All images are corrupted, but....

After trying all suggestions I reinstalled XP and all updates. I then installed TI 8 build 826. I verified many of the images and found that each one I checked was corrupt.

Then I tried to Explore again. This worked! (It did not work before all of the XP updates). I have been able to copy most everything. I do get a copy error on what appears to be a windows file in Documents & Settings (didn't write the name down). I have not tried to copy the Windows folder.

So the question now is how do I restore all of my Windows settings, registry, etc if I can only access the images via Explore? I don't want to have to reinstall every program to get them to work!

Also, currently my C drive is seen as only 137 GB by XP while my D drive (second drive) is viewed as 200 GB. If I can't use TI's Restore (which would make the whole 200 GB viewable) how do I get XP to see whole 200 GB on C as one partition without losing/erasing data?

 

137gb is the LBA addressing limit in some versions of windows. XP is probably before SP1 on your system, hence the 137gb limit.

Restore it on a smaller partition, then install SP1 or SP2, then

A) Re-image and restore to full size disk with trueimage

or

B) Use another tool to expand the partition to full disk.

 

Trixing with the registry is dangerous stuff, so consider yourself warned!

Check the registry files (security, software, system, ...) in your <image>\WINDOWS\repair directory. Do they look recent?

Copy them to a safe place.

Boot into Windows Safe Mode, and move the registry files from the repair directory, into %SystemRoot%\system32\config.

The 137 GB limit must be because your Windows XP CD is a pre-SP1. Unless you have a re-partition tool like Acronis Disc Director Suite, your best bet is to slipstream SP2 into a new Windows XP Install CD, re-install WinXP and with a re-format of the hard disk into a 200 GB partition.

 

Can anyone explain why I can Explore the image (but only after installing all updates, including SP2) but I cannot Restore the image? If I can Explore it it is not corrupted but Restore says that it is!

Also, I do have SP2 installed but the drive is still at only 137 GB. Is this because I used the original XP disc (pre SP1) and that I have to repartition after SP2? This seems impossible since my backup image is 140 GB!

 

There are obviously different parameters for restoring an image than with exploring one and as they are entirely different procedures with different requirements (presumably restoring an image is more complex with more stringent requirements to be successfully completed) it may be possible to do one but not the other.

Once you have copied any vital data you needed I would not persevere much longer trying to restore an image as you could spend a lot of time trying without success because of the sort of problems you have already encountered and the time would be better spent installing all your programs on a new Windows. Yes it takes time and is frustrating but if you start by installing the most important things that you need first you will get back to where you want to be before you know it and you can make images along the way to ensure that your installation is safe from disaster.

Any data you need to keep safe should be backed up with another program designed for this rather than relying on Acronis. I back up My Documents as well as a number of other things such as My Favorites folder, Outlook Express and information required for other programs to work the way I want, to 2 separate internal drives as well as a 3rd external USB drive using a program called ‘Handy Backup’ which does it all automatically at regular intervals I specify. I only use Acronis to safeguard the operating system which is its intended purpose.

I don't believe that Windows XP without service packs is responsible for the entire 200GB drive (minus the space used for the main boot record etc) not being used but I may be wrong here. Sometimes a motherboard bios update is required to enable larger disks to be seen but I presume you were able to see the entire hard disk before so it is unlikely to be the cause of the problem. When you first did the new install of Windows you should have seen how much space was available to be used when it gave you the option of formatting the drive and using all available space. It should have been the 200GB less the space reserved for the main boot record and whatever else Windows needs on the small partition it puts aside for this purpose. You should certainly have more than 137 GB to use perhaps 185 GB or maybe a little more.

I once lost part of a drive when using a Gigabyte motherboard because Gigabyte used and still uses a backup system similar in principle to Acronis called ‘Express Backup’ for backing up the operating system. It was done by using some of the hard drive much like the secure zone with Acronis and the only way I could get the space back after switching to an Asus motherboard was to install the hard disk back in a computer with a Gigabyte motherboard and deleting the backup space reserved for the Gigabyte ‘Express backup’. It makes me wander if the missing space is a secure zone created by Acronis from your previous installation. I've never used the secure zone so I'm not sure if it disappears if you do a clean install of Windows. Someone else may be able to answer that.

As to why it took the Windows service packs to be able to explore the image I don't know but at least you were able to do it and get some of the data you wanted.

I would be wary of using an automated backup system again like the one that led to your current problem that resulted in 22 images with most if not all being corrupt. I'm happy with 1 or 2 images stored on a second drive and backed up to a 3rd drive to be on the safe side. I also keep a separate image about a week earlier than my current image on the 3rd drive for extra insurance and all my images are manually done so that I can check that everything has been done properly.