SOLVED - sort of: 2011 bootable CD hangs
I'm running TIH 2011 on two white box desktops: EVGA H55/i3 and EVGA X58/i7, both running Win 7 64 bit (but the OS isn't involved in this problem). The i3 is a new install. The i7 was running 2010 and making backups for some time. Both use USB/wireless mice and keyboards.
I'm testing the rescue CD to make sure I can access backups. On the i3, things seem to work - eventually. I can browse for backup images and select one. The right-click menu "info"or whatever it's called works. "Restore" and "verify" do not. When I select them, nothing happens. Eventually - I don't know if it's time or just fiddling - they start to work.
That's a concern, but not a total show-stopper like the i7 problem. I have both 2010 and 2011 backup images on that machine. I noted on the i3 machine that 2010 can't read 2011 images, so I'm testing both rescue CD versions on the i7.
2010 CD build 7154 boots. Mouse and keyboard seem to work (in a few tests, anyway). I select restore, and then "browse". At that point, the browser GUI pops up and displays my drives. BUT - the display is "flickering", my HD LED is flashing, and any mouse or keyboard button press just beeps. Eventually I have to reset the machine. Not good.
2011 CD build 6597 boots. Keyboard and mouse sometimes work, sometimes just one of them works. I select full Acronis at the first menu screen, then I get the second splash screen and that's it. Totally locked up. No keyboard, no mouse, no HD LED, no CD LED. The machine is just dead. Requires a hard reset. REALLY not good.
I've been happily making backups for months without realizing I had no way to restore.
Thanks
[update] I _can_ launch System Report from the CD. That works.
It doesn't make a difference which computer makes the recovery media. It will be the same. That being said, I think it's been posted several times where it did make a difference or (at least) seemed to make a difference.
Definately give the download ISO a try (as suggested by Pat L). It may include newer drivers.
Create the System Report and submit it to Acronis. They should be able to add the necessary drivers (assuming they are available).
Thanks for the suggestions. I should have mentioned that I tried both the latest downloads and the locally created bootable media with the same results.
I'll go add the System Report to the help ticket I have submitted.
Bill
A little more info: with the 2010 rescue media CD what I described as "flickering" when the file browser is displayed seems to be the program constantly refreshing the left pane of the browser. The HD LED flashes continuously, and the keyboard and mouse just beep.
It seems that 2010 doesn't like my 2nd HD. That drive has FAT32, Solaris, Solaris, and an extended partition with FAT32, NTFS, and several Linux ext3 partitions. If I disconnect that drive, the 2010 restore file browser seems to work.
It isn't much of a "rescue" CD if it falls over in the presence of an unusual drive.
But - back to 2011. That's the real current problem. That's what I have installed on this 7 machine, and it's happily making regular backups. Considering the above 2010 issue, I disconnected all drives except my main drive: NTFS, FAT32, FAT32.
Even in that simple configuration, the 2011 CD gets to the main menu screen, I select Acronis, and it just hangs forever on the Acronis splash with no visible activity and unresponsive mouse and keyboard.
Bill
If I remove my wireless mouse and keyboard and use wired USB versions, the TIH 2011 rescue CD seems to boot and run correctly.
As stated in my OP, if I use my wireless keyboard and mouse combo, the mouse doesn't work, and when I use the keyboard to select Acronis, it just hangs immediately on the splash screen.
Curiously, once Acronis is running, I can plug in the wireless units and they work fine.
Hopefully engineering will fix this ASAP.
Bill