Questions about Image for Windows

Brian, that looks like it's going to take a very long time (5 min. and only 1% done)!

As I mentioned to MudCrab I need my laptop for work, so I'm 'throwing in the towel' and I'm going to use my HP Recovery disks to do a fresh install.

I really do appreciate your attempts to help.

Cruise

 

Understood. If the Undelete was going to work it should have taken 2 seconds.

Before you go ahead with the HP restore could you try to restore an IFW image taken a month or two ago. Especially an image that had restored in the past.

My concern as you know is a failing HD. But I'm also worried about an infection such as a rootkit which may have been present for some time.

 

Brian, I've already tried restoring 4 different images, 2 IFW images and 2 DS images. My last two restores (1 IFW and 1 DS) included restoring the entire MBR, but none of the 4 restores did the trick.

The way I see it, there has to be something absolutely necessary for my HP laptop that the disk-images do not capture. That's a very discouraging thought (to say the least), but I don't know how else to explain why they were not able to recover my system!

I can't buy into the possibility that my HD is faulty. HP's very thorough diagnostic pronounced it healthy, as does HD Tune. Furthermore, a disk scan using Spindisk did not uncover any bad sectors. Imho, the problem lies elsewhere.

I've started the HP recovery process which should take about an hour. If that doesn't do the job, then it's warranty-replacement time. I'll post back to let you guys know what happened.

Cruise

 

Cruise,

Sorry for your misfortune but I'll be fascinated to hear the answer.

When we were doing the DS CD tests I thought you were successfully restoring OS images on that computer. IFW and DS images. But now they won't successfully restore.

 

Is it the mSSD Hard Drive Acceleration being talked about here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...laptop-dv6t-7000-dv7t-7000-envy17-3200-a.html

I haven't searched on it much yet, but just from reading a little about it, it sounds like problems like you describe are not uncommon.

The problem initially reminded me of the SSD problem where you could restore your image, boot up and use the computer normally, and then after you powered down the system it would boot up the old OS like you never performed the restore.

 

Correct and correct Brian - go figure (or as you say, "damn computers!").

Cruise

 

That's the one.

Looks like the HP recovery has another 12 min. to go. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

 

No luck guys - after all that I'm still having the very same problem! Time to get HP involved, but right now I need a drink. Damn computers!

Cruise

 

On your recommendation I bought a bottle of TG. Very nice.

The computer mystery deepens!

 

Have you considered the "scenario" described in

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976/en-us ?

I think this can be relevant, because the problem is possibly related to a Windows driver that isn´t installed, and to a change that was made and that didn´t affect the system partition. So, the solution could be to reverse the change (in BIOS) or to install the driver.

 

Very true!

When it comes to SSDs, either they accept ACHI or RSTL drivers. Forcing one or the another always leads to problems.

Best regards,

 

Robin,

I appreciate your attempt to help, but I see no way to run that fix on my non-functioning laptop!

Thanks anyway,
Cruise

 

Cruise,

Please keep us informed as to HP's methodology and progress in repairing or recovering your W7 installation. Your experience is the very first I've heard of where disk-images (known to be good) are not able to restore the system!

TS

 

Images don´t solve all problems. Consider the scenario described in the MS article cited above: the BIOS configuration is changed. For the change to work, a driver that is not installed is required. As a consequence, the system doesn´t see the drive and doesn´t boot. Even if you can restore an image created previously, this won´t solve this problem.

 

Understood, but how then should one complement their image-backups in order to recover from such events?

TS

 

TS,

In retrospect, Cruise has a hardware issue and not a software issue. His images are known good images but these won't fix a hardware issue.

 

Brian,

I interpreted Robin's remarks (and reference) to indicate a potentially missing driver, which isn't the same as a hardware malfunction. Perhaps what is needed (in addition to an image-backup) is a backup of all drivers?

TS

 

TS,

Robin's post covered a broad issue. Cruise doesn't have a missing driver in his OS but let's wait to hear the official answer.

 

Ok, so far I've spent about 2 hours on the phone with HP tech-support personnel. I related the incident to them (in detail) and told them everything that I've done to try recovering from the 'crash'. After an hour of diagnostics on their part they concluded that my bootmgr is either missing or corrupted. But given that I do not have a Win7 x64 installation disk (I told them I have a Win7 x86 disk from another PC but they said it would not suffice for a repair?) they were not able to effect the necessary repair. So HP is overnighting me a Win7 x64 disk and we will go from there. The tech said if that disk doesn't facilitate a repair, I'll have to send the laptop to HP for service.

Cruise

 

Cruise,

I disagree with the "bootmgr is either missing or corrupted" diagnosis. An image restore would have fixed that.

Edit.. Do you have a BIOS setting to Reset Defaults?

 

Nevertheless, at this point that's their assumption.

Yes, and I already tried doing that - to no avail.

Cruise

 

More TG needed.

 

Given my taste for Scotch whisky I should have known I'd be better off with a Mac.

Cruise

 

Just to let you guys know that the Win7 x64 disks arrived this morning (from HP). I'll get on it when I return home this eve.

Cruise

 

The installation-recovery disks I received from HP worked (so the problem had nothing to do with BIOS settings or a bad HD)! Windows is now up and running, albeit I'm back to where I have to reinstall all of my apps and data files.

Robin's linked webpage notwithstanding, I really don't understand why an image backup doesn't capture all necessary drivers (assuming that was the problem)? But the facts of the matter are that neither DS or IFD were able to restore my system (although they reported a successful restore)! I find that perplexing and very disturbing.

Cruise