haggis999 Posted February 20, 2007 Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 I have just tried to create a new Disaster Recovery CD-R from Retrospect Professional 7.0.326 and have received a warning message that the Disaster Recovery image file will be over 650MB and thus too big for most disk burners to handle. The only thing I am aware of having changed since my last (successful) attempt to create a DR CD is the Snapshot. I have read several existing threads on this forum about this subject, but have not found them particularly helpful. I have also read the KB article' 'Why is my Disaster Recovery ISO file too big for the CD?' http://kb.dantz.com/display/2/index.asp?c=&cpc=&cid=&cat=&catURL=&r=0.1518976 This KB article identifies the following as the contents of the DR CD (with the sizes on my PC), SIZE .......... FILE/FOLDER 39MB ......... C:\Program Files\Dantz\Retrospect 67MB ......... C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Retrospect 33MB ......... C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers 502MB ....... i386 folder from my Dell Win XP SP 1a Reinstallation CD 123MB ....... Catalogue file for the Backup Set used for this DR 764MB TOTAL SIZE The KB article says that the i386 folder might be too large if it is from an OEM version of Windows, as if users have a choice in the matter. Surely almost every PC on the planet is supplied with an OEM version of Windows! Is EMC expecting me to go out and buy a retail version of Windows just so their DR facility can work? Even if I were to delete the i386\LANG folder as some have suggested is possible (but with no confirmation from one of the EMC gurus), I only save 99MB which still leaves me over the limit. Can anyone please explain how I resolve this problem? As a secondary issue, how do I address the issue of my Windows XP reinstallation CD being at Service Pack 1a while my PC is currently running at SP2 with plenty of subsequent updates via the Windows Update service? David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonaldL Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 Can you verify if the ISO file is including the catalog file? You can use a program such as Daemon Tools to mount the image and view its contents. From what I understand, it should only be included if it can fit on the CD (and obviously it doesn't in this case). You can try manually burning the files, excluding the .rbc file. I have not personally tried this, but I'm interested as to whether it would work or not. As for your second question, you will need to create a slipstreamed SP2 Windows XP cd: http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sp2_slipstream.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haggis999 Posted February 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 I decided to press ahead with the 'Continue' option after receiving the over 650MB warning. The resulting ISO file was 651MB in size, and did NOT include the catalog file. Roxio 8 was able to successfully burn this to a 700MB CD-R. It looks as if this warning message is just there to cause unnecessary confusion and panic, a situation compounded by the utterly ridiculous KB advice to obtain a non-OEM version of the Windows installation CD! . In over 20 years as an IT Manager, I hardly ever purchased a retail copy of Windows, because every new PC came with an OEM version of the operating system. If I had been stupid enough to follow EMC's advice, it would have cost me £159 GBP in the UK to buy the retail upgrade version of Win XP Pro. I would then have had two valid Windows licences for the same PC, just to get round a phantom problem in Retrospect! If anyone from EMC is reading this, can you please try to ensure that a more helpful KB article is created on this topic. This should address the following issues, The statement that the catalogue file is one of the main things that are included on the DR ISO file is patently untrue in some cases. This needs to to be made clear. Users should be advised that the 650MB limit is rather conservative, given that 700MB CD-R disks are now widely available. Any suggestion that it is wrong to use an OEM version of the Windows installation CD should be deleted Some advice about files or folders that could safely be deleted from the i386 folder is almost essential (alternatively, a list of the vital files could be supplied). How else can a user know how to cut down the size of an OEM version of the i386 folder? David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timepieces Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 I have the same problem creating a DR CD. Don't know what the size of the ISO-file is, I'll come back to you later on that. Maybe a stupid question but, is it possible to put the file on a bootable DVD ? So I have a DR DVD? ps: I have a HP pavilion dektop with, standard, the OEM installation (for recovery) on D, a Windows CD wasn't included with the package. The iso file is 1.4G !!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haggis999 Posted March 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2007 I would be very grateful if one of the EMC reps on this forum would offer a response to the comments I made in my previous post on 21 Feb. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhwalker Posted March 13, 2007 Report Share Posted March 13, 2007 Quote: I would be very grateful if one of the EMC reps on this forum would offer a response to the comments I made in my previous post on 21 Feb. David, Apparently you are under the mistaken impression that this forum is something other than user-to-user support. See the "Welcome to the Forum" note describing the forum: Welcome to the Forum If you are trying to contact EMC support, here is how to do so: Contact Support Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haggis999 Posted March 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2007 Quote: Apparently you are under the mistaken impression that this forum is something other than user-to-user support. Russ, No, I am not confused in the slightest. There are a few EMC employees who participate in these forum discussions and I was simply trying to provoke a reaction from one of them. I'm certainly not planning to pay a substantial fee for the privilege of reporting flaws in EMC documentation - if anything, they should pay me! . David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhwalker Posted March 13, 2007 Report Share Posted March 13, 2007 Ok, I'm sure your comments were given all the consideration they deserved. Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haggis999 Posted March 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2007 Russ, That sounds a bit dismissive. Have you got an issue with my earlier comments? The only reason I have resurrected this thread is that the topic keeps re-occurring on this forum and is thus obviously a regular source of user confusion. If EMC were to provide a more informative and more practical KB article on the subject then such confusion might be reduced. Is that not a desirable objective? David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhwalker Posted March 13, 2007 Report Share Posted March 13, 2007 Not at all, and I agree with your request and appreciate the time you took to research and concisely report what is needed. If only more people could do the same. I apologize for seeming dismissive, and I agree that I probably was. My error. I was just concerned with your expectations that Retrospect support staff were spending much time in these forums. Retrospect has let go a lot of people recently, so I suspect that what support staff that are left are demoralized and stretched thin, and may be focusing on testing whatever is left of the next release and doing their support duties, too. The posts that the support people have been making in these forums (less and less recently, as people are let go) were in addition to their regular support duties. You can get a good idea by looking at the "last post" dates and post frequency for the various support people. And Larry Zulch, head of the group and co-founder (with his brother) of Dantz, left a couple of weeks ago, too. Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haggis999 Posted March 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2007 Russ, Thanks for the gracious and rapid apology. However, I am in no position to claim the moral high ground. As my wife will confirm, I'm becoming a grumpy old man and my own lapses in tact and diplomacy are becoming ever more frequent... I found your comments very interesting - and a little worrying. Over here in the UK, I have read nothing about what is going on at EMC. Is the future of Retrospect in some doubt? David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nielran Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Frank, Since my ISO file created is 1.2 GB, I tried using Easy Media Creator to make a bootable DVD out of it. It did so without complaint, though I am not sure I am there yet. I've tried booting with the DVD and the drive seems to read it on boot, but the computer ends up having started on the internal hard drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerS Posted June 21, 2007 Report Share Posted June 21, 2007 I built my own workstation and bought a "Pure" retail version of XP-Pro SP2. Please rest assured that it still didn't work! I have EVERY tool there is to open, read, edit, and burn an edited .iso file! The problem is; What goes and what stays? I didn't write XP, nor Retrospect... Chunking out files is a crapshoot! This is a VERY OLD ISSUE. And STILL unresolved! If you believe that anyone from retrospect reads or cares about this forum or it's own customers, then please send me a private email. I have a really great hi-value property DIRT CHEAP here in Florida... I simply gave up on using a DR-CD. Actually, on this new workstation, even if I could burn a DR-CD, it wouldn't work! Disaster Recovery does not support a partitioned RAID 5 array. I also deeply resent being charged so steeply for tech support concerning failed Retrospect software. I currrently can no longer create new Backup sets. (-1101) and waiting for a solution from this forum is an excersize in delusion! The first better written backup solution that floats past my monitor is mine! Even if it's 3 times the cost of Retrospect! In 6 years of use, There have ALWAYS been issues that must be paid for to get resolution. This is a self destructive business model that is the probable cause for so many "New" corporate owners at Retrospect! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerS Posted June 21, 2007 Report Share Posted June 21, 2007 If the problem is defective user entry or use of the software, then yes; One should pay for a tech's time to educate a user. But non functioning software is another issue! A clean fresh computer build with no other software than the operating system bought "Retail" alone in a box, with no other hardware, the box & CD containing a hologramed XP seal, manual, and CD documentation from Micrsoft is another issue! A clean install of 7.5.387 yeilds the SAME ERROR! Being charged to talk to Retrospect, and getting NO resolution is a scam. Period. All EMC Dantz accomplishes is pizzing-off customers. Remember, one loses customers the same way they are gained: One at a time. I would really appreciate it if the same old tired boiler plate response on this issue were retired. If it's no longer a viable solution, get rid of it! Retrospect obviously has no idea why it works sometimes... Just one Love/Hate customer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerS Posted June 21, 2007 Report Share Posted June 21, 2007 That is very disturbing information! Having jumped into this thread, I have nothing but pure sympathy for the employees and others devoting time to this forum. Having survived this sort of demoralizing corporate activity not once, but three times, I know what it feels like. Any criticism I've added to this forum has never ever been directed towards forum contributors/Moderators. It has always been directed squarly towards Retrospect, the corporate body! When bad corporate policies loose enough customers, the rank stupidity that knee-jerk corporo's coalesce to is: Cut the head! Save as much of the body as possible. I've seen it happen this exact way too many times. There are plenty of very healthy prospering corporations today! What you never see is a business model that treats it's customers as poorly as Retrospect does theirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backupking Posted July 2, 2007 Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 I just tried to make a DR CD and my ISO came out to 750 MB. What's the deal on burning this ISO to a DVD-R? Does it have to be a CD-R? Seems like that would cure everything... surely windows can boot from a DVD-R???? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jelenko Posted July 12, 2007 Report Share Posted July 12, 2007 An interesting article on Retrospect's future. http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/columnItem/0,294698,sid5_gci1244065,00.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralf_CT Posted July 20, 2007 Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 I'm at a loss, how does one boot from an ISO image? I've burned mine to DVD but simply receive a 'No System Disc' message when trying to boot. Must I add additional files to make it boot? There seems little help in these forums from EMC support staff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhwalker Posted July 20, 2007 Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 See this post from the head of EMC support for the answer: DVD is not supported Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cprstn54 Posted July 20, 2007 Report Share Posted July 20, 2007 I have the same problem: Retail Windows XP and image file over 650MB (754MB, in fact). The last time I made an image file using the same i386 folder it was 623MB. The only thing that I know changed was I upgraded from Express to Professional 7.5. I consider this to be a major bug. In fact, the product is useless to me without the disaster recovery feature. I will be making demand for a refund. Class action anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syeager Posted July 22, 2007 Report Share Posted July 22, 2007 You can google for nLite utility that will let you make custom windows installation CD. You can remove components and make installation significantly smaller. You can also add drivers if you have any hardware that is not supported by original windows install. Like RAID, network, etc. Then use it as a source for retrospect disaster disk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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