Windows 7 hangs Drive numbers change

[drdarell]

I've been using BING and now BIBM for a very long time and just recently ran across this issue. I copied my windows partition and then I did a windows 7 update. Later that day I had problems with my system running slow and then it hung up and I had to power off my machine. I had to use my USB boot disk to get BIBM back up and running but all seemed ok after that. I had issues again on the 22nd, this time when I tried to reboot I got a message about the boot partition was missing. Turns out HD #1 where I was booting from was now listed as HD#3. I had BIOS selected but looked at BIOS Direct and then USB and USB hung me up so I powered off the machine and when it came back all my 5 HD's were in the correct positions!. I fixed my boot menu and I was working fine until today. The machine was running fine and just stopped working, my mouse moved but the machine was basically locked up. I powered down and when I came back up my drives were changed again. (Still using the BIOS setting.) I rebooted and checked my BIOS and that was set the same as what I was now seeing in BIBM. I changed my boot config to match this new drive layout and I'm back up and running. I thought I would see if anyone has any ideas about what is happening.

Thanks for the help!

[TeraByte Support]

for one, check your drives with the drive manufactures surface check (or
something like spinrite). Check your power supply and fans.

As far as BIOS drive ordering, the BIOS is typically consistent if the
number of drives stay the same. The USB drive attached may throw it off if
USB legacy support for disks is enabled.


"drdarell" wrote in message news:17392@public.bootitbm...

I've been using BING and now BIBM for a very long time and just recently ran
across this issue. I copied my windows partition and then I did a windows 7
update. Later that day I had problems with my system running slow and then
it hung up and I had to power off my machine. I had to use my USB boot disk
to get BIBM back up and running but all seemed ok after that. I had issues
again on the 22nd, this time when I tried to reboot I got a message about
the boot partition was missing. Turns out HD #1 where I was booting from
was now listed as HD#3. I had BIOS selected but looked at BIOS Direct and
then USB and USB hung me up so I powered off the machine and when it came
back all my 5 HD's were in the correct positions!. I fixed my boot menu and
I was working fine until today. The machine was running fine and just
stopped working, my mouse moved but the machine was basically locked up. I
powered down and when I came back up my drives were changed again. (Still
using the BIOS setting.) I rebooted and checked my BIOS and that was set
the same as what I was now seeing in BIBM. I changed my boot config to
match this new drive layout and I'm back up and running. I thought I would
see if anyone has any ideas about what is happening.

Thanks for the help!

[TeraByte Support(PP)]

Have you tried using the "Use Boot Item Disk IDs" option in BIBM settings? It attempts to adjust for drive order changes.

[CyberSimian]

TeraByte Support(PP) wrote:
> Have you tried using the "Use Boot Item Disk IDs" option in BIBM
> settings? It attempts to adjust for drive order changes.

I just wanted to report that this option solves a similar problem for me.

I am currently building a new PC using an Asus Z270E motherboard with an Intel Skylake processor, booting Windows 7 in legacy mode, with the following disks:

(1) 512GB 2.5inch SATA SSD as the boot drive
(2) 512GB NVMe SSD as a work drive
(3) 2TB HDD as a data drive

BIBM installs fine on the 2.5inch SATA SSD, but is unable to operate the NVMe SSD. Attempts to create partitions on the NVMe SSD usually result in write failures and the dreaded "errors exist" notification. The disk can still be used from Windows, but you need to perform all operations on the disk using Windows, not BIBM (so the disk has to be MBR or GPT; it cannot be EMBR). But a further complication arises...

The disk order changes unpredictably. The 2.5inch SATA SSD is the boot disk, and is always first, but the NVMe SSD and the HDD swap locations for no apparent reason. Because the HDD is an EMBR disk, BIBM omits the partitions defined for that disk in the boot item when the disk order changes, resulting in the HDD being inaccessible from Windows.

The "Use Boot Item Disk IDs" setting solves this problem.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

[CyberSimian]

CyberSimian wrote:
> BIBM installs fine on the 2.5inch SATA SSD, but is unable to operate the NVMe SSD.
> Attempts to create partitions on the NVMe SSD usually result in write failures and
> the dreaded "errors exist" notification. The disk can still be used from
> Windows, but you need to perform all operations on the disk using Windows.

I need to correct my earlier statement, so as not to perpetuate incorrect information. I now believe that the NVMe disk that BIBM was unable to operate is in fact faulty, as Windows cannot operate it either. When I completed the Windows installation, and assigned a drive letter to the NVMe disk, there was a very long wait during shutdown. On subsequent boot, the Windows Event Log showed numerous write errors relating to the NVMe disk during the previous shutdown. Even though I had not actually used the NVMe disk, Windows wanted to write the journal file to the disk on shutdown, and this was failing repeatedly.

I happened to have a second NVMe disk available, so I removed the faulty disk and installed this second disk, and I can report that both BIBM and Windows can operate it without problem. The only quirk is that both BIBM and CrystalDiskInfo show it as a SATA disk, even though the paper label on the disk shows it as NVMe, and I installed it in an NVMe-only slot in the Asus motherboard. Very puzzling, but perhaps this is normal for NVMe disks.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

[Brian K]

CyberSimian wrote:
The only quirk is that both BIBM and CrystalDiskInfo show it as
> a SATA disk, even though the paper label on the disk shows it as NVMe, and I
> installed it in an NVMe-only slot in the Asus motherboard. Very puzzling, but
> perhaps this is normal for NVMe disks.
>


CyberSimian,

CrystalDiskInfo shows mine as..

Interface NVM Express
Transfer Mode PCIe x4 | PCIe 3.0 x4
Standard NVM Express 1.3

BIU shows NVMe

I think you have to use UEFI to get PCIe performance.

[CyberSimian]

Brian K wrote:
> I think you have to use UEFI to get PCIe performance.

Thank you for reporting what CrystalDiskInfo shows for your UEFI setup. Yes, my setup is legacy (MBR), so I guess that explains the difference! I was not aware that this would happen, so this is new learning for me.

I use legacy because I like the flexibility that BIBM gives me with regard to booting multiple operating systems. I anticipate continuing to use legacy until I need to replace my current relatively-new systems, but that won't be for at least 10 years. (I am posting this from a 15-year old Sony Vaio laptop that is still running Windows XP!)

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

[Brian K]

CyberSimian wrote:
>
> I use legacy because I like the flexibility that BIBM gives me with regard to booting
> multiple operating systems.

BIU can do everything that BIBM does with regard to booting multiple operating systems. I have BIU and BIBM computers sitting in front of me now, each multi-booting around 20 OS.The UEFI computer has two Samsung M.2 NVMe SSDs. One for OS and the other for images. It can restore a metadata image of a fresh Win10 installation in 2 seconds.

[AGH1965]

CyberSimian wrote:
> The only quirk is that both BIBM and CrystalDiskInfo show it as a SATA
> disk, even though the paper label on the disk shows it as NVMe, and I
> installed it in an NVMe-only slot in the Asus motherboard.

Even if you would install it in the other slot, you should have the possibility to select either SATA or x4 PCIE mode. At least that is how I interpret the manual. Isn't there a setting for this in the BIOS setup program?

P.S. I read your messages with great interest, because I want to build a pc with ASUS motherboard and M.2 NVMe SSD myself and use BIBM.

[Brian K]

In BIU my Samsung NVMe shows as ...

Hard Drive 0 - NVMe (....

I changed the firmware settings to CSM Enabled and Secure Boot disabled so I could boot a BIBM UFD. BIBM shows my Samsung NVMe as ...

BIOS HD (232.88 GB)