Can't restore with AISBU restore CD

Use this forum to post questions and information specific to using the AISBackup restore CD introduced with version 2.7 of AISBackup.
jlittle
Posts: 74
Joined: Sun Sep 15, 2002 10:56 pm
Location: Asheville, NC, USA

Can't restore with AISBU restore CD

Post by jlittle »

Hello Barry.
I made a backup restore CD, following your instructions, and it seems to work fine. Then I did a backup to a USB drive of the entire C: partition in my new Win7 machine. I wanted to test it so I booted an old computer using the restore CD, and formatted the C: partition (which had been the boot partition) using the version of AISBU that was on the restore CD. Then I used the first menu option to restore the backup from the USB drive. It apparently went just fine, but when I try to boot the machine, I just get a message that says, "BOOTMGR is missing."
I booted from the restore CD again, and took a look at the option that you say can be used to fix the boot menu. I tried adding the new C: partition to the boot menu, but didn't really know what I was doing. At any rate, it didn't change anything, the machine still just says, "BOOTMGR is missing."
I'm using AISBU 2.8.0.383, Windows 7 Home premium 64 bit.
Thanks
John
Barry
Site Admin
Posts: 1529
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2002 3:16 pm

Restore PC

Post by Barry »

Did you look at the disaster recovery video on the web site?

Please note that the boot files are normally stored on a second partition on new Windows 7 builds, and this is normally hidden. However AISBackup can backup and restore this partition (and make it active!).

It should also be possible to backup the hidden partition on your main PC and restore the files to the 'C' drive of the 'restore' PC; make sure the drive is active (Disk Management) or it will not boot. You should then check the boot menu using the Edit Boot Menu option as some changes will need to be made owing to the moving of the boot files and new disk signature. If the restore is done as per the video (i.e. both partitions at once) AISBackup automatically reconciles the new hardware / boot system.


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

Re: Restore PC

Post by jlittle »

Barry wrote:Did you look at the disaster recovery video on the web site?
Yes, it seems really simple.

Please note that the boot files are normally stored on a second partition on new Windows 7 builds, and this is normally hidden. However AISBackup can backup and restore this partition (and make it active!).
I think that this partition is my problem. When making the backup, I chose files by simply clicking the selection box for the C: drive. How should I choose that hidden partition?

If the restore is done as per the video (i.e. both partitions at once) AISBackup automatically reconciles the new hardware / boot system.
The only thing I find about restoring 2 partitions in the videos is about restoring 2 older versions of Windows. Is there a video about restoring 2 partitions that are both part of Win 7?

The Disk Management does show the new C partition to be active and the boot partition.

After I made my previous post, I updated my profile so I was not able to come back and tell you what I found in the Edit Boot Menu option. There is no OS showing in the top Boot Manager window. In the bottom window it shows the new OS. So I select it, and click Add to Menu, but when I click Save, there is a small window that flashes very quickly several times (so fast that I can't read it) and then the new OS disappears from the top window.
John
Barry
Site Admin
Posts: 1529
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2002 3:16 pm

Windows 7 restore

Post by Barry »

A video needs to be made for Windows 7, especially as there are special requirements for the boot partition. The disk to disk copy option for cloning a Windows 7 disk also needs to be made.

The boot files in a standard Windows 7 build are held in a hidden partition which may be accessed by Volume{xxxxxxx}, here is a screen shot from a system here:

Image

This partition should be restored to a partition of the same size (100MB) and this partition should be the active partition (not the C: drive partition).

As I mentioned in my other post it should be possible to restore the contents of this partition to the C:\ drive partition you have already restored, instead of restoring the contents to its own partition. If you do not mind starting the restore again then you may remove the C:\ partition using the disk management option and then use AISBackup to make and restore the boot and 'windows' partition on one restore operation.

If you do not have a Volume{xxxxxx} partition on your Windows 7 system please let me know.

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

Post by jlittle »

Hi Barry.
Yes, as it turns out, I do have TWO partitions that are labled Volume{xxxxx}; one looks like the one in your screen shot, except it doesn't have the file called BOOTSECT.BAK. The other one has 6 folders: ACERBOOT, BOOT, D2D, EFI, RyTools, and SOURCES. I assume I should use the one that looks more like yours.

Because I didn't know that the boot files were available for backup using AISBU, I used a partition editing program on my Win7 computer to retrieve the folder called BOOT and the file bootmgr, and I copied them onto the C: partition on my test computer's hd. After using Edit Boot Menu from the restore CD, I actually did get a boot menu when I rebooted, but Windows still wouldn't run.

It would be great to have instructions specifically for Win 7, as it's a huge departure from XP. But I think I understand now how to make my backup, so I'm going to start over and include both the C: and Volume{xxx} partitions in my backup. We'll see how it goes.
Thanks
John
Barry
Site Admin
Posts: 1529
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2002 3:16 pm

The other partition

Post by Barry »

The other Volume{xxxxx} partition on your PC is likely to be the recovery partition which may be used to reset your PC back to factory settings.

Actually, it would also be possible to run AISBackup from the recovery partition by starting a command prompt and running AISBackup from a CD or USB flash drive.

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

Re: The other partition

Post by jlittle »

Barry wrote:The other Volume{xxxxx} partition on your PC is likely to be the recovery partition which may be used to reset your PC back to factory settings.

Actually, it would also be possible to run AISBackup from the recovery partition by starting a command prompt and running AISBackup from a CD or USB flash drive.

Barry
That sounds like it might be a good choice. Could you possibly expand on that?
John
Barry
Site Admin
Posts: 1529
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2002 3:16 pm

Restore usinf recovery partition

Post by Barry »

I have noticed that recovery partitions for Windows Vista and Windows 7 are very much better than the old reset to factory options and many offer the ability to try to repair rather than blindly reset to factory.

I do not know how to start the recovery on your PC - some are press F10 during boot, some are press F8 and choose 'System Recovery' and I guess there are many more optons.....

This web page goes through running AISBackup from a recovery boot, this example uses the Windows Vista set-up DVD:

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

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

Re: Restore usinf recovery partition

Post by jlittle »

Barry wrote:I have noticed that recovery partitions for Windows Vista and Windows 7 are very much better than the old reset to factory options and many offer the ability to try to repair rather than blindly reset to factory.
Barry
Okay, I didn't know that. I'll take a look at the link.

Thanks a lot.
John
jlittle
Posts: 74
Joined: Sun Sep 15, 2002 10:56 pm
Location: Asheville, NC, USA

Post by jlittle »

Well, Barry, it looks like my attempts at doing a test restore are over.

My recovery disk does not offer the repair option, it will only restore to factory defaults. Perhaps more importantly, I also have a Windows 7 repair disk, and it gave me a notice that it can't run because the cpu in my test machine can't run 64 bit Windows!

But I certainly am glad I've gone through all this anyway, because I know a lot more now about how to backup Win 7. I'll just make my backups so they include the Volume{xxxxxxx} and hope that when I need them, I can make them work. I was hoping to know ahead of time that I could do it, but that's life, I guess.

Any last tidbits of advice?

I'll keep my eyes open for your Windows7-specific instructions also.
Thanks for all the help.
John
Barry
Site Admin
Posts: 1529
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2002 3:16 pm

More advice

Post by Barry »

Yes there is some more advice.

Take a look as Oracle VirtualBox (formerly Sun VirtualBox).

This software is a virtual PC and you can make 32-bit and 64-bit compatible virtual PC's (the client) that run on your PC (the host).

You can make a virtual disk for the PC and test your restores using the AISBackup restore CD.

A virtual PC can, of course, be used for more than just testing AISBackup.

The reason I use Oracle's Virtual PC over Microsoft's Virtual PC is because Microsoft's offering does not support 64-bit clients.

AISBackup does require a 32-bit Windows Vista or Windows 7 set-up DVD and AISBackup makes a 32-bit restore CD on a 64-bit operating system.


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

Post by jlittle »

Okay, that's great. I'm going to take a look at that.
Thanks again, Barry.
By the way, there's a forum called dslreports.com. Somebody there was asking for suggestions for backup software. I gave you and your program a pretty long pitch. (I usually do when someone asks.) Just thought you might like to know that.
John
jlittle
Posts: 74
Joined: Sun Sep 15, 2002 10:56 pm
Location: Asheville, NC, USA

Post by jlittle »

Well, turns out I can't run Win7 64-bit as a virtual guest because the cpu in my Win7 computer (the host) doesn't have Hardware Assisted Virtualization.
I got virtualbox set up okay, and went through the Win7 installation process where I got a message that it couldn't run because of the cpu. (Actually, the same message that I got when I tried to install Win7 on my test computer.)

Am I missing something?

Thanks again.
John
Barry
Site Admin
Posts: 1529
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2002 3:16 pm

Oracle Vbox 64-bit client on 32-bit host

Post by Barry »

Oracle Virtual box can only support 64-bit clients on 32-bit hosts if hardware virtualisation is enabled. I found this:
You must enable hardware virtualization for the particular VM for which you want 64-bit support; software virtualization is not supported for 64-bit VMs.

Note: On most systems, the hardware virtualization features first need to be enabled in the BIOS before VirtualBox can use them.
Maybe you can make this setting?

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

Post by jlittle »

Actually, my host is 64-bit (that's the same OS I'm trying to install in VB); it's VB that won't support a 64-bit guest without HAV. But, no, hardware virtualization can't be enabled in my BIOS because it's just not in my cpu. My processor is specifically mentioned in several web sites as one that doesn't support HAV. I've also run tests from MS and VMware that verify that my processor doesn't support HAV. Just my luck: A new machine with an old cpu. :?

I was thinking about doing a dual-boot setup with 2 different Win7 systems, then I could test doing backup restorals on the second system. But if the real boot files are on a separate (hidden) partition, then it seems that both of the Win7 systems would use that partition, which makes the whole thing kind of pointless. Do you agree?
John
Post Reply