tbiview doesn't read all .tbi files

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temp51423
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2012 12:57 am

tbiview doesn't read all .tbi files

Post by temp51423 »

Which imagel options prevent tbiview from reading the .tbi file created?
(tbimount seems to have the same problem)
TeraByte Support(TP)
Posts: 305
Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2011 4:22 pm

Re: tbiview doesn't read all .tbi files

Post by TeraByte Support(TP) »

None that come to mind right now, but more information would help.

What type of partition was it, and what was error message from TBIView when you tried to open it?

Also, where did you run TBIView from, Windows or Linux?

Just some info we can use to try to duplicate what you're seeing...
temp51423
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2012 12:57 am

Re: tbiview doesn't read all .tbi files

Post by temp51423 »

The partition is WindowsXP NTFS in a .vmdk from vmware workstation 7.

tbiview error: Unable to mount the image. Common reasons: dirty file system, incorrect partition file system identifier, unsupported file system, or an error occurred.

Ran tbiview on Linux and Windows. tbimount just hangs a Windows XP system - had to reboot.

imagel command not viewable:
imagel --b "-v0:/mnt/data/vmware/Virtual Machines/WindowsXPPro/WindowsXPPro.vmdk" --d:v0 --f:/mnt/images/20120226 --raw --skp:0 --skh:0 --comp:1

This imagel command is viewable:
imagel --b "-v0:/mnt/data/vmware/Virtual Machines/WindowsXPPro/WindowsXPPro.vmdk" --d:v0 --f:/mnt/images/20120226_ok --comp:1
TeraByte Support(TP)
Posts: 305
Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2011 4:22 pm

Re: tbiview doesn't read all .tbi files

Post by TeraByte Support(TP) »

That would be because you used the --raw option (backup unused sectors), which does a sector by sector backup of the entire drive. When you do that, it treats the entire drive as a single device (ignores partitions), and so TBIView won't be able to access it.

See page 84 of the IFL manual, and the explanation of the --raw option.

Also, when you go to restore it, you'll see that IFL (or IFW or IFD) won't show any partitions inside that image - just the entire drive.

Edit: Just to clarify, the above is only true when using the --raw option (backup unused sectors) to image an entire drive. If you use that option on individual partitions, then you'd be able to access the image from TbIView and TBImount
temp51423
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2012 12:57 am

Re: tbiview doesn't read all .tbi files

Post by temp51423 »

I read pg 84 because I was hoping imagel would create a sector by sector copy of the the entire drive - it doesn't, appears to add stuff besides the sector data.

The partition info is in the file, so it's ignoring it.

Still don't understand why tbiview can't read these - so there are unused sectors in the file, just ignore them.
TeraByte Support
Posts: 3598
Joined: Thu May 05, 2011 10:37 pm

Re: tbiview doesn't read all .tbi files

Post by TeraByte Support »

entire drive - unused sectors is a special mode (raw) of the physical drive,
there is no information (meta data) about the partitions in the backup file
(that mode is special when you don't want to know anything about the drive
layout).

"temp51423" wrote in message news:1563@public.image...

I read pg 84 because I was hoping imagel would create a sector by sector
copy of the the entire drive - it doesn't, appears to add stuff besides the
sector data.

The partition info is in the file, so it's ignoring it.

Still don't understand why tbiview can't read these - so there are unused
sectors in the file, just ignore them.

temp51423
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2012 12:57 am

Re: tbiview doesn't read all .tbi files

Post by temp51423 »

I'm sorry there has to be - otherwise when you restored the backup to a drive it wouldn't work (ie. boot)! It's sector by sector starting at sector 0 thru all sectors on the drive, that means the partition table is in the file.
Right?
TeraByte Support
Posts: 3598
Joined: Thu May 05, 2011 10:37 pm

Re: tbiview doesn't read all .tbi files

Post by TeraByte Support »

that's why I mentioned "meta data" and it being special for not wanting to
know details (such as backing up hd's that don't use standard partitioning).
If you backup multi-partition raw, then each partition is backed up sector
by sector and would be available.

"temp51423" wrote in message news:1566@public.image...

I'm sorry there has to be - otherwise when you restored the backup to a
drive it wouldn't work (ie. boot)! It's sector by sector starting at sector
0 thru all sectors on the drive, that means the partition table is in the
file.
Right?

TeraByte Support
Posts: 3598
Joined: Thu May 05, 2011 10:37 pm

Re: tbiview doesn't read all .tbi files

Post by TeraByte Support »

.... means all partitions checked but not the entire drive one.

"TeraByte Support" wrote in message news:1567@public.image...

that's why I mentioned "meta data" and it being special for not wanting to
know details (such as backing up hd's that don't use standard partitioning).
If you backup multi-partition raw, then each partition is backed up sector
by sector and would be available.

"temp51423" wrote in message news:1566@public.image...

I'm sorry there has to be - otherwise when you restored the backup to a
drive it wouldn't work (ie. boot)! It's sector by sector starting at sector
0 thru all sectors on the drive, that means the partition table is in the
file.
Right?

temp51423
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2012 12:57 am

Re: tbiview doesn't read all .tbi files

Post by temp51423 »

Not sure what "meta data" means - are you talking about the data imagel adds when it writes the .tbi?

--raw means it backs up unsed sectors right? That has nothing to do with whether a drive has one or multiple partions.

"means all partitions checked but not the entire drive one." - do you mean the master boot record?
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