ATI not correctly restoring Vista (need help)

Hi,

I just upgraded to ATI v11 (been using 9 for a couple of years). Also, I just built a new computer (all new hardware), installed Vista, etc. (no updates, etc.).

After my initial install of Vista I installed I installed ATI 11, rebooted, and created a backup of my C partition. Then to test it, I restored the C partition. After restoring and upon initial reboot, my system is hosed with the following error:

\window\System32\winload.exe

Status: 0xc000000e

application is missing or corrupt

The only way to get the system back (other than repair with Vista) is do to another new install. This has happened several times and I've tried restoring the C partition after and before restoring the MBR. No matter what I do my system is messed up.

Any suggestions why it isn't working. I know I can probably fix it by using the recovery mode of Vista install but I don't want to have to do that each time I want to restore a partition image. I've never had this issue with v9 of ATI (of course, I was running it on XP).

Any help would be welcome and appreciated. I'm frustrated and thinking maybe I should get my money back and switch to image for windows or paragon.

 

You shouldn't be getting that error with TI 11. Are you using the latest build (8,053)?

Do you still get the "winload.exe" error if you do the Vista Repair and then create a new backup image (of the repaired partition) and then restore the new image?

Do you get the error when you restore an Entire Disk Image (the Disk # checkbox is checked)? You would need to create an Entire Disk Image of the booting Vista system to test this if you don't have one.

Both of these methods worked with TI 10.

You may also want to take a look at this thread: Fix Vista so a Repair is not needed after a restore or clone

 

MudCrab,

Thanks for the suggestions.

I am running the latest build (just purchased the upgrade to v11, downloaded and installed today).

I did a Vista Repair and manual repair and continued to get the same error.

I did not select the entire disk (i.e., disk 0 is split into 2 partitions, C and E and E is empty). I only restored the C partition (I did this all the time on my previous system, set up the same way but using v9 and XP). I prefer just installing just one partition instead of the whole disk (this allows me to test software, etc. by installing/changing only one partition).

Shouldn't I be able to only restore one partition at a time?

 

You should be able to restore just one partition at a time.

If you restore the Vista partition, boot to the Vista DVD and do the repair, create a new backup image of the Vista partition and then restore that, you shouldn't get the error even with TI 10 (and TI 11 shouldn't have the error in the first place).

I'm just trying to clarify if the image you are restoring was created after you repaired Vista or if you're restoring an image created prior to doing the repair.

Is this a Vista install from a standard Microsoft OEM or Retail DVD or is it from a "Brand Name" OEM (Dell, HP, Compaq, etc.)? I'm assuming it's from a Microsoft DVD since you built the computer.

If nothing else works, try the fix in the link in post #2 and see if that gets rid of the error message.

 

Ok, here goes:

Vista Home Premium OEM install disk

Brand new computer and fresh virgin install of Vista. Prior to installing any updates or anything else, I install ATI v11. Then I created a image of my C partition (the other partition on this disk (disk 0) is partition E and has nothing on it). Then to test it, I restore the C partition and after restoring and a reboot, the problems started.

 

If that's all you've done, then do the repair from the Vista DVD, create a new backup image of the Vista partition and then restore it.

Do you still get the "winload.exe" error?

 

I've done this. I did the repair from the Vista DVD and when it reboots I still get the winload.exe app is missing or corrupt.

FWIW, I tried Image for Windows/DOS and Paragon and both worked flawlessly.

 

MudCrab

I tried your fix from post 2 and I still have the same issues. It's just not worth messing with this any more. I'm going to get my money back from Acronis and switch to Paragon (it works). It's ashame Acronis has lost me as a customer because I really liked version 9 and I purposely waited to purchase v11 until the bugs could be worked out.

Thanks for your help I appreciate it.

 

Acronis has admitted that during a restore 'they' lose the NT signature (some will see the 'new hardware found--installing generic volume software on a successful restore) to avoid conflicts...lol...because it seemed in the past that some were reporting changed drive letters...however this process with Vista can only cause conflicts and Vista's loss of a NT signature won't be able to properly assign it to the right 'Disk'..thus give you a 'winload' error. and have to use a Vista DVD to repair the BCD record. (fixmbr-fixboot or the complete rebuild) and even a more pain to those in a multi-boot enviroment (Vista-XP)

With Vista on the other hand, if the signature has changed or can’t be found then the successor of ntldr, bootmgr, will halt before Windows is started with the error winload.exe..... is missing or corrupt. It is an inaccurate and misleading error message because winload.exe itself has not actually moved or changed. If I alter one digit of the signature then it's a winload.exe error, if I change it back again then Vista boots as before. (An examination of the 2K/XP MBR and signature can be found on this page by Daniel B. Sedory).

The original purpose of the disk signature was I believe mainly to allow the operating system to identify individual hard drives in a “Fault Tolerant” Dynamic Disk software raid configuration. It still has this use and others, but they are all mostly to do with the booting or booted OS being able to uniquely identify individual hard drives. Sometimes with scsi hard drives it would appear in the boot.ini file and so become essential for beginning the boot process. With IDE and SATA basic disk hard drives its main, and I believe only, function is to help Windows NT keep track of drive letter assignments. It still has this important use in Vista, but now it has a new significance that is vital to beginning the Vista boot sequence.

http://www.multibooters.co.uk/mbr.html

 

As you are still at the 'experimenting' stage, do you get the error if you include the empty partition as well?

Colin

 

No, I gave up and purchased Paragon Drive Backup (I might be giving up some functionality by not using ATI but at least Paragon's working and I trust it).

 

I thought this winload.exe error was going to be fixed in version 11? Are other people experiencing the same problem using version 11?

 

I've got Vista and XP in dual boot config and have had no problems imaging and restoring either using the ATI 11 plugin in VistaPE.

Might be worth creating a VistaPE boot disk and trying that.

 

I had the same problem (I have licenses for ATI 9,10 and 11 and tried them all)
ie After restore of Vista

\window\System32\winload.exe on boot

I've had this on several PCs (I do this for a living)
I restored the image a SECOND time and this has to date always recovered the Vista partition
My latest PC didn't succeed however.
Vista boots and gets to the login screen
Click on a user - loading desktop comes up
PC stays that way for hours
So cannot login

 

MillerPr,

That sounds like a drive letter reassignment problem. Do you have an Active Primary partition on the Vista drive (or another physical drive) that is located before the Vista partition?

Is the current Vista partition set Active?