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Issue on restore when using USB media but no issue if using DVD

brandon_nguyen
Level 3

We've bought SYMC SYSTEM RECOVERY DESKTOP 2013 and having issue to restore using USB media but have no issue if using DVD. We're trying to backup/restore Windows 7 image.

We've already tried to restore using couple different approach as follows:

Backup created by USB media - Restore using USB media -> No work

Backup created by DVD media - Restore using USB media -> No work

Backup created by USB media - Restore using DVD media -> No work

Backup created by DVD media - Restore using DVD media -> Worked

Is there a way to make USB media work for both Backup / Restore?

If you need any more information, please post here.

If I post this in wrong forums, please move it to approriate one and inform me.

Thank in advance ;)

18 REPLIES 18

lmosla
Level 6

Did you go through the procedure as described here?  http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO56024

brandon_nguyen
Level 3

Yes, we did. We have another person to make the USB media independently and we still face same issue.

Markus_Koestler
Moderator
Moderator
   VIP   

Can you open a support call for this issue?

brandon_nguyen
Level 3

We'd like to get support on this issue but rather on email and/or message through this forums since we don't work on this project alone.

Please, advise how we can proceed to get support. Thank you.

criley
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited

We can try and help you via these forums. However, some issues are too complex and will require a formal support case so the issue can be investigated in more detail. Just be aware of this..

Your original post said 'no work' - what exactly do you mean by this? We require a more detailed explanation of what you tried and what did not work, errors seen etc.

brandon_nguyen
Level 3

Using the combination that I've provided above, after restored from Backup image done, "No boot..." is the only words that shows on the black screen, but when we checked the hard drive and compared with the hard drive that works, all partitions are there with correct size in both occupied and free space but not sure why it can not boot. On the other hand, when using DVD to backup and restore on the same system, same hard drive, same OS and settings..., the system boots up without any issue.

criley
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited

Are you doing backups via the SRD (recovery disk)? Regardless of DVD/USB used, I just want to clarify this point ....

brandon_nguyen
Level 3

Yes, we're tried this Sym_System_Recovery_2013_11.0.2.49853_English_Recovery_Disk and even this Sym_System_Recovery_2013_11.0.2.49853_Multilingual_Recovery_Disk

criley
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited

Is there a specific reason why you are doing backups this way? Any reason why you cannot use the installed version of SSR for backups?

brandon_nguyen
Level 3

First, it's embedded system so only specific program(s) are installed and no extra software is allowed. Second, while we're working on to achive the final image, we always make a backup after each change, no matter it's little or big change and it's much easier to add/replace the iterative backups to the same USB media instead keep making new DVD media for each backup.

criley
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited

First point; I get. You are saying that you don't want (or cannot) install SSR in Windows. Right?

Not sure I get your second point though.

brandon_nguyen
Level 3

I understand and appreciate that you're trying to gather all important information in order to troubleshoot this issue and our issue is that we cannot successfully use USB media to backup/restore Windows 7. After restore process done, it display exactly 2 words "Boot error" on the back screen.

The second point is related to the first point. Since we can't install SSR directly on the system, it doesn't make sense to keep the SRD on a DVD and the backup image(s) on another media instead keeping both of them in the same USB media.

criley
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited

The error you are seeing suggests that the relevant boot partition has either not been restored or was not set as active during the restore.

For Windows 7, the System Reserved partition is typically the boot partition.

Some background info:

With SSR, there are 2 backup methods: hot and cold. A hot backup is done using the installed version of SSR inside Windows (with the OS running). A cold backup is done using the recovery disk with the OS shutdown.

When you restore from a hot backup, you can select the system index file (.sv2i). What this does is, by default, restore everything that was backed up and layout the partitions in the exact same way, including marking the relevant partition as active.

Cold backups do NOT create the system index file so restores are not quite so straightforward. You have to select each partition individually for restore, marking the boot partition as active.

My guess is that you have not set the system reserved partition as active which is causing the boot failure after restore. Hope above info helps in some way ....

brandon_nguyen
Level 3

Thank you, Chris. However, I posted the wrong error message from different system which is not related to the issue with SRD. I apology for that mistake.

After sysprep the system, we backup the image and use this backup image to restore to another blank drive in the same system. After sysprep, if you turn on the system, the system will goes through the initialization process once, and if using DVD/DVD SRD to backup/restore, the system goes through the initialization process without any issue; however, if using any other combination, the system fails to finish the initialization process with the error that cannot apply all the (system) settings. If you need detail error message, let me know and I will try to re-produce the issue and post the detail error message.

When making the backup image, we backup the whole drive and get the following files:

Local Disk_C_Drive.v2i

Local Disk_C_Drive_s01.v2i

Local Disk_C_Drive_s02.v2i

Local Disk0-1_Drive.v2i

When restoring, we run Local Disk0-1_Drive.v2i first, and after its process finished, we run Local Disk_C_Drive.v2i, which auto picks up s01 and s02, to finish the whole recovery process. And yes, we did get into detail to mark the partition as active while performing the restore processes.

As mentioned, we did everything the same on any combination but not sure why it only work with DVD/DVD combination and fail on any other combination.

criley
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited

Local Disk0-1_Drive.v2i - so this sounds like the system reserved partition to me. This is the one that should be marked as active during the restore.

It really should not make any difference if you are using DVD or USB media for the recovery disk so I do not understand why you are seeing different results. I think it may be time to open a support case so the issue can be looked at in more detail.

brandon_nguyen
Level 3

Yes, you're right. Local Disk0-1_Drive.v2i is the system reserved partition and marked as active during the restore as mentioned in previous message.

I'm not sure how the issue can be looked at in more detail?? Can you list what steps they would be?

 

criley
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited

A support case would provide more focus on the issue. The engineer can look at the specifics of your environment and the exact steps you are using.

Analysis of the debug logs (which are encrypted) may also be necessary.

These things are not easy to do via the format of these forums.
 

brandon_nguyen
Level 3

Please, note that our systems and system images are customized to meet our customers' requirements and contain confidential that can't be shared; i.e. we can share what the error we've got or how we perform backup/restore even step by step but we cannot share what in the system or what settings or software in the image including the log file... Since the system can be backed up / restored successful with DVD/DVD combination, we're sure the error is not related to our system or image.

Here are step by step we build the SRD media:
1. Install Sym_System_Recovery_2013_11.0.2.49853_Multilingual_Product on a Windows 64bit work station
2. Use SSR11.0.2.49853_AllWin_64bit_English_SrdOnly.iso to build 64bit SRD USB media and 64bit DVD media
3. Install Sym_System_Recovery_2013_11.0.2.49853_Multilingual_Product on a Windows 32bit work station
4. Use SSR11.0.2.49853_AllWin_English_SrdOnly.iso to build 32bit SRD USB media and 32bit DVD media
5. Use these 64bit and 32bit SRD media to backup the system image and restore the image onto a (same size) blank drive in the same system. Only DVD/DVD combination are successful and all other combinations are fail.

6. During the initialization process, we got the error that the settings can be applied and (even) after hot/cold restart, we still get the same error message and the system is not able to get to Windows OOBE (Out Of Box Experience).