drive letters are incorrect on first attempt at usage

Just purchased and downloaded the program and wanted to try a backup but this is disconcerting. I have the following drives:

C 80 gigs
D 80 gigs
E 20 gigs

TI 8.0 reads in this order when I start it

C 20 gig
D 80 gig
E 80 gig
(I'm at work and forget which 80 gig is actually the C, but you get the point)

So any idea why they are mapped this way? I have win98se and did read that the program supports win98 before I purchased it so it can't be that. Is there some magical button or command to correct this problem?

Thank you.

 

Are you running ATI from within Windows? If not, I wouldn't be concerned about drive letters. Windows can assign drive letters differently than the ATI Rescue CD or secure zone app (Linux).

 

Are you booting from the CD? If so, see the following posts:

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=59253

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=60256

Basically, different platforms (in this case Linux vs Windows) assign drive letters differently. It's better to think in terms of partitions than to get hung up on drive letters. They really don't matter for TI.

If you're seeing this behavior from TI within Windows, then I can't explain it....

Good luck.

 

Yes I run it as soon as I load win98. didn't know there was another way. I didn't read the manual or anything as I just got it and was frustrated by the drive letter thing and went to work. I haven't done anything with CDs etc as I was scared that ATI wasn't reading the drives right and the backup would be flawed.

So while I realize I can choose the other drive, E that is truly the C drive, won't that mess things up should I need a restore. In other words, say ATI really says my C is my E and backs it up, when I go to restore it won't all the shortcuts etc say E instead of C, like they truly are? (hope that was clear)

 

just a quick question: was i supposed to get a CD mailed after the download or for the pleasure of the D/L do I not get one? I know I need to read the manual when I get home but I do hope someone has run across this behavior. I'm assuming, from what you say, that if I run from a CD that I don't have to worry about this problem so maybe I'll burn one to see what happens. I just run from windows. Is there a 'best' way to do this?

 

I could say for certain had you been using the boot CD that you would have nothing to worry about. Upon restoring an Image and booting back into Windows, drive letters would be as you remember them.

However, I don't understand why the software when operated within Windows98 sees the drive letters differently than what you see in Windows Explorer, etc. So you should wait for Acronis to respond before proceeding. Sorry I can't be of more help.

 

thanks for trying, i can't be the only one this has ever happened to so i'm sure something will turn up as a simple remedy.

I'm assuming since I didn't get a CD that I make one from the program and will do so when I get home.

I wonder if part of the confusion is, that prior to ATI, what I did to backup was use the western digital install disk to install a 'new drive' to my D drive, thus making an exact image of the C drive and making it a drop in solution? hmmm.. so the D would also have the entire O/S etc as of the date of the backup...nahh, that shouldn't matter should it? I'd hate to format it and then have something go wrong with the source drive.

 

Hi, newposter

No you do not have one mail to you, when you Installed Ti it asked you [or who ever insalled it] if you would like to make a BootDisk.

Good Idea, please read that Manual as well.

Take Care,
TheQuest

 

Hello newsposter,

Thank you for your interest in Acronis True Image (http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/).

I can suggest in addition that it is usually useful that you label each partition so it would be easier for you to tell them from each other. These labels will be visible not only under Windows but under Acronis Bootable CD as well.

When you create a back up it doesn't matter whether you have backed up the partition before or not if I got your question right. If not please clarify what do you want to do and I am sure I will be able to help you.

Thank you.
--
Ilya Toytman

 

checked things out last night. What has happened is ATI swapped my C and E drives. I'm in win98se when this happens. This just doesn't make sense to me.

I did make a boot disk but haven't tried it yet. I had trouble enough with that. I had to install the CDRW drivers again. I had the most updated ones, and the updater even said they were the same, but I told it to reinstall anyway and then made the boot disk successfully.

So is everyone saying it is not a concern that in windows 98 ATI has my C and E drives reversed? And this is the way the program is supposed to act? I'm wondering what determines how ATI sees drives? And are you also saying if i back up my E drive (in reality my C boot disk), that when I go to restore, all the shortcuts etc etc would really say C drive and not the E drive if I had a brand new drive at my primary master?

This drive swapping thing just has me bozo and I like to know why things are different

 

actually I should have been more clear..what i meant was something like a retail box with original CD and printed manual...but i also realize many makers don't do that anymore

 

why do i always get the problems that can't be solved?

 

Drive letters can be arbitrary, and are thus pretty much irrelevant.
As support indicated, go by the partition labels.

 

ok sounds like i'm worried about nothing, i just figured since ATI saw it as E drive it would mess things up...however i'm still a tad curious as to how ati and windows look at drives differently and why the secondary master was picked up as the C drive and the primary master is E...but i guess it's one of life's mysteries i'm not destined to know

 

Dear Newsposter,

I had similar problems when changing 40GB disk with partitions c,d,e,f to 160 GB disk with same partitions (but resized).

In the end I found out that Win98 does not support harddisk over 137 GB size.

So I presume your c,d (and possibly e too) are partitions on one harddisk. That will explain the odd behavior of TI. It is not a problem with TI, but with win98(SE). Mind you, any data on your harddrive that is physically above the 137GB will be unreliable.

The TI boot cd has no problems with disks over 137 GB.

regards,
RobH

 

nope sorry, they are 80 /80 / 20 gig separate physical drives, never partitioned..thanks for trying though.. and yes i ran into the 137 thing when i upgraded my tivo with a 160 and just am using the 137 because i don't want the instability

 

Just a thought. You said you cloned drive C at one point.

I wonder if the old drive is still the active boot drive and the old drive is now E.

If this is the case, even though you have a C, the computer is booting from E without your knowledge. This can be confusing, but, I have seen it happen.

You can use FDISK to view the drives and see which one is the active partition.

Mike
http://www.savemybutt.com

 

excellent thought and i had that happen before when trying to do something so i know how frustrating it is..however my system.ini on my C drive is dated today and the one on my D drive is dated December, when I last 'installed' the D drive...

i tried Fdisk within windows but it asked me to enable large disk support and no way was i going to mess with that setting so i just hit no...then when i went to the next menu it obviously didn't read the drives right so i gave up

but i'm pretty sure the fact that system.ini didn't change on D drive means i'm booting from C...also all my TSRs i can see boot from C on bootup

i did boot from ATI boot disk and did an image and tested it so i guess i'll do it that way from now on..no biggie...