Computer requires Windows repair disk after backup.
I have a laptop running Windows 7 64bit with Acronis True Image Home 2012 (Build 2.1, update 7133) installed. The Laptop has a solid state drive for the operating system (partitions C: and D:) and a secondary hard drive (in the optical drive bay,) which has a couple of general partitions (E: and F:) and an Acronis Secure Zone to store backup images taken a couple of times a week. Also on a weekly basis a USB external hard drive (G:) is used to take a system image.
On numerous occasions I have encountered the following problem and would like to enquire if anyone knows how to correct whatever is causing the problem?
Backups to the the internal secondary hard drive work satisfactorily, the problem occurs when a full backup image is taken and stored on the USB external hard drive. The computer is switched off when the backup is complete (can be hibernate or full shutdown doesn't matter which), typically because this is the final task of the day.
When the computer is restarted next morning then there is a boot problem which can only be fixed by using the Windows recovery CD to perform a startup repair. The fault can be somewhat intermittent, but it only ever happens after a full backup to the USB drive.
I suspect that the drive letter could be being changed by ATIH because the Windows repair disk shows something relating to drive E: in the 'details' when performing the startup repair. The boot drive should be C: on the solid state drive.
Anyone know what the problem is here or how to fix it or prevent it from happening?
Thanks,
Riskybiz.
The boot problem has just recurred again, so I thought to check the forum....
After backup is complete the external USB drive is ejected and switched off. The shut down is manually performed (not using TI shut down option). It does not matter if the computer is hibernated or fully shut down, the boot problem occurs in either case.
Again I noticed in the details dialogue when running the Windows 7 recovery CD that the details of the encountered boot problem related to E: drive.
You might take a look at the log files within the application. This may shed some light on the issue:
http://www.acronis.com/en-us/support/documentation/ATIH2014/index.html#…
Post a screen capture of your Windows Disk Managemwent system graphical view of your disk.
As you view the disk from inside the Windows Disk Management view,
do you have a partitin labelled as Recovery?
If yes,
Is it lettered?
Which partiton is marked as "ACT"
Is the SD the disk which came with the computer?
If no,
how was the SD created?
Does the orignal source disk still exist for comparison in Disk Management?
Have attached the log file for the most recent problematic backup. I did not notice an obvious problem in it.
Please find attached the Disk Management screen shot. The boot problem has been fixed, for the time being, with the Windows Recovery CD. The 200MB manufacturer-provided partition is active. I cannot see a partition labeled as Recovery, could that be the OEM partition, in which case it does not have a drive letter? The 351.63 GB partition is the Acronis Secure Zone.
I replaced the original hard drive with the SSD; the data was written to the SSD by restoring to it an Acronis full disk image taken from the original hard drive. I did this partition-by-partition adjusting the partition sizes to suit my requirements. Sadly the original disk is overwritten; though I do have an Acronis image of the laptop hard drive as it was when delivered, but I don't know how to extract from it comparable information.
The boot problem has recurred, again following completion of an Acronis backup to the USB hard drive. Again it was necessary to use the Windows recovery CD to fix the boot problem. In the hope that it might clarify what is wrong, this time I copied out the details of the startup repair operations which the Windows recovery CD performed in order to fix the system;
The following startup options will be repaired
Name: Windows Boot Manager
Identifier {9DEA862C-5CDD-4E70-ACC1-F32B344D4795}
The following startup option will be deleted
Name: Windows 7 Home Premium (recovered)
Identifier {E0938AC7-7300-11E1-8083-DCOEA1CEE6BE}
The following startup options will be added
Name: Windows 7 Home Premium (recovered)
Path: WIndows
Windows Device: Partition=E: (208489 MB)
Name Windows Recovery Environment (recovered)
Path: Recovery\e0938a99-7300-11e1-8083-dc0ea1cee6be\Winre.wim
Windows Device: Partition=E: (208489 MB)
A copy of the current boot configuration data will be saved as C:\Boot\BCD.Backup.0016
The message make no sense (or at least not to me). Look at disk managment again and see if letter E is still assigned to the 750gb data disk?
Edit-added
You indicate you have a backup of the original Lenova disk. That can provide information to use about your partition arrangement of your original disk, f you are willing to spend a littlle time.
To get the info, we will need to simulate the beginning part of the restore of that specific backup.
Look at my singature link 3 below and item 1 inside that link.
Boot from the TI Recovery CD and begin the simulation .
Do steps illustrated by figures 2 through 9.
It is peforming figure 7-8-9 which will provide the info..
When you get figure link 9 displayed, the partitions will be numbered as per example.
Click on the column header "numb" or "sector" to sort those columnsl.
Maybe you can take a picture (camera or cell) to show your contents of that screen.
The screen will provide the partition number, the starting and ending sector numbers as well as the name or description of each partition. YOu can compare that information with what you seen in Windows disk management or could be compared to a backup of you current disk.
Also note the picture figure 59. When restoring to new replacement disk, the "recover disk signature" is an important part of the restore and must not be overlooked or bypassed.
Once you get your informtion, the restore simulation can be cancelled.
Original Lenovo disk has been overwritten. Attached is a screenshot of Disk Management taken a moment ago. Letter E is assigned to one of the partitions on the data disk.
Note my comments later added to post #8.
I've performed the steps you kindly suggested in order to gain information. Attached are two screenshots from the simulated recovery operations; one is based on a system image taken when the laptop was brand new and first switched on, the other is the system as it is currently arranged on the solid state drive. The file names indicate which is which. Though I'm unsure as to how the partition arrangement could cause a boot problem to emerge when a backup image is routinely taken?
Same problem again........didn't occur last week, did nothing discernibly different this week and the computer needed the Windows repair CD to get back into operation after backing up to an external USB drive.