OS Selector Copy function not creating a viable OS

One thing to add: I have tried using this OS Copy function many times. It runs for about 20 minutes saying it is "copying files" or some such thing. then it says to reboot to complete the process. Then, as always I get the "Windows was not shut down properly" page.

I have erased the non-functional OS, and started over many times. Always the same results.

I have not yet run a Copy OS test with OSS 11 and Windows 7. I'll run one now and see what happens.

Does your Dell have a System Reserved partition (or some other partition) it uses for booting Windows or does it boot the Windows partition (Windows partition set Active)?

thank you Mr Mud!

I am interested, if you have luck with your test, where it "puts" the copied OS. I would like to end up with it in its own partition. My computer just started in copying (there may have been a different term or two) files, and not asking where to PUT the new OS.

the first time I installed OS selector, my computer became un-bootable; stuck going to a Memory Diagnostic Test instead of booting.

I ended up cleaning the hard drive, reinstalling everything as I had just previously backed up everything with True Image. Then I put in a Widows Upgrade Disk from another computer, and it repaired the boot sector. (I probably could have done that from the start). My computer does not have a Windows Installation disk :-( just a restore-to-factory recovery partition.

Please tell me (if this has not yet answered YOUR questions), how to determine the boot mode or method you were asking about above. I know very little about such things.

Many thanks, and good luck.

My test was successful in that it did work, however I wouldn't recommend using the OSS Copy method.

OSS copies the system folders into the BOOTWIZ sub-folder for the "parent" OS. I really don't like this method because it can result in problems later (assuming it even works). I prefer having each OS on its own partition.

I did get the Windows "did not shutdown properly" message on the first boot-up into the copy, but not on further boots. I tested with a clean Windows 7 x64 install (using the System Reserved partition).

You could use your TI image of the Windows partition to create the copy. There would need to be some "fixing" afterwards, but it can be done. Booting files need to be on the Windows partition for this to work properly.

You can determine the booting partition by looking in Disk Management. This partition will usually show as System and Active.

MC:

thank you for your efforts. Are you an Acronis employee? I don't know how far you go to help on an individual case such as mine. I was assuming that by using OS Selector I would have my problems neatly solved.

I don't know enough to proceed on my own, and not quite sure what to do. My goal is to have as clean and stable a computer as possible, and yet have a dual Windows 7 64 bit boot. I am wondering if purchasing a brand new Microsoft Windows Disk/Licence would help? I feel that not having one is somewhat limiting. And I am not sure if having OS Selector installed is helping or hurting, judging by your last post.

I found your website, and can gather some BootWiz info if it would be helpful to you. Or do I need to do some consulting locally (a difficult issue in that I live in the middle of nowhere).

what are your thoughts on all this?

Thanks again, Ted

Ted,

No, I'm not an Acronis employee. I'm hoping that OSS will be updated/fixed when the first DD 11 update is released. Its current status leaves much to be desired.

For the best type of a multi-boot setup, you need to have a non-Microsoft boot manager. That can be OSS or something else. The basics are still the same. The other option is to use the Microsoft boot manager and that's kind of limiting in what it allows.

I should be able to help you through the process of getting this set up. If you want to proceed, please post a screenshot of what Disk Management shows for the drive. The basic steps would be as follows:

1. Create the partition for the copy. This may require removing or changing an existing partition.
2. Restoring the Windows 7 image to the new partition.
3. Configuring the copy to boot.
4. Setting up OSS (if it doesn't detect it automatically).

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I suspect that your problems have to do with the booting configuration being different on the Dell. It's possible that using the OSS Copy method could be fixed to work. It's your call what you want to do. My dislike for it is because I've seen too many cases where the Windows files get lost because of OSS moving them around. It's much safer to have each OS's files on their own partition.

Regarding the original post, I have had the same issue and have been unable to resolve it. The only difference, I am not using a Dell computer.
I experimented on a desktop and a laptop both 32-bit with same outcome.
This 'Copy' option works fine when using Windows XP, but an issue with Windows 7.

Has anyone managed to resolve this problem?
Is there an update available to resolve this issue?

Thanks