[CVALE] Acronis True Image Wiped Master Boot Record?

[Jason Roysdon]

Landon,
Yes, running Windows in a VM greatly improves the stability.  I use a
different branched snapshot Windows VM guest for each customer and
application (branching lets you take a snapshot and then freeze it and
have many different Guest OS's use that base image, but only take up
disk space for their new changes, so Windows only takes 2gb for the base
install and patches, and then 50-100mb for each customer's changes).
Further, it prevents Registry rot, because I always revert back to the
last snapshot for each customer/application (if there were no changes
made to Windows that I need to keep).

Good luck on recovering your system.

List folks in general:
I need to correct something I said.  The Sun VirtualBox PUEL does allow
for me to use VirtualBox binaries from Sun's virtualbox.org site in my
business, so long as I'm not mass deploying it or redistributing it.  I
did a little research on it while writing for my blog and discovered
that today:

http://jason.roysdon.net/2010/01/27/virtualbox-and-licensing/


Jason Roysdon
http://Roysdon.net/ - Professional Services
http://Jason.Roysdon.net/ - Personal Blog


On 01/27/2010 02:15 PM, Landon Blake wrote:
> No worries Jason. I never thought about running Windows in a virtual
> box. Maybe I will try that at some point. Right now, I'm just trying to
> recover my system.
>
> I agree, dual-boot presents challenges, especially with software that
> isn't design to work outside a Windows only environment.
>
> Landon
> Office Phone Number: (209) 946-0268
> Cell Phone Number: (209) 992-0658
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cvale-bounces at lists.fire2wire.com
> [mailto:cvale-bounces at lists.fire2wire.com] On Behalf Of Jason Roysdon
> Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 2:12 PM
> To: cvale at cvale.org
> Subject: Re: [CVALE] Acronis True Image Wiped Master Boot Record?
>
> Gah!  All the more reason to use Linux for everything critical on your
> system.
>
> Myself, I use Windows inside of a VirtualBox guest (VBox OSE is OSS).
> Backing up Windows is then just copying the VBox disk partition file.
>
> I also switch back and forth to VirtualBox (the "full" version which has
> a Private Use Evaluation License (PUEL)) for my personal needs as the
> OSE version doesn't have USB support.  I only need USB support right now
> to sync my Samsung phone address book, but I've automated the whole
> process (switching from OSE to PUEL and back).
>
> I use the OSE whenever I don't require USB as I prefer pure OSS, but
> more than just a "preference," I try to live by what things are licensed
> for, even if it is a hassle.
>
> I use VBox heavily for my customers who require Windows for certain
> products, and for my Quickbooks business needs.  So, no business stuff
> with PUEL software, and work stuff is only accessed via the OSE version.
>
> Sorry to hijack your thread, Landon.
>
> Jason Roysdon
> http://Roysdon.net/ - Professional Services
> http://Jason.Roysdon.net/ - Personal Blog
>
>
> On 01/27/2010 09:26 AM, Landon Blake wrote:
>> Hey guys.
>>
>>
>>
>> The folks at Acronis tech support couldn't figure anything out. (I'm
> not
>> too surprised.) I'm going to try to access Ubuntu using the System
>> Rescue CD. Then I'll see if I can reinstall Grub. There are some good
>> instructions on the System Rescue CD web site. I'll let you guys know
>> how it turns out.
>>
>>
>>
>> In the meantime, if you have other ideas, let me know.
>>
>>
>>
>> **Landon**
>>
>> Office Phone Number: (209) 946-0268
>>
>> Cell Phone Number: (209) 992-0658
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> *From:* Landon Blake
>> *Sent:* Wednesday, January 27, 2010 8:35 AM
>> *To:* 'cvale at cvale.org'
>> *Subject:* Acronis True Image Wiped Master Boot Record?
>>
>>
>>
>> Don't let me near you computers. I'm like a weapon of mass destruction
>> in the hands of a mentally unstable dictator.
>>
>>
>>
>> Sorry...Needed to get that out.
>>
>>
>>
>> I installed Acronis True Image on the Microsoft Windows XP Home
>> operating system on my Dell laptop. (I dual boot Windows XP with
>> Ubuntu.) It was my first time using the disk cloning software. I tried
>> to run what the software called a "one-click" back-up of the system
>> files of Windows XP.
>>
>>
>>
>> After prompting me to reboot, the Acronis gave me an error message
> about
>> an unsupported file system (undoubtedly Linux ext 32 or swap) and then
>> it rebooted the computer again. After the second reboot Grub
> complained
>> it couldn't find the requested partition. I tried booting from the
> Super
>> Grub Disk, but the only entry I get when running Grub from the CD is:
>>
>>
>>
>> "First Kernel and Initrd"
>>
>>
>>
>> When I try to load this boot option I get this error message:
>>
>>
>>
>> "No Loaded Kernel"
>>
>>
>>
>> I had no idea Acronis True Image was going to nuke my master boot
>> record. (Why would you need to do that to clone a disk image?)
>>
>>
>>
>> At any rate, I'm going to wrestle with there tech support today, but I
>> thought I would run this buy you guys. Have any of you worked with
>> Acronis True Image on a dual-boot computer? Any suggestions on how I
>> boot into either of my operating systems.
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks for suggestions.
>>
>>
>>
>> Landon