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SSR 2013 UEFI Boot from USB Issues - HP Elitepad 900 & Fujitsu Q550

Orson100
Level 3

Hi,

I have recently installed and activated SSR 2013 as an upgrade from Ghost 15 due to the fact that I have a requirement to create a cold USB backup/restore process for UEFI-based computers which SSR 2013 purportedly supports.

I have been trialling with 2 x Tablets:

1. Fujitsu Q550 - 64-Bit Windows 8 Pro

2. HP Elitepad 900 G1 - 32-Bit Windows 8 Pro

Following the rather straight-forward USB SRD creation process for SSR 2013 I have created USB SRDs using both the 64-bit and the 32-bit recovery ISO files for the Fuji and HP respectively.

However, neither tablet is Booting into the SSR environment when the relevant USB flash is inserted and the "Boot from EFI USB Device" option is selected in the tablet's Advanced Startup options. 

The "System doesn't have any USB option..." message is displayed in both cases following the restart.

I have also tried connecting the 32-bit SRD to the 64-bit platform and vice versa, no joy.

Also, I have applied latest firmware and OS updates to both tablets and and am reasonably confident, especially given the fact that both Tablets are presenting the same 'failure mode', that I am not dealing with a failure to correctly invoke / configure / patch each Tablets' boot process in some manner that is causing the Tablets to bypass its USB boot instruction.

Some notes on the USB Flash drives:

a) I have been working with 3 x discrete physical flash drives to date, same result with all three, I don't believe there is any incompatibility or problems with the USB flash hardware.

b) These USB SRDs succeed in booting to the recovery environment when connected to legacy BIOS devices.

c) All USB flash drives are formatted FAT32 as required.

I created a Symantec support ticket last week but no useful advice has been forthcoming from that direction to date and just thought I would bounce this off to the community in case anybody is experiencing similar issues (or indeed has had some success) with SSR 2013's UEFI USB SRD creation and may perhaps be in a position to offer some insight into my current problem; perhaps the USB keys require some further prep or partioning that the SSR 2013 process is failing to undertake?

TIA

Orson.

 

16 REPLIES 16

Orson100
Level 3

Update:

On the USB SSRD, I have found that if I move the entire folder \ssr\efi to the root of the flash drive, then I am presented with a USB Hard Drive option on restart of the HP Elitepad.

However, when I select USB Hard Drive option, I am presented with a screen stating your PC Needs to be Repaired Error Code: 0xc000000f. etc etc

Despite the limited progress, it is progress nonetheless and while I'm no expert, it does suggest to me that the SRD 2013 USB SRD creation process for UEFI-based devices is flawed in its failure to place certain required files/folders in correct locations so that UEFI devices view the USB drive as bootable for starters.

This also confirms the following:

1. There is nothing up with Boot from USB Hard Drive option on the Tablets or with the process by which I am invoking this boot option.

2. The USB flash drives that I am using are compatible with UEFI boot process. (Using the HP Elitepad proprietary "Create Recovery USB Recovery Disk" process, I have created and confirmed successful USB Boot/W8 restore on 2 x of the flash drives by this method)

So all pointers as far as I can see are to some flaw with the SSR2013 UEFI (USB?) SRD creation.

Orson.

 

 

Orson100
Level 3

Update:

I have located the following on the USB SRD: /SSR/DOCS/ReadMe.htm

In there the following statement appears

  • You cannot boot a UEFI-based computer using a custom Symantec System Recovery Disk (SRD) on a USB device. To boot a UEFI-based computer, you must use your SRD DVD or a custom SRD on a CD/DVD.

I am not at all sure how I missed this online but I see that it is here also: 

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH200293 (Updated 2013-02-26). 

My primary reference source to date has been the 2013-08-28 version of the User Guide which, despite containing a new Chapter titled "About recovering a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)-based computer", contains absolutely no reference whatsoever to this critical and entirely unexpected restriction that is apparently a known issue since at least 2013-02-26 and possibly earlier:

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=DOC6256

It is also inexplicable why Symantec Support (with whom I have had several information-gathering conversations on this issue to date ) have to date failed to confirm this basic restriction on UEFI-based USB SRD creation if it is indeed still a valid one. I guess I'd better go and ask them.
 
Very Frustrated Symantec Customer.

 

Orson100
Level 3

I seem to be ploughing a lonely furrow here but I will persevere.

Symantec support has confirmed (following several email exchanges, two lengthy conversations and a week after ticket was raised) that their TECH200293 still holds and SRD on a USB flash drive will not boot a UEFI-based system.

They advised me to create a 64-BIT SRD on DVD and that this should work.

Unfortunately it does not, any help anybody ???

Here is my latest update to Symantec Support:

"I have created a 64-bit SSRD on DVD and have verified that this DVD boots into the recovery environment when used with a Fujitsu T5010 Laptop running XP (Legacy BIOS MBR etc)

So the disk is fine insofar as it is bootable and 64-bit SRD ISO contents have been written correctly.

However, this DVD SRD is still failing to be recognised as a valid boot option when connected to the HP ElitePad 900 G1 and boot from "EFI DVD/CDROM" option is selected.

I have tried 2 x DVD drives to date:

1. IBM USB Portable CD-ROM Drive Part No. 00N8239 (Manufactured Oct 2005)

2. LG External Super Multi DVD Rewriter Model No. GSA-E40L (Manufactured April 2007)

Please note that when connected to the HP Elitepad 900 when running Windows 8, both of these drives are recognised by W8 and SSRD contents explorable in file explorer.

In summary, I appear to be experiencing the same boot device non-recognition with the USB DVD/CD drive as I did with the USB Flash Device.

For the record, I have also tried the 32-bit SRD DVD with no success.

Has anybody in Symantec tested and verified that a USB-connected DVD drive containing a DVD SSRD will actually boot the HP ElitePad 900 into the recovery environment yet?

Can you offer any advice / troubleshooting tips at this time please?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andreas_Horlach
Level 6
Employee Accredited

The SSR 2013 SRD is based on WinPE 4.0, which is essentially the same as booting a Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012 installation DVD. If you have access to either, I suspect you'll encounter the same boot problems. If may be worth opening an incident with HP to determine how to accomplish this. (A quick Google search reveals that booting problems with HP ElitePad 900 to an external device is a somewhat common issue.)

Dave_H1
Level 4

I hate suggesting things I have not personally tried myself and I don't know if I have any free time this weekend.

But if your board, you may want to look at this.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/15458-uefi-bootable-usb-flash-drive-create-windows.html

Look at section 2, how to maunally make the flash drive and subsitute the SSR 64 bit recovery disk for the Windows installation disk.

You will see the correct place to put the EFI\Boot folder (It's already in the right place) you will also see that there is a file that needs to be extracted from the Sources\boot.wim file and renamed and added to the EFI\Boot folder.

I'll try it myself when I get a chance but it may be a while.  I also don't think Symantec is to blame because when uEFI boot came out most people didn't think it was possible from a flash drive.

Another option would be to ask Fuji how they installed or imaged the darn things.

Best of Luck,

Dave

Dave_H1
Level 4

I was so curious I had to try it now.

But I'm not sure if it will be any help to you.  I'm able to boot a flash drive into what appears to be a efi boot with both the modified and un-modified 64bit recovery disk.

However my motherboad recognizes the flash drive right away as UEFI bootable and gives me 2 options on how to boot it (Just like the recovery disk on a DVD).  The only reason I say it "appears to be in a efi boot" is because I don't have an operating system installed as UEFI on GPT partitions at the moment to verify it.

Sorry,

Dave

Orson100
Level 3

Hi Dave_H,

Thanks for taking the time to review and experiment but I've spent a lot of time on this to date and in relation to _USB_ SRD creation in particular, at this current point I am inclined to move on and run with Symantec's advice that this is not possible (surely they are in the best position to advise?), although would be very interesting to see if your modded USB stick with SSRD contents will boot a EFI/GPT platform.

However, given that the _DVD_ 64 bit SRD that Symantec said should work, but is not working either, this suggests that that there may be another issue at work here, top of the list being some problem with the HP device (as a plural entity, I have tried several). This seems to be somewhat supported by the lengthy threads on E/Pad boot issues that Andy H mentions.

I don't have the 64-bit Fujitsu Q550 to hand at the moment but I intend to try this with the 64BIT _DVD_ SSRD on monday and if this works, then again fingers will remain pointing towards HP device.

Andy H,.

Thanks for looking, yes good idea, I'll try get my hands on a W8 installation DVD and see if there's any joy with that and the HP Elitepad, that would at least tend to rule out a HP boot issue or problem with my DVD drives if successful.

BTW, Symantec support has bounced the issue of the _DVD_ SSRD not working with the Elitepad up to their development teams for their input. 

Will update with new information, and hopefully a resolution, in due course.

Thanks

Orson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andreas_Horlach
Level 6
Employee Accredited

Also keep in mind the SSR 2013 compatability guide. Windows 8 RT (Windows 8 for Tablets) has not been qualified for tablets as of yet. You mentioned that you have an open case with this issue? Whatever the result of the case closure, you can have the techn pass the information about this case on to the engineering team as evidence for the need to support in forthcoming releases. 

Dave_H is correct - the lack of of bootable USB on the uEFI system has to do with the OS's GPT partition structure. A request has been made to include this in a future release. With the WinPE licensing changes Microsoft has implemented, I am not sure how this is all going to play out. 

Andreas_Horlach
Level 6
Employee Accredited

Here's a link to that guide: http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH201318

Orson100
Level 3

Cheers for that link Andy,

Ref the absence of Windows 8 RT from the compatiblity list, I have to concede that I just jumped right in and purchased SSR2013 after inferring compatibilty with any Windows 8 platform based on the headline claims in the invitation to Ghost users to upgrade in order to boot uEFI-based systems. You could spend all day reading small print I'm sure you'll agree.

As mentioned, I'll check the SSR2013 SSRD DVD with the Fuji Q550 on monday and that outcome should inform the direction to be taken from there...

Rgds

Orson.

Orson100
Level 3

Text of my latest update to Symantec Support:

" I can confirm that using the LG USB Portable Drive and the 64bit DVD SSRD, I have successfully booted the 64-BIT Fujitsu Q550 into the recovery environment.So looks increasing like a compatibility issue with the HP Elitepad, possibly related to the fact that is a 32-bit OS."

Also BTW Andy_H, the HP Elitepad is not Windows 8 RT, it's Windows 8 Pro so in theory there should be no compatibility issue with SSR2013. (RT has not really caught on and only launched on a handful of tablets it seems).

My ticket with Symantec Support was assigned a POA (plan of action) on friday so hopefully will see some movement on this during the week.

Rgds

Orson.

Orson100
Level 3

Just a closer to advise that Symantec support has now definitively confirmed a compatibility issue between SSR2013 and HP Elitepad 900 G1. They are unable to provide a timescale to resolution save to say that testing is continuing and it is their hope that the issue will be addressed in the form of a scheduled product update in due course.

Orson.

 

 

 

 

 

Andreas_Horlach
Level 6
Employee Accredited

The compatability is likely due to the operating system on the tablet, and not the tablet model itself. It's clear that there are boot issues with this model which we all hope HP can iron out, but until Windows 8 for tablets is added to the above SCL link, the model of tablet is a moot point. 

Haldeman
Not applicable

HP was no help for me either.

They suggested using the windows automated installation kit. Which from what I can see, doesn't support windows 8. only up to Vista.

If you guys come up with something, please let me know.

thank you

 

Andreas_Horlach
Level 6
Employee Accredited

You can try to use SSR 2011 to make a bootable USB. That does not have the same uEFI limitation as SSR 2013. If that is of interest to you, send me a PM.

SymUserIK
Level 2

For tablet HP ElitePad 900 G1:

 

1) Download drivers from HP

a) RealTek Media Card Reader Driver

b) HP Client WinPE 4.0 x86 and x64 Driver Pack

 

2) Create Custom SRD ISO image with x32 drivers from 1) a) and b)

 

3) Download Rufus (© 2011-2013 Pete Batard/Akeo)

a) Insert USB Flash drive (into computer) and run Rufus

b) Especially select: Flash drive, Partiton scheme "MBR partition scheme for UEFI computer", File System "FAT32", Quick Format, Create bootable disk using Custom SRD ISO

c) click Start

 

4) In ElitePad 900 Win 8 desktop UEFI BIOS config utility allow booting from USB and turn off the tablet.

 

5) a) Connect USB Flash drive (I recommend to use powered USB hub to connect mouse and keyboard)

b) Hold down "volume down key" (back side, on left) while turning on the tablet

c) In Startup Menu select F9 Boot Options > Enter > in submenu select USB driver > Enter

d) Done

 

Important Note: It is not possible to perform Backup or Recovery of MMC SSD drive, because the drive is not visible in the Backup and Recovery menu, although it's visible in File Explorer window, partititon manager, ...

Any idea?