Can't select target drive for restore

When I try to restore an image of my boot disk and get to the part where I have to select the target drive, I can't select my boot drive because it's grayed out.

This is the same whether I run ATI under Vista or run it off the Acronis CD, whether I try the restore HD/partiton option or the one to restore sector by sector.

The image ist indicated as valid, the size of the partition is unchanged. I've installed the latest ATI 11 load.

One thing I noticed is that the image indicates that there's no free space, though I'm sure there was when the image was created.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

 

Just how much space is there?

also, do you only have 1 drive? if so, that may be the issue. I'd imagine it would be hard for it to wipe the drive and install the image as you would wipe the image as well.

-=Mark=-

 

What drive is the Image on?

 

@MarcJohnson:
There are about 5 GB free on my boot disk (one of the reasons why I want to restore a clean system). I have one internal HD and another one connected via USB (that's where the image resides).

@DwnNdrty:

The Image (which btw consists of three tib-files) is on an external HD connected via USB.

 

You have to have drive you're restoring from hooked up FIRST. If you didn't , just close out Acronis ,hook up the one you want to use & THEN bring up Acronis again. It HAS to be done in that order on mine.

 

There not being free space shouldn't come into play during a restore since the process will ask you to delete the partitions on the target drive. You have to find out why the target drive is not selectable. Is it a Sata drive? Is this a Dell laptop?

 

@nb47

It's not quite clear for me what you mean by 'hooked up'.

Anyway, when I start ATI (either from Vista or from the boot-CD), my external drive is connected and on.

 

@DwnNdrty

>>You have to find out why the target drive is not selectable.<<

Yep, that's what this thread ist all about.

Is the drive SATA? I really don't know. I'm using a rather new notebook from German manufacturer Medion.

 

Would it be possible to post a picture of the "greyed out" window?

 

Is this image a sector by sector image?

Is this a computer/partition image and not a Files and Folders backup?

Do you have room to make a second full backup image of your drive and check whether that image shows free space. Be sure not to make this a sector by sector image and that it is a computer/partiton backup.

This is a very odd thread. I don't recall other cases of a drive being greyed out for Restore that could be imaged and therefore wasn't greyed out for Backup.

 

@TheWeaz

It's not the window that's greyed out. In the window where you select the target drive, my boot-partition is greyed out and therefore not selectable.

BTW: Other partitions on the same drive or on the external HD are selectable - those that have a free space larger than the size of the boot-drive.

@jmk9403

Since I made the Image two months ago I'm not sure if I remember correctly - but I believe it's partition image. Is there a way get this info from the image?

There's enough space to create a new image, but I don't see what creating a new image would prove; please explain.

And there's been another thread like this but from my point of view it went off in a direction that was of no use to me.

 

Well, to have EHD connected FIRST -that's all. Possibly could be cable itself but shouldn't be that if it isn't used much.

 

Yeah, I knew that. I guess I just figured it would be obvious to everyone what I meant.
I'll move on ...

 

@TheWeaz

I'm sorry if I've annoyed you by my former post.

I've uploaded two pictures: one where the image I want to restore is selected and one where the targetz drive is greyed out.

@jmk94903

According to the description of the image it's a partition backup.

@nb47

I don't think the external HD is the cause of the problem: As you can see in the second picture it is selectable for a restore.

 

This problem has come up a few times with TI 11.

Can you post the size of the backup image of the C: partition (the actual TIB file size)?

It seems apparent that the problem is because TI doesn't think there is enough room for the image. You'll notice that E: is only slightly larger, yet available for the restore.

I've seen this problem with a sector-by-sector backup. It would not restore back to the same partition. If this is not a sector-by-sector backup, perhaps the same "bug" is happening here.

I haven't done any testing on this, but I would guess that TI might be realigning the partition during the restore and it's not quite the same size as the original. For some reason it's slightly smaller. I base this on the fact that a slightly larger partition is not grayed out.

 

The image consists of three tib-files - each about 3 GB big.

I will increase the size of the boot-partition (guess I'll have to delete the 'next' partition for that) and see if C: becomes selectable as target.

 

You say the partition size is unchanged. I wonder why the image file (first window) suggests there is no free space, while the target selection window states otherwise.
Not a sector by sector backup?

 

Let’s assume that, as indicated, there was no free space at the time the backup was created. After the backup, files were deleted creating the free space shown in the target window. If, since the backup, one or more sectors were flagged as bad, wouldn’t TI have to believe that there was not enough room on the drive/partition to hold all the data stored in the backup image?

 

I finally managed to restore the image of my boot-partition.

As MudCrab pointed out increasing the size of the target-partition (by 1 GB) did the job - my boot-partition became selectable.

When I did the restore, ATI ignored the additional space (leaving 1 GB of free space) and did a sector-by-sector restore. Though I'm quite sure by now that did not create a sector-by-sector backup.

Before restoring, I created a new image of my boot-partition as jmk94903 suggested. I definitely chose 'partition image' - when I tried a restore ATI indicated no free space as it did whith the first image.

Anyway, I sure am glad this finally worked out.
Thanks everybody for your help!!!

 

I have exactly the same problem: using t11 boot CD with safe media option, the image is fine and on a separate partition of the same drive yet when I try to restore it the destination partition ( c drive ) is greyed out.

I installed the latest update and the safe media option before i made the image.

I will have to say i have always used Norton ghost with no trouble at all which is fine for my home PC but it lacks the ability to create a boot CD, my laptop doesn't have a floppy which is the reason i bought acronis 11, so far I have had nothing but troubles with this app, I have found it bloated, buggy and cant even do the job I paid for.

 

Mudcrab,

Is this bug one that only appears with Vista?

Does it have anything to do with the partition offset being larger in Vista?

Does it happen only on partitions created entirely by Vista rather than with Vista installed on a partition created in XP?

 

John,

I haven't done any testing on this problem so I don't have any answers for you. I have just run into it once or twice during other testing.

The offset being larger in Vista should actually make more room for the restored partition since more sectors are available.

I do believe it is a bug and I don't remember if I ran into it on XP or Vista. However, lately most of my testing has been done with Vista so there's a good chance it was.

 

Quick response. Thanks.

 

Blimey never expected replies so quick.. thanx guys,

Yes the lap top is running vista but I really shouldn't have to resize the destination partition to make this application work! but at least its a work a round should the worst happen but what about those who wouldn't know where to start? up the old Swanee id say.

its a bug I would like see fixed because I just don't feel easy about it all.