Acronis 10, 11 & 2009 and SATA Drives

Discussion in 'Acronis True Image Product Line' started by williamz, Jan 16, 2009.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. williamz

    williamz Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2009
    Posts:
    4
    Hi,

    A while ago I purchased Version 10 for use with a Via based PC. I had lots of issues trying to create a recovery disk and eventually upgraded to version 11 to try and solve the problem - all to no avail.

    Eventually, due to some other problems I ended up changing from the on-board SATA controller to the on-board IDE controller and lo and behold - I could finally get images restored! Given that I had no need to switch back to a SATA drive, I left it well alone as it was working.

    I just got a Toshiba netbook and wanting to take a build, I fired up Acronis, made an image and tried booting into the recovery USB I created (no on board CD sadly). Unfortunatly, the machine has a SATA drive and when you get into the recovery 'stick' Version 11 creates, again it cannot detect any drives. If you take off the quite, it throws up lots of communication time out errors on the SATA controller.

    To try to solve the problem, I downloaded a trial of the 2009 version but this gives the same problem. The SATA controller is one of the Intel ones (ICH7M/MDH SATA AHIC), so I assume that it is not too obscure.

    Is there any way around this? Given that the problem seems to have been around for a couple of years, I am assuming that Acronis are not interested in fixing it...

    Thanks in advance,

    Dave
     
  2. Acronis Support

    Acronis Support Acronis Support Staff

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

    Thank you for your interesting in Acronis True Image

    Contact Acronis support and submit technical request using this link or contact us via Live Chat describe the issue in details and we will be glad to provide you ISO image of Acronis True Image 11 Home which supports your hardware.

    Best regards,
    --
    Dmitry Nikolaev
     
  3. WellWell

    WellWell Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2007
    Posts:
    51
    Why not just answer his F-ing question so we can all know what to do or what we need to do, besides leaving Acronis for another product?

    I have lost a lot of respect for Acronis over this Intel chipset problem they don't seem to be able to figure out, and by not giving customers a straight forward answer about when it will be fixed and if it is yet fixed. I mean you have people buying 2009 and they can't even make an image from the boot disk because TI 2009 can't even identify a simply SATA hard drive. They can't even boot from the disk if they are using Intel CH09 chipset--fatal error.

    So what's the answer? FUBAR or FIXED? Very easy question with a one word answer. Simple.

    BTW for anyone else reading this, what is everyone going to now that Acronis doesn't seem to be working in these SATA, Intel CH9 and 10 chipset applications? I need a product that works across the board, not with patched ISOs every time I need to use it.

    And sorry about my anger, but it could have been avoided if ACRONIS would have been up front with its customers about this problem from the start. Yeah, I'm pissed.
     
  4. Acronis Support

    Acronis Support Acronis Support Staff

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

    Thank you for using Acronis True Image

    Fixed.

    Thank you.

    --

    Oleg Lee
     
  5. williamz

    williamz Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2009
    Posts:
    4
    Hello again,

    I live-chatted to a very helpful operative on Friday, who guided me through the download of the fixed iso, which I have now burned to disk.

    When I boot from the iso, I can now get into the recovery environment although it takes about 5 minutes. Unfortunatelty the recovery environment cannot see any hard drives - am I doing something wrong or do I have the wrong iso?

    Thanks in advance,

    Dave
     
  6. williamz

    williamz Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2009
    Posts:
    4
    I have found the solution!!!

    Acronis may produce software that is easy to use and feature rich, but that doesn't count for much if you can't use it...

    A bit of research and I found Terabyte's Image for Windows. It's a bit confusing in places and the DOS restore is a bit of a pig to look at (plus some confusing options), but it works!! Linux partition cloned, restored and booted from and it works. Windows partition cloned, restored and booted from!!

    :D :D :D

    As far as I can see, Acronis have had something like 3 years to sort SATA support and haven't managed it. Props to Terabyte, I just switched!!!!
     
  7. kevinkar

    kevinkar Registered Member

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2004
    Posts:
    39
    While I agree that simple support of SATA drives should have been functional before now and, when using what arguably is an industry-standard Intel SATA driver chipset, the software really ought to be able to work with SATA right out of the gates, it's just so easy to use their instructions to create a Bart PE CD and include the True Image plugin and use that.

    Sure it took a half hour to prepare and it isn't the fastest solution on the planet (it takes some time for Bart PE to boot and it takes some time for TI to actually perform the task) but it works, took minimal time to prepare and is already on their website with step by step instructions.

    While I shouldn't really have to use a third party solution to make a recovery CD, it does work and is easier to do than deciding on some of the advanced functions in TI in the first place!

    You might want to give that method a try.
     
  8. williamz

    williamz Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2009
    Posts:
    4
    Thanks for the suggestion Kevin, I will give it a try sometime. Image for Windows is rather crude compared to True Image, but having said that if I have to put too much effort into getting TI to work I am going to stick with IfW.

    Their DOS boot works straight off w/o needing to fiddle around. Plus I am not sure if the solution you suggest will work - surely they tried this on the duff iso I got from them? Either that or the iso is using a fix that doesn't work despite them having another one that does...
     
  9. WellWell

    WellWell Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2007
    Posts:
    51
    Not too sure Bart works with Vista 64. And anyway, the customer that bought software should never have to go to 3rd party freeware to make it work. Geeze. Really shoddy. I moved to Macrium Reflect and it works great.

    True Image 11 works fine too if you boot with windows on another disk, such as an external SATA drive. Just change your boot sequence to boot the external and you're in windows, and then you can use TI in Windows to reimage the drives it cannot see in the DOS environment, or can't even boot. That's the easiest way I've figured out how to use TI these days.

    The problem with this method is that you (1) need another drive and (2) you need to have a way to load it with Windows, neither is a big deal as you can simply attach the drive externally and have Vista load to that drive. I just imaged my external drive with my main image and TI is already loaded. I had an old 2.5 inch drive lying around. So now that drive just sits in my safe waiting for use.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.