snapman.sys: Making my laptop unbootable
Hi. I'm running Win10 Pro on a DELL M6400 Precision workstation. Recovery reports that the OS couldn't be loaded because a system driver is missing or contains errors. That driver is snapman.sys. Is there any way to fix my problem without a clean install of Win10? Thanks. Rich Error code 0x000007b.
Hi. Thanks for responding.
Here is what led up to the current problem, which occurred about 4 weeks ago: I have 2 identical ACER laptops and 1 DELL Precision M6400 mobile workstation, each installed with Acronis True Image 2020. This does not mean that True Image is set to automatically make backups on every PC. Sometimes I've been using True Image to manually make a backup. I cannot recall what the settings were on the two PCs involved when the problem developed. All my PCs have a few partitions on them separating data from OS..
I decided to combine the data from one of my ACER laptops with the data on the M6400. I had made a network between these two PCs so I could copy over files from the ACER laptop to the M6400. Both PCs have more than one Windows User Account on them. I had copied over most of the files that needed transferring. Now, when it came to shut down the M6400, I got a message do I want to shut down as there are other people using the PC or words to that effect. Because I concluded the other User Account did not have any apps open I chose to shut down, with the belief I had no work to loose in doing that. When I next sought to boot up the OS, it would not and Windows Recovery could not fix it.
As to the history of my attempts at fixing the problem: At some point I got a message that there was a problem with BCD file. So, I managed to run various commands of bootrec in DOS. There could have been a problem with the system partition being not active at first, anyway I eventually got around to set the system partition active with DISKPART. After doing that I got a message that snapman.exe was preventing the OS from booting up.
I was not messing about with registry and did not uninstall any Acronis apps (from what I can recall). I do not have any kind of True Image backup of the M6400. I'm hoping to fix the problem, otherwise I will need to install Win10 Home and will have to pay I think to get Win10 Pro that was installed.
The only way you're going to fix it is to follow the instructions in the link Steve gave you above! It will work.
OK, I've encountered an unexpected problem. I've created a Windows Pre-installation Environment disk, but Acronis Loader reports: "Unable to run Boot menu". In Acronis 2020 on another PC/laptop which I have a license for which is running the same OS as the M6400, the PC I wish to solve the boot issue on, I selected "Advanced" as the creation method. Then "Win PE based media". The toolkit chosen was "Windows 8, Windows8.1, Windows10. Going further I did not add any drivers. Then I selected my DVD drive. Then the wizard did what it does to create the WINPE. Then it did a burn on my DVD writer. Don't know if that process is flawed in some way or not.. After the message I am asked to press Enter, but nothing happens when I do. I just end up with a blinking cursor. Need to solve this boot menu problem.
Richard, for the purpose of following the steps in the KB document and modifying the Windows Registry, then you can use any available WinPE boot media, so if you have a Windows 10 install disc, that could be used, as the main requirement is to be able to get to a Command Prompt window.
The copies of Windows 10 that I have on all my PCs, were downloaded upgrades to DELL Windows 7 installations. I have these Windows 7 DELL discs. Would they do? I suppose yes if they allow DOS commands to be performed. Wonder if regedit.exe can be run. Probably, I must see.
Richard, your Win 7 disc should be ok if you can get to a command prompt to run regedit, otherwise go to website: Microsoft Windows and Office ISO Download Tool - and use this to download an ISO image of your Windows 10 Pro installer disc.
Note: if you have activated Windows 10 Pro on the problem machine, either by hardware signature or with a Microsoft Account, then you should be able to reinstall the same edition and reactivate it without issue.
When using the Windows 7 installation disk it identifies the the OS installed, which in my case is Win10. You naturally want to get at those recovery tools to fix start-up problems. You click on "Next" but get the message "This version of System Recovery Options is not compatible with the version of Windows you are trying to repair...." There is another option "Restore your computer using a system image that you created earlier". You think all is lost, when you know you have not created a system image. Actually, if you tick off on that option, the first thing you get is "Windows cannot find a system image on this computer" (tell me something new, you think), clicking "Cancel" then "Next" you eventually come to a window entitled "System Recovery Options" and are invited to choose a recovery tool from a list. One of which is "Command Prompt". Selecting that tool you are presented with a DOS prompt: X:\Sources> Typing "regedit.exe" brings up that app. Going to bed, but tomorrow I hope to report success using regedit.
I now have my mobile workstation back. Than you for the assistance. It was made a tricky problem because I had more than one issue other than snapman.exe. I wondered whether I'd ever get to boot up on the OS installed. Cheers. :-) Not sure if I need affect some repair of True Image 2020 or whether on launch it will redo registry values.. Rich
Rich, you can always do a quick repair install of ATI 2020 if needed. Just run the ATI 2020 installer without uninstalling the current app and it will offer a repair option. You can download the installer from your Acronis account if it has been registered there.
Hi Steve. I have a file called AcronisTrueImage2020. It will be the installer. When I start it, it says Acronis is already installed and simply invites me to press a button to start the application. No repair option, ATI does start up by the way. But whether there are now registry issues I don't know. I think I should un-install and do a re-install. Especially since I just got a message "Failed to open the application component" when seeking to do a disk cleanup.
Rich, if you look at the Account page in ATI 2020 you should see the build number where the latest build is 25700, then look at the installer file information, see if that is the same or not?
You can obviously do an uninstall and new install which shouldn't cause any of your backup tasks to be lost.
Hi Steve. I just did an un-install & re-install, seemed easyist thing to do. All OK now. Thanks. Pretty much ends thread I think. Rich
Trying to mark #1 post as the solution. Currently there is a box there entitled "Didn't Help" which of course is wrong. Oh, I think you would click on that if you changed your mind. So, things are probably OK.