT60 H:" -- H is the letter of your USB drive that you wrote down in step three. Note that there is a ":" after the drive letter. You will see a "Bootcode was successfully updated" message on the screen. Regards Milos

Milos, I followed your directions and successfully updated the bootsect, but Windows Backup and Restore still states that the 32gb key is an invalid location to create system images. Plus, Windows 7 still refers to the drive as a "removable" drive, which I believe is the reason that it will not use the key to store system images. Does anyone know of a solution that will allow me to make system images and boot into a recovery environment using a USB flash drive?