TeraByte Unlimited

I have a new HP portable PC that I am helping a neighbor configure. I am trying to use IFL to create backups of the WIN7 partition.

I created a backup of the WIN7 partition to DVD+R DL discs. The discs were created with IFL 2.69 using Validate Disk no errors. Disc 1 will not boot the HP PC. If I place disc 1 in my desktop PC it boots with no problem. So – either the HP PC will not boot from a DVD+R DL disc or there is some strange error on the disc.

I then used the HP PC to execute IFL Makedisk to create an IFL 2.70 DVD+R DL boot disc. It will boot on the HP PC with no problem. So - the HP PC can boot from a DVD+R DL disc.

I then created a second full backup of the WIN7 partition using IFL 2.69 to another set of DVD+R DL discs on the HP PC. Again, it will not boot on the HP PC but will boot on my desktop PC.

I then created a third full backup of the WIN7 partition using IFL 2.70 to another set of DVD+R DL discs on the HP PC. It also will not boot on the HP PC but will boot on my desktop PC.

Why will the DVD+R DL disc created with Makedisk boot on the HP PC – but the DVD+R DL backup restore disc created with IFL will not boot on the HP PC?

Well, you don't need one, since you already had a separate boot disk, but
anyway, can that drive read the discs burned by the other drive at all?
Also, what exactly happens (any error or it just moves on to boot from the
HD - which would suggest the drive can't read the disc)?

"bob66412" wrote in message news:[email protected]...

I have a new HP portable PC that I am helping a neighbor configure. I am
trying to use IFL to create backups of the WIN7 partition.

I created a backup of the WIN7 partition to DVD+R DL discs. The discs were
created with IFL 2.69 using Validate Disk no errors. Disc 1 will not boot
the HP PC. If I place disc 1 in my desktop PC it boots with no problem.
So - either the HP PC will not boot from a DVD+R DL disc or there is some
strange error on the disc.

I then used the HP PC to execute IFL Makedisk to create an IFL 2.70 DVD+R DL
boot disc. It will boot on the HP PC with no problem. So - the HP PC can
boot from a DVD+R DL disc.

I then created a second full backup of the WIN7 partition using IFL 2.69 to
another set of DVD+R DL discs on the HP PC. Again, it will not boot on the
HP PC but will boot on my desktop PC.

I then created a third full backup of the WIN7 partition using IFL 2.70 to
another set of DVD+R DL discs on the HP PC. It also will not boot on the HP
PC but will boot on my desktop PC.

Why will the DVD+R DL disc created with Makedisk boot on the HP PC - but the
DVD+R DL backup restore disc created with IFL will not boot on the HP PC?

I know that on my own computer I can boot from either IFD or
IFL SD cards yet cannot boot from SD cards with an image on
them.

So I use a separate SD card to boot if I want to restore.
Once booted, I then change SD cards to the one with the
image on it.
Mary

On 4/2/2012 11:13 PM, TeraByte Support wrote:
> Well, you don't need one, since you already had a separate boot disk, but
> anyway, can that drive read the discs burned by the other drive at all?
> Also, what exactly happens (any error or it just moves on to boot from the
> HD - which would suggest the drive can't read the disc)?
>
> "bob66412" wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> I have a new HP portable PC that I am helping a neighbor configure. I am
> trying to use IFL to create backups of the WIN7 partition.
>
> I created a backup of the WIN7 partition to DVD+R DL discs. The discs were
> created with IFL 2.69 using Validate Disk no errors. Disc 1 will not boot
> the HP PC. If I place disc 1 in my desktop PC it boots with no problem.
> So - either the HP PC will not boot from a DVD+R DL disc or there is some
> strange error on the disc.
>
> I then used the HP PC to execute IFL Makedisk to create an IFL 2.70 DVD+R DL
> boot disc. It will boot on the HP PC with no problem. So - the HP PC can
> boot from a DVD+R DL disc.
>
> I then created a second full backup of the WIN7 partition using IFL 2.69 to
> another set of DVD+R DL discs on the HP PC. Again, it will not boot on the
> HP PC but will boot on my desktop PC.
>
> I then created a third full backup of the WIN7 partition using IFL 2.70 to
> another set of DVD+R DL discs on the HP PC. It also will not boot on the HP
> PC but will boot on my desktop PC.
>
> Why will the DVD+R DL disc created with Makedisk boot on the HP PC - but the
> DVD+R DL backup restore disc created with IFL will not boot on the HP PC?
>
>

If I boot the HP PC into WIN7 it can read (copy) any of the backup DVDs burned by IFL with no problems. So, given that the IFL program disc boots with no problem and that WIN7 can read all the IFL backup discs with no problem, I tend to believe that the optical drive is working OK.

I ran another test, this time with a DVD+R single layer disc. A single layer IFL backup disc will not boot on the HP PC either. So, it is not just DL discs.

Given the IFL problem booting - this would suggest that there is a difference in how the files system or boot records are written by Makedisk vs IFL. Doesn't the experience described by Mary also indicate that there is problem with the way IFL creates backup boot media?

Finally, granted that the backup discs will boot on my other PCs - there is some hardware compatibility component here. But a backup that will not work on a given system is not a good backup. A fix is requested.

Thanks, rb

PS: I understand that I have a separate IFL boot disk. But I am trying to set up a one-step restore procedure for a user that is not adept at PC admin functions.

What are the symptom(s) when the IFL restore disc doesn't boot?

In other words, do you see it attempting to boot at all, or does it just
boot as if the IFL restore disc wasn't in the drive at all?

If you do see symptoms, what are they? Does it hang, do you see any
error messages, etc.? How far does it get when trying to boot?

As far as the SD card, just saving an image to it wouldn't, by
itself, make it bootable (that only happens with an optical disc).

--
Tom Pfeifer
TeraByte Support


On 04/03/2012 11:22 AM, bob66412 wrote:
> If I boot the HP PC into WIN7 it can read (copy) any of the backup
> DVDs burned by IFL with no problems. So, given that the IFL program
> disc boots with no problem and that WIN7 can read all the IFL backup
> discs with no problem, I tend to believe that the optical drive is
> working OK.
>
> I ran another test, this time with a DVD+R single layer disc. A
> single layer IFL backup disc will not boot on the HP PC either. So,
> it is not just DL discs.
>
> Given the IFL problem booting - this would suggest that there is a
> difference in how the files system or boot records are written by
> Makedisk vs IFL. Doesn't the experience described by Mary also
> indicate that there is problem with the way IFL creates backup boot
> media?
>
> Finally, granted that the backup discs will boot on my other PCs -
> there is some hardware compatibility component here. But a backup
> that will not work on a given system is not a good backup. A fix is
> requested.
>
> Thanks, rb
>
> PS: I understand that I have a separate IFL boot disk. But I am
> trying to set up a one-step restore procedure for a user that is not
> adept at PC admin functions.
>
>

The attempted boot on the HP PC is:

Optical spins up at high speed.
Optical drive spins down to lower speed after ~10 seconds.
Optical drive goes silent after another ~10 seconds.
Don't hear any drive seeking.
LCD screen remains blank during the entire process.
PC is "hung" at that point. Requires use of the power button to shutdown the PC.

rb

On 04/03/2012 09:57 PM, bob66412 wrote:
> The attempted boot on the HP PC is:
>
> Optical spins up at high speed. Optical drive spins down to lower
> speed after ~10 seconds. Optical drive goes silent after another ~10
> seconds. Don't hear any drive seeking. LCD screen remains blank
> during the entire process. PC is "hung" at that point. Requires use
> of the power button to shutdown the PC.
>
> rb


No text on the screen indicates that the boot loader (isolinux) never
even gets started. As you say, it's strange that the full boot disk
boots on that system, but not the restore disc, although it does boot on
another system. I don't have an explanation for this situation. Both
boot discs use the same bootloader. What is the HP model number for that
system?


You may want to consider using IFD in place of IFL. It's included in
the purchase of IFL, and it too can create bootable restore discs.


For IFL, here are some additional things that could be tried:

1. Power down the system before booting from the restore disc (rather
than rebooting to it).

2. Update the firmware on the optical drive (if available)

3. Update the system BIOS (if available)

4. Try a different brand of optical media


--
Tom Pfeifer
TeraByte Support

What is the HP model number for that system?

-- HP Pavilion g6x A1J18AV
-- g6t-1d00 CTO

You may want to consider using IFD in place of IFL.

-- I can give that a try. May be a few days.

1. Power down the system before booting from the restore disc (rather
than rebooting to it).
3. Update the system BIOS (if available)
4. Try a different brand of optical media

-- Done all the above.

2. Update the firmware on the optical drive (if available)

-- Can't find an update.
-- Before I posted here I opened a trouble ticket with HP
-- and the attitude was that if I can boot from the WIN7 recovery discs
-- (or any other disc) then the optical drive is OK and
-- it's not their problem. So, I don't think that HP will be much help on this.

Thanks, rb