Problem with OS selector

[frankp]

Hi,
I have a problem with the OS Selector software.As my computer boots the screen displays "Starting Acronis Loader....No commands for booting operating system.Press <Enter> to reboot...." I have tried using f8 as the computer starts to get windows in safe mode but to no avail.Unfortunately i don't have a rescue disk! Is there anything that can be done?

Regards
Frank

[bodgy]

Ummmmmm, not at the moment :(

With the rescue CD you can re-activate OSS which will solve that problem.

I'd wait for Acronis to reply to this thread or maybe raise a ticket with them.

You might be able to boot from the XP CD go into console mode and issue a fixboot and fixmbr, whilst this would get you back to being able to boot XP, I'm not sure what happens to OSS and whether you can uninstall and then re-install.

Colin

[frankp]

Thanks for the reply bodgy :)
Can you remind me how to get into console mode?

Regards

Frank

[bodgy]

Insert XP CD, boot then choose the first RECOVERY option that pops up.

This will then ask you to logon (in adminstrator mode, so if you've forgotten or not set a password, we is stuck (sic) ) and from there you can issue the fixboot etc.

You can actually make console mode one of the bootup options, but OSS will not recognise it :(

Colin

[ScottHW]

The same thing happens to me occassionally, I have not seen any pattern to it. When this happens, I have to boot with the Acronis Rescue CD, run the OS Activator again, then it boots just fine, for a while, perhaps a few weeks, then it happens again. Very frustrating. If this is not remedied I will jump at the next System Commander upgrade (I decided to give Acronis DD a chance as the current System Commander 8 does not recognize USB drives).

Scott

ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe
AMD X2 4200
4 GB Corsair Twinx2048-3200c2pt
Antec Sonata II w/Silent Pak
3 500GB SATA II Drives
VMware Workstation 5.5

[frankp]

Hi Colin,thanks for your reply :)

Unfortunately i haven't set an admin password.. oh dear :'(
I guess i'll have to wait until Acronis replies to this thread??

Thanks also to Scott for your comments :) its good to know i'm not the only one!

Regards

Frank

[carlyle]

I have also had this problem with Disk Director v10 at Build 2177, and filed a problem report with Acronis today. There doesn't appear to be a pattern to when it fails, but it's now happening to me about 1 out of every 5 boots. (I now keep the Acronis Rescue CD in my CD-ROM drive so I'll have it when I travel.)

I still have had better overall success with this product than others.

[frankp]

Is there any way i can get a copy of the rescue disk?

[annemail7]

One thing you might try is putting the hard drive in another another computer if you have one. From there delete the folder called bootwiz this is where OSS is installed. Then put the hard drive back in the regular computer and windows should boot without the need for OSS. You could then hit the F8 key if you wanted.

If you do it this way, Be sure to copy the boot.ini file out of the bootwiz floder and place it back on the C:\

[bodgy]

-{ Quote: "Is there any way i can get a copy of the rescue disk?" }-

Assuming you have registered DD10, email Acronis support and see if they can provide you with a private link to a rescue CD image.


Colin

[frankp]

OK so now Acronis have sent me a fix MBR image which i have used to repair the MBR.Only now when i boot into the OS the windows software tries to make a new installation.:thumbd:
What i think i need to do is repair the original installation,but for that i need a password???

[bodgy]

Ah, now here you should be able to do some trickery and solve the new boot problem.

Open up boot.ini and remove the line that points to an install beginning with a $ sign - if there isn't another line looking something like multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect sos STOP a different tack will be needed.

If a line similar to the above is there, leave it and where you deleted the $ install, type in default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS.

This assumes that your XP is on a second harddrive. If yours' is on your first or only harddrive change rdisk(1) to rdisk(0).


OOps just realised this only works if you can get to your files which you can't at the moment OK as you have remade your MBR - get the XP CD boot from it and select INSTALL not the recovery console. The installer should then chunk around and finally tell you it has found an installation(s) of Windows. Select the one on 'C' and then click on the repair option. This will wipe out all your XP system files, but not your own files. XP will then re-install itself and make a correct boot.ini. You will need your XP key number.

Once back into Windows, go into file explorer enable to see all system and hidden files, and then look in the root directory of your 'C' drive for a folder that begins with either a ~ or $ sign, this willb be the failed install files - you can just delete this folder. Make sure that boot.ini doesn't know about this folder as it will show up as either a menu choice or more likely will be set as the default boot folder - which you don't want.

Colin

[TinBox]

I found OS Selector to be a complete and utter nightmare and went all through what you are going through and the fixes being offered seem to be pretty much what I went through.

The most important bit though is when you manage to uninstall OS Selector, go back to a proper one operating system machine and manage to keep OS Selector from randomly re-installing itself at reboot. That bit deserves a nice cup of tea and a cake!

I do wish they would de-couple OS Selector more effectively so that you can decide whether you do or do not want it installed and it really did what you asked...

[MELVINA8NM]

I HAD SIMMILAR PROBLEM HOWEVER I GOT A RESULT BY PRESSING "F6"
THIS BOOTED ME TO WINDOWS 64 BIT OK USING VERSION 10.2117

[MELVINA8NM]

I HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH OP SELECTOR I ACTUALLY CAUSED IT BY DEFRAG OF MY 64 BIT FREE 180 DAY ASSESMENT SOFTWARE FROM MICROSOFT BUT BY PRESSING "F6" I MANAGED TO COMPLETE THE BOOT PROCESS THE OF COURSE I RE-INSTALL-REPAIR OF O.S. SELECTOR