Skip to main content

Recovery Media Corrupts the reboot to Windows

Thread solved

I just installed version 2021 on windows 10 64-bit. All works well and I did a full backup. I created recovery media ISO and burned to a DVD and booted from it to test that it works, since this is a vital key to restores. After seeing that the DVD booted properly, I exited to reboot to WIndows. That is when problem began. Windows would not boot and entered automatic repair mode which eventually ended up with a restored Windows which did not include TrueImage. I redownloaded and installed and repeated the DVD recovery process (creating new ISO and burning to new DVD) and the problem repeated. Is this part of the design, that the recovery media is intended to self destruct as it restores a backup? I would not want to restore a backup and then find the recovery media had corrupted the restore. I look forward to any insight on this. Thanks much.

0 Users found this helpful

David, welcome to these public User Forums.

Sorry but can you go into some greater detail of exactly what you were doing in this scenario please?

I have never come across any user reports of creating the Acronis Rescue Media then simply booting from that media causing any issues with Windows booting etc.

What type of rescue media did you create on the boot DVD? 
Was this the 'Simple' option that creates WinPE media, or did you select the 'Advanced' option to create the alternative full WinPE (from the Windows ADK Kits) or the Linux media?

When you booted from the DVD, what else did you do while in the offline environment?
Did you test doing any Backup or Recovery operations?
Did you try any of the other options shown in the menu options offered?

Hello, Steve, Thanks for responding.

Yes, it's puzzling. I first did a full backup with no problems. I created a DVD using simple option and a second DVD with the advanced option. Both gave same results. I do have a dual-boot system, with a choice of Windows or Linux at boot time. I did not do any recovery operation; the boot with DVD was just to ensure that it booted to a menu that could be used for a restore. In prior years, I've used True Image 9 through 12 and the boot media booted to a Linux environment and I was pleased to see the Windows-friendly menu after the boot. Any help or tips will be appreciated as I don't like having to do a full reinstall of True Image after testing. Thanks much,

david

David, any boot from Acronis Rescue Media on DVD or USB stick should never make or cause any changes to the PC boot sector, BIOS or the Windows Boot Configuration Data (BCD) regardless of the PC being single or dual boot.

Before suggesting further tests using the Acronis DVD, have you tested booting this PC from other sources of boot media such as a Windows Recovery or Install DVD?  This would help show if this is only happening for Acronis media or is something more general?

Good suggestion, Steve. I booted from the DVD restore media for the backup/restore product I currently use and it worked fine, no problems. Somehow the Acronis DVD is doing something that puts Windows in repair mode. I wrote all this to tech support a couple of days ago, but no response, possibly because I'm still in trial mode.

The mystery deepens David if alternative boot media works fine!  I am not sure what to suggest here other than trying the Advanced > Linux option for the DVD (if not already tried) as this will then eliminate the involvement of Windows PE from your PC given the Linux media is the same for all users.  You could download this as an ISO image from your Acronis Account web page to burn to DVD.

Out of interest, what boot loader are you using for your dual-boot scenario?  Are you using Windows Boot Manager, or using such as Grub2 from Linux?  Are your two different OS's on the same drive or on separate drives?

Hi, Steve,

The thought of having to rely on a Linux boot disc troubled me so much I decided to test the simple DVD one more time. I was desperate. And this time it WORKED. On prior tests, I closed out the program by clicking the upper left edge of window. On this time, I carefully looked for a 'close' or 'exit' option and found it on the far right. I then typed 'exit' into the remaining command prompt window and Windows then booted normally. Success. I accept responsibility for the error, but the boot disc from other vendor had an explicit File>Exit option and if I were to make a suggestion to Acronis, it would be to include an explicit exit menu option. Anyway, problem solved.

On your questions, I use the grub loaded and both OSs share the same drive.  Thanks for your patience in helping me work through this. Life is good. You 'solved' it by providing an undesirable option that gave me that extra encouragement.

david

David,

It sounds to me like when you boot to the DVD the bios is happy to switch to the DVD device to do so.  When you wish to switch back to your normal boot manager the bios is not doing so correctly because it is looking for I suspect a Windows boot manager. 

Since you are dual booting I suspect you are using Grub for a boot manager.  Your bios is not looking for Grub and this is your base problem.  To overcome this you will need to enter your machine bios after each time you end your session with the DVD, navigate to the Boot section of the bios, and set the Grub loader as 1st in the Boot Options list then, save and exit the bios.  The machine should now boot using the Grub loader.

EDIT:

Just read your latest reply, when you want to exit or quit the DVD it is not an intuitive process.  I have never seen the space on the right bottom that you describe so I am going to go looking for it.  

I suspect that when you close the TI app window sing the red X you are left with a command prompt window if you are using the Windows based media.  I would suggest that at this point you first eject the DVD from the drive then, at the command prompt type:

wpeutil shutdown

This command will shutdown your booted Windows PE/RE session in an orderly and proper fashion.  When you restart your PC it will behave normally as everything will have been returned to normal

An alternative to Bob's (Enchantech) suggestion of using wpeutil shutdown would be to use the MVP Custom PE Builder tool (see link below to the Community Tools), which has a desktop with both Shutdown & Restart buttons.  See screen image below (taken a couple of years back but the same today but with ATI 2021).

Note the bottom left icons on the taskbar for the WinPE Menu, Restart and Shutdown options etc.

Wow! Thanks to you both for the extra info. I'm ignorant of the boot manager and use grub because my install of Linux Mint provided it. To clarify how I shut down the DVD, I found About>Close in upper right menu. Typing EXIT at command prompt worked okay, but I'll keep the suggestion for wpeutil shutdown in my file. Steve, I'll investigate your suggestion, but I confess: I don't plan to become skilled in using the restore DVD, as my hope is that I never need it. I'm making a copy of both posts, as I'm sure they may be helpful in future. Thanks so much to you both for providing this unasked for, but much appreciated, education. I appreciate it.

Your welcome