System Image Recovery: can't find my backed up image

Summary: On a PC with Windows not booting, I want to restore my files with System Image Recovery, but it won’t find the backed up image.

My Desktop (Windows 10) won’t boot to Windows anymore (probably because I updated drivers, but never mind that), but instead only boots into the recovery screen. System Restore didn’t work, so now I’m trying System Image Recovery. I’ve been making backups using Windows’ Backup option onto an external HDD, so I plug in the HDD and click “System Image Recovery”. I have tried the following options:

I read online that the backup needs to be in a folder called WindowsImageBackup, so I made such a folder and moved the folder the backup had generated, DESKTOP-8j9E6QD, into it, as well as the MediaID.bin. All of the below attempts were also tried with this named folder, though I should note I don’t actually recall it ever having been named, or renamed, WindowsImageBackup before.

1. Image located on the unbootable PC itself:
   I used a command-line tool to copy the folder containing the image onto the root of the unbootable computer’s HDD, as the computer first searches for images on its own HDD.
   No change and I get the message:

   Windows cannot find a system image on this computer.
   Attach the backup hard disk or insert the final DVD from a backup set and click retry.  Alternatively, close this dialog for more options.
   

   I click Cancel, choose Select a system image, and click Next.
2. Image located on the external Hard drive:
   On the screen Select the location of the backup for the computer you want to restore, there are no options listed to choose from. In other words, it won’t see the system image located on the external HDD, which is in the root directory of the HDD. Clicking Advanced… gives me the options Search for a system image on the network and Install a driver. I always get the message

   The specified location does not contain information about your hardware.
   

3. Image located on the network:
   I copied the image files onto a working computer and shared them (they are discoverable on the network, as I tried it out with another working computer). On the unbootable PC, I clicked Advanced… and then Search for a system image on the network, carefully typing in the path to the network folder in question (\\LAPTOP-EG8FUQ\Users\gamerpc-backup), which contains DESKTOP-8j9E6QD).
   The message I get is:

   An internal error occurred.
   The following information might help you resolve the error:
   A device attached to the system is not functioning (0x8007001F)
   

4. Copy it onto a different HDD:
   The external HDD I use has backup images of various PCs on it, so I moved the folder relevant to this PC onto a different HDD since I read there should be only one system image on the drive (the other HDD still contains other files, just not system images).
   No change. The backup on this HDD is also not recognized.
5. Installation media on USB:
   Using these instructions, I created a repair tool on a USB stick, and booted from it. It asks me if I want to Continue with the upgrade by clicking Yes, or Clean installation by clicking No. Both sound like they’ll destroy data, so I click cancel instead. I enter my language preferences, then click Repair your computer, choose the keyboard layout, and I’m back at the same recovery screen I’ve already been using for the above options.
   
   I again go to Network, and type in the location \\LAPTOP-EG8FUQ\Users\gamerpc-backup. A terminal opens asking for username and password (note this also happens if I type in a gibberish name of a non-existent computer, so this isn’t actually proof that it can see the drive). This is already weird because on another computer in the network, I can connect to this drive over the network without being asked for credentials. I type in the credentials I use to log in to the working computer on which the drive is located, and it says:

   A specified logon session does not exist. It may already have been terminated
   

Here's what I ended up doing: I called Microsoft support, and the guy told me that, since I couldn't start windows, evidently certain system files were damaged, so a re-image wouldn't help, because this image doesn't contain all the system files needed to let windows run. Instead, he told me to create an installation media https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 (takes 8GB if I remember correctly) and then reinstall windows. This didn't make me lose my data, by the way, cause I didn't reformat the hard drive. I just need to reinstall all the programs. And anyway I was able to back up my data via the command line first. Therefore I never actually used my backup image.