Paragon Free B&R2012: can't restore, manual shows different steps

Hello all.

First time poster here looking for help with Paragon R&B2012, downloaded and installed two days ago on a ShuttleX PC running XP Pro SP3, all updates OK.

Testing Paragon's R&B2012 pushed me to download and read the user manual, as I couldn't restore from a complex image. "Complex" because I took MBR, first track and System, stored in another partition of the PC's HDD.

Tried restoring both from within Windows using Paragon's console (normal and advanced view) and through the Recovery CD created after installing the program, same problem occurs.

Let's take Restoring a system partition from a local drive, page 75 and following of the User's Manual.

Up to point 4 all is identical on screen as in the manual: Browse for archive/What to restore/How to restore.

I agree N°5 could be named either Restore Results (manual) or Restore Summary (what I see on my monitor), image is also different: image from the manual shows Geometry Restore Options, I have only number of objects to restore and Destination path, C:\

If I complete the Restore wizard a message appears telling me to commit changes using the Apply command, click Finish closes the wizard.
However the manual indicates that at this step (N°7) the program indicates a system restart is required, this is not showing up in my case.

Then manual says in step 8 a progress window appears and after the completing the program the PC will automatically reboot.
In my case after I APPLY the changes I'm not told the PC will need to reboot, copying of files begins and lasts for about 50 minutes for the ~6GB backup created, reaches 100%, then 101 and continues up to 103%. Detailed view windows show names of files copied, at the 103% mark it is still copying C:\ProgramFiles... or C:\Documents and Settings...
Finally it stops, the time indicator in the upper right corner disappears and I can close the program.

On the desktop nothing seems to have changed, PC behaves normally.

Maybe I am missing something really obvious but I can't put my finger on it. I will be grateful for help provided.

Here is an album with screen captures taken during the process.

 

Did you create a partition backup, or a file backup? When you were creating the backup, did you choose the option to backup "Disks or Partitions"?.

I ask this because it seems that the program tries to restore files, not a partition.

 

Thank you for your reply, RobinA.

As said I made a "Complex" backup, created an image of my C partition which holds the system and included MBR and First Track. Default Compression level.

Recovery CD sees 3 files and expanding those the 3rd (img_numbers.pbf) reads as *.NTFS System, type : image of the partition, size is adequate with what I have on C as used space.

 

You could try backing up and restoring only the C: partition, to see if the problem is related to the complex archive.

Normally it´s not necessary to backup the MBR or the Track0, unless you use a "special" MBR, and in any case you can backup them separately.

 

Shutx,

Oh, no !!! .... In your ScreenShot # 3 - Do *not* check the Folders to Restore, you just did a File Level Restore !!!

On this Screen, you only want to click on the "System (C" - Partition, so that its Highlighted (do *not* Check the Folders !), then Click Next and you will proceed to an Image Level Restore.

... I have to admit that this was one of the things that also confused me, the very first time that I used the program.

 

Thank you for your reply, JosephB.

I followed your suggestion even more confident it will work as meanwhile I read this thread

Restore run for about 4 minutes, screen went black and an error message pop up: Windows (Yopiiiii, I'm back to windows!!!) could not start Ohshyiat!**%¨£$#!!!, because file is missing or corrupt, namely C:\Windows\System32\Config\System.

"You can attempt to repair using the original Setup CD-Rom..."

STOP the BS!!

This is a freshly rebuild system, daily boots for the past two weeks without any glitches, a system I have been using since 2005 and did a clean reinstall before offering it to an elder parent of mine. Norton Ghost v9.0 seemed complicated to use for her - need of a boot CD, Paragon came on top of users' reviews, however considering time lost it's simply not trustable enough to my taste.

Thank you both for trying to help.

 

Shutx,

There is quite a bit of information on Google about when a meesage is encountered on a pc regarding "file is missing or corrupt - C:\Windows\System32\Config\System". These google atricles indicate that you have a "corrupted" registry and they list ways of fixing it.

... Are you sure that your *not* having other strange problems with you win xp pc ? Any errors when you normally boot-up " ... Any error messages in Control panel. administrative tools, Event Log, in the "System Event Log' ?

Couldn't it be possibile that something happened during the Clean Reinstall ?

 

Don't want to appear like some prick, apologies if some found the tone of my previous message wrong. Considering I'm the she is going to call in case something runs bad I run diagnostic tools before making the backup, got a clean bill of health and I run the PC daily. Clean reinstall because a lot of errors were fixed in the registry, I suppose some might remain but if the PC runs those are not crucial. Read that it is possible HDD might be the cause, mine however old seems OK.

To recover I didn't follow the Win Setup CD-Room route, as simultaneously I made an image Norton saved my ass, system is up and running. Will postpone delivery for a while, until I get convinced it's fine.