how to restore a backup from a total-loss-laptop to a new (similar) laptop.

I made a full image backup from a 3 months old HP-laptop to an extern HDD. A few days later the laptop got damaged (water) and was total loss.
I bought a new (similar) one, exact same type; I installed Acronis True Image 2018 on it and I chose "restore".
I hoped that the result would be that the new laptop would "be the same" and that the desktop would have the same appearance as on the broken one. But the desktop misses all icons, apart from a few ones ("PC", "trash"," Acronis", "CCleaner", "Network") and maps like "documents" and "desktop" are empty.
Have I done something wrong in the recovery-procedure?
Can anybody help?
Grtz,
Ron


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Hi, Ian, thanks for your comment. It took me a few days, but the problems are solved. This is what happened:
- Answer to your question: for the recovery I used the backup on the external HDD.
- Because of the missing icons I decided to do the whole procedure again and in order to do this from the same "clean" starting point I wanted to set the new laptop back to its original factory settings. I asked the HP helpdesk how to do this and I followed their instructions. Then it became complicated. I'll spare you the details cause they are not relevant to my original post. So I restored the original factory settings one more time, using the Microsoft-workflow. This too was advised by the (in my opinion very skilled and helpful) HP helpdesk staff. Plus they informed me that a total image backup is never "total" because certain settings on the mainboard of the new laptop will be different from the old one regardless of the fact that they are (in this case) both new machines. Therefore it's possible that not everything works or looks the same after using the backup (#*^%!, wished I would have known this at first).
- The laptop was now totally "factory-fresh" again and I followed the same recovery procedure as described in my first post.
- Alas, the desktop looked the same (with missing icons). Oké, so it was not a procedure-thing (as you already mentioned).
- Looking further into it I noticed again that several maps (documents, desktop, etc.) were empty. Comparing these facts with the contents of my desktop-computer I finally found out that this desktop-icons-issue was all about the settings of OneDrive.
- After changing the OneDrive settings on the new laptop all missing icons were back (and the documents map etcetera were filled again).
It took me many, many hours. But I learned a lot!!
Thnks Ian,
Grtz, Ron.
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Ron that was quite a journey to you ultimate solution. It is beyond me why the OneDrive setting should have such an impact. At least it is sorted now
Ian
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