SSR 2013 SRD Backup Never Getting Next Button on Dell Precision T5600 with SAS RAID

[jrwalkeroh]

Attempting to backup a new Dell Precision T5600 with a SAS Raid controller configured for Raid 1 using the SRD for SSR 2013. The SRD boots, but after selecting Back Up My Computer, never get the Next button on the Back Up My Computer Wizard screen. It just sits there with the Next button greyed out. Tried with the 32-bit SRD and 64-bit SRD. Having the same issue using the SRD for Ghost 15.

Any help getting past this issue will be greatly appreciated.

[Andreas_Horlach]

It's possible that SSR cannot see the RAID 1. 

From the SSR interface, click on ANALYZE, then open a command prompt. Type DISKPART to open that tool.

In disk part, type LIST DISK to display the list of disks in the system. What you see is what SSR sees. (source: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc766465.aspx) 

If you do not see the disk manually load the RAID drivers using Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8 drivers. Using the Ghost 15 recovery disk, you would use Server 2008 or Vista drivers.

[jrwalkeroh]

I think you are correct.

When I open the command prompt from SSR and type DISKPART, it takes a long time to get the DISKPART> prompt. Then when I type LIST DISK the response is:

There are no fixed disks to show.

Where will I find the "RAID drivers using Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8 drivers" to manually load?

[jrwalkeroh]

I found on the Intel site what may be the driver. It is "Intel Rapid Storage Technology (Intel RST) RAID Driver" in a file to download named 'f6flpy-x64.zip'. Instructions say to install it with the F6 Installation Method, or create a slipstream version of the operating system.

Am I barking up the right tree?

How do I accomplish installing it into the SSR 2013 SRD that I am running stand-alone on the Dell T5600?

[jrwalkeroh]

I also found on the Dell site what may be the driver. I downloaded 'DRVR_SATA_Intel_A02-3RGXH_setup_ZPE.exe' to another computer. I mapped a drive to that computer from the T5600 while running SRD. When I try to run the exe from Dell I get the error:

The subsystem needed to support the image type is not present.

How do I get this driver loaded in the SRD?

[Andreas_Horlach]

If you're sure that is the correct driver, you'll need to extract the .ZIP to a USB drive. Inside, you should be able to locate a .INF file and other driver files, which is what the recovery disk is looking for to load. It is similar to loading a driver through the Device Manager in Windows. To verify it is the correct driver, you may want to go to the mftr website and match the model number of your computer.

Let us know how it goes.

[jrwalkeroh]

I appologize up front for not knowing exactly what to do to resolve this issue.

I'm surprised I am having trouble. Previously I had successfully used the SRD from Ghost 15 to perfrom stand-alone backups of previous models of Dell Precision computers such as 690, T7400, and T5500 all with Raid controllers and I did not need to have any additional drivers not already part of the SRD.

Now I am attempting to use the SRD from Ghost 15 to perform a stand-alone backup on a new (manufactured on 10/7/2013) Dell Precision T5600 and the SRD fails.

I am also attempting to use the SRD from SSR 2013, both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, to perform a stand-alone backup on the same new Dell Precision T5600 and the SRDs fail.

By the way, the Windows 7 Pro 32-bit OS installed on the Dell T5600 (installed by Dell) runs just fine.

Question 1: What is so different or new about the Dell Precision T5600 that all of the SRDs I have tried are not capable of preforming a stand-alone backup?

Question 2: What exactly am I to do perform a stand-alone backup of the Dell Precision T5600 using the SRD from SSR 2013?

I just purchased an upgrade from Ghost 15 to SSR 2013.

I tried copying the files that I think are the drivers from Intel to the root of a USB drive and inserted that USB drive into the Dell T5600 prior to booting the 64-bit SRD from SSR 2013 and still have the issue.

Question 3: Is this the correct channel to resolve this issue? Should I call Symantec Technical Support?

Thanks for all your help.

[Andreas_Horlach]

If you get stuck, then yes, please call support after you've looked through the user's guide. 

Question 1: What is so different or new about the Dell Precision T5600 that all of the SRDs I have tried are not capable of preforming a stand-alone backup?

Assuming you mean backing up from the SRD, it is because the drivers for your disk controller are not being found on the SSR 2013 SRD. To determine from within Windows if you will need to manually load a driver from the SRD, see the user's guide, page 40. Run the DRIVER VALIDATION TOOL by putting the SRD into the system while the operating system is up and running, and launch BROWSER.EXE from the disk. The driver validation tool will tell you which drivers in your system are not on the SRD that you will need to add. (Note, I located the Windows 8 drivers for your Storage Controller on the Dell web site. If you extract that driver using WinZip, you can see the iaStorS.inf located in \DRVR_SATA_Intel_A02-3RGXH_setup_ZPE\Drivers\SCU\x64. Assuming I grabbed the right driver, this would be the location of the .inf file I mentioned previously that you would browse to.)

Question 2: What exactly am I to do perform a stand-alone backup of the Dell Precision T5600 using the SRD from SSR 2013?

Follow the steps in your previous question to load the drivers for your disks, then a backup will occur. Is there a reason you are not installing SSR into Windows and running backups from within the operating system?

[jrwalkeroh]

BINGO!

Through trial and error using the DRIVER VALIDATION TOOL I was able to discover two missing drivers:

1) Intel C600 Series Chipset SATA AHCI Controller

2) Intel C600 Series Chipset SAS RAID (SATA mode)

I found those drivers in 'RSTe_f6_X5W2D_A02_ZPE.exe' on the Dell support website.

I generated a Custom SRD and now I am able to perform a stand-alone backup of the T5600.

Thank you for your help.

This leads me back to Question 1. Why are none of the SRDs I tried capable of performing a stand-alone backup of the T5600? Why do they not include the drivers needed for a T5600?

[Andreas_Horlach · Accepted solution]

This leads me back to Question 1. Why are none of the SRDs I tried capable of performing a stand-alone backup of the T5600? Why do they not include the drivers needed for a T5600?

The SRD is built on Microsoft WinPE 4.0, which is also what Windows 8 and Server 2012 is 'built' on. WinPE 4.0 contains quite a few drivers in the driver database folder on the SRD, but the Intel C600 either is not there, or the firmware version and/or particular model of your controller requires updated drivers. What you experienced is not uncommon, especially for newer hardware or very old hardware. Creating the custom SRD modifes the disk to contain the drivers.