Will a backup work after a System Recovery?

[videomaker]

Hi
I backed up my system about two weeks ago and now I have to face
doing a non-destructive system recovery and want to know if after I
do that can I bring everything back with these backup files?

Windows all of a sudden will not start up. I am getting this error
message:

Windows could not start because the following file is
missing or corrupt. Windows root>\System32\hal.dll
Please reinstall the above file

The only option I have is the SR because it won't let me get into
Safe Mode or any other choices, if I try it just keeps reverting back
to Windows (default) which brings me back to the error message.

My system is XP and I am using Acronis TI 11. I tried using an Acronis
bootable CD, it opened up once and failed and I could not get it to
open again. The Acronis 11 disk does not open at all.

I sure would appreciate any answers anyone can offer, but mainly will
my system be restored back after System Recovery with the backup files
I created with Acronis?

Thanks in advance,
Noreen Somma

[DwnNdrty]

There is no need to do the System Recovery if you have backup files that are of the entire drive. Is this the type you have or did you only backup your data files and folders?

And you must find out why the bootable Rescue CD does not get you into the Acronis menu as you will need to use it to restore the backup.

[farmboy]

And you must find out why the bootable Rescue CD does not get you into the Acronis menu as you will need to use it to restore the backup.[/quote]

Just a thought, I had a laptop that was acting a little flaky. I tried to boot from the TI rescue cd, It was also acting up. It would load up to the menu then stop, or not load at all. I run some memory diagnostic software and found over 16000 errors in two passes. I found the bad memory module and replaced it, and all is well.

[videomaker]

Thank you for your replies.

I do have backup files of the entire drive.

How do I find out why the bootable Rescue CD does not get me into the Acronis menu?

I went in to Bios and made sure that the first choice to boot is CD but it still will not recognize it. As far as running any diognistic software that is out of the question....I cannot run anything. All I can do is bring up that error message and I cannot get past that. I found the corrupt or missing file on another pc but I can't get in there to install it. This is why I am thinking my only option here is to do the system recovery, and if I do that I assume I can then run Acronis, but will I be able to bring the computer back to where it was with my backup files?

[MrMorse]

Originally Posted by videomaker

I went in to Bios and made sure that the first choice to boot is CD but it still will not recognize it. As far as running any diognistic software that is out of the question....I cannot run anything. All I can do is bring up that error message and I cannot get past that.

You can try folowing:
1. take your rescue-cd and start it on another computer (from a friend)
2. check your RAM (memtest86, see my signature)
2a. If you are not able to create a memtest cd on your computer do that at your friend as well.
3. start your computer with memtest-cd

If nothing happens or the error persists I suppose that your cdrom is defect.

BTW:
what is the proper error message you get?

[farmboy]

Some bios manufactures like Phoenix includes a diagnostics tab at the top that allows you to check the hard drive and the memory. Probably not as good as memtest86, I don’t know. You won’t need your cd drive to use it. When you ran TI from the cd, the whole program loads to your memory, then you can take the cd out. It is worth a look.

[JRosenfeld]

You can also use the Windows recovery console on the XP installation CD to correct that problem.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/...5301251&pgno=1

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_haldll_missing.htm

[videomaker]

Originally Posted by MrMorse

You can try folowing:
1. take your rescue-cd and start it on another computer (from a friend)
2. check your RAM (memtest86, see my signature)
2a. If you are not able to create a memtest cd on your computer do that at your friend as well.
3. start your computer with memtest-cd

If nothing happens or the error persists I suppose that your cdrom is defect.

BTW:
what is the proper error message you get?

Hi
Thanks for your very helpful reply. I put the Acronis rescue-cd into another pc running XP and it did open, when it did I saw the recovery folder. I created a new one on that pc and when I put it into the other pc nothing happened, the screen remained black. As soon as I removed it the error message appeared again. I created a memtest disk and when I put it in the messed up computer it did open and checked some things. Then it closed and I could not get it to run again after that. It went back to the error message:Windows could not start because the following file is
missing or corrupt. Windows root>\System32\hal.dll
Please reinstall the above file
Anything else I can try. Again, if I do a non-destructive system recovery on the pc will Acronis work to bring it back with the back up files I have. The files are of the whole disk created about 2 weeks ago.
Thanks again for all your help!

[videomaker]

Originally Posted by JRosenfeld

You can also use the Windows recovery console on the XP installation CD to correct that problem.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/...5301251&pgno=1

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_haldll_missing.htm

I wish I had the installation CD

[MrMorse]

Originally Posted by videomaker

I created a memtest disk and when I put it in the messed up computer it did open and checked some things. Then it closed and I could not get it to run again after that. It went back to the error message:Windows could not start because the following file is
missing or corrupt. Windows root>\System32\hal.dll
Please ...

I assume that you have created the memtest-bootable-cd correctly.
Memtest has its own OS. No Windows, no DOS, it's like a linux.
But: Memtest needs no other software to work.
It needs ONLY some memory to load itself.

I guess following:
- RAM defect (completely)
- MB defect
- cable and/or cdrom device defect

I only can suggest to test RAM and cdrom in another PC.
No other idea...


EDIT:
Important is your WindowsXP-license. If you have one you can take all original WindowsXP-CDs that fits to your license (SP1 for SP1, SP2 for SP2, and so on! License of XP/SP1 doesn't work with SP2-CD for installing).

[farmboy]

If your system will boot into xp, try rolling back to a time that the computer worked using the restore points. That will not effect your personal files. If your computer will not boot, then you could try for a clean reinstall from the recovery cd’s that I hope you made when you first fired up your computer. That will put your computer back to the way it was when it was new. Before doing that you could use a friends computer to down load a free copy of Paragons Rescue Kit 9.0. Boot your problem computer from the rescue kit cd and you can pick out your personal files like music, photos, spreadsheets, ect, and save them to a external drive. But if you have a hardware problem like memory or your cd drive the restore probably won’t work. If the rescue kit cd don’t load, think bad ram. The fact that your TI cd won’t load on your machine but will on another make me think you have a hardware problem. If you can zero in on that and correct it you can restore from your TI backup. I have seen people think there ram was ok until they try to use Acronis True Image.

Dan

[farmboy]

Let memtest86+ run over night.

[videomaker]

Hi Farmboy
Thank you for your helpful reply. Windows will not start, and will not boot up. I tried the Acronis bootable disk and it does not work. It did open the first time I tried it but lasted for seconds and shut off. Now it will not open again. I have since bought Spotmau PowerSuite 2009 and their recovery disk did boot up the computer. The question I have is this: about 2 weeks ago I cloned my C and D Drive with Acronis TI 11. There is an option in Spotmau
to recover backup files. Do you think it will recover these files even though they were backed up with Acronis software? I have put a request for help out to Spotmau tech support on this question and am waiting to hear from them. Meantime, what do you think? I don't want to just go ahead and do
it at the risk of making the mess I have messier.
Thanks again

[farmboy]

When you say “about 2 weeks ago I cloned my C and D Drive with Acronis TI 11” do you mean you made a full disk image of your hard drive and saved it? I am not at all familiar with Spotmau PowerSuite 2009. If you made a full hard drive disk image and saved it to your c drive and want to rescue it and save it to a external drive I would say Spotmau could do that, a file is a file. But if you are asking if Spotmau will restore your hard drive with a Acronis .tib file, I don’t think so. Like I said I don’t know Spotmau powersuite, I think your question should be answered by some one that does. Sorry.

Dan

[videomaker]

I heard from Spotmau and they told me that their software cannot restore files backed up with Acronis. I just want to make one further statement here, and that is I will never use anything by Acronis again, because now that I am in deep trouble I cannot get any tech support from them unless I pay for it. Spotmau has so far given me excellent support so when I do any more backups it will definitely be with their software. I am certainly very, very appreciative of this forum and for all the help I got here, otherwise I don't know what else I would do. Thank you to all that responded and helped me here. I have a few more options to try that Spotmau tech support suggested and I guess if that does not work I am facing a huge job of restoring that computer.

Thank you all again for your help.

[GroverH]

Originally Posted by videomaker In post #1

I backed up my system about two weeks ago and now I have to face
doing a non-destructive system recovery

1. When this backup was created, did you select the Disk option so that everything (all partitons both hidden and diagnostic) was included in the backup? If yes, you can contact Acronis Support via Live chat and request a file which would enable you to create a "version 2009 trial rescue CD" without having the full 2009 installed.

Once you have created the new 2009 trial Rescue CD, there is a good chance you can restore your previous backup by using the disk option restore.

2. You speak of a non-destruction restore. TrueImage will delete the existing partitions and recreate them to the structure and contents at the time of the disk backup. If you perform a disk option restore, all partitions on the disk will be deleted and recreated. If you restore only a single partition, that partition will be deleted and be recreated by TI.

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/attac...1&d=1154752686

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/attac...1&d=1173655793

[videomaker]

Hi
Thank you for your very helpful reply. When I did the back up I did a backup of the entire disk, both the C and D drives. I have a recovery boot disk I made with Acronis but when I tried it, it does not work.

When I refer to non-destructive system recovery, that is when you can see
all the programs that were installed on the computer but they will no longer work until you reinstall them. I had so much stuff on this computer that I can never remember it all, so if I can see what was installed it will make it that much easier for me to reload everything.

I asked a question requesting the version 2009 trial rescue CD over at Acronis chat but did not get anywhere there. I cannot afford to be paying for support, and after all I spent on their software I don't think it's fair that I should have to. I am really, really frustrated trying to get any help from them. I googled version 2009 trial rescue CD and keep coming up with places that want to charge for the download of this file. I would not mind that so much only what if it does not work after I buy it.

[GroverH]

One option is for you to download the full trial version from the Acronnis site but you will have to un-install the old before installing the new.

After you get the 2009 trial Cd created, if it sees your drives, you could then use the trial CD and restore one of your newer old backups. You would then have the prior version of TI installed but still have use of the trial CD.

[videomaker]

I have the full version of Acronis TI Home 11 that I bought, and I also have the Acronis boot CD I created. I tried both of these and neither one boots my computer. What I need I think is the missing or damaged hal.dll file and I do not have the windows installer disk to get it. I tried using a windows recovery console disk and that did not work either.