Backup and recovery of systems by restoring a backup boot configuration data (BCD) with installation files from an operating system install disk

A method comprising:

• verifying a Boot Configuration Data (BCD) is a proper BCD by determining if a sub-key of a registry hive of a plurality of registry hives of an operating system includes a specific parameter, the operating system executing on a computer;
• storing the BCD from the registry hive of the operating system onto a removable storage medium from which a read operation can be performed during a recovery operation of the computer;
• and
• performing a bare-metal restore at boot of the computer, performance of the restore including:
• creating an Extension Firmware Interface (EFI) partition when the EFI partition does not exist;
• obtaining a disk number and hard disk partition number of the EFI partition of a target computer to be restored;
• assigning a drive letter to the EFI hard disk partition;
• copying files common amongst installations of an operating system to be restored on the target computer, the files copied from an operating system install disk to the EFI hard disk partition according to the assigned drive letter;
• copying Boot Configuration Data (BCD) from the removable storage medium to the EFI hard disk partition according to the assigned drive letter;
• unassigning the drive letter from the EFI hard disk partition;
• and
• rebooting the target computer.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium, with instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor of a target computer to be restored, cause the target computer to:

• verify a Boot Configuration Data (BCD) is a proper BCD by determining if a sub-key of a registry hive of a plurality of registry hives of an operating system includes a specific parameter, the operating system executing on a computer
• store the BCD from the registry hive of the operating system onto a removable storage medium from which a read operation can be performed during a recovery operation of the computer;
• and
• perform a bare-metal restore at boot of the computer, performance of the restore including:
• create an Extension Firmware Interface (EFI) partition when the EFI partition does not exist;
• identify an Extension Firmware Interface (EFI) hard disk partition of the target computer;
• temporarily assign a drive letter to the identified EFI hard disk partition;
• copy files common amongst installations of an operating system to be restored on the target computer, the files copied from an operating system install disk to the EFI hard disk partition according to the assigned drive letter;
• copy Boot Configuration Data (BCD) from the removable storage medium to the EFI hard disk partition according to the assigned drive letter;
• and
• reboot the target computer.

A system comprising:

• at least one processor, at least one memory device, at least one hard disk, a video output device, and at least one input device interconnected via at least one integrated circuit board;
• and
• a system restore application stored on a computer-readable storage medium readable by a data reading device of the system, the application including instructions executable by the at least one processor to:
• verify a Boot Configuration Data (BCD) is a proper BCD by determining if a sub-key of a registry hive of a plurality of registry hives of an operating system includes a specific parameter, the operating system executing on a computer;
• store the BCD from the registry hive of the operating system onto a removable storage medium from which a read operation can be performed during a recovery operation of the computer;
• and
• perform a bare-metal restore at boot of the computer, performance of the restore including:
• create an Extension Firmware Interface (EFI) partition when the EFI partition does not exist;
• identify an Extension Firmware Interface (EFI) hard disk partition on one of the at least one hard disk of the system;
• temporarily assign a drive letter to the identified EFI hard disk partition;
• copy files common amongst installations of an operating system to be restored on the system, the files copied from an operating system install disk to the EFI hard disk partition according to the assigned drive letter;
• copy Boot Configuration Data (BCD) from the removable storage medium to the EFI hard disk partition according to the assigned drive letter;
• and
• reboot the system.