Newbie questions

Just bought ATI 9.0 to use with my Dell Inspiron 8600 laptop with 60GB internal HD, Win XP Home, with a SimpleTech 120GB USB External HD attached and only used for backups, not turned on all the time. I am confused and would like to ask for guidance. My wife gave me some (I told you not to buy that!) but not what I needed. She's usually right, of course. I trust you will prove her wrong.

I did a backup of entire disk C:/ to the external HD while in Windows OS, with validation immed. afterwards. How do you know if the validation was good? It just says the "Operation succeeded", no details that everything was good. Log shows error codes with each step of the validation.

Then tried to start the recovery, as if my internal HD had crashed: Booted from the retail ATI CD, selected full ATI, highlighted the file on the ext. HD to restore from, but ATI said it was "not an ATI archive or was corrupted file. Please select another file."

After researching the forum, I deleted the file on the Ext. HD, then booted from the ATI retail CD, and, again did a full backup of entire disk to the Ext. HD. This time, when running the restore wizard, the file is recognized as an ATI archive file in both modes, booting from Windows or booting from the ATI retail CD. Checked the option to validate the archive immediately afterwards, but I went ahead and had it verified again while still booted from the CD. Exited ATI and booted into Windows to check the Log and found that this validation process is not listed at all. No log of it. Sure would like to see it there and confirm that there were no error codes associated with it.

So, I repeated the validation in Windows. The log now shows the 3 steps of the validation process: started, pending and succeeded, but all steps have error codes listed with them as well! How do I know if the file was validated accurately? Can't find anything in the skimpy PDF manual about what the error codes signify.

So, why would ATI not recognize the .tib archive created in Windows, but have no trouble recognizing it when created while booted from the retail CD? Where can I find out what the error codes mean and if the validation is accurate and dependable?

Thanks for your kind help, folks.

Jeff

 

Jeff,

What you are seeing in the log are probably task codes, not error codes. The column heading is ambiguous, yes. Anyway, the "Operation was successfully completed" message with the green info sign means that the file has passed validation. If it didn't, an error message with a red crossed sign should have appeared.

Regarding the corrupt first image file, the first action is to check the build number you received. They come often obsolete in boxed versions. Go to Help>About and if the build number is anything less then 3677, register on the Acronis site and download the current 3677 build.

Uninstall the old build you now have and install 3677. Choose to install all the components. Then create a Rescue CD with the Create Bootable Media tool from the main TI menu.

Hopefully, the issue will disappear.
And what's even more important, you will have proved your wife wrong.

 

Thanks for the quick reply, bVolk. I appreciate the reassurance on the Validation confirmation.

I read in the manual that the retail ATI CD can be used to boot from, negating the need to make a bootable CD. Have I misunderstood? Do I still need to create a bootable CD? Thanks for your help.

Jeff

 

My apology, forgot to say that I did update to build 3677 right away and have been using it.

Jeff

 

Oh shucks, it would appear that I need to create a bootable CD using the new build 3677, I guess. Took a bit to sink in.

I will do that and see if that fixes the problem. Thanks again for your kind help.

Jeff

 

As far as I know, the retail disk is in fact a Rescue CD with the installation file added to it.

But whenever you install a new build you should create a new Rescue CD from the new build to match. If you didn't, you would still be working with the old build when booted from Rescue CD.

 

If you use 9.3677 to create backups then you must create a bootable CD with your updated version of ATI. You can create a bootable CD from your ATI program after you have it updated to the latest version. So yes, IMHO you have misunderstood. I made the same mistake.....hope this gets you points with your wife.

 

Many thanks to both of you guys. I have created the bootable CD using the new build, 3677. Popped it in and it works fine. It recognizes Ext. HD and the archive .tib file.

I plan to buy a replacement internal HD in the near future, swap it in and restore the entire image to it from the archive file in the Ext. HD, to be sure it works properly. After following the forum for a while I realize this is the only way to be safe.

Thanks again.

Jeff