TeraByte Unlimited

I originally posted this problem in the BootIt forum but further testing indicates this is a problem with IFU.

What I want to do is use IFU within BIU to backup the EFI and OS partitions on an SSD to an NTFS partition on an HDD. I have tried using IFU (ver 3.29) directly and within BIU and both have been unable to access the HDD.

When I boot IFU directly, it does not list the SSD as a possible drive for backup. It shows only the HDD and the USB stick I used to boot IFU. For testing purposes, I attempted to backup the HDD but it immediately fails with the message "A read error occurred while accessing the drive."

When I try IFU from within BIU, I am able to select the SSD for backup but IFU fails with the same message when I select the HDD as the target for the backup file.

When I try to do the backup, I elect options as follows:
Backup -> Full Backup -> Physical Drive -> from Hard Drive 0 (the SSD) -> all partitions -> Single File Set -> File (Direct) -> Physical Drive -> to Hard Drive 1 (the HDD) -> "A read error occurred while accessing the drive."

The HDD appears to be OK. I can backup to it successfully using IFL and within BIU I can access a text file on the HDD using the text editor in the partition-work utility.

I did not find a similar problem reported elsewhere so I posted this. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions for why IFU and BIU/IFU cannot access the HDD?

Did you try after updating the firmware? It's the UEFI BIOS that is used
to find the drives and access them. You have an option to set direct DASD
options, you may want to try those. Otherwise, you can copy the IFL stick
to a partition on the hd and boot that for imaging.

"dnlathrop" wrote in message news:[email protected]...

I originally posted this problem in the BootIt forum but further testing
indicates this is a problem with IFU.

What I want to do is use IFU within BIU to backup the EFI and OS partitions
on an SSD to an NTFS partition on an HDD. I have tried using IFU (ver 3.29)
directly and within BIU and both have been unable to access the HDD.

When I boot IFU directly, it does not list the SSD as a possible drive for
backup. It shows only the HDD and the USB stick I used to boot IFU. For
testing purposes, I attempted to backup the HDD but it immediately fails
with the message "A read error occurred while accessing the drive."

When I try IFU from within BIU, I am able to select the SSD for backup but
IFU fails with the same message when I select the HDD as the target for the
backup file.

When I try to do the backup, I elect options as follows:
Backup -> Full Backup -> Physical Drive -> from Hard Drive 0 (the SSD) ->
all partitions -> Single File Set -> File (Direct) -> Physical Drive -> to
Hard Drive 1 (the HDD) -> "A read error occurred while accessing the drive."

The HDD appears to be OK. I can backup to it successfully using IFL and
within BIU I can access a text file on the HDD using the text editor in the
partition-work utility.

I did not find a similar problem reported elsewhere so I posted this. Does
anyone have any ideas or suggestions for why IFU and BIU/IFU cannot access
the HDD?

TeraByte Support wrote:
> Did you try after updating the firmware? It's the UEFI BIOS that is used
> to find the drives and access them. You have an option to set direct DASD
> options, you may want to try those. Otherwise, you can copy the IFL stick
> to a partition on the hd and boot that for imaging.

I have updated the BIOS with the latest firmware. BIU and IFL can access the HDD, as well as the OS (linux). It is only IFU that is having a problem. I also tried installing IFL on the HDD but couldn't because it said installation on a GPT disk is not supported.

You mentioned direct DASD options. Is this for BIU or for IFU? Where do I set those options?

Any other thoughts?

But after you get that message, does the entire drive option show? Do the
partitions show? If there was any error reading from the drive IFU will
give that message, if it was able to load the partitions they will still
show. The code is shared so should be the same, BIU may not issue the
message. DASD direct option is in BIU manual

"dnlathrop" wrote in message news:[email protected]...

TeraByte Support wrote:
> Did you try after updating the firmware? It's the UEFI BIOS that is
> used
> to find the drives and access them. You have an option to set direct
> DASD
> options, you may want to try those. Otherwise, you can copy the IFL stick
> to a partition on the hd and boot that for imaging.

I have updated the BIOS with the latest firmware. BIU and IFL can access the
HDD, as well as the OS (linux). It is only IFU that is having a problem. I
also tried installing IFL on the HDD but couldn't because it said
installation on a GPT disk is not supported.

You mentioned direct DASD options. Is this for BIU or for IFU? Where do I
set those options?

Any other thoughts?

TeraByte Support wrote:
> But after you get that message, does the entire drive option show? Do the
> partitions show? If there was any error reading from the drive IFU will
> give that message, if it was able to load the partitions they will still
> show. The code is shared so should be the same, BIU may not issue the
> message. DASD direct option is in BIU manual

I reinstalled BIU with the Direct DASD option. It made no difference.

Note that what I ultimately want to do is backup the SSD to the HDD; however, the following describes trying to backup the HDD. I did this to reduce the number of steps needed to encounter the problem. I may not be clear; what I mean is that the same error is encountered when I try to select the HDD as the target for the backup file.

When the source drives are first shown, the list has two entries:
(1) the SSD with the device name "Hard Drive 0 - NvMe(0x1,D2-B8 ...)" as normal; and
(2) the HDD but there is no additional information. Only "Hard Drive 1" is shown.

When I select "Hard Drive 1" and press Next, the screen does not change except for the overlaying dialog box with the error message. See the attached photo.
[attachment=1]IMG_1417.JPG[/attachment]

If I click on the OK button, the next screen appears requesting I select a partition. That screen is blank; nothing is listed.

Another photo is a screen from the partition-work utility. Note that here the HDD is shown as Hard Drive 0. Both the partition-work utility and the boot-edit utility show the HDD as Hard Drive 0 (or HD0) but IFU shows it as Hard Drive 1.
[attachment=0]IMG_1418.JPG[/attachment]

dnlathrop wrote:
> I also tried
> installing IFL on the HDD but couldn't because it said installation on a GPT disk is
> not supported.
>

dnlathrop,

You don't install IFL to the GPT disk. You copy the IFL UFD partition to the GPT disk. Then resize the partition on the GPT disk to around 150 MB. Create a Boot Item to boot IFL.

Brian K wrote:
> You don't install IFL to the GPT disk. You copy the IFL UFD partition to the GPT
> disk. Then resize the partition on the GPT disk to around 150 MB. Create a Boot Item
> to boot IFL.
Thanks Brian. Worked like a charm.

I held off continuing my Linux installation until I was sure I would have a way to back it up without having to use a USB stick. If I could not do at least that, I would have regressed back to EMBR and BIBM.

I have never had so many issues as I've had with this newer machine and UEFI. I am just trying to do what was so easy to do in the past -- install several OS with BIBM for booting, partition management and backup.

dnlathrop wrote:
>. I am
> just trying to do what was so easy to do in the past -- install several OS with BIBM
> for booting, partition management and backup.

dnlathrop, hopefully the traumas are behind you, as long as IFU isn't used. I've found BIU to be just as stable as BIBM and just as easy to use for multi-booting.

the code is shared so should be the same, but will investigate on one of
those units.


"dnlathrop" wrote in message news:[email protected]...

TeraByte Support wrote:
> But after you get that message, does the entire drive option show? Do the
> partitions show? If there was any error reading from the drive IFU will
> give that message, if it was able to load the partitions they will still
> show. The code is shared so should be the same, BIU may not issue the
> message. DASD direct option is in BIU manual

I reinstalled BIU with the Direct DASD option. It made no difference.

Note that what I ultimately want to do is backup the SSD to the HDD;
however, the following describes trying to backup the HDD. I did this to
reduce the number of steps needed to encounter the problem. I may not be
clear; what I mean is that the same error is encountered when I try to
select the HDD as the target for the backup file.

When the source drives are first shown, the list has two entries:
(1) the SSD with the device name "Hard Drive 0 - NvMe(0x1,D2-B8 ...)" as
normal; and
(2) the HDD but there is no additional information. Only "Hard Drive 1" is
shown.

When I select "Hard Drive 1" and press Next, the screen does not change
except for the overlaying dialog box with the error message. See the
attached photo. If I click on the OK button, the next screen appears requesting I select a
partition. That screen is blank; nothing is listed.

Another photo is a screen from the partition-work utility. Note that here
the HDD is shown as Hard Drive 0. Both the partition-work utility and the
boot-edit utility show the HDD as Hard Drive 0 (or HD0) but IFU shows it as
Hard Drive 1.

can you email support@ and also indicate the sata mode you have configured
on the unit. Also the bios version you're using, specific system model as
well.


"dnlathrop" wrote in message news:[email protected]...

Brian K wrote:
> You don't install IFL to the GPT disk. You copy the IFL UFD partition to
> the GPT
> disk. Then resize the partition on the GPT disk to around 150 MB. Create a
> Boot Item
> to boot IFL.
Thanks Brian. Worked like a charm.

I held off continuing my Linux installation until I was sure I would have a
way to back it up without having to use a USB stick. If I could not do at
least that, I would have regressed back to EMBR and BIBM.

I have never had so many issues as I've had with this newer machine and
UEFI. I am just trying to do what was so easy to do in the past -- install
several OS with BIBM for booting, partition management and backup.