Vista/WinXP NTFS version problems

Hi all. In a previous thread: https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=164157, 'Lowtrawler' writes;
"Unfortunately DDS uses an older version of NTFS than Vista and so all disk changes made by DDS are likely to be incompatible with Vista. The most worrying thing though is that problems often don't manifest themselves straight away, it can take several days of use. Hence, you can make the disk changes, believe them to be successful and then lose your system a few days later. Quite simply, don't use DDS with Vista."

Well I partitioned and formatted exclusively to NTFS a new 320GB SATA II WD HD using DDS10 bld 2117 (current build), then installed Win XP Pro on C partition with swap file moved to D partition, user data on E partition and TI10 bld 4940 backup images on F partition. Planning to shortly install Vista Ultimate to the same C partition, not as dual-boot, but one-at-a-time via restoring from TI10 images of XP or Vista. Vista swap file planned to also be on D partition.

Some questions I need answered:

* How many partitions would need reformatting using Vista (or XP?) for this system to be stable against the 'Vista slow corruption' problem identified above?
* If D partition needs reformatting, would resorting to standard arrangement of swap file on C partition be advisable, or is a once-only reformat sufficient?
* Suppose I create an image backup of say Win XP on DDS10 formatted C partition using TI10, then restore it with TI10 to same partition in the mean time reformatted using Vista. Does restored XP image have Vista or DDS10 format version? I presume it's the latter but not sure.
* Is the problem one-way only - ie Win XP works fine on Vista formatted partitions?

Any answers will be most welcome.

 

Unless someone else on here has tried it, I think you need to direct your question towards Acronis support. In my case, I had Win XP installed on C with a D partition containing the swap and my main file storage. I created a new partition and installed Vista. I did this several times and failed before using Vista to format the new partition which was then successful. In this case, the C and D partitons were unharmed by Vista. I don't know the impact if you restore from an image to a Vista formatted partition.

 

Thanks for your input 'Lowtrawler', which unfortunately doesn't cover my situation. As suggested, have contacted Acronis Support - with a copy of this forum post. Will post here their response.

 

You should only have to reformat the C partition. In other words, just the partition you are installing Vista on. When I did this, I went ahead and had Vista Install delete the partition and recreate and format it, just in case.

I don't think the D (swap) partition should need to be reformatted. I have not had any problems with any XP formated NTFS partitons being used by Vista.

I think that TI will restore the format version in the image. The XP image will contain the XP formatted partition. The Vista image will contain the Vista formatted partition. I have restored Vista partitions with TI 10 (4940) without problems.

I have not tried installing XP on a Vista formatted partition so I don't know the answer. XP may say it needs to reformat if you tried to install on it or maybe it would work fine. Since the actual format is in the TI image that gets restored. I don't think you have to worry about it.
When restoring the XP/Vista images you'll need to restore the MBR also, as Vista boots differently.

 

Thanks for specific suggestions 'Mudcrab'. You have pretty well answered all the issues IF we can assume that Win XP Pro SP2 and DDS10.2117 apply an identical NTFS format (my fault for not pointing out the potential distinction). In the absence of definitive answer, I would tend to play safe and reformat all partitions using Vista. BTW I have asked Acronis how long before a bugfix version of DDS10 arrives - been 10 months since last update!
Seems to me Acronis is remiss in not immediately issuing an email alert to all registered users once a potentially serious and widespread bug is identified, such as this one.

 

I'm not sure that DD 10 (2,117) and XP do create the exact same NTFS format. On one computer, when I had formatted the partition with DD and installed XP Pro SP2, it wouldn't boot correctly. I installed again and let XP format the partition and it worked fine.

Post back if you have any problems with XP using Vista formatted partitions. I haven't tried that yet.

I agree that DD needs some updating, even if only to support Vista partitions. I don't think that they consider the Vista partition problem a bug since Vista is not a supported OS for DD.

 

Thanks again Mudcrab. Personally have not run into any issues with XP Pro running on current PC partitioned & formatted using DDS10, but on previous PC XP Pro, after several years of stable operation became increasingly prone to BSOD episodes, despite restoring from 'pristine' TI images. Never uncovered a hardware problem, and the comment of a system builder friend from years previous that systems restored using Ghost or similar (TI?) tend to be 'flaky' sort of nagged me in the background. Would hate to think instabilities could take not days but months or even years to manifest with repeated use of DDS OR TI. As there are other possible explanations I don't want to start a scare campaign, but just maybe there is a price to be payed for speedy image restores viz-a-viz traditional and slow file based backup/restore methods.

As I understand it, Vista being not supported by current DDS refers to running DDS under Vista. The problem is Acronis gives no indication that formatting partitions to NTFS using DDS under XP or as rescue CD will cause any problems - ie NTFS is NTFS and thats that.

Will indeed post back if problems appear 'early enough' when running XP on Vista formatted partition.