Rescue Media Horror Story

I just updated to the latest build of 7049 and there were several changes. The program (booting from the rescue media - I did ISO) looks better - the graphics look good - it wasn't like that before, it must have been reading at a lower resolution... and it was also spitting out some odd commands while trying to boot - that doesn't happen anymore.

If I have a successful backup/restore I don't usually upgrade the build (why create problems for yourself.) But it appears (for now anyway) that upgrading fixed the problem...

I hope this doesn't happen to anybody else because nobody wants to see their computer in that kind of state. Totally terrifying...

Sandy

Just for clarification (since I have no idea what would cause the problem), when you say your rescue media was "ISO burn" do you mean that this was the rescue media made via the bootable media builder that is part of the True Image install (the Acronis loader version), or an ISO image file downloaded from your account (ISOLINUX version). From your description with having the option to boot into Windows, I am assuming the former.

You could try downloading the latest ISO image file from your account (it would be build 7046) and trying that, if you want be be brave.

BTW, I've had no issues with restoring Office 2007 (Professional with Project and OneNote also).

Our messages crossed paths. I'm always in favor of WinPE ISO builds, myself, if you have the Plus Pack.

Yes they did!

I downloaded the ISO from the program - I have had trouble with bootable rescue media in the past and was told to select the ISO from the program - then I use ImgBurn to make the media. The only reason I haven't done a WinPE is everything was really going well - very fast... I have had to do a VistaPE in the past to help with backup speed.

I should have clarified what I meant by ISO...

I have no idea - why out of nowhere I would have that kind of problem...

As far as Restoring and Microsoft Office - a few years back when you "excluded" certain files it screwed up the restore of Office. It didn't happen to me, thankfully. It took awhile to figure it all out...

Office 2010 is new - I was a concerned there might be a problem... I was very happy there wasn't!

Sandy

Sandy,
Hello.. I have had a somewhat similar experience let me share ... sometimes when i do a recovery, my PC will boot into a black screen, Also use "logitech wireless" stuff . i can hear the windows sound ... but then nothing. I have found somewhere My "NVIDIA" settings get "hosed" and i have to use my TV hooked up through an HDMI cable to see the PC screen to log in (I normally have this configured so i can watch internet TV). I guess somehow things and settings get messed up and have to be reset, never figured out how this occasionally happens... but it will do this every now and again. Question ... do you also have your TV as a second monitor? Regards Fred

PS 2010 v7046 HP pavilion Desktop

Hi Fred,

No unfortunately I don’t have it hooked up that way… lucky you did - how frustrating to hear it but not be able to "see" it.

What is odd – I expect I might have trouble coming out of a restore (I always keep my fingers crossed) but I expect NO problem simply running a backup from the rescue media and then selecting “Windows” and exiting out.

Somehow I didn’t re-enter Windows right… Sounds like you have had similar trouble – like you my NVIDIA was screwed - after using the Logtech and fingerprint reader to get in I messed around with the settings but could still tell it was off – like it was missing a driver update. And even if I got that taken care of I didn’t know how to address getting back the touchpad and keyboard. And to use your term, what else was “hosed” I wasn’t even aware of yet… I was stunned and speechless.

Hopefully it won’t happen again. As I mentioned after I upgraded the program to the latest build it now “looks” like it is reading the correct resolution from the rescue media – whereas before it looked like hell. Acronis from Windows or the rescue media now visually looks the same.

But that is no guarantee – it can happen again just like it does to you…

If you have no Logtech and can’t execute anything I guess you would have to pull out the rescue media and do a hard shut down (I hate those – and don’t take kindly when any software company puts me in that position.) Hopefully you will come out of it – but I don’t know that you would…

What I will do is make sure I have a backup that is not password protected just in case I have to restore from Windows and don’t have use of my keyboard…

Keeping my fingers crossed this won’t happen again – for me or anybody else…

Sandy
Just so people know - I have a Dell XPS 1530 laptop that I cleaned installed Windows 7 on

It did it again.

I did my recent image backup because I wanted to install the new DD11. I made rescue media for DD11 and it booted - when I selected boot OS it did it again... screwed NVIDIA no touchpad, mouse - same thing again.

I have no idea how to address this problem. I can get out of it by ejecting the rescue media and using the Logtech mouse to restart the computer. But I know from past experiences it's not good to have "no" understanding why something is happening - it is usually a prelude to something else... something not good.

This computer has had not trouble with the rescue media at all until now- again, there were no changes to this computer except some Microsoft updates and Office 2010 install.

Not feeling very "secure"...

Sandy

In my pre-Acronis experience, I had a very bad experience with Office 2010 beta, where I practically lost my whole system. I was finally able to recover, but I am staying well away from Office 2010 for as long as I possible can. It still makes me shudder. I don't trust Office 2010 at all. I think it gets "too deep" into the system, but I don't know precisely how.

Interesting... thanks for your insight.

I had heard Office 2010 beta was very buggy particularly Outlook. I don't run beta as I can't even get legitimate purchased programs to run like they should... hopefully if you try 2010 again in your future you will have a better outcome. So far I have had no trouble with anything since I installed it. It has run well - and so has everything else...

Sandy

Yes, it was Outlook in particular that was the big issue. Luckily some very kind folks on an Outlook forum helped me out of a jam. Avoiding Linux driver issues is why I stick with WinPE.

I think the only choice I have is to try a WinPE. I saw the options for it when creating the rescue media for DD11. I downloaded WAIK to make a VistaPE... I may have the "older" version of WAIK (after looking at the options.) I remember it was quite a large download.

I do now have Windows on DVD as I installed Windows 7 on this computer. It used to be if you had the Windows DVD you did not need WAIK? Is that still true?

Thanks,
Sandy

Sandy-

I only know about making WinPE builds via the WAIK. I know the Acronis WinPE builder is based on the WAIK being installed (32 bit only) to give the appropriate directory and file structure under \winpe_x86, the "build environment". If the Windows DVD can to this, and have all the files in the correct place, then it may be OK, but I don't know. Yes, the download is painfully large (~1G). I have only XP so I am stuck with WAIK 2.1. With Win 7 you can use WAIK 3.0.

As far as I know, you have to use the WAIK. I'd recommend 3.0 if at all possible. Driver support is generally much better.

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Sandy,

When you get done restoring a backup and are ready to exit TI, try either shutting down the computer and restarting or just doing a reset (press the reset button on the computer) instead of selecting the Windows option. This will reset the system back to "normal" and let you know if Linux is leaving the system in a weird state or if something else is going on.

If you restore an older backup (before Office 2010, for example) and the problem doesn't exist, you can be fairly certain it's not the TI media's Linux causing it. Part of what you describe sounds like Windows is resetting back to a "generic" state (like "base" drivers were removed/reset and have to be redetected/installed).

MudCrab wrote:

As far as I know, you have to use the WAIK. I'd recommend 3.0 if at all possible. Driver support is generally much better.

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Sandy,

When you get done restoring a backup and are ready to exit TI, try either shutting down the computer and restarting or just doing a reset (press the reset button on the computer) instead of selecting the Windows option. This will reset the system back to "normal" and let you know if Linux is leaving the system in a weird state or if something else is going on.

If you restore an older backup (before Office 2010, for example) and the problem doesn't exist, you can be fairly certain it's not the TI media's Linux causing it. Part of what you describe sounds like Windows is resetting back to a "generic" state (like "base" drivers were removed/reset and have to be redetected/installed).

MudCrab wrote:

As far as I know, you have to use the WAIK. I'd recommend 3.0 if at all possible. Driver support is generally much better.

---

Sandy,

When you get done restoring a backup and are ready to exit TI, try either shutting down the computer and restarting or just doing a reset (press the reset button on the computer) instead of selecting the Windows option. This will reset the system back to "normal" and let you know if Linux is leaving the system in a weird state or if something else is going on.

If you restore an older backup (before Office 2010, for example) and the problem doesn't exist, you can be fairly certain it's not the TI media's Linux causing it. Part of what you describe sounds like Windows is resetting back to a "generic" state (like "base" drivers were removed/reset and have to be redetected/installed).

[quote=MudCrab

Part of what you describe sounds like Windows is resetting back to a "generic" state (like "base" drivers were removed/reset and have to be redetected/installed).

[/quote]

That's exactly what it seems like. I had to install a lot of drivers on here to go from Vista to Window 7 - the graphics/NVIDIA looks like before I installed the upgraded driver - it looks stupid and bad. And setting the right resolution didn't matter which made me think it wasn't using the updated driver.

I tried shutting down but as long as the rescue media is in there (DD11) it still does it. So I tried ejecting the rescue media and then shutting down (so it wouldn't be there when I started it again) but the computer didn't know what to do then... it just stared at me until I did a hard shut down.

It would be nice to restore back to before Office 2010 for testing purposes as I do have the backup.. but I use Outlook for work on several machines and I sync the pst file between them - syncing 2010 to 2007 and vice versa could cause me a problem. I either need everything to roll with 2007 or 2010. I have a backup for every computer I put Office 2010 on - but it would still be a lot of work to go back.

I was thinking of doing a WinPE because I didn't know what else to do. What do you think I should do??? I really don't know...

Thanks for the replies and input here...

Sandy

Sorry, for obvious reasons... this forum is different than the original one.

Sandy

I think I would try the WinPE build and see if you have better results.

For the test I suggested, you could do it without having to worry about the other computers. Just disconnect the computer you're restoring from the network while testing. You'll know on first boot-up if you have the problem. Then restore the current backup to the computer and reconnect it to the network.

I still may do the test - but even if I found out that installing Office 2010 caused a problem exiting the rescue media on this Windows 7 computer (It didn't on the other 2) what would I do about it? I still want Office 2010 - I would still have to figure out how to get around this issue...

So I will do what has been suggested - the WinPE...

I have attached a print screen of creating rescue media in DD11 (sorry, I know this thread went from TI 2010 to DD11 - but I didn't want to "recreate" the topic over there.) Does anything on that print screen get me out of purchasing the above mentioned "Power Pack" which I don't have? I have never created a WinPE - only a VistaPE, which you were so kind in helping me do ; )

Thanks!
Sandy

DD 11 currently only adds DD 11 into the WinPE build it creates (even though it says it's including TI too).

I created the WinPE using DD11 - I didn't want to pay for "Power Pack" because I had no idea if this possible solution was really going to correct the problem. After you install WAIK basically DD11 does it for you... there was one screen where you can "Specify path to drives you want to add to the Windows PE media." I had no idea so I just hit next. It created and then I restarted and booted - you see command line for a minute - then it loads DD11. It says it will have both DD11 and TI 2010 but it doesn't - I don't know why...

When I exited the same problem occurred. But after further research I found it only happens when the external drive is connected. If you just boot the rescue media (any rescue media) and exit into Windows it's fine. Something goes wrong when an external drive, any drive (Seagate, WD or LeCie) is connected. So when you are finished doing your Acronis business from the rescue media shut the computer down and disconnect the drive (I see nowhere in the program to "safely eject" your drives) When you turn the computer back on it will load the rescue media again - but without the external drive you enter into Windows fine.

Really weird problem to have... also weird that it just started happening out of nowhere...

I hope this helps somebody in the future who may have the same issue...

Sandy

Wanted to add - there is no problem starting or restarting the computer with an external drive connected - it's the combination of the rescue media and the external drive that creates the problem...

I found out that unfortunately only the WinPE lets you shut down the computer. The rescue media for both TI 2010 and DD11 lets you "select" shut down but the computer does not shut down - it simply loads the rescue media again. And if you select shut down and pull out the rescue media the computer stares you in the face and does... nothing.

Right now my WinPE only has DD11 on it so I am still having to use the rescue media for Ti 2010.

When you select "shut down" from the rescue media and it goes through the motions of reloading the rescue media - is that enough of a "restart" to "safely remove your external drive." I don't want to damage my drives by just pulling them out...

Sandy

Sandy,

In most cases, once TI has finished (whether it's in WinPE or Linux) and drive activity has stopped, you can safely disconnect the external drive -- it's not going to hurt anything. It's also safe to just power off the computer if that's what you want to do (shutdown). Remember, WinPE and Linux are running in RAM.

Otherwise, if you want to play it safe, you can let the reboot start and when the BIOS screen shows, press the BIOS Boot Menu key or the BIOS settings key. When the computer pauses on the Boot Menu or the BIOS options, just turn off the computer or disconnect the drive. When ready, turn on the computer or just press the Reset button.

So if I know the drive is not "spinning" I can simply remove it - and if I can't get the computer to shut down I can simply hold down the power key. All that possible and not harmful because I am not "inside" Windows - obviously there are different rules. Good to know and thanks for mentioning it. You know this kind of "stuff" isn't in the "manuals." Thanks for taking the time to post this - otherwise me, and others like me, would never know.

By the way... I had to restore back an old backup last night that had Office 2007 on it - and there was no problem re-entering Windows with the rescue media and an external drive plugged in. So it appears it was the install of Office 2010 that caused the problem. I don't "see" anything else wrong with the computer right now - of course that doesn't mean there isn't something... I will keep that backup just in case. Just wanted to pass that along...

Once again thanks for taking the time to post so I can learn something new!

Sandy