Emergency Disk Didn't Work

Here's my headache. I bought Acronis TI 10 last July. I backed up my files on an external hard drive. Now....pardon me if I'm ignorant but I guess I'm not understanding how to actually do this the correct way.... apparently.

The Acronis program was on my C drive. This is the drive that crashed (MBR problem). To make a long story short, when I backed up my C drive I had 4 partitions (system; programs; docs, pics & music; video). Rather than backing them up separately I just backed up the entire drive to my external. Never had any problem looking at it or verifying things. When I finally needed the Acronis backup on the ext. drive AND since the original program was gone I used my Acronis Emergency Disk that I burned. Wouldn't work. I get "The files for activating the Acronis Secure Zone are not available. Please run Acronis TI Home from Windows to copy the missing files to Acronis Secure Zone".

Does this mean the Emergency Disk is worthless?
Does this also mean that I have to go to the site and redownload the program (I still have the key and extended download service, thank Gawd).

Thanks much or any help.

 

Backing up the entire hard drive, all partitions, at once was a very wise decision. That's the best sort of backup to have when you need to restore the entire drive.

Is this a Windows XP or Vista system?

When you installed TI, did you create a Secure Zone?

Did you create the SZ on the external hard drive?

Did you activate the TI Recovery Manager so that you can press F11 on booting to start TI?

Was this Recovery CD created from the same build of TI that you used to make the backups?

Was the external hard drive connected to the computer an turned on BEFORE you booted from the TI Recovery CD?

 

This may seem pedantic, but it is quite important.

When you say you backed up etc, was this a disk image or did you really backup files and folders?

Did you create a Secure Zone on the external hard drive and store images there, or when everything was working, you could see actual TIB files on the external drive?

Did you activate the Windows Recovery Manager?

When you boot from the rescue CD do you get the choice of FULL or Safe modes?

Having asked all this, if you haven't tried this already and you are positive that your problem is a knackered MBR, are you aware that if you have a Windows XP (I'm just guessing this is the OS you are using), you can boot from this and repair the MBR.

Once everything is working again, I suggest keeping the TI installer on your external drive along with your serial number - just in case one day you can't get to a computer, log on and redownload TI.

Colin

 

JMK - I wish you wouldn't sneak in whilst I'm busy fingering away

 

If all you have is a MBR problem, thats' easy to fix. After you fix it get rid of the secure zone (you just realize how unsecure it is). Save your backups in normal TIB files, which can be restored anywhere/anytime with the bootcd.

First if the problem is cause by improper shutdown, you might want to do a chkdsk C:\f to try and get it to boot again.

If you already know that it's a MBR problem.
If windows xp, use the os installation cd, run a fixmbr and fixboot command.
If vista, use the installation dvd to run a repair.

Don't worry about damaging the MBR, the repairs won't make your problem any worst.

If possible you can use your true image boot cd and make a backup of each partition and save it on the external if you have the space. My advice is to backup each partition seperately. That way you can run repairs knowing you have a safe valid backup stored somewhere else.

 

John:

My OS is XP Pro SP2. (Thank Gawd I kept SP2 on a flash drive). I'm on satellite internet and am limited in megabyte usage.
Yes, I created a Secure Zone on my external hard drive.

You asked if I activated TI Recovery Manager. Yes but that's probably where my problem was, maybe. I didn't know about the F11 until now.

The Recovery CD was created from the same build of TI that I used to make the backups.

Colin and JonyJoe81: the external drive says "My Backup.tib". I also have a folder that says Acronis True Image Backup Archive Explorer.

I had intentions of imaging the entire drive (programs, everything).

When I booted from the rescue CD my only choices were Safe and Windows. I used Safe. This was all after I discovered my MBR was corrupted for some reason (and fixed it). Before I knew this I started out by using the TI recovery disk. Didn't work. So I figured I could just reinstall my XP and THEN use the recovery image backup. That's when I found out the MBR as screwed up. So I put my OS disc in and was going to do a Repair; however, I didn't have that "second R" option so I went ahead and began a Reformat. (desperate at this point). All my partitions were gone and the C drive said Raw or whatever. And it wouldn't let me reformat or repair. So I rebooted into the dreaded ASR and rebuilt the MBR. Then I was able to finally reformat.

After all this I went back to Acronis TI 10 recovery disk and that's when I got the message diaglog box "The files for activating the Acronis Secure Zone are not available. Please run Acronis TI Home from Windows to copy the missing files to Acronis Secure Zone".

I don't have the actual program anymore and since TI 11 is out I can't find anywhere to download TI 10. (I have the key) I learned that I should have backed up each partition separately. I'm still not sure if that would make a difference in this case though, since after I rebuilt the MBR, C drive was just one big partition afterward. For a while I was assuming that the reason the recovery disk wasn't working was because it was taking the entire backup image from the ext. drive and trying to create all 4 partitions (90 GB) into one of the original 50 GB partitions.

I'm lost, I'm an ignoramous I guess.

Didn't really get any use out of TI 10 for the bucks but if I have to I will upgrade to TI 11 (another 50 dollars). If I did that would I be able to use that TI 11 build to recover my backup from the external drive?

Thanks everyone.

 

Aha! All is not lost.

I think your problem is because after a complete reformat the acronis boot manager is no longer in existence, and therefore in your particular case it doesn't know where the SZ is or that it exists.

If you register your puruchase of TI10 on the acronis website (you'll need your serial number), then you will be able to download the last build of TI 10 and re-install.

after re-installing, you'd have to re-activate the recovery manager and make sure it knows the SZ is on an external drive.

Myself, I prefer to have my own image folder on my external drive and just do straight imaging to that - at least I can then see my images at all times.

Colin

Colin

 

Colin, I don't understand wht you meant when you said "my own image folder". What's the difference between your image folder and Acronis backup?

Also, I can't find Acronis 10 on the Acronis site so I can download it since Acronis 11 came out.

 

I finally found the Acronis TI 10 download on the Acronis site. It seems I never registered my version of it. So I got my key and registered it, but since I'm on satellite and only allowed 200 MB's a day, I have to wait until 2am (free time) to download it.

Since this one will be an updated version of TI 10 will that make a difference when I go to use the System Recovery?

Also, when I download it I guess I'll put it on my external drive this time, just in case.

When I upgrade to 11 I'm going to buy the disk. haha

Thanks everyone!!!!

 

Whoa, there DaisyDuke ... think twice before getting ver 11. If ver. 10 works for you, and it should, stick with it. Have you read here of the myriad of problems users have with ver 11?

And since you have an external drive, keep things simple, for now, don't make or use the Secure Zone and don't activate the Startup Recovery Manager until you fully understand all it entails. Just make your whole disk backups to the external drive. You can have your system safely backed up without needing the SZ or SRM. Many of us here use neither. Also many have not upgraded to ver. 11. Personally I've stayed with ver. 9 as it works for me.

 

Don't multiply your problems. Don't get ATI 11. Once your up and running again, your best bet is to get rid of the insecure zone and stick with ATI 10, at least until a presentable version of ATI 11 is produced. ATI 11 has some added features, including some silly ones, but ATI is much more stable and much less buggy.

The insecure zone doesn't provide the kind of security one wants if yo need to lock things up to prevent others from accessing them - and it presents problems like the ones you have expereinced. YOu can find workarounds but why give yourself the grief?
If you need seciruty backup (without the insecure zone ) to an external disk and lock that disk in a safe place.

Also note that the only way to know that ATI version XX (or any backup-image program for that matter) can restore on your system is basically to do a restore.

 

Thanks for heads up on TI 11. I guess I'll stick with TI 10 for a while. Also, I guess I didn't really know what that Secure Zone was for. I'm the only one on this computer so I don't have to worry about it I guess.

My main concern right now is engaging the backup that I already have on the external drive. I have a 93,69.042 tib file and I'd like to get it back.

What would be the best way to do it. (I re-downloaded TI 10 from the Acronis site last night and I'm ready to do it)

Thanks for all the help!

 

To get yourself used to what the True Image software does, it would be better to use the software from the Bootable CD. To make this CD, you have to install the software first. Be careful when doing the install. Read each window carefully and do not let it create an SZ or the SRM.

After the installation, look for a menu item that says Create Bootable Rescue Media or words to that effect.

Once you make that cd, boot with it and do a "dry run" to make a Backup. You want to establish that it will see your external drive as a place to store the Backup. If you want to go ahead and make a Backup, click the Proceed button, otherwise at that point click Cancel.

 

I already have a bootable CD. Would that work?

Also, why can't I engage the Recovery from the program that I just downloaded?

 

I'm very sorry. I wondered what that sort of tickling feeling I had on the back of my hands was.

 

Sorry to be away, but you have been in very good hands here.

When you created the SZ on the external drive an activated the Recovery Manager, the MBR on your boot drive was rewritten by TI. That's why you had problems after fixing the MBR, or it may have been a cause of the MBR problems. In addition, your computer would only have booted with the external drive attached and turned on because the external drive was made a boot requirement. All that's very bad. So, never use the Recovery Manager.

When you boot from your original Recovery CD, can you see the external hard drive and the files in the SZ? If not, then you need a boot CD with the Full version of TI. You can make a new Recovery CD now that you have reinstalled TI.

Boot from that new CD, select Full mode (not Safe) then Restore and see if you can see the external hard drive, the SZ and the backup file. It should be there. If you can see it, continue and restore the backup to your C partition.

Personally, I never use a SZ on an external hard drive. It may work, but it's not necessary and can make things messy as you have discovered. I just put my backups in ordinary folders, but that's something to worry about after you have successfuly restored your system.

 

I don't know what build of ver 10 your CD was made from. But if you just re-downloaded ver 10 it should be the latest build. Anyway boot with the CD and look up the build number ... the latest is 4942. If it is that build, then you don't even have to install what you downloaded. Just keep it in a safe place if you have to re-install it in the future.

 

Disaster

Well, I tried the backup, it rebooted after 2 hours of download and now th4e NTLDR is missing. CRAP!

 

Re: Disaster

Probably, your boot.ini file is looking in the wrong place -if someone doesn't post instructions in the meantime, I'll do it tonight when I get home.


Colin

 

thanks Bodgy. I need help.

 

OK, there are a number of ways to attack this , choose the easiest one for you first and then work through the others.

Two things that can cause this error is the boot.ini file is trying to find the Windows bootup files in the wrong place, or boot.ini is correct and your MBR is pointing to the wrong place.

When you made your image, it should have included the MBR or track 0 information - if your image is intact and usable, then sling in the dreaded rescue CD, boot, and then when you click on restore, just tick the MBR option.

If either the MBR wasn't imaged or that doesn't work, things get tricky

You will need to find, beg, borrow, but not steal an XP CD or find someone who can follow the instructions on the link I'm going to place here http://tinyempire.com/notes/ntldrismissing.htm and see if they can make a CD for you.

With the XP CD you can quickly try the following - after the Ms XP CD has booted you will have a recovery option - this will take you to a console - no Windows everything must be typed.

It should find you Windows folder and ask you to log on - if you didn't or haven't made an XP administrator password (that is, logged in as Admin, not, using Admin permissions) try pressing enter. If this works, then when you get to the C:\Windows prompt, type in fixboot c: Then type fixmbr

If this fails to fix the problem, then easiest thing to do is to boot from the XP CD, choose INSTALL - nor recovery. The setup function should tell you that you already have a version of Windows on your system - at that point it will ask you if you wish to continue installing or REPAIR, choose repair, this will delete all the Windows system files, re-install them and remake the boot and MBR files. You will need to have your XP product ID handy.

If you don't get the choice or it just asks you if you want to reformat and load Windows - ABORT and come back here for advice.

You will lose all Microsoft updates by doing a repair install.

Colin

 

I've already done all that, I think. When I put my WinXP disk in I tried everything to no avail so I finally went to the dreaded ASR and fixed the boot.

My major problem now is when I get the system up and going then try to retrieve by Acronis backup from my external drive from the Acronis Startup Recovery Disk I get the error box: "The files required for activating the Acronis Secure Zone are not available. Please run Acronis True Image Home from Windows to copy the missing files to Acronis Secure Zone."

What files is it talking about?

So I opened up the actual Acronis TI 10 program from my flash drive and tried----AGAIN----to recover from the external drive and I get "NTLDR". Out of the 4 partitions on the C drive that I had backed up it only loaded the Video partition, although I chose the system partition. Now I don't have a system loaded.

I guess my only option is to reinstall---again---from the XP disk?

 

Hello DaisyDuke,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

We are sorry for delayed response.

Could you please clarify, what option are you choosing that produces the "The files required for activating the Acronis Secure Zone are not available. Please run Acronis True Image Home from Windows to copy the missing files to Acronis Secure Zone" message?

Thank you.
--
Marat Setdikov