boot failure after cloning with ATI 11

Discussion in 'Acronis True Image Product Line' started by titan_mtn, Apr 1, 2009.

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  1. titan_mtn

    titan_mtn Registered Member

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    Windows XP Pro SP2 or 3
    PC booted to Windows without problems.

    Sager laptop, 60 GB, Hitachi IDE HDD
    Acronis True Image 11 bootable CD
    Western Digital, IDE 80 GB HDD, connected via Vantec Nextstar 3 enclosure, USB 2.0 connection

    I booted to the ATI 11 CD, cloned from 60 GB to 80 GB; rebooted, forgot to remove ATI CD. When PC began to boot to CD, I turned off PC, booted to Windows, but before Windows splash screen, nothing. Reboot; notice of apology; offers of Normal, Safe, Last known.
    Safe mode > stops at loading $sys$cor.sys
    Normal mode > blank screen
    LKGC > blank screen

    After running rec console
    fixboot
    reboot > blank screen
    reboot to rec console
    fixmbr
    reboot >blank screen
    reboot to rec console
    chkdsk /r
    reboot > blank screen

    After selecting / highlighting safe mode, the PC does not freeze.
    After pressing "enter", the PC does not freeze.

    During the driver loading process, the freeze occurs at: $sys$cor.sys .
    This, I just learned, is related to, possibly, Sony's rootkit.
    http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic34904.html

    I ran a repair of Windows, which got me to the desktop, but the problem is that I do not have all of the programs that had been installed. I know. STUPID ME!

    After cloning, I rebooted the PC, but forgot that the ATI 11 CD was still in the CD drive.
    I turned the PC off, disconnected the 80 GB HDD [ USB connection ], booted to "normal mode" but a black screen appeared, after the POST screen.

    I turned off the PC, disconnected 80 GB HDD from USB, and put it in the laptop after removing the 60 GB HDD from the laptop's internal connection.

    I did not boot to Windows. As soon as I realized that the PC was going to boot to the ATI CD, I turned off the PC by holding down the power button for 5 seconds.

    What else can I do to try to boot into Windows?

    Thanks for your advice.

    t_m
     
  2. bodgy

    bodgy Registered Member

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    I'm a little confused as to where you are with your clone.

    First - you definitely cloned, rather than restoring a disk image to your larger drive?

    This is where your problem started as Windows had no idea of the new drive geometry. Cloning should only be done to a drive of the same size.

    I assume you cloned as you don't have a spare drive to put an image on?

    If you do have a spare drive, then making an image of your old drive is the way to go, and so long as the new drive is going into the same computer, everything should work.

    Now, you say that you ran a Windows repair which got you access back to your laptop. I'm lost at your next paragraph, do you mean you cloned again after getting this far?

    If you don't have an external drive you can use to make an image, then I suggest the following.

    With your old drive in the laptop - which should boot (unless it was wiped), partition your new drive so you have a 60GB and a 20GB, then image the WHOLE of the 60GB drive to the 20GB partition on your new drive (make sure you give your partitions meaningful labels). Then insert your new drive, boot from the CD and restore from your 20GB partition to the 60GB. We can reclaim the 20GB partition if you wish later or you can just leave it.

    Colin
     
  3. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    Me too.

    Also, it is a laptop, right? Using "PC" and "laptop" makes it sound like two different computers (to me, anyway). It also seems unclear if the original drive will boot into Windows.

    Cloning should work to smaller and larger drives too. However, if the laptop uses non-standard drive geometry, the new drive will need to be connected to the laptop's internal connector and not via USB.

    If this is done, it needs to be done entirely from the TI CD and not from Windows unless the image is create before the new drive is partitioned. Otherwise, Windows will remember the new drive and there will be drive letter issues when Windows tries to boot. Also, if the laptop uses non-standard drive geometry, this probably won't work unless the new drive is in the laptop and the old drive is connected via USB (both connected internally would still be best).
     
  4. titan_mtn

    titan_mtn Registered Member

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    b & M C:
    Thanks for the replies.

    Yes, cloned.

    I realize that you are experts. Perhaps I have been lucky, but while using ATI over the past 3 yrs, on numerous occasions, I have cloned, using disks of different, as well as the same, size.

    Yes, laptop.

    Neither original [ source ] drive nor new [ destination ] drive will boot into Windows.

    To determine if the destination drive will boot into Windows, I remove the original HDD from the IDE port inside the laptop & connect the destination drive to the IDE port inside the laptop.

    At present, when I try to boot to the original drive, or the new drive, connected, alternatively to the IDE port of the laptop, the same problem occurs, which is: reaches the Windows Advanced Options menu.
    1. selecting "normal" causes the PC to stop immediately.
    2. "Last known good . . " > black screen
    3. safe mode > goes as far as loading $sys$cor.sys

    Running a repair on the cloned / destination drive got me into Windows, but I don't have all of the programs that had been previously installed.

    So, I cloned again from original HDD to new HDD.

    Thanks for your attention to my thread.

    t_m
     
  5. titan_mtn

    titan_mtn Registered Member

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    Using a different computer, I downloaded, from acronis, the fix master boot record .iso, created bootable CD using Roxio.

    Booted to said CD, pressed the any key.

    Return message: "no commands for booting operating system".

    t_m
     
  6. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    You'll probably need to boot back to the Windows CD and restore the MBR and boot sector:
    Code:
    fixmbr
    fixboot
    Since you could get to the Windows Normal, Safe, LKGC, etc. menu, the MBR and boot sector had to be working correctly. The problem has to do with Windows.

    Did you run chkdsk /f on the original drive while installed in the laptop?

    What build of TI 11 are you using?

    Do you have a backup image of the original drive from before the clone?
     
  7. titan_mtn

    titan_mtn Registered Member

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    I apologize for the mis communication.

    "Since you could get to the Windows Normal, Safe, LKGC, etc. menu, the MBR and boot sector had to be working correctly. The problem has to do with Windows."
    I am NOT able to reach windows normal, safe mode, LKGC.

    I have already run the commands you suggested.

    microsoft kb 314477
    method 1
    I don't know the correct entries for the boot.ini

    method 2
    bootcfg /rebuild
    same failures

    method 3
    won't expand; booting from Win XP Pro SP3 CD, I informed, when trying to expand, that there is no disk in floppy or CD drive

    I tried to expand using system config after slaving [ connecting 80 GB IDE laptop HDD , via USB to my desktop PC running XP Pro SP3. Tried expanding from CD. Also copied c:\windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe to the booting partition [ there is only 1 partition on the laptop HDD ] of the laptop .

    same failures

    No, I do not have a backup image.

    Thanks, again.
     
  8. bodgy

    bodgy Registered Member

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    Get your XP CD, then run a repair install from there (don't choose the first repair console option, click on install and see if the installer finds a current Windows folder. If it does it will offer you a Repair Install option- that would bring registry and your mbr etc back to normal.

    Have you made a TI Rescue CD?

    Being Linux based, it would give you a chance to see if there is anything easily salvable on either of your drives.

    Colin
     
  9. titan_mtn

    titan_mtn Registered Member

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    c:
    I have run the repair, as you describe. But the programs need to be re-installed and my friend doesn't have all of the software.

    TI 11 has never been installed. I purchased & downloaded the .ISO from Acronis late 2008; maybe early 2009.

    Thus, no, I do not have the TI rescue disk.

    Thanks for your advice.

    t_m
     
  10. bodgy

    bodgy Registered Member

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    So the computer now boots up correctly?

    <scratches head> if you've never installed it, how did you use it to make a clone o_O </head scratching off> :) I didn't know Acronis have an ISO version as a standard download.
    I suggest that you install TI and then make a rescue CD.

    I don't quite understand how the programs are lost, a Windows Repair Install, only deletes system files, re-installs them, takes Windows components and registry back to first run mode and as an annoying byproduct wipes out any Windows updates installed since the updates included on the install CD - user installed programs will be in tact.



    Colin
     
  11. titan_mtn

    titan_mtn Registered Member

    Joined:
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    c:
    I have run the repair, as you describe. But the programs need to be re-installed and my friend doesn't have all of the software.

    TI 11 has never been installed. I purchased & downloaded the .ISO from Acronis late 2008; maybe early 2009.

    Thus, no, I do not have the TI rescue disk.

    Thanks for your advice.

    t_m
     
  12. Acronis Support

    Acronis Support Acronis Support Staff

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2004
    Posts:
    25,885
    Hello all,

    Thank you for using Acronis True Image

    I can confirm that we don't sell ISO files separately.



    It is unclear how you performed the clone operation without installing the program under Windows and without Acronis Booting rescue media. titan_mtn, could you please clarify this?

    Thank you.

    --
    Oleg Lee
     
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