Restore WHS 2011 OS via WHS Backup

[judgeschambers]

Hello, 

 

Per my signature, I have WHS 2011 installed on a HP N54L that I built and have had in service since March 2013.  I have a CorsAir  60Gb SSD HD running on SATA #5 with the modded bios to allow  WHIS to install  on this small OS hard drive.

I have a WD PCI-e USB 3.0 card with a 3 yr old Seagate Backup Plus 2Tb drive connected that WHS places the Server OS backups to. 

The problems:

1. With Windows updates, the 60 gb SSD has only 5 gb space available and I'm getting warnings as such. So, I want to install a new Sandisk 240 gb SSD to replace it. 
2. When I run the WHS Server disk, the restore server OS process either locks up looking for the files on the Seagate usb drive or does not discover the files and the scan just runs and runs. 

 

The processes:

1. I remove all my storage drives from the N54L four bays. 
2. Swap the old 60gb OS SSD for the new 240 GB SSD
3. Plug in my LG portable DVD drive into the rear USB 2.0 and use it to spin the WHS disc
4. Connect the Seagate Backup Plus USB 3.0 Drive to the N54L (this is where it takes four paths and all fail) (bios is configured prior for proper boot sequence of DVD first, new OS SSD 2nd)
   1. Since USB drives are backwards compatible, if it is connected to the N54L 2nd remaining 2.0 USB from boot up (post screen shows the DVD, the new SSD and the Segate USB Drive), I select Restore Files in the back up menu the screen goes black except for the WHS background image. Sits and never resolves. 
   2. Or leave the Seagate USB drive unconnected until I get to the Restore Files menu, connect, then select restore files/etc. The  scanning for back  up files dialog runs this time and never finds the files. Only way to get out is to hard reboot the server. 
   3. Same as #2 but skip the  initial file search and click advanced. Connect the USB  dirve and then click refresh and nothing shows up. Click scan and it too will run forever and not see the drive with the backup files. 
   4. Or resort to installing the PCIe drivers via a thumb drive and then connect the drive to the PCIe USB 3 and it will not recognize it in the list. Click search and it searches without success. 

 

I'm thinking I need to transfer the WHS OS Backup files on the Seagate Backup Plus USB drive onto another bare hard drive and insert into one of the N54L HD bays and see if it will then find the backup files. Thus eliminating the whole USB 3/2 interface. 

 

Thoughts?  

Thanks in advance. 

Edited January 1, 2018 by judgeschambers

[judgeschambers]

Anyone have any info on WHS 2011 OS restore from backup files per above?