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XP's backup program's Automated System Recovery set using Backup wants a floppy disk is there a way to get it to use a CD instead?

Anonymous
2012-03-12T21:22:32+00:00

XP's backup program's Automated System Recovery set using Backup wants a floppy disk is there a way to get it to use a CD instead?

OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600

OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation

System Name 250GB_DRIVE

System Manufacturer HP Pavilion 061

System Model EG705AA-ABA M7265C

System Type X86-based PC

Processor x86 Family 15 Model 4 Stepping 4 GenuineIntel ~2800 Mhz

BIOS Version/Date Phoenix Technologies, LTD  3.17, 4/20/2006

SMBIOS Version 2.4

Windows Directory C:\WINDOWS

System Directory C:\WINDOWS\system32

Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume2

Locale United States

Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "5.1.2600.5512 (xpsp.080413-2111)"

User Name 250GB_DRIVE\HP_Administrator

Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time

Total Physical Memory 3,072.00 MB

Available Physical Memory 1.55 GB

Total Virtual Memory 2.00 GB

Available Virtual Memory 1.96 GB

Page File Space 4.83 GB

Page File C:\pagefile.sys

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Recovery and backup

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-03-13T12:36:05+00:00

    Hi,

    The ASR (Automated System Recovery) tool has to have a floppy disk for restore purposes. The best option, if you really want to use ASR, is an external USB floppy as chrisamiller suggests.

    You can also follow this procedure to create the ASR files without the floppy, and then copy them to another location to create a floppy or, if you are lucky, your PC can boot from a USB key (I have never tried to boot ASR to a key, not sure if it will work or not but it might be worth a shot):

    "You can 'trick' the ASR into running without a floppy drive. When it gets to the point where it writes to the floppy just cancel it. It writes two files, which are used for recovery, to the Windows\Repair directory. After you complete your ASR copy these two files (asr.sif and asrpnp.sif) to a network location and then make the floppy elsewhere. Make sure that you update your floppy EVERY time you do a new ASR or your backup will be hosed.

    Or, you can use a USB floppy. This is sometimes the only option, especially if you need to install SCSI or SATA drivers during the recovery."

    a. When you start Backup, it might be in Wizard mode. Follow the link for Advanced Mode.

    b. Backup tab.

    c. Click on the box next to the disk drive you want to back up so that it has a blue checkbox.

    d. Backup media or file name: Browse.

    e. Select a new filename on your CD.

    f. Start Backup.

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-03-13T17:37:52+00:00

    Thanks that answers my question.  I think the last time I used a floppy was in 2000 and haven’t had one in a PC since 2005.  I started looking at this after my primary hard drive controller failed.  I had my data on a second internal drive but after building a new drive and all the service packs, hot fixes etc to get it up to date I started looking for an external solution.  Well it seems that most of them do not do a backup that can restore to a new drive and make it bootable.  I tried one that claimed it could and it did boot from a USB port and it did appear to restore everything but did not make the new drive bootable.  I did talk to a company with tech support in the U.S. that swears they have such a product that will do that so I’m thinking that will be my next step since I really wanted an external solution to begin with.

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