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Windows 10? New software update for Symantec System Recovery 2013 Desktop Edition?

davep2344
Level 3

I am currently using Symantec System Recovery 2013 R2 with my Windows 8.1 based desktop PC.  I am planning on upgrading to Windows 10 on July 29, 2015 when Windows 10 is released.  I've been relying on Norton Ghost and SSR 2013 to do full system images for years.

Is Symantec currently working on software for Symantec System Recovery 2013 so that it will be compatible with Windows 10?  

Will Symantec be offering a FREE update patch to Symantec System Recovery 2013 that will make it compatible with Windows 10?  Will it be called Symantec System Recovery 2013 R3 or something else like Symantec System Recovery 2015?

I would like to see SSR 2013 tested and certified as compatible with Windows 10 as soon as possible.  I would prefer not to have switch to another vendor's system image backup software like Acronis.  Their website is saying that you can get a free software update for Windows 10 compatibility for Acronis True Image 2015.

385 REPLIES 385

criley
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited

That license key is for SSR 2013 - not for 2013 R2. This is why it does not work.

You may need to contact our Customer Support team to check if you are entitled to a free upgrade to R2:

https://support.symantec.com/en_US/contact-us.html

PS - probably not the best idea to post your license key in a public forum.

criley
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited

I suspect your license is for 2013, not 2013 R2. If you send me your license key via private message on these forums, I will check it for you.

monsieurms
Level 4

Sorry, can't wait any longer. Trial periods are over. Time to move on.

Eusie
Level 3

Hello Chris, I installed also version SSRD 2013R2 11.1.3.55088, with the latest License zip file but my license key still comes up as invalid? What can I do more? Thanks, Eusie

criley
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited

Send me a copy of your license via private message on these forums - I can then check and confirm it's a valid license for R2.

weff
Level 4

Resolution of apparent "slow" file & folders backup ... inherent in method = 20x slower !!

 

Just an update of my Windows 10 System backups vs File & folder backups

I performed a Windows 10 system drive backup - just the C: drive and associated boot areas and it worked as I had experienced previously - with 0 hr 23min backup time for 131GB result file.

I then performed a Files & Folders backup on a range of file areas representing main data areas and also music folder areas which were on another drive Size 362GB 21 hours 15 minutes

Had I only picked C drive folders then they would have just by themselves taken 7hrs or so.

So the file anf folders backups , relative to a sector by sector copy of system drive access is much slower and quite inefficient. That is to be expected - which I had not been due to backing up only a small;; number of file andfolder drives. Since I also have a weekly drive  to drive copy of changed files only (using  Vice versa to detect differencs (using CRC of files) between main file areas and copys of same) once the CRC comparison has completed it just copies the changed files from main to copy (& deleted theno lomger needed) there are at the end of the comparison stage just a small number of files needed to be copied over (or deleted from the master) for files removed.          

Still, both need to be performed - else you may miss file areas needing backup because the system drive backup doesn't backup the separate drives used for additional storage areas in the PC.

From the measurements file & Folder backups are 20x slower than System drive "smart" backup.  Since you may need both a Files & Folders backup (to ensure full files backup) as usually only System drive is backed up.

These were all Full backups - haven't yet explored "partials" as they can be quite treacherous if one of the partials goes missing - unless the partials are a complete set of differences since the last full backup so any one of them is sufficient to restore to older versions and then roll it forward. However, previous Partial method means only the file differences for this period only - so need to restore back to last full - then take the series of partials and restore each sequentially to get todays state. It minimizes amount of additional file space each backup - but with the expense of having to perform multiple sequential restores.

Geoff.

deeg60
Level 2

My trial period is about 30 day now, I'm curious if symantec is able to solve this problem in time, they already lossing a lot of custumers right now. I hope they wake up on time

Eusie
Level 3

Hello Chris (and the rest of the Symantec organization),

Can you please tell me if SSRD 2013R2 will work on Windows 10 Enterprise x64? I read a lot of stories of persons on this site who are not satisfied with SSRD 2013R2 on Windows 10; (license issue and the message: "This system does not meet the requirements for creation of the Symantec System Recovery Disk").

Please let me know before I will buy the latest version.

Thanks and Regards, Eusie

weff
Level 4

Hi Eusie,

I am not from Symantec - but I do run SSR 2013 R2 SP3 under Windows 10 x64 - and I have no license issues plus I am able to build an SRD without any issues - courtesy of cjm's "fix" for the licensing and my own "fix" to enable SRD creation plus fix a bug in SRD creation in Advanced Mode (needed by some PC's) that would otherwise cause the created SRD disk to fail at the EULA  on booting due to a missing dll.

Note that this happens only for some PC's and others are fine in Normal mode SRD creation (like my laptop with AMD graphics) whereas my main desktop (with Nvidia graphics) requires Advanced mode due to failing to create an SRD disk in normal mode with some errors that Advanced mode does not have. I don't know if it as simple as the type of Graphics card that defines whether you need normal or Advanced - but that is one significant difference between the desktop and the laptop - apart from one being a laptop and the other a desktop.

I came up with the SRD creation fixes as I wanted to have an uptodate SRD and didn't feel like waiting when I re-enabled the Creation Wizard in a few minutes  - then once I knew the issue with the Advanced SRD builds was a single missing dll I worked out how to have that dll always added to the SRD disk. Problem solved.

Of course these fixes are not supported by Symantec but then the next release of SSR 2013 R2 - SP4 is meant to include Windows 10 support. The fixes are earlier in this same thread - if you are able to support yourself until SP4 is released then it is worth continuing to use SSR 2013 R2. If you don't have an R2 license - then you'll need to assess whether you want to keep using the product as you will need to purchase at least a year's support for each PC that you want a current R2 license for.

By all accounts it is also around this time of year each year that the next Service Pack for SSR 2013 /R2  is released - if you look at the past release cycles that is.

So SP4 may be imminent - least I hope it is.

Hope this helps.

Regards

Geoff

Eusie
Level 3

Hi Geoff,

Thanks for your reaction, let's hope that SP4 solves all the issues for SSRD on Windows 10 x64.

I will wait for the release of this ServicePack before buying the latest version.

Regards, Eusie

DigiDave
Level 3

Symantec has announced Windows 10 support for SSR in December, 2015.

https://support.symantec.com/en_US/article.TECH231698.html

wini
Level 2
Anyone point me To how to fix recovery disk issue

SteveOC
Level 2

When I click on that link it says "There is no article"

SteveOC
Level 2

When I click on that link I get the "There is no article" error message

r4784
Level 3

Me too wini - maybe its coming when the "patch" arrives to make our software work with 10.

DigiDave
Level 3

aoxomoxoa
Level 3

My maintenance subscription SSR 2013 R2 ends in November this year, while I got this problem in August, when I migrated to Windows 10.

Can somebody assure me I will have access to the new service pack when it comes in december? (see https://support.symantec.com/en_US/article.TECH231698.html)

Thanks in advance.

Regards, Chiel

DigiDave
Level 3

I recommend you extend your maintenance agreement before it expires.  It is quick and inexpensive.  The reason I say this is that my experience in the past on several different Symantec products is that unless it is a minor upgrade within SSR 2013 R2 (which this may be), they will not give it to you after the support contract end date.  I found a problem with Symantec Encryption that they validated was a problem with a fully supported configuration.  They said it would be fixed with the next release.  They said I would need to upgrade to get a functioning product -- when it was eventually released.  I tossed the product and swore off Symantec for several years.  Now, I make sure I have a support contract for as long as I own Symantec products.  This takes care of these stupid issues, and my blood pressure remains low.  If you are going to continue to use the product, I recommend a support contract.

Symantec support is pretty good at problem escalation, and identifying the root problems. Getting the software changed in a timely manner, or even keeping up with major Windows versions and comaptibility is not a strong suite.  There is no forward thinking that Windows 10 may be coming out in 2015, and shouldn't someone at Symantec make sure Symantec software will continue to work after the release date?  This is just basic stuff, not rocket science.  Product managers should be fired if they can't do better with the basic planning of product compatibility.

aoxomoxoa
Level 3

 

@DigIDave,

thanks for your quick reply which is pretty helpful to me. This kind of thoughts brought in public are very rare, especially how you express your genuine feelings about it.

I do have some time to take a decision on this, but I tend to extend the maintenance, I want to keep my blood pressure also low. The one and only consideration I have now is: is Symantec serious in maintaining SSR 2013 (R2) for small business users or not. This concern is expressed earlier but did not come with a trustworthy response.

Regards, Chiel

weff
Level 4

A repeat of what I have posted previously - to assist those who would like SRD Creator Wizard Support under Windows 10 now ...

Fix to allow SRD Creator Wizard to be used under Windows 10

    1. Open a windows file explorer and navigate to the install directory
     (for me it was C:\Program Files\Symantec\Symantec System Recovery\Console )
    2. Right click on SRDCreator.exe and select properties
    3. Change to the Compatability tab
    4. Click "Change settings for all users"
    5. Check "Run this program in compatibility mode for:"
   6.  Change the compatibility mode drop down to "Windows 8"
    7. Click OK
    8. Click OK again to close the properties
    From there open the SRD Creator Wizard as per normal.

What I found though - for a laptop using Typical mode SRD creation the disk that that was created and booted afterwards had no issues at all.
For my main desktop (which has always needed Advanced mode SRD creation) Typical mode failed during disk creation with errors ECA3232B & ECA3232C. Using Advanced mode after the Windows ADK 8.1 was installed built the SRD disk ok - but when it was booted it was missing a file \Windows\system32\oledlg.dll and that dll needed it to be added in to the image file


Advanced Mode - Interim Solution to missing oledlg.dll in created SRD disks.


It is assumed that you have already modified the Compatibility Mode setting of SRDCreator.exe in C:\Program Files\Symantec\Symantec System Recovery\Console directory to be Windows 8 for all users so that SRDCreator works under Windows 10.
You will need Administrator rights to perform the following and OK each one.


1. Copy C:\Windows\system32\oledlg.dll to
C:\Program Files\Symantec\Symantec System Recovery\RecoveryDisk\SreModule\V2iModule\win64-x64\Files\Windows\system32


2. Copy C:\Windows\SysWOW64\oledlg.dll to
C:\Program Files\Symantec\Symantec System Recovery\RecoveryDisk\SreModule\V2iModule\win32\Files\Windows\system32


Once this change is made future SRD disks produced in Advanced mode should always include the appropriate oledlg.dll in \Windows\system32 -with a 32-bit version for 32-bit systems and the 64-bit version for 64-bit systems.. I have tested that the oledlg.dll is written to the system image BOOT.WIM from the skeleton files and that the disk boots successfully through the EULA on a 64-bit system only.


This workaround should also work for 32-bit SRD disk creations - but has not yet been verified.


This is an interim solution only as once Symantec is able to correct the underlying problem then oledlg.dll should be added automatically in both tyoical and Advanced SRD Mode creation.