Restarting with Virtual Mode = crash

Discussion in 'Returnil releases' started by Gonzolex, Feb 18, 2011.

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  1. Gonzolex

    Gonzolex Registered Member

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    Hi,

    I was using Returnil System Safe 11 I believe(can't check now since windows crashed). So I did something a bit foolish which resulted in windows becoming unusable.

    I was using System Safe in Virtual Mode then tried to restart. However, It wouldn't restart and the screen came up saying that returnil System safe was preventing the system from restarting so I forced a restart. Now, The windows 7 won't boot up. Instead, It goes straight to the startup repair.

    I have tried running the startup repair. This said that the autostart failed due to a a Corrupt Registry. I looked at the regback folder in C:\Windows\System32\config but all those were updated after the crash so I guess I can't restore the registry from that.

    What I would like to know is if there is a way to fix this problem with Returnil but I'm not sure how to exactly. For instance, how exactly does the virtual mode work. Is there a folder where the copy of the OS is stored that I could use? Or are there backup copies of the system files anywhere? Or is it something else I hadn't thought of?



    EDIT: I am currently using Linux Mint booting from a USB drive to access the files. They seem to mostly be there. I can access the files using this to make some of the changes.



    Edit 2: startup repair couldn't update the registry and the files in C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack were updated mostly after the crash so I assumed these are bad now. This is why I asked if Returnil's Virtual Mode makes copies of the registry and if I could use those copies to fix the problem.
     
    Last edited: Feb 18, 2011
  2. Coldmoon

    Coldmoon Returnil Moderator

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    Hello Gonzolex and welcome to the forums.

    Virtual Mode while in Safe mode: You purposely deactivated the preferences > Advanced tab > Do not start in safe mode option?

    Mike
     
  3. Gonzolex

    Gonzolex Registered Member

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    Oh sorry I think my explanation was a bit unclear since I'm a bit tired. Right now Windows has crached adn won't boot up at all. It will only go to startup repair. Safe mode won't work or "Run with last good settings."

    So right now I can't access returnil at all since windows can't start again. However, I believe it had the default settings on when I last checked.
     
  4. Coldmoon

    Coldmoon Returnil Moderator

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    Ok, then the Virtual Mode would have been off while you were in Safe Mode. Can you locate the following files and send them over to us through the support address (support (dash) tech (at) returnil (dot) com)?

    C:\ProgramData\Returnil\RVS3\log

    1. rvs3.log
    2. rvs3-inst.log
    3. C:\Windows\MINIDUMP - look for a file or files around the same time as the incident. There may or may not be any given the forced power cycling, but better to check than leave it out.

    When you go to the recovery console, is System Restore available?

    Mike
     
  5. Gonzolex

    Gonzolex Registered Member

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    OK will do.
    I sent all the logs but none of the file in C:\Windows\MINIDUMP were from the time of the incident.

    and That was the other strange part. The very first thing I tried after WIndows failed to boot was a system restore but it said that there aren't any restore points. And I should have had a few restore points from before software installations. (I assume this was due to System Restore becoming corrupt which I hear happens often)

    EDIT: And forgot to mention in the email that the failure occurred sometime on 2/16/2011 between 22:00 and 23:30 (10 pm and 11:30pm). Sorry I can't be more specific
     
    Last edited: Feb 18, 2011
  6. Coldmoon

    Coldmoon Returnil Moderator

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    Thanks - let us take a look at the logs and get a detailed reply back to you via the support system. What other programs were you using at the same time?

    Mike
     
  7. Gonzolex

    Gonzolex Registered Member

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    Thank you very much,

    You have been very helpful so far. Well as I mentioned I was trying to restart the computer.

    Virtual Mode was on.
    I had closed most of the programs so I think only the background programs I use were on.

    I think they were avira virus guard and Comodo Firewall.

    and then the lesser programs were windows live messenger, a password manager, and a few others.

    But I think the problem occurred when I forced the restart since a dialog window popped open saying that Returnil system safe is preventing the computer from restarting and none of the other ones.

    Thanks again!
     
  8. Coldmoon

    Coldmoon Returnil Moderator

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    This is most likely due to the:

    1. File Manager delaying the restart to save content to the real disk you had defined in the list or

    2. No File Manager or saving of files, but Virtual Mode on (in normal Windows) and the setting to delay (Virtual Mode > Settings > Advanced > "Do not warn when exit from Virtual Mode" option (unchecked stops the delay at shutdown).

    What may be of specific interest here is what you added to the file Manager list (if valid) and what was being saved to the disk when the forced restart occurred. Did you use the FM and do you remember what folders you had defined in the list?

    Mike
     
  9. Gonzolex

    Gonzolex Registered Member

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    Unfortunately no I hadn't used the file manager at all. Never have.

    Sorry I keep forgetting to mention information which might be useful. But I have used Virtual Mode before then restarted and everything worked beautifully. Each time the same dialog popped up saying that returnil was delaying the system from restarting.

    (These are Windows 7 dialog at shutdown. just in case you aren't familiar with it, the dialog pops up at the end for any program which has not finished closing. This didn't happen with Returnil 2010 by the way)

    The only difference is that, in the past when it worked, I would cancel the restart then restart again. Then Windows would restart correctly after the second try.

    However, this last time when it failed, I didn't cancel the first restart, but clicked "force restart" instead. It warned me that ":the programs wouldn't have a chance to finish saving and so an error might occur" or something similar. I didn't think it would brick the computer since this never happened when I forced the restart on any other programs. Then instead of the restart working as it had before, windows failed to boot up.

    This is why I keep thinking that it might simply be a registry problem depending on how Returnil restores the settings after Virtual Mode.
     
    Last edited: Feb 18, 2011
  10. Coldmoon

    Coldmoon Returnil Moderator

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    If you didn't have anything to save to the real disk, then the forced shutdown would have been no different than a power outage without UPS backup (IOWs - forced shutdown). This means the double attempts at shutting down were not a factor or should not be a factor for RSS or a cause of any difficulties when restarting the computer.

    As you are using Win 7, is this a new computer/hardware or an upgrade to Win 7 on an older computer?

    Mike
     
  11. Gonzolex

    Gonzolex Registered Member

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    Oh really? I see.

    This laptop came installed with windows 7 and is about 6 months old.
     
  12. Coldmoon

    Coldmoon Returnil Moderator

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    Ok, then hardware going bad should not be an issue. We will get a reply back to you as quickly as possible after the QC team gets a chance to investigate your logs.

    Mike
     
  13. Gonzolex

    Gonzolex Registered Member

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    Update

    I was investigating dump files and it looks like windows fails to start while trying to load rvsmon.sys. I can't be sure since I was looking at old dump files and it won't create new ones. but it always successfully loads the file before it and stops at rvsmon.sys so i assume rvsmon is the cause.




    EDIT Nevermind I don't think it is the source of the current boot problem. I still have no idea what happened initially .
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2011
  14. Coldmoon

    Coldmoon Returnil Moderator

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    I have updated the team on your new reply/report.
     
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