How to remove secure zone

Hi guys,

Just purchased Acronis True Image 9.0 build3677.

This is the first time I've tried any of this type of software. Needless to say, I'm having some problems.

I managed to create a secure zone and I backed up a few files to this secure zone, now I want to remove the files I backed up and the secure zone itself.

I looked in: help - other tasks - acronis secure zone-action selection -"remove acronis secure zone".

It says to choose "remove acronis secure zone".

I cannot find where "action selection" or "remove acronis secure zone" is located.

I'm sure I'm overlooking it. No laughing please....

Anyhow, could someone please let me know how to remove this secure zone. Thanks

 

Use the Manage Acronis Secure Zone Wizard to remove the Secure Zone (SZ).

You'll find the Wizard in Tools in the top left pane:

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/1332/screenshot0020jt.jpg

 

dld, Thanks.
I ran the "Manage Acronis Secure Zone Wizard" and could not find anywhere in that wizard the option to remove the secure zone.

This is the same wizard I used to create the secure zone. Is there a section in this wizard I'm missing?

Also, How do you access the secure zone once it's created? I would like to access it and also remove it.

Thanks again.

 

I just created a Secure Zone on a slave drive.

I then went back to Manage Secure Zone.

I get this screen:

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/3153/screenshot0035xz.jpg


I then chose, on the next screen: "Do not activate Acronis Startup Recovery Manager"

The Secure Zone I had created was deleted.

 

dld, Thank you again,

The secure zone I created was on my C: drive NTFS.

I have yet to find the screen that you posted that allows you to remove or delete the secure zone.

Any advice on what I should do now?

If I uninstall and reinstall ATI 9.0 will I recover the space I allocated for the secure zone?

I'm really confused as to why I'm not getting the screen that you posted. That's what I need to remove the secure zone.

Thanks again.

 

After having created the Secure Zone on a slave drive, when I click on Manage Acronis Secure Zone, I immediately get this screen:

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/3153/screenshot0035xz.jpg

In other words I don't have to tell TI that the Secure Zone is on my slave drive; TI just knows where it is.

For you, since you created your Secure Zone on your C: drive, TI should detect that and the above screen should pop up. I can't really help you on that. Perhaps someone else would know what is wrong.

One way of seeing your Secure Zone is to do Backup\Next\The entire disk contents. For me, I then see Disk 2, NTFS (S) and Acronis True Image. NTFS(S) is my slave drive. You cannot open the Secure Zone to see the files. It is a Secure Zone, secure against even you, its creator. The only way you can delete the files in SZ is to remove the SZ itself. Maybe you weren't successful in creating a SZ in the first place.

 

dld, Thanks for hanging with me.

I also thought that maybe I didn't create the secure zone. When I click on Manage secure zone and the wizard comes up I get a screen that says that 55.77 Gb is allocated for the secure zone.

And when I check C: properties: It shows:

Used Space 38.5 GB
Free Space 133 GB
Total Capacity 172 GB

I have a 250 GB hard drive so apparently 55 to 60 GB
of space has been allocated to the secure zone.

Anyhow, I don't understand why I'm not getting the option to remove the secure zone. Maybe its a corrupt download or something. I'm about ready to try a different software. This shouldn't be this difficult.

Thanks for all the help.

 

I edited the screenshot you included in your last quote. Windows cannot detect the SZ either in Windows Explorer or in My Computer. You have to use TI itself to see the SZ. As I indicated in my last edited post, click on Backup\Next\The entire disk contents. I then see this screen:

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/3020/screenshot0048ee.jpg

You on the other hand should see Acronis Secure Zone listed under your NTFS(C) drive

 

Hello Wideglide36,

Right click on your desktop "My Computer" icon, select "Manage" > "Storage" > "Disk Management". Against Disk 0 you should then see either the 55.77GB "Acronis SZ Healthy (unknown partition)" or 55.77GB of "Unallocated Space". Please advise what you see.

Regards

 

Hello Menorcaman,

Following your instructions:
It Shows 55.76 GB of Unallocated Space.

Thanks

 

dld,

Following your instructions:
There is no Acronis Secure Zone listed.

 

You have to retrieve that unallocated space. One way to do it is given here by Menorcaman. Don't give up on Acronis. It just takes a little patience to learn the basics.

Here is what Menorcaman suggested, mutatis mutandi:

- Use the Manage Acronis SecureZone Wizard to create a small temporary Secure Zone (SZ) in the unallocated space on your C: drive.
- Once the SZ has been created, use the Manage Acronis Secure Zone Wizard once more to remove the SZ and opt to assign the space it used to your Primary, Active partition.
- Reboot your system and you should now find you have eliminated your unallocated space.

 

dld, Thanks for your help.

I tried again to create this secure zone and I set it to 57.08GB. After clicking "proceed" I was told a reboot was needed to complete the process so I clicked to allow the reboot.

During the reboot a blue screen came up showing the progress of the different stages.

At "operation 2 of 3 moving partition" I got this:

Hard Disk: 1
Drive letter: -
Type: Oxdb (concurrent dos, CTOS)
File System: Fat32
Volume Label Size: 4.6GB

Error: Unable to read disk 1 sector 478601014
(retry - Ignore - Ignore all)

I tried to get it to retry but the same error message would come up with different sector numbers.

I finally gave up and powered down the PC.

I started it back up and again got a blue screen saying it was rebooting. Eventually the Windows logon screen came up.

I still have no secure zone showing in Acronis True Image and under "Computer Management" it's showing 57.08GB of unallocated space.

Any further ideas? Also, I had this exact same problem with the error messages the first time I tried to create a "secure zone".

Would the Acronis Startup Recovery Manager have anything to do with my problem? The first time I tried to create the secure zone I checked this box.

The second time I unchecked it. Didn't seem to matter.
Thanks.

 

I would try again but this time choose a minimum size by sliding the resizer:

http://img436.imageshack.us/img436/6049/screenshot0064pk.jpg

At no point am I asked to reboot when I create a SZ!

 

dld, Thanks for posting all the different screen shots.
I again followed your suggestion to lower the secure zone size to the minimum size.

I also unchecked the "Startup Recovery Manager".

This time I did not get the message that I needed to reboot.

I did get an error box.

E000101F4: Failed to read data from the disk
Failed to read from the sector 478,601,014 of the hard disk 1.

My options were to: Retry - Ignore - Ignore all - Cancel.

I clicked retry: Got same error box.
I clicked Ignore: Same error box but different sector number.

Bottom line: I have a hard drive with 39 -40GB of space that is unallocated. How do I recover this space?

If I uninstall Acronis will that solve the hard drive space problem?

I know I'm dragging this thread on but I don't know where else to try for help.

You guys have been very helpful and very patient with me.
Thank you.

 

I can't see how uninstalling True Image would solve your HD problems. Somehow or other the creation of a SZ and its subsequent removal has left you with 55.77 GB of unallocated space. TI does not seem able to retrieve this space. Hopefully someone at Acronis or some other kind soul will come to your help.

 

Back again,

I went to the Acronis website and emailed support.

They promptly wrote back with a suggesting to run chkdsk C: /r.

I did this and a message came up that the volume was clean.

I got to the desktop and thought I should reboot the computer.

A solid blue screen came up with an error message:

It was a long message basically saying there was a problem and Windows was shut down to protect the computer.
session3_initialization_failed

It went on to say that if any new hardware or software was recently installed to check it or disable it if problems persist.

It also explained how to use safe mode to do this.

When I click on the safe mode option it just takes me back to the blue screen with the same error message.

So as it stands now, my computer is unusable as I cannot even boot into safe mode. I'm afraid to try any more suggestions from Acronis after these problems.

I bought this software to try to avoid these kind of problems. Instead it causes them. I guess if it ain't broke don't fix it. End of rant.

Thanks for listening.

 

Hello wideglide36,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

Could you please let me know your Acronis request # which was sent to you in autoreply to your letter? I will find out how the investigation of your issue is going.

Please also create Acronis Report in the way described below:

- Download and run Acronis Report Utility;
- Select the "Create Bootable Floppy" option;
- Insert a blank floppy disk in the A: drive and proceed with creation of the bootable floppy;
- Boot the computer from this diskette and wait for report creation process to finish;
- Collect the report file from the floppy.

if you have not done it yet and send it to Acronis Support Team as a reply to the previous letters from Acronis Support Team. This would provide us with detailed information on the hard disk partition structure.

Please provide Acronis Support Team with the text of the error message you have received after "chkdsk" command and reboot, if possible.

Thank you.
--
Aleksandr Isakov

 

Aleksandr, Hello and thank you,

The last request number was #633423 "cannot create a secure zone".

I have already downloaded that report utility that you mentioned. I sent in the report.txt file and the reply back from Acronis was:
Your C: drive has file system errors. Please boot up from the Windows bootable cd and go to the recovery console.
From the command prompt type: chkdsk C: /r.

Problem is: I can't even boot from the Win XP cd now. I set the BIOS boot order so that the onboard cdrom is the first option, but still no luck.
Thanks.

 

Hello wideglide36,

I am sorry for the delayed response.

Please have a look at this article. It should help to solve the "Setup did not find any hard disk drives installed in your computer" issue during Windows XP Professional Setup.

Thank you.
--
Aleksandr Isakov

 

Aleksandr,

Hello, Thank you for the link.

I have already installed a new hard drive. After talking with support at Dell, they concluded that the hard drive was no good and they replaced it.

This was after numerous tests and suggestions on how to fix the hard drive.

So, thanks again for your help. I don't know if I will try installing ATI on this new hard drive as I am a little gun shy right now as you might imagine.

Thanks.