file copy within the Bootable rescue disk
I have TIH2012 disk by disk backups of the PC - the latest on one of the PC hard drives, and all for the last year on a networked drive via a small LAN.
My desktop PC has had a heart attack affecting the motherboard and I'm anticipating that a substantial recovery process will be required after I get it back from the emergency ward. There is or will be more than enough drive capacity available locally to recover the C: drive from, but the image for it (about 8Gb in 2 4.7Gb DVD sized files) is likely to be on that networked drive. Getting it from that drive and then restoring from it - all using the bootable rescue disk - is a time consuming task done in one operation. (I tried it once and resorted to alternatives). Mainly in the IP packaging and unpacking of the backup image file. That process (pack it in IP, send it, unpack it before use) typically adds about 4 times the data transferred, and the processing time to do that in an environment when memory is restricted.
A straight explorer file copy is much faster, as is a recovery from an image on a local drive.
So . . the question (to reduce a really long process to faster elements)
Can the bootable rescue disk generated by TIH do a straight explorer style file copy - eg from that network drive/folder to this local drive/folder - independent of the TIH recovery/restore operation?
Thanks
David
Thank you. A comment, a question and a request
1. comment - maybe the best option in this circumstance is to burn a series of DVD's with the backup image files using another computer with access to the files via that LAN I mentioned, and then simply load them as requested by ATI during the restore process after the rescue disk has booted on the problem machine, and a restore chosen. I understand that the rescue disk loads linux as the OS and runs both it and ATI from RAM, leaving the DVD drive available as a data source. I did this once years ago in a previous version of ATI and assume that capability still exists. Please advise if it doesn't.
2. the question - clarify the remark "move file in whole integral chains"?
3. the request - get Acronis to add this sort of file copy utility to their rescue disk build in any new version.
David
you can still do it from the linux console, i guess?
after booting from the rescue CD hit CTRL-ALT-F2.
a GUI mode "file explorer" would be much more convenient, of course.
nice feature request.
David,
About the comment, I wouldn't burn the archives to DVD. The best way would be to copy to a USB disk and then plug the USB disk in the computer that needs to be restored.
About the question: make sure you copy all the files necessary for a restore. If you use incremental, the full and each incremental until the target restore date are necessary. For a differential chain, only the full and the desired differential.
About the request: you could suggest this in the sticky wish list.
philippg,
I never tried the Linux console. I don't know what is the list of Linux commands it supports beyond the ones documented by Acronis to adjust some parameters.
Thanks to both of you. The problem was initially a power error even prior to the POST test running, which is why I made that motherboard comment. I'll find out how bad this will be in the next day when I talk to the technician about what he found.
I know that the DVD image of an archive restored via the rescue disk works. It just takes a while. A USB image - I guess it would depend on whether the Rescue OS can detect new drives being plugged in after being loaded, but see following. The issue is getting a bootable C drive going: either access to the existing HDD drives (1xIDE and 3xSATA, but the C drive partition just happens to be on the IDE drive), or a restructured one with the C image on it. Once there, I'm home free.
The worst case would be a new motherboard with no provision/connection for an IDE drive. Then . . I will have to use the rescue disk with DD11 to create a new C drive partition on a SATA drive and then use TIH to restore the backup image from the latest archive: hence this discussion. It will matter whether the new board will detect legacy USB drives - external hard drives with a USB interface - on a cold rpt cold boot. They should - but I've had years of problems with the old one whereby it would ignore any external USB drive (which includes USB memory sticks) on a cold boot, but happily detect it and operate with it if plugged in after windows was alive. I finally (after many sessions with MS, the board maker and the BIOS provider, and alternate testing on different computers with different BIOS suppliers) concluded that the board manufacturer had not integrated the BIOS correctly, and it wasn't worth while doing anything to fix it. This event may in fact be a blessing in disguise from that perspective.
So, another question . .
Does the rescue disk after loading its Linux OS image, detect any new drives when they were plugged in?
Thanks,
David
David,
The Linux media will detect USB drives after booting. As a matter of fact, it helps to boot the system without the USB drives connected and then connect them after the boot has taken place because it helps Acronis detect the drive order more correctly. I can't find it now, but there is a knowledge base article that recommends doing just that. I use this method all the time. (Boot to Linux media, attach USB drive(s), wait about 30 seconds (or less) for detection, perform an operation in Acronis)
David,
This is the KB article I was referring to. It is a little old, but still applies to the current bootable media. http://kb.acronis.com/content/1519
David,
The Linux media will detect USB drives after booting. As a matter of fact, it helps to boot the system without the USB drives connected and then connect them after the boot has taken place because it helps Acronis detect the drive order more correctly. I can't find it now, but there is a knowledge base article that recommends doing just that. I use this method all the time. (Boot to Linux media, attach USB drive(s), wait about 30 seconds (or less) for detection, perform an operation in Acronis)
My WD Passport drives, at least on my current laptop, don't get detected by the linux-based Recovery Media if I connect them after the Recovery Media has fully completed booting. And, I can't connect them prior to booting, or the laptop gets confused as to which USB drive contains a bootable system (I boot the Recovery Media from a USB flash drive).
What I do is to begin booting the Recovery Media from a USB flash drive, and connect the WD Passport drives at the point when the screen asks if I want to continue to boot into Acronis True Image or boot into Windows.
Thanks for the replies, which I read after logging in this monday morning.
After posting my last message, I realised I'd been a dunce - why not just test it with the materials at hand? So, late last nite (Australia, EST) I did that using my university class HP g6 laptop. And by plugging in the external USB drive I'd used for the cold boot tests (mentioned previously) when the Acronis menu was presented after which I selected (on alternate boots) DD11 and TIH. Worked fine - for TIH I had to choose "browse for backup" but in both cases I could see the USB drive in the relevant display.
This is the procedure James F and tuttle both describe and it was reassuring to know it not only worked but was repeatable across different machines.
Sitrep
And so I later called the PC tech and was told the desktop machine was fixed - was just dust in the RAM sockets. Huge sighs of relief. And when I got it back and assembled all the connections it did indeed boot. Found some file chain errors on a drive which is installed, seen by explorer but normally not in use (the one I usually use to capture raw video from camcorders before editing) - puzzlement there. However otherwise it all seemed to work. No restores actually needed - the great escape indeed.
After all this I did check the recognition of the external USB drive by booting using the rescue disk on this main desktop. And it was a dismal failure. There are 2 means of connection - using a separately powered USB hub connected via the rear panel motherboard sockets (the one usually in use for this device and a card reader for various cameras using SD and SDHC cards), and also via the USB sockets on the front casing. The connection via the hub hung the DD11 device scan until I unplugged it, whereupon DD11 immediately loaded its user interface (but no external USB drive there), and the connection via the front panel (usually used for USB memory sticks) simply had the drive access light blinking but when the interface loaded - no external device shown.
And after the testing was done and windows 7 rebooted - plugged the external USB drive back into the normal cable connection to the hub/back panel and presto - detected by windows and displayed in explorer.
I don't understand this sort of behaviour. However, if Linux uses the BIOS/hardware for drive access then it may actually be consistent.
Many thanks for the helpful advice.
DAvid
Don't connect the external to a hub, or to a USB extension, or to a USB port on a monitor. I'm told that on many desktop PCs, even the front ports may not be as direct a connection as the rear ports. So, connect to a rear USB port and see how that works.
I agree with tuttle's remarks concerning USB hubs (powered, or not), extension cables,etc. On some systems, the many USB ports are not always controlled by the same USB controller. Some will work under the Linux Rescue Media and some do not depending on the USB controller manufacturer/chipset. After booting to Acronis Rescue Media, I plug in my USB drive(s) and test to see if it/they are recognized by Acronis True Image, if not I unplug it/them and try different USB ports. I have 5 systems to test on and all can see USB drives connected while in the Linux Rescue Media environment, but sometimes I do need to try more than one port to have them recognized. Sometimes, just unplugging and re-attaching them works for me.
Thanks to you both. Interesting comment about the ports vs controllers.
On my desktop there are but 2 USB ports on the back panel not used by something (the printer, USB hub extension etc). FYI the tower front panel has 2 ports on it. Device manager says there are:
2 generic USB hubs
2 PCI to USB hosts
5 Open HCD USB hosts
7 USB Root hubs
installed which I assume are all on the motherboard.
So, tried using one of the unused back panel USB ports to attach the external drive and then boot the rescue disk. Got the same reaction as when I attached via the external powered hub - the Acronis loader sat at the loading, no raid drives message bit on the display . . waiting. The drive sat there with the activity light a mix of green and red - something was clearly trying to access it, frequently. After a few minutes I simply unplugged the USB drive and the DD11 rescue application immediately loaded and displayed disk data on the internal drives.
I've juggled the location of the backup images on the internal drives within the tower so they are less likely to be affected by a disk or motherboard failure, but that possibility still exists if the drive it is on fails or becomes inaccessible. I'd hoped (after your advice here) that I may have a better solution than DVD's for a C recovery, but until I really need to replace the motherboard it seems I will have to live with this. I've made a mental note - next time don't get a Gigabyte board as once bitten twice shy.
David
I normally don't recommend doing a BIOS update on system boards, as it can lead to complete failure of the system board if the BIOS upgrade fails or the wrong BIOS upgrade file is used, BUT, Gigabyte system boards are usually of good quality and I have used a few myself. It may be that there is a BIOS upgrade for your system board that may help with the USB problems you are experiencing. I would suggest that if you wish to try this, you may want to obtain help from a reputable computer repair center/technician to help you with this if you have no experience doing BIOS upgrades. A BIOS upgrade may not help this issue at all. It is just another possible solution.
James
Alas - a BIOS upgrade was part of the activity with MS award and motherboard maker that I referred to earlier. Made no difference at all.
It's the same hardware, using the same connections, the only difference being the software in use at the point of detection: BIOS versus Windows XP3, and later Win 7. It had several further quirks
1. When the cold boot failed to display the drive in explorer, control panel device manager said it was there and gave specifics of the drive (manufacturer, model, drivers in use etc)
2. If I attached the drive after windows booted, it was recognised and displayed in explorer. If I then shut down the computer but did not turn the power off, when I next booted the system (effectively a cold boot from OFF) the external drive was happily detected and displayed in explorer. Clearly there was a memory handle in there maintained by the continued power supply that was used on the next start.
I was really reluctant to accept that a board manufacturer could get this wrong, but the BIOS supplier (whoever owns AWARD now) was pretty blunt - the board maker was responsible for integrating the BIOS software with the motherboard hardware. A later BIOS upgrade failed to fix the issue. And then later again (earlier this year in fact), I tried the same action - attach the drive and cold boot - with 2 laptops that I acquired. One Toshiba, and one HP, both had different BIOS suppliers and obviously different motherboards (eg the HP has more usb ports and an HDMI connection compared to the Toshiba unit). Both of these machines found that drive as part of the cold boot and showed it in explorer immediately. Which I thought was pretty conclusive.
David