Backup Hidden System Drives

[KevS]

Hello,

When backing up a Windows Server 2008 R2 machine in System Recovery 2011 does the 'Show Hidden Drives' box need to be ticked and the hidden drives (System & Recovery) selected?

Some of our servers do not seem to have this selected yet can be restored whereas some others do seem to have the hidden drives selected.

Please advise.......

[Markus_Koestler]

If you want to do a desaster recovery you'd need to include the hidden volume.

[KevS]

Hello,

Thanks for your reply. Could you expand on your answer please, I need to try and find out why some WS2008 R2 servers can be fully restored without the hidden drives being included in the backup and some cant.

Is there any documentation guidence from Symantec on this topic?

Many Thanks

[Markus_Koestler]

Are you aware of the users guide -> http://www.symantec.com/docs/DOC3911

[KevS]

I have looked at the users guide, doesnt really say a great deal regarding the hidden drives on Win 7 and WS 2008.

[Markus_Koestler]

So have you included the hidden drives in the backup jobs yet ?

[KevS]

I have them included on some servers but not on others.

The main question is why these servers with the hidden drives not included in the backup can still be fully recovered from the SRD?

I have no problem ameding these backups to include the hidden drives just was trying to understdand how the restore process still works when they have not been included?

[criley · Accepted solution]

Do all your servers actually have the system reserved partition? It depends on how they were originally built.

From http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH125582:

Although creating the 100 meg System Reserved partition is the default install behavior of Windows 2008 R2, it is possible to architect an install which omits the 100 meg System Reserved partition by manually partitioning and naming the C:\ volume prior to installing Windows 2008 R2 from DVD.  Some automated build environments can cause a Windows 2008 R2 OS to have only a single partition as well.

When the unnamed 100 meg System Reserved partition does not exist, the Windows 2008 R2 installation places the boot files onto the C:\ drive into a hidden folder called 'boot'.

[KevS]

Yes they all have the system reserved partition as they were all built from the same WDS image.

So am I right in thinking that if not included in the backup. SSR 2011 (or WS 2008R2) will automatically place the boot files onto the c drive as described below?

'When the unnamed 100 meg System Reserved partition does not exist, the Windows 2008 R2 installation places the boot files onto the C:\ drive into a hidden folder called 'boot'.'