Restore failure - user (my?) error?

Hi all,

Not my system - but I did recommend ATI after successfully using it on my home built (single partition) WinXP PC. System in question, however, is an HP Desktop with 600GB HD split into TWO partitions (C: for System, and a Recovery Partition) running Vista (SP1) and ATI Home 2009....

Had user perform a number of ATI backups (to USB external HD) during initial configuring of PC - 1st backup was whole disk image (which when explored through ATI, showed disks/partitions 'C' and 'D'), subsequent back-ups (to save back-up disk space) were just System partition (C - around 580GB, 80GB used).

System failed (to some degree) - so decided to attempt to restore just the System Partition from the last backup. Initially used Windows GUI to set up restore (system partition - data and MBR), which (as expected) then rebooted and it started restore. It failed (cannot recall error message), and when machine re-booted, it booted straight into HP System Recovery, asking if we wanted to set machine back to factory settings.

So, rebooted using bootable ATI media; during setting up of restore (again), when selecting target location, it seemed that the 580GB original System Partition was now "unallocated space", and the small recovery partition was now labelled "C" (due to failed restore?). Anyway, tried ATI restore, and after 2 hours, it stated "Operation Failed", and there were two error messages in log:

- Restore failed: "Sectors differ from counted" (0x70001) TAG=0x2CBDD167CBCA95AE Error Code=502 (0x101F6)
- "MBR Restore failed" Error Code 0 (0x64000)

Any pointers as to what failed and why?

This morning, I used (bootable) DiskManager to recovery the unallocated space as the old NTFS partition - set it to active, and then hid/unhid the Recovery Partition, so that the recovered NTFS partition was seen by ADM as "C". I also verified backup using my own PC/installation of ATI, which was successful. Have now rebooted using ATI bootable disk, and attempting restore (of validated back-up) to 580GB partition again.....

Even if it works, I'd be interested if anyone can shed some light on why the original restore failed, and what the error messages are all about? Have I done something wrong...?? Are there gotcha's, and things that I've obvioulsy missed, that need to be taken into account when restoring a single (system/boot) partition onto a disk that contains multiple partitions (e.g. typically hidden vendor's System Recovery partitions)...??

Thanks in advance,

 

I don't have a solution but whenever a restore fails, the target for the restore will become unallocated. And as for the drive letter of the Recovery part becoming C, it is because the bootable media uses Linux and the drive letters may or may not be the same as in Windows - most times not. So it is not something to be overly concerned about.

If there is a whole disk backup (where Disk 1 was checked during the backup process) then use the bootable media to restore that. And for future, it is always advisable to have at least one whole disk backup.

And if you're not using the latest build of TI 2009 (build 9796) then it would be wise to get it.

 

Thanks for the response.

I do have an Acronis "Full Disk" back-up, but am reluctant to try that, in case it fails and makes the Recovery Partition unusable, given my experience to date. My concern is that the HP Backup and Recovery is doing something clever (or dodgy) with the MBR, or partition tables, that ATI is unable to restore/deal with?

I do have the set of Recovery DVD's that were created just after the machine was first set-up - but, as they have never been used, I don't know if they'll work. Things typically don't work when you actually need them to... Perhaps now, with a blanked primary partition, is the time to test them out...

I have subsequently come across an Acronis KB article that highlighted incompatibility with HP Backup and Recovery ("1691: Compatibility of Acronis Products with HP Backup and Recovery") - but that says that it only applies to TI10 and TI11 - I just wondered if it was also applicable to ATI Home 2009 (e.g. TI12), with the article simply not having been updated?

I also did find the new release (9796) earlier, and noticed in the release notes that the first thing it states is "Acronis True Image Home 2009 is now Certified for Windows Vista.". Does that mean that earlier releases (I've been using 9709) did have issues with Vista, or just that it hadn't passed MS's Certification? Is there anywhere I can view the release notes for previous releases of ATIHome2009 (e.g. 9615, 9647, 9709)?

Thanks,

 

Hello all,

Thank you for using Acronis True Image

pawhe955,

I would recommend you to restore the system partition with the service partition simultaneously, and don't resize the Recovery Partition, leave it as it is.

The compatibility with HP Backup and Recovery was resolved in Acronis True Image Home 2009, when build #380 of SnapAPi module was implemented.

The release notes for the previous builds are unavailable now.

Acronis True Image Home 2009 is now Certified for Windows Vista. That means that Acronis True Image Home 2009 has passed MS's Certification, and the certification has coincided in time with the build #9796 release.

Thank you.

--
Oleg Lee

 

Hi Oleg,

Thanks for the reply, and the information/clarification on the issue of compatibility/incompatibility of Acronis ATIH2009 with HP Recovery, the release notes and the Vista certification - although I think that it is a shame that release notes for all updates/versions between perhaps the one that was purchased, through to the most recent release are not available - it would be useful to be able to view all resolved issues, to better understand whether the issue being suffering from is similar to something that was thought to have been resolved in an earlier release.....

Since posting, I have rebuilt the system from the Recovery Disks (they worked 100%), and have taken Acronis TIH2009 "snapshots" of the entire Hard Drive (C: [system], D: [recovery] and MBR/Track 0) at various points during the rebuild - testing a restore of each one as I go, and every one worked fine.

My initial issue still exists - as the Recovery Partition data should never change, it seems a waste (of time and backup Hard Disk space) to continue to back-up the 12GBytes of the Recovery Partition - hence the decision to only backup the System Partition (C and MBR. However, I have still not been able to do a successful restore of just the C: partition, from one of these backups - although, as mentioned, a restore of the Full Disk (C:, D:, and MBR, etc.) works fine.

So I fully understand the recommendation to restore all partitions on the hard disk simultaneously (as this definitely works o.k.) , but would like to have confirmation as to whether the restoring of just the C: Partition (e.g. system partition, excluding Recovery partition) should actually work with Acronis TIH2009....

Thanks, P.

 

One rule of imagining is "the backup of a bootable partition, will always be bootable when restored" this works 100 percent when restored back to the same hard drive/ same partition. This occurs whether you backup the MBR or not.
When you have dualboots, boot managers, hidden partitions it makes it more complicated (that's why it is recommended to do a clone) but restoring just the c: partition (without the MBR/boot managers/miscl partitions) on a different hard drive/partition is possible but you will have to make some minor repairs.
With windows xp, I can restore it anywhere I want and can get it to boot everytime. With vista it's more complicated it has something called BCD (xp has the boot.ini) which controls the boot process. If you can "master" how to edit the BCD, you will have good results everytime.

I use a "boot corrector" bootcd (free rescue kit 9.0 express) to fix these "minor problems" on xp. Latest version of the "boot corrector" does have a function to fix the BCD on vista. Having the vista installation DVD will also give you the ability to perform some repairs.