Acer netbook's System Repair CD

[Ed_P]

Anyone here use Acer netbooks? And if so have you been able to create the Windows 7 64-bit System Repair CD?

 

When I try, both from the Windows 7 Backup and Restore window and from a Command Prompt window I get the folllowing error:

 

System repair disc could not be created

The parameter is incorrect. (0x80070057)

 

Do note that the recdisc command has no parameters when executed from a Command Prompt.

 

I've tried after rebooting. I've tried after booting to Safe Mode. I have Googled for solutions and found that my problem is not unique. I have contacted Acer and found their support to be useless.

 

I do not have a Windows 7 64-bit installation CD. I do have a Windows 7 32-bit installation CD and have created a System Repair CD with it, which i thought was adequate for both Windows 7 systems until I tried to use it with the Windows 7 64-bit backup files on the Acer. It errors out saying the files are for the wrong Windows system.

 

And yes I know there are other apps that can backup and restore the Acer system, that's not the point. The system that Acer sells should support all the basic functionality that the OS Acer installs is capable of. And backups and restores is definitely one of them.

[zlim]

I have Aspire 722 netbook running Win 7 64 bit Home Premium. I created my disks last August right after I purchased the netbook.

Win 7 is a DVD. You need DVDs. Perhaps the error is telling you that you are trying to use the wrong type disk?

Click in Programs then Acer then eRecovery Management. Select Backup and that will lead you through creating the DVDs.

My unit took three DVDs for the Recovery and a 4th DVD that has Apps and Drivers (labeled APPDRV1, I guess because of the programs suggestion).

 

Now as far as repair, I don't do that. Every few months I create an image. If the system goes south, I restore one of the images.

 

Perhaps this is not want you wanted to know - sorry, if I gave misleading information.

Edited June 5, 2012 by zlim

[Ed_P]

Thanks guys. Yes I know about Acer's eRecovery DVDs and I have created a set of them. 3 to be exact. But they restore the system or OS back to factory condition which will not be current with patches, AV updates, user installs and etc.

 

I've used other backup utilities with XP, DriveImage XML and CloneDisk primarily, but with Windows 7 I've gotten use to using it's built in backup/restore app on my 32-bit system. I had no problem creating the Win 7 Repair Disc CD, and yes it's a CD not a DVD, with my Win 7 32-bit system. It's a bootable system that supports the image backups created with Windows 7. I assumed it could be used with my Acer's Windows 7 64-bit system. I was wrong. The 64-bit Repair Disc is not the same, it is actually 40KB bigger than the 32-bit system's Repair Disc. And there is no way to create it using the Acer's Windows 7 system.

 

So if you have an Acer system and think you're covered doing Windows image backups periodically you'll be majorly disappointed when your system fails to boot for some reason. You will not be able to recover using your backups. The Acer eRecovery doesn't use them.

 

If you have a friend with a Windows 7 64-bit system or a Widows 7 64-bit Install CD, you can create a Windows 7 64-bit repair CD on their system, which is what I did.

 

And if you have an Acer make sure you use something other than Windows 7 backup to backup your system.

 

BTW I have a CMD script for doing Win 7 backups of the Acer's 2 Windows partitions if anyone is interested.

Edited June 8, 2012 by Ed_P

[frapper]

I use Acronis True Image on my Acer netbook (Win7) and make images to both an HD partition and to DVD's. I use the Acronis boot CD to boot the system using an external USB DVD burner.

[Ed_P]

Hello frapper.

 

Acronis is a good system. But backing up to DVDs can't be much fun, how many do you use? I remember years ago backing up to floppies!! Once the backups got to be 50+ I switched to tapes. Once the tapes got to be 3+ I switched to mountable hard drives and haven't looked back since.

 

A good backup/restore system has to be convenient/easy to do the backup and the restore has to have been tried at least once, before being needed, and proven to work. As such I also backup to a partition on my hard drive. But I also backup occasionally to a USB hard drive, should the internal hdd fail, which the one in my Acer one did, when the machine was only 4 months old!!!! That's why getting a functional backup/restore working for this machine is important to me. I've had the replacement hdd for almost 2 months at this point. :'(

 

One of the advantages of backing up to an external hard drives, you start the backup and go to bed, go to work, go for a ride, go watch TV, etc. And when you return, it's done! Mine usually take less than an hour.

 

BTW The Acer eRecovery system provides for restoring the OS, back to it's factory condition, while leaving User files and folders alone. A nice option but while the restored system is functional it still requires the running of numerous Windows Updates, AV updates, etc plus reinstall all addon apps to get back to a current system state after running the eRecovery.

 

Did Acer have eRecovery with their XP systems?

 

 

 

PS zlim, my Acer is a 722 also. When you make your image backups do you include the System Reserved partition?

 

 

Ed

Edited June 9, 2012 by Ed_P

[zlim]

Did Acer have eRecovery with their XP systems?

I can speak for eMachines, which is owned by Acer (Gateway) and yes it has an eRecovery. I made the disks for my eMachine desktop which runs XP.

 

When you make your image backups do you include the System Reserved partition?

I only backup C and as frapper noted, sometimes we put them on external hard drives instead of burning to disks. I have images stored several ways: two different external hard drives and disks. I rotate where I put them. That way, if one hd dies or a disk in unreadable, I still have an image elsewhere. It might not be the latest but it is better than going back to factory condition. Edited June 9, 2012 by zlim

[frapper]

Like Liz said, I have a couple images for the netbook on an external HD, a couple on the netbook's own HD (separate partition), and a base image on DVD's after cleaning off the junk app's. Better to spread your assets.

[Ed_P]

Good backup procedures, both of you.

 

Do note, the Acer netbook does not boot from C:. It boots from the SYSTEM RESERVED partition (\Device\HarddiskVolume2), that is where the bootmgr is located. Use bcdedit to view it.

 

If you use Windows 7's Backup you will see that it automatically includes the SYSTEM RESERVED partition when you do an image backup of the C: drive. That's why there are 2 .vhd files in the WindowsImageBackup folder.

 

The point being you should back it up also.

[Ed_P]

I was surprised to find last night that the Acer's eRecovery system can be booted from the Acer's harddrive!!

 

I use multi-booting USB devices with GRUB4DOS's grldr and a menu item I have setup for booting a machine's bootmgr booted the eRecovery system instead of Windows 7. For those who would like this option, rather than using DVDs, this is what I have for the menu.lst entry.

 

title find and load BOOTMGR of Windows 7\n\n On Acer netbook boots eRecovery system
fallback 5
find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /bootmgr
map () (hd1)
map (hd1) ()
map --rehook
find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /bootmgr
chainloader /bootmgr
savedefault --wait=2

 

hth

[zlim]

I want the DVDs. Because I know if I don't have them, the hard drive will crash so I can not restore. If I have to install a new hard drive, I hope the restore disks work.

 

I was thinking about what you said needed backing up. I only back up C using Acronis. Here's my thinking: I can use my Acer DVDs to restore to factory condition then I grab one of my Acronis images and change C to the date on my disks or my external hard drives.

 

I don't depend on windows, in any version, to do any sort of backup for me.

[Ed_P]

Yes, I didn't mean to imply the DVDs have no use. If you loose your hdd you need the DVDs.

 

However, if your system gets infected and you want to restore back to factory fresh this option allows you to do that without the DVDs. Handy if you're away from home or if your fixing someone else's machine who hasn't created the DVDs.

 

Using your image backup of C: in conjunction with the Acer eRecovery is an interesting approach. I agree that sounds like it should work.

 

Windows backups in the past were nothing to write about, but the Windows 7 system is very nice. I like it and use it all the time, in addition to Windows 7 doing backups on it's own. But it requires the Windows 7 System Repair Disc to restore the images.

 

Actually that's not 100% true. If you don't have the Win 7 System Repair Disc you can open the Windows Backup .vhd files in another Windows 7 system's Attach VHD function, back them up using a different imaging app and then use that app to restore them. It's convoluted but it works.

Edited June 12, 2012 by Ed_P

[sunrat]

What, no-one mentioned Clonezilla yet? Here we go - Clonezilla. I use it from Parted Magic live CD.

[crp]

I thought CloneZilla needed a dedicated server and software installed on the pc's or a port opened to allow an agent.

[sunrat]

I thought CloneZilla needed a dedicated server and software installed on the pc's or a port opened to allow an agent.

Not at all. You can backup to another hard drive, external drive or network. See Frank Golden's excellent

A guide to using Clonezilla.

[Ed_P]

I don't depend on windows, in any version, to do any sort of backup for me.

Hi zlim,

 

I came across this link and thought it might interest you.

 

http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/build-a-complete-windows-7-safety-net/

[zlim]

I read it yesterday, thanks for thinking of me.

[Guest LilBambi]

I personally think it is way wrong of them to not provide DVDs or USB drive with the OS restoration on it, out of the box.

 

I would call and ask if they have a USB OS restoration. That's the way Dell is going these days for the new machines. If you call for recovery DVDs on new machines, they send you a USB OS recovery drive. No cost if you ask for it. Especially if you have trouble with their stupid Datasafe software to create your own DVD recovery discs.

[burninbush]

I personally think it is way wrong of them to not provide DVDs or USB drive with the OS restoration on it, out of the box.

 

I would call and ask if they have a USB OS restoration. That's the way Dell is going these days for the new machines. If you call for recovery DVDs on new machines, they send you a USB OS recovery drive. No cost if you ask for it. Especially if you have trouble with their stupid Datasafe software to create your own DVD recovery discs.

 

 

++++++++++++++++++++

 

Question: couldn't a person -- providing their own legal product key -- do a scratch install from a generic win7 dvd that could be downloaded from the net? Isn't that a reasonable hedge for people who didn't get an install dvd?

 

I recently made myself a win7-PE boot cd, and was surprised to see them recommending that people download a recent copy of the install dvd iso [and them mount it in a virtual cd emulator, to harvest the files needed to build the PE iso].

 

So I dl'ed one, and to my eye it appears to be a regular install disk -- have thought since I could use it to reinstall my win7 laptop if desired, giving myself options other than duplicating the original install -- I didn't get any disks with it at all. Not sure what I'd do about special [?] Toshiba hardware drivers -- don't have a disk for that, either, but again might be able to extract them from the running system.

[Guest LilBambi]

That's the rub. If you have a restore disk/USB drive for your make/model, you get it back to the new condition, including the drivers.

 

I don't know if they are allowing that or not these days. Used to be you had to have the special version from the manufacturer in order for your OS Key to work right. Maybe they have stopped that? Would be smart, but who said they are smart.

[burninbush]

That's the rub. If you have a restore disk/USB drive for your make/model, you get it back to the new condition, including the drivers.

 

I don't know if they are allowing that or not these days. Used to be you had to have the special version from the manufacturer in order for your OS Key to work right. Maybe they have stopped that? Would be smart, but who said they are smart.

 

 

Ahhh ... maybe I asked the wrong question. So, straight out, are win7 install disks generic? Can I use somebody else's disk to do a scratch reinstall using my win7 product key?

 

And, part , is it really possible that the partition layout is part of the product key signature?

 

My laptop that is the subject of my concern came preloaded with win7, and the partition layout is what I think is fairly common these days: a first small hidden boot partition [may also contain driver files?], then a large win7 partition, then a final 8gb partition which appears to be where the Toshiba backup app stores system restore images. So, I'd like to change that to my own scheme.

[Guest LilBambi]

Not sure. Used to have the SAME OS version (such as Windows XP Home), for the SAME manufacturer (such as Dell), or the key wouldn't work.

 

Not sure if it's the same with Windows 7. Maybe they have changed it. It would be great if keys work for same version regardless of source (OEM or Retail).