Restore didn't work; no MS recovery console

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jlittle
Posts: 74
Joined: Sun Sep 15, 2002 10:56 pm
Location: Asheville, NC, USA

Restore didn't work; no MS recovery console

Post by jlittle »

Hello, folks.
I had a crash the other day, and attempted to use AISB to restore my system to an earlier date. It was a total disaster, and I'm pretty sure that AISB is not to blame, but I'm not having any luck finding a solution to my problem anywhere else, so I was hoping that someone here could help me. This is what heppened:
I'm using WinXPsp2, with AISB 2.4.0.303. I installed Microsoft Recovery Console on my computer long ago, using AISB. Every time I boot the computer, I see the choice of booting into Windows or the Console. So, at the appropriate time in the restore process, I rebooted and chose the console. But all that came up was a black screen with a blinking cursor in the corner. So, with no other option, I power cycled the computer and used my "system restore" disk from Compaq to enter the Recovery Console. I found the introductory blurb at the top of the screen, with a list of commands to choose from down the left side. No choices for what Windows system I wanted to log on to. I tried using variations of the batch commands, but nothing did any good. However, I did find something interesting... When I pulled a directory listing for the C: drive, it gave me the contents of the F: drive, which is the first "drive" on my second physical HDD.

So, a little history... A year ago, I was using a 40gb ATA drive (Western Digital WD400BB) as my system drive. Then I bought a 500gb SATA drive (Seagate ST3500630AS). With much difficulty, I used Acronis Disk Director to put the OS on the SATA drive, and it became my C:. The ATA became F: and G:. Everything seemed to be just fine, no problems booting into the SATA, which I verified more than once by physically removing the ATA. So after a few months, I removed everything from the ATA drive and began using it for backups and such. There hasn't been any sign of a problem. The BIOS shows the boot order to be optical disk, then SATA, then ATA. The ATA is device 0 on the first IDE channel, and the SATA is device 0 on the third channel. (Optical disks are on the second IDE channel.)

During the botched restore process, when I realized the Console was showing me the contents of the F: instead of the C:, I tried to pull a directory of every possible drive letter. The console did not see any portion of the SATA drive, only the ATA. When I got the computer working again (more or less) I looked into the C: directory using Windows, and I could see the files that AISB put there. I have kludged my way to getting the computer somewhat stable, and now I'm trying to find out why the Recovery Console thinks my ATA drive is still the C: and what to do about it.

Any advice? Please?
John
Barry
Site Admin
Posts: 1529
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2002 3:16 pm

Recivery Console problems

Post by Barry »

Drive letters in Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Serer 2003 and Server 2008 are logical rather than physical (as they used to be on Windows 95, 98 & ME). Drive letters are matched to physical devices within the registry under the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices, where you will see some values named \DosDevices\C: etc. The ‘binary’ data is the physical device signature followed by the starting offset of the partition in bytes. That is for basic drives, dynamic volumes, CD/DVD and floppy disks have different binary data.

The next version of AISBackup, of which a pre-release version will be uploaded soon, has the ability to create a restore CD, however a free fairly large download is required from Microsoft of the Windows Pre-Installed Environment for Windows Vista (WAIK). This software must be downloaded and burned to a DVD, from which you installed WAIK and possible two other dependencies (.NET and XML).

AISBackup can be used to burn a CD and DVD image file using a normally hidden function Tools / Burn ISO Image (press * on when AISBackup has the focus until *** All Debug Mode *** is displayed on the caption bar). Perhaps this option should no longer be hidden?

AISBackup’s new features include:

Tools / Create AISBackup Restore CD; to make the restore CD.

Tools / Windows Drive Assignments; to enable you to change the drive letters of installed disks for each installed copy of Windows.

The Boot CD also contains Tools / Disk Management for the setting up of hard drives with basic primary partitions. This option can also be used to format partitions and dynamic volumes. AISBackup does not support the creation of Extended partitions in this release, however you can work directly with the command line DiskPart to do this (there are examples on the Recovery CD help). For AISBackup Restore CD’s made with registered copies of AISBackup you may also backup using the restore CD and there is an additional Tools / File Viewer option to allow navigation of the installed disks; this option includes some right click / basic tools for copying and renaming files etc.

The SATA Drive:

It is possible that the recovery console does not see the SATA drive because additional drivers for the drive need to be installed, do you recall doing this when you first installed the drive? You should be able to locate the SATA drivers on the installation CD / Motherboard Drivers CD or from the manufactures web site. The AISBackup Restore CD may also need the drivers for the SATA drive to function and there is a pop-up dialogue to ask for additional drivers (you may also need network drivers). Basically copy the drivers to your C: drive (and maybe unzip them) and use AISBackup’s interface to open the accompanying ‘INF’ file. The recovery CD is based on Windows Vista so it is possible that the SATA drive will be recognised without the additional drivers – it will cost you a blank disc to find out.

BTW: You can use AISBackup to clone Windows, indeed as it is not an exact byte by byte clone of the hard drive copies made with AISBackup can co-exist on the same PC in a multi-boot system.

Barry
jlittle
Posts: 74
Joined: Sun Sep 15, 2002 10:56 pm
Location: Asheville, NC, USA

Post by jlittle »

Barry, I appreciate your long answer, but...WOW!... I've read it over and over, and I'm so confused. I'm not sure where you're talking about a future version of AISB and where you're talking about the current version.

The only part I'm really sure about is where you're talking about my SATA drive. There are no drivers for it on the installation disk, and Seagate asserts that no drivers are needed for any of their drives. I'm still researching drivers for the motherboard, which is a little more tricky because it's a HP/Compaq computer.

Some of the things you say about AISB are really exciting, such as the part about being able to make an ISO image disk for restoring the system. Could you possibly clarify where you're talking about current and future AISB?

thanks very much.
John
John
Barry
Site Admin
Posts: 1529
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2002 3:16 pm

Pre-release 2.7

Post by Barry »

Pre-release 2.7 has been uploaded and can make the restore CD, however you do need to download and burn Microsoft's WAIK to DVD and then install WAIK (explained on the web page). From what you say about your PC this may work without additional drivers and I have tried the Restore CD on various HP/Compaq PCs. If you need help let me know.

BTW e-mails from us to you are been bounced back as un-deliverable.

Here is a link to the Restore CD page:

http://www.aiscl.co.uk/restorecd.php

Here is a link to the pre-release download:

http://www.aiscl.co.uk/aisbackupbeta.php

Barry
jlittle
Posts: 74
Joined: Sun Sep 15, 2002 10:56 pm
Location: Asheville, NC, USA

Post by jlittle »

Thanks for the help, I will check out those websites.
Sorry about the bounced mail. The last email I got from you was apparently in January 2007. That email address is still good:
johnjill@toast.net. What address were you sending to?
Thanks again.
John
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