If you have made a system image of your windows drive for backup and when you try to restore image file and when you locate drive it says the drive is not a valid backup location then you need to check with the file permissions and move backup to network drive location and it will not support USB flash drive NTFS or other drives as the storage locations and create a new backup. So, let’s see in detail below.
Allow Permissions in Windows Disk Management Settings
Step 1: Click on windows search bar -> Search for partition and click on create and format Hard disk option.
Step 2: Windows disk management windows will open.
Step 3: In windows disk Management settings -> Locate the USB Drive or external drive that you want to create backup and save backup.
Step 4: Right Click on it and select properties.
Step 5: Click on Sharing Tab on top.
Step 6: Click on Advanced Sharing
Step 7: Click on Checkbox Next to Share this folder on top and click on Properties.
Step 8: Click on Everyone, Select Allow next to Full control and Change, read and click on Apply and ok.
Now, go ahead and check and locate the backup drive file location and you will not get error drive is not valid backup location error on windows 11 or 10 computer.
Also Read:
1) Fix Error 0x81000036, Windows Could Not Find Backup Devices
2) How to Fix System Image Backup fails with Error Codes 0x807800c5 and 0x80070020 on windows 10 / 11
3) How to Backup files with file history in windows 10
4) File System Error 805305975 In Windows 11
5) How to Fix External Hard Drive Not Detecting on Windows 11 or 10 Computer
Command Prompt
Step 1: Click on Search box and search for command prompt
Step 2: Right click on command prompt and select run as administrator.
Step 3: In command prompt -> type ipconfig and hit enter.
Step 4: Find ipv4 address under ethernet adapter and just select the ip address and control + C and copy ip address or right click on it after selecting ip address and select copy.
Step 5: Now, Right click on Taskbar and Select RUN and run dialog box will appear.
Step 6: In the run dialog box -> type \\ipaddress and hit enter or press ok.
Step 7: Now, you will see usb drive here
Backup and Restore System Image Using Network location IP Address
Step 1: Open control panel on windows computer
Step 2: Select view by large icon on right side using drop down menu.
Step 3: Click on backup and restore
Step 4: Select Create a System image from left side menu and it will look for backup devices
Step 5: Select radio button on a network location
Step 6: Click on Select and under network location paste the ip address followed by \\ipaddress\driveletter.
Step 7: Under network credentials -> Enter username and password and click on Ok and it will validate network location.
Step 8: You will see backup data connected be securely protected for a network target message and click on Next.
Step 9: Select the drive here and click on next and follow onscreen instructions and system image drive backup will be done.
That’s it, this is how you find and locate drive location from network location using ip address and drive letter and you will not get drive is not valid error using network location.
The selected backup location does not support the creation of system images?
You have to save system image in backup file on your USB Drive and allow permissions and make sure that your USB drive is NTFSformatted and restore system image backup using network location ip address.