PBR10 free Recovery Media Drive>Emulator CD/DVD?

Discussion in 'Paragon Drive Backup Product Line' started by diligentinquirer, Nov 29, 2009.

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

    diligentinquirer Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    Posts:
    28
    Location:
    Seattle, Washington area
    Hi Folks.

    As to backup generally, Paragon specifically, am nube. HP xp-home, SP3.

    When I first opened PBR10 free, a popup suggested enable a (I think) boot recovery disk, so I did as suggested.

    Thought is was to make a copy on a cd. But nothing gave me that oportunity.

    This is what I got, for the benefit of others and me >See Attachment.

    What's with the "emulator CD/DVD" vs. the ability to burn a boot CD, from which I can have a seperate bootup cd in hand?

    Other pertinent info greatly accepted.

    Edit: OK, in explorer>program files>paragon, found two burn image icons named "bootcd.iso" and "Emulator.iso". So where from here, and what is contained on/in thses two iso files?

    My Appreciation in advance, Diligent. :)
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Nov 29, 2009
  2. Paragon_Tommy

    Paragon_Tommy Paragon Moderator

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2009
    Posts:
    918
    It seems like B&R did not recognize your burner. Using a third party burning utility, like Nero or Roxio, you can use the bootcd.iso file to burn a recovery CD.
     
  3. diligentinquirer

    diligentinquirer Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    Posts:
    28
    Location:
    Seattle, Washington area
    Paragon_Tommy:

    Do appreciate your time to help. Really mean that. I help others in some forums on occaision, and realize when I give my time and effort to help others, one in a while it very reassuring to hear that my time is truely appreciated.

    Would like to first ask this. Is there a manual that is available which I can read that explains the more detailed workings of this BR10 free. Could'nt see one. I know to ask questions isn't dumb, but it is dumb not to read-up on instructions.

    As to your response. The boot cd popup, shot I just made is attached. See popup @ right-bottum corner>>I clicked the "create Recovery CD"

    No instructions>just took me to Recovery Media Builder, as I recall. I did not have my burner (CdburnerXP) open (also imgburn>still figuring out its interface). Does just this mean BR10free did not recognize CdburnerXP?

    How does one "use the bootcd.iso file to burn a recovery CD". Can't see an answer to this in help.

    Again, Tom, would like to read-up on the systems BR10Free employs. Would rather not have ya spend bunhe of time on my questions that I can find out.

    EDIT: Just again reopened BR10FREE>again clicked the "create Recovery CD" option>>again the Recovery Media Builder (wizard>looks like) window opens. So we are talking about something basic, it seems. Thks.

    My Best, Diligent
     

    Attached Files:

    • boot.png
      boot.png
      File size:
      92.3 KB
      Views:
      505
    Last edited: Nov 30, 2009
  4. Paragon_Tommy

    Paragon_Tommy Paragon Moderator

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2009
    Posts:
    918
  5. diligentinquirer

    diligentinquirer Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    Posts:
    28
    Location:
    Seattle, Washington area
    Thanks much!

    I looked for some "manaul" reference in the help file. Not seen. Will look again.
    Tks for the url and burner. Will play with it, and see.

    Appreciated much, Diligent.
     
  6. diligentinquirer

    diligentinquirer Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    Posts:
    28
    Location:
    Seattle, Washington area
    Plse direct me to where the manual is in the HELP menu. Nothing under "M" nor anywhere else I can see. Tks.

    Edit: The suite verson manual might do it>>trying to see now. Thks!
     
    Last edited: Dec 2, 2009
  7. Paragon_Tommy

    Paragon_Tommy Paragon Moderator

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2009
    Posts:
    918
    Refer to the links in my signature to the manuals.
     
  8. diligentinquirer

    diligentinquirer Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    Posts:
    28
    Location:
    Seattle, Washington area
    Thanks Tom. Duh, your right>> I did not look there. Appreciated. Diligent.
     
  9. diligentinquirer

    diligentinquirer Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    Posts:
    28
    Location:
    Seattle, Washington area
    OK, waded thru it (the manuals).

    Just burned my bootcd.iso ISO files (two). Used burnatonce, without any assistence of, or interworking with, Recovery Media Builder for the first: and seperately with the apparent sole use of RMB for the other. Used two differnt Verbatim CD-R's.

    Using the Check Recovery Discs wizard, I get this result for both disc's:

    "This media is a bootable recovery disc."

    Am I good to go so far? Just seems odd that RMD on its own without any visable sign of burnatonce (or other burn progs) assistence, burned an iso recovery CD. Is this CRD wizard test reliable ya think? The XP cd burn pop-up window also did not recognize any of the burn progs mentioned in this tread (solely saw the sonic burn prog crapware shipped with the HP recovery disks).

    You observed (post 2 above) "It seems like B&R did not recognize your burner." Same end observance now. Maybe too parinoid, but being "parinoid" when odd occurances exist, has saved my rear more that once.

    Thks again, Diligent.

    Oh, and thanks for the burnatonce prog info. Nice little clean machine!!
     
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2009
  10. Paragon_Tommy

    Paragon_Tommy Paragon Moderator

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2009
    Posts:
    918
    I'm glad the workaround was successful.
     
  11. diligentinquirer

    diligentinquirer Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    Posts:
    28
    Location:
    Seattle, Washington area
    So ya think, both cd's recovery's are ok? How can I double check? Like a 2d doctors opinion.

    Thks, Diligent (Jim)
     
  12. Paragon_Tommy

    Paragon_Tommy Paragon Moderator

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2009
    Posts:
    918
    I would boot to the CD. Put the disk in, change your BIOS to boot CD-ROM. All the features on the recovery cd will be similar to Windows with the exception of a few. We can't run scheduled task or mount archives.
     
  13. diligentinquirer

    diligentinquirer Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    Posts:
    28
    Location:
    Seattle, Washington area
    Good idea on the way to double check! Thanks Tom.

    Diligent (Jim).
     
  14. diligentinquirer

    diligentinquirer Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    Posts:
    28
    Location:
    Seattle, Washington area
    OK, did the bios based change and booted. Got the results help (manual?) and your stated manual source, indicated would occur.

    Guess the the question is this. When I happen to be in a situation where I need to utilize the recovery disk cd('s) (two), how do I Now check to see if the specific cd-based booted options will actually work>> without upsetting my normal windows boots?

    Also, you stated in your 1st post "It seems like B&R did not recognize your burner." What does that "recognize" mean? Does the "RMB" Recovery Media Builder program when activated, just use the buring progs I have installed? Seems like it does, cause when using solely RMB I created a cd that booted. And in the same way when I backed-up my C drive, that just worked too>> in both cases without having to access any burn prog I have installed. o_O

    Thanks much again, Diligent.

    Edit: Have some questions on the back-up I just did>> but will study further the manual(s)-Help, then open a new backup topic to benefit all concerned.
     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2009
  15. Paragon_Tommy

    Paragon_Tommy Paragon Moderator

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2009
    Posts:
    918
    If you change the boot sequence, it's not a big deal to change it back to normal boot. It's a matter of which device boot first in BIOS preference and if the computer does not have a boot media, it goes to the next source in that order.

    Simply put, the program cannot read your CD/DVD burner and that's why we had to use a third party burning utility as a workaround.
     
  16. diligentinquirer

    diligentinquirer Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    Posts:
    28
    Location:
    Seattle, Washington area
    Thanks for the clarification.

    Believe that the initial problem might well have been me and/or the two burn programs I had downloaded. Think the Paragon program was/is working ok.

    After I studied the manual(s) and had downloaded burnatonce (tks), I actually burned two (2) cd's with the bootcd.iso file.

    For the first Cd, I solely used the burnatonce program. My puter booted with this first recovery cd.

    For the second Cd, I solely used Recovery Media Builder. My puter booted with this second recovery cd.

    So the current result seems to be that the Recovery Media Builder, for whatever reason, does seem to work.

    Before I got the idea of what was occuring, the first thing to consider is that not only did I not have a burn program open, but I also did not have a cd placed in my puter to enable Recovery Media Bulder to function. This pop-up caught me by surprize, and I opened this thread.

    So I think that it was mostely ME that was the problem, and Recovery Media Builder would have worked just fine if I had used it properly.

    Those are my thoughts anyway. Hope this explanation clears matters up.

    Thnaks again, Diligent.
     
  17. Paragon_Tommy

    Paragon_Tommy Paragon Moderator

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2009
    Posts:
    918
    I'm glad you got the problem straighten out.
     
  18. diligentinquirer

    diligentinquirer Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    Posts:
    28
    Location:
    Seattle, Washington area
    Tom, think I just need to know this.

    If I actually engage the recovery cd booted program, to see if it actually works, will this cause any problems with my OS, programs, etc.

    I just want to make positively sure, I have a fully operable recovery backup.


    Thanks, Diligent.
     
  19. Paragon_Tommy

    Paragon_Tommy Paragon Moderator

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2009
    Posts:
    918
    If you just need to boot to the CD and take a look at the interface, it doesn't affect it. Just be careful not to delete any partitions, change boot records, or restore over existing partitions.
     
  20. diligentinquirer

    diligentinquirer Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    Posts:
    28
    Location:
    Seattle, Washington area
    OK, so if I do engage the program to see if it works, damage occurs>>so not to be sounding negative>> there is no way to tell whether the cd recovery is fully operative?

    Thks again, appreciated. Diligent.
     
  21. SIW2

    SIW2 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 6, 2009
    Posts:
    1,572
    Hi Diligent,

    You can just boot the cd, select Normal Mode, select Restore, browse to the archive. Then exit.

    That way you know the cd boots and loads fine , and the program sees the backup image.

    Many people are happy with that.

    If you want to actually do the restore - then go ahead - obviously, you will have to wait for it to complete.

    I don't see how you could do any damage, unless you used it incorrectly, e.g. deleted a partition - but then , you could do the same using the program in windows - the functions on the cd are pretty much the same.

    Hope it helps.
     
  22. diligentinquirer

    diligentinquirer Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    Posts:
    28
    Location:
    Seattle, Washington area
    Thanks all, for the thoughts.

    Was thinkng. Wouldn't obtaining another good clean HD, use as master drive (no slave)>> then run the recovery cd.

    Is this really >> a good test?

    Tks Diligent.
     
    Last edited: Dec 29, 2009
  23. diligentinquirer

    diligentinquirer Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    Posts:
    28
    Location:
    Seattle, Washington area
    Please. What do ya think?
     
  24. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2006
    Posts:
    6,483
    Location:
    California
    If you're talking about doing a test restore to a new/different hard drive while the original drives are kept safe (disconnected), that's the best test you can do. It simulates the steps that would be taken if the original drive failed and also verifies if the restore process works properly without risking the original drive.

    For example:

    1. Create a backup of the original drive. Save it to a USB drive or network share.
    2. Shutdown the computer and disconnect power.
    3. Disconnect the original drives (remember or mark which connectors they used).
    4. Connect the testing drive. If it's IDE, make sure the master/slave/CS jumper is set correctly.
    5. Restore power to the computer and boot into the BIOS.
    6. Set the new drive as the booting drive. Verify that the CD/DVD drive is still set to boot before the hard drive.
    7. Put the recovery CD into the CD/DVD drive and boot the computer.
    8. Restore the backup to the new drive.
    9. When it's finished, boot to the new drive and see if it works properly.
    10. When you're done testing, shutdown the computer, remove power, disconnect the testing drive, and reconnect the original drives (make sure to check the BIOS booting order).
     
  25. diligentinquirer

    diligentinquirer Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    Posts:
    28
    Location:
    Seattle, Washington area
    Thanks for the reply MudCrab. What you detailed out (thanks much!) was along the lines I was thinking. Appreciated, Diligent
     
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.