Byte-for-byte failure: IFW 2.89 on new Samsung Win8.1 machin

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I just bought a Samsung 940X notebook that came preinstalled with Windows 8.1 and has a Samsung SSD.

I have tried twice to image with IFW, and both times I get byte for byte verification failure.

The first time with default IFW settings, (using PHYLOCK), then after enabling VSS.

According to the log, the failure occurs at a different LBA each time.
I also checked "Disable TRIM" on the final options page.

What else can I do to debug this problem?

[TeraByte Support(PP)]

Are you backing up multiple partitions? If so, which partition shows the error?

Do you see the error when performing the backup outside of Windows (e.g. using IFL or TBWinRE)?

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The error is in Partition 04, the primary Windows partition (C:).

Here is the whole Log:


[5/28/2014 3:00:38 PM] Image for Windows 2.89 (GUI)
[5/28/2014 3:00:38 PM] Starting ...
imagew64.exe /b /d:w0 /f:"\\sun\d\IMAGES\MERCURY\Initial\Backup-w0-$~YYYY$-$~MM$-$~DD$-$~HHMM$" /max:2GiB /v /vb /nt
[5/28/2014 3:00:38 PM] Attempting to Create VSS Snapshot...
[5/28/2014 3:00:38 PM] Added \\?\Volume{f2d66d3c-27a7-4863-a9cc-a7eef4876b11} to snapshot.
[5/28/2014 3:00:38 PM] VSS Snapshot Creation Failed (80042308h)
[5/28/2014 3:00:39 PM] PHYLock is waiting for drive writing to stop ...
[5/28/2014 3:00:53 PM] PHYLock using drive C:
[5/28/2014 3:00:53 PM] PHYLock Started
[5/28/2014 3:00:53 PM] PHYLock Using Disk
[5/28/2014 3:00:53 PM] PHYLock version 11
[5/28/2014 3:00:54 PM] Backup: Drive 0 Windows RE tools Partition (01) 499 MiB HPFS/NTFS
[5/28/2014 3:00:54 PM] To: \\sun\d\IMAGES\MERCURY\Initial\Backup-w0-2014-05-28-1459.TBI
[5/28/2014 3:00:59 PM] INFO: Total Sectors:1021952 Total Allocated:494944
[5/28/2014 3:00:59 PM] INFO: 494944 Sector(s) backed up
[5/28/2014 3:00:59 PM] Backup: Drive 0 SYSTEM Partition (02) 300 MiB EFI System
[5/28/2014 3:00:59 PM] To: \\sun\d\IMAGES\MERCURY\Initial\Backup-w0-2014-05-28-1459.TBI
[5/28/2014 3:01:01 PM] INFO: Total Sectors:614400 Total Allocated:97952
[5/28/2014 3:01:01 PM] INFO: 97952 Sector(s) backed up
[5/28/2014 3:01:01 PM] Backup: Drive 0 Microsoft reserv Partition (03) 128 MiB GPT Entry
[5/28/2014 3:01:01 PM] To: \\sun\d\IMAGES\MERCURY\Initial\Backup-w0-2014-05-28-1459.TBI
[5/28/2014 3:01:06 PM] INFO: Total Sectors:262144 Total Allocated:262144
[5/28/2014 3:01:06 PM] INFO: 262144 Sector(s) backed up
[5/28/2014 3:01:06 PM] Backup: Drive 0 (C:) Windows Partition (04) 235078 MiB HPFS/NTFS
[5/28/2014 3:01:06 PM] To: \\sun\d\IMAGES\MERCURY\Initial\Backup-w0-2014-05-28-1459.TBI
[5/28/2014 3:14:34 PM] INFO: Total Sectors:481439744 Total Allocated:46116480
[5/28/2014 3:14:34 PM] INFO: 28377696 Sector(s) backed up
[5/28/2014 3:14:34 PM] Backup: Drive 0 Recovery Image Partition (05) 8192 MiB HPFS/NTFS
[5/28/2014 3:14:34 PM] To: \\sun\d\IMAGES\MERCURY\Initial\Backup-w0-2014-05-28-1459.4
[5/28/2014 3:24:42 PM] INFO: Total Sectors:16777216 Total Allocated:13368144
[5/28/2014 3:24:42 PM] INFO: 13368144 Sector(s) backed up
[5/28/2014 3:25:16 PM] Validating: Windows RE tools Partition (01) 499 MiB HPFS/NTFS
[5/28/2014 3:25:16 PM] From: \\sun\d\IMAGES\MERCURY\Initial\Backup-w0-2014-05-28-1459.TBI
[5/28/2014 3:25:57 PM] Validating: SYSTEM Partition (02) 300 MiB EFI System
[5/28/2014 3:25:57 PM] From: \\sun\d\IMAGES\MERCURY\Initial\Backup-w0-2014-05-28-1459.TBI
[5/28/2014 3:26:03 PM] Validating: Microsoft reserv Partition (03) 128 MiB GPT Entry
[5/28/2014 3:26:03 PM] From: \\sun\d\IMAGES\MERCURY\Initial\Backup-w0-2014-05-28-1459.TBI
[5/28/2014 3:26:08 PM] Validating: Windows Partition (04) 235078 MiB HPFS/NTFS
[5/28/2014 3:26:08 PM] From: \\sun\d\IMAGES\MERCURY\Initial\Backup-w0-2014-05-28-1459.TBI
[5/28/2014 3:46:51 PM] Byte-for-Byte failure at LBA 40830762 offset 0 (46080)
[5/28/2014 3:46:51 PM] Deleting incomplete or failed backup.
[5/28/2014 3:46:51 PM] Deleting \\sun\d\IMAGES\MERCURY\Initial\Backup-w0-2014-05-28-1459.1
[5/28/2014 3:46:51 PM] Deleting \\sun\d\IMAGES\MERCURY\Initial\Backup-w0-2014-05-28-1459.2
[5/28/2014 3:46:51 PM] Deleting \\sun\d\IMAGES\MERCURY\Initial\Backup-w0-2014-05-28-1459.3
[5/28/2014 3:46:51 PM] Deleting \\sun\d\IMAGES\MERCURY\Initial\Backup-w0-2014-05-28-1459.4
[5/28/2014 3:46:51 PM] Deleting \\sun\d\IMAGES\MERCURY\Initial\Backup-w0-2014-05-28-1459.5
[5/28/2014 3:46:51 PM] Deleting \\sun\d\IMAGES\MERCURY\Initial\Backup-w0-2014-05-28-1459.6
[5/28/2014 3:46:51 PM] Deleting \\sun\d\IMAGES\MERCURY\Initial\Backup-w0-2014-05-28-1459.7
[5/28/2014 3:46:51 PM] Deleting \\sun\d\IMAGES\MERCURY\Initial\Backup-w0-2014-05-28-1459.TBI
[5/28/2014 3:46:51 PM] Operation Completed with Error Code 200
[5/28/2014 3:46:51 PM] Byte-for-Byte comparison failed

[timg11]

From another computer I ran TBWinRE.cmd and created a bootable USB drive. I tried to boot off the drive, but the system hung at black screen indefinitely.

[timg11]

I ran TBWinRE.cmd from the Samsung Notebook. I was able to modify the WinRE environment so IFW was available from the Boot Restart Menu.
However, there are apparently no network services available so I have no place to save the image to.

The WinRE is an almost unusable environment. The screen is extremely dim, and the keys for brightness control don't work. There is a tiny box (postage stamp size and non-resizable) that has TBLauncher in the title bar. It has some items it it, but they are too small to see.

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Here are the options selected in main settings, General tab:
X Use New Windows MBR
X Automatic scaling restrictions
X automatic boot partition update
X automatic restore drive search
X use volume label
X automatic phylock ram mode select
X resize with caching
X show entire network
X bold views
X use windows fs support

On the Geometry tab
X align mbr for bious auto mode
X validate geometry before use (not unselectable)

PHYlock/VSS Tab:
X use ad release lock
X use disk storage
X thorttle reads
X throttle writes

Memory slider in middle

VSS settings
X Use VSS when available

write free time 4250
max wait M 10
ram cache size 8192
disk cache size 600
io throttle delay 0
io throttle abort 80
io throttle interval 100



Final screen settings:
X Validate
X Validate byte for byte
X Omit page file
X omit hibernation
X log results

Compression: standard
file size 2 GiB

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SSD is Samsung MZNTE256HMHP-000

[TeraByte Support(PP)]

Have you tested saving the backup to a local drive?

It sounds like WinRE isn't setting the video mode correctly. Normally, the default is used if the requested resolution isn't supported. Some systems only support one resolution, for example. Do you know what the native resolution is for the notebook?

Networking in WinRE may require adding a driver. I assume you're using a wired connection.

[P19]

I am not sure whether this will be helpful, and maybe I am not understanding the problem adequately. Nevertheless, I wanted to offer this information as food for thought at least. I have an SSD drive on which an OS is installed, not just data files, and I use the IFL CD environment to back up the whole thing without trying to make a bit-for-bit verification. I have used the backup image to restore the drive when it got hosed more than once, and "it just works."

I know how much better it feels to get a bit-for-bit validation, but I think the SSD technology can make doing so difficult at times. One thing that might help you be more assured of the process is installing the image to a regular USB drive and try booting from it while attached to an external enclosure. That should work. At least it does for me using Linux, though I know that Windows can be obstinate in this regard.

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I disabled VSS and I unchecked the "Disable TRIM" option, and was able to get a successful image and verification.
I'll have to see if the problem is really fixed, or if this was just a chance occurrence the next time I image the system.