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backup utility: "a system image cannot be saved" to D drive

backup utility: "a system image cannot be saved" to D drive

Postby markm75 » Mon Aug 17, 2009 1:18 am

I get the error "a system image cannot be saved on a drive that your computer boots from or that windows is installed on", when i try to use my D (physical array) drive for a target location..

I cant figure out why this might be.. i've taken a look at the files on there and dont see any that could be causing this message..

Anyone have any thoughts or has anyone found a way around this?

Thanks
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Re: backup utility: "a system image cannot be saved" to D drive

Postby Grav!ty » Mon Aug 17, 2009 2:57 am

When you say "D (physical array) drive" what do you mean? A partition on a RAID array or an independent RAID array on which there is no OS installed?
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Re: backup utility: "a system image cannot be saved" to D drive

Postby JabbaPapa » Mon Aug 17, 2009 4:47 am

markm75 wrote:I get the error "a system image cannot be saved on a drive that your computer boots from or that windows is installed on", when i try to use my D (physical array) drive for a target location..


This is a change from Windows Vista, which IIRC would let you save your backup at any location.

I *think* that this is a security feature, to prevent you from putting your backup in a location which, if Windows potentially fails from hardware error, would then be unavailable.

"a drive that your computer boots from or that windows is installed on" means either your "boot" drive or your "system" drive.

There is no workaround for this limitation as far as I know, and you will need to save your backup elsewhere.

It *is* OTOH possible that some of your W7 boot files may be undesirably placed on that D: drive, which could potentially be fixed with a little work on your boot environment.

Can you please post a view of your partitioning from Start > Computer > right-click > Manage > Disk Management ?

PS Please note that the System Restore function in Start > Computer > right-click > Properties > Advanced system settings > System Protection tab will let you create manual or periodic & automatic backups of your system that will be accessible from within your W7 setup. It would appear that this feature will put your backup into your current system drive(s), whereas the system image feature that you have been trying to use requires that it be saved to a different location.
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Re: backup utility: "a system image cannot be saved" to D drive

Postby markm75 » Fri Aug 21, 2009 2:36 pm

JabbaPapa wrote:
markm75 wrote:I get the error "a system image cannot be saved on a drive that your computer boots from or that windows is installed on", when i try to use my D (physical array) drive for a target location..


This is a change from Windows Vista, which IIRC would let you save your backup at any location.

I *think* that this is a security feature, to prevent you from putting your backup in a location which, if Windows potentially fails from hardware error, would then be unavailable.

"a drive that your computer boots from or that windows is installed on" means either your "boot" drive or your "system" drive.

There is no workaround for this limitation as far as I know, and you will need to save your backup elsewhere.

It *is* OTOH possible that some of your W7 boot files may be undesirably placed on that D: drive, which could potentially be fixed with a little work on your boot environment.

Can you please post a view of your partitioning from Start > Computer > right-click > Manage > Disk Management ?

PS Please note that the System Restore function in Start > Computer > right-click > Properties > Advanced system settings > System Protection tab will let you create manual or periodic & automatic backups of your system that will be accessible from within your W7 setup. It would appear that this feature will put your backup into your current system drive(s), whereas the system image feature that you have been trying to use requires that it be saved to a different location.


The D drive is marked as primary, while C is the Primary/active one.

If i try to use win 7 backup to do a system image, it also selects D (greyed out)..

Someone once said that b/c i have the C drive on the same controller as the D array, that this would force it to be deemed a system drive, but this seems odd to me..

I cant even do a system image of C, without selecting D which sucks, meaning i'll still have to use tools like Acronis when they are updated to work in win 7, was hoping for a native solution.
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Re: backup utility: "a system image cannot be saved" to D drive

Postby JabbaPapa » Fri Aug 21, 2009 3:15 pm

markm75 wrote:Someone once said that b/c i have the C drive on the same controller as the D array, that this would force it to be deemed a system drive, but this seems odd to me..


That sounds very odd to me, although you can have that kind of issue with a poorly written controller driver. But it's unlikely.

It is possible of course that it is preventing you using the same *physical* drive/array as a save location.
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Re: backup utility: "a system image cannot be saved" to D drive

Postby markm75 » Fri Aug 21, 2009 3:27 pm

JabbaPapa wrote:
markm75 wrote:Someone once said that b/c i have the C drive on the same controller as the D array, that this would force it to be deemed a system drive, but this seems odd to me..


That sounds very odd to me, although you can have that kind of issue with a poorly written controller driver. But it's unlikely.

It is possible of course that it is preventing you using the same *physical* drive/array as a save location.


Sometime in the next few days, ill disconnect the D array and see if i can boot, maybe i can do a "repair" to the boot partition via the win 7 disc somehow.. (if it doesnt boot)
TV: Samsung HLT-6187S ;LCDs: WH 24" L2410NM x 3 PC (HTPC/fsx/server): Asus Rampage II Extreme;i7 920 2.66ghz, 12GB OCZ3RPR13334GK 66620 1.75v 1333(UC 1066 @9-9-9-26 1.65v), 10/12-drive icydock MB453IPF-B (3ware pciex4 raid x4=D), Thermaltake Armor VA8000BWS, Vista x64; Video: dual ind ati 4870s Audio: Onkyo TX-SR606 w/Onkyo HTS780 speakers, Velodyne CT-10 sub; Xbox 360; Media Player: Sony BDP-S350 BluyRay; MediaRecorder: LG GGW-H20L; MCSE 2003-Aug 2k6
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Re: backup utility: "a system image cannot be saved" to D drive

Postby markm75 » Sun Aug 23, 2009 3:47 am

Oh, i also wonder if the fact that my D drive array is a GPT type disk could be causing it to show up as a system drive in the backup tool? Its 6x1.5TB in a raid6 formation.
TV: Samsung HLT-6187S ;LCDs: WH 24" L2410NM x 3 PC (HTPC/fsx/server): Asus Rampage II Extreme;i7 920 2.66ghz, 12GB OCZ3RPR13334GK 66620 1.75v 1333(UC 1066 @9-9-9-26 1.65v), 10/12-drive icydock MB453IPF-B (3ware pciex4 raid x4=D), Thermaltake Armor VA8000BWS, Vista x64; Video: dual ind ati 4870s Audio: Onkyo TX-SR606 w/Onkyo HTS780 speakers, Velodyne CT-10 sub; Xbox 360; Media Player: Sony BDP-S350 BluyRay; MediaRecorder: LG GGW-H20L; MCSE 2003-Aug 2k6
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Re: backup utility: "a system image cannot be saved" to D drive

Postby JabbaPapa » Sun Aug 23, 2009 6:29 am

It may be showing up as a system drive because Windows setup may have written some of the boot files to that location.

Maybe you should just post an image of your drives setup, from Start > Computer > right-click > Manage > Disk Management
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Re: backup utility: "a system image cannot be saved" to D drive

Postby markm75 » Sun Aug 23, 2009 4:12 pm

I was able to boot with the D offline..

I was then able to install another copy of Win 7 on a different partition, on the same physical drive as C.. then ran backup, system image.. it lets me pick D on that OS..

So something in the registry or files on the C drive of the problem win 7 partition is telling the backup software that D is a system drive.. does anyone know how to find out where?

(i can post the disk management tool screen shot later, but it always is listed as primary partion, not system for D, so i dont think its relevant, clearly an OS registry or C drive file issue causing it).
TV: Samsung HLT-6187S ;LCDs: WH 24" L2410NM x 3 PC (HTPC/fsx/server): Asus Rampage II Extreme;i7 920 2.66ghz, 12GB OCZ3RPR13334GK 66620 1.75v 1333(UC 1066 @9-9-9-26 1.65v), 10/12-drive icydock MB453IPF-B (3ware pciex4 raid x4=D), Thermaltake Armor VA8000BWS, Vista x64; Video: dual ind ati 4870s Audio: Onkyo TX-SR606 w/Onkyo HTS780 speakers, Velodyne CT-10 sub; Xbox 360; Media Player: Sony BDP-S350 BluyRay; MediaRecorder: LG GGW-H20L; MCSE 2003-Aug 2k6
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Re: backup utility: "a system image cannot be saved" to D drive

Postby JabbaPapa » Sun Aug 23, 2009 6:21 pm

We have seen the odd unusual case where Vista/W7 setup can write boot data to *three* separate partitions, one of being the boot drive, the second being the system drive, the third being by accident.

What you are experiencing may be some variation of that scenario, in which case you will need a specific solution for your machine.

I would try fixing it with the D: offline, and assuming that your W7 is not booting properly despite appearances. Ignore "if it ain't broken don't fix it", just this ONCE ;)

With the D: offline, try using the boot repair options on the W7 DVD -- or alternatively use VistaBootPRO to force installation of the Vista/W7 boot manager on all drives. One trick I have to clear an old Vista boot menu and replace with a clean one, is to use VBP to install the Legacy boot drive and then *immediately* without rebooting reinstall the Vista/W7 one.

But try the W7 DVD first, and make sure you reboot a few times before putting the D: back online ;)

---

Of course you may be right and it could be a bad registry entry -- if no other fix works, then just reinstall W7 with the D: offline (...)

---

Hmmmm I do have one question : have you defined the root of the D: drive as the Documents folder or have you mounted the drive into a system folder ?
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