Drive Image error "exit code 12" in 2k

[videobruce 0]

I'm trying to image a drive running Drive Image 2002 and Win 2k I get these error messages:

 

"Exit code 12 must be run from DOS or rescure disk"

"Drive Image NT.EX.EXE generated errors and will be closed"

 

There is a FAQ on this at their site:

 

http://www.powerquest.com/support/primus/id785.cfm

 

"There are not enough free sectors in the first track"

 

The partition is FAT32 5GB, the 2nd partition is FAT32 55GB (or there abouts). There is less than a GB that I'm trying to image.

 

The drive was orginally formatted NTFS, but I reinstalled 2k and changed to to FAT32 since I am leary of access to NTFS. The formatting was done from the Windows CD, not Fdisk BTW.

[adamvjackson 0]

Did you install DriveImage from the CD or are you trying to run it from the rescue floppies?

[videobruce 0]

Ran it in Windows.

The floppy did work!

 

I have used DI twice before on two different boxes and had no problem (running 2k). What does this message mean??

[adamvjackson 0]

The floppy version is designed to be used as a boot disk set, not from within Windows. To use DriveImage within Windows, you would need to install from the CD, as it's a seperate application. I looked in the manual I have for DriveImage 4 (slightly older version) and I didn't find an error 12 referenced, nor did I find anything on the PowerQuest support site.

[videobruce 0]

2002 allows a virtual floppy setup where you set the program up in Windows and it reboots and runs there. I have used it 2 or 3 times on other boxes and it works fine. That is why I stopped using Ghost since it didn't work properly in 2k (admitted by Norton at their site).

 

That link I posted is their FAQ on this exit code 12. What is the deal of the "not enough free sectors in the first track" about?

[packman 0]

I've been using Drive Image 5.0 with Win2K (FAT32) for some time. The new Windows-oriented version is probably not that much different, as at the end of the day DI has to revert to Caldera DOS in order to perform the backup or to restore.

 

I've found DI v5.0 somewhat iffy, even backing up just 2GB or so of actual OS, progs and data. My actual partition sizes are 15GB, 15GB, and 8GB and I image just one of the 15GBs. Sometimes it'll get almost through the imaging and then a failure message will suddenly appear and it boots back into Windows. However, when I've re-tried, it invariably works.

 

As for your particular problem, I'd advise you first to use good branded CD-RWs. Also, don't try to re-use CD-RWs. Use fresh, unformatted ones. It's best to keep at least two ongoing sets, anyway, just in case you screw up doing an image.

 

Bear in mind also that the maximum file size that can be handled under FAT32 in Win2K is 2GB. If your partition is bigger than this, I think DI splits it into 2GB (or thereabouts) chunks, ie several image files.

 

Of course, ensure you turn off screensaver, antivirus, and so forth.

 

I'm afraid I can't help with the particular error message you've got. Mine always vaguely referred to the hard drive itself but I think that's misleading. I think mine's been something to do with the borderline image size, being at or around that 2GB breakpoint. Yours seems to be referring to the space available on the CD-RW.

 

Reformatting the hard disk from Windows Setup is fine and much easier to do, as I'm sure you found, than using FDISK.

[videobruce 0]

In other words you are saying; size does matter. HiHi

 

I have used Drive Image 4 or 5 times before on other boxes with no problem. In fact, I switched over from using Ghost since there were too many issues with that and 2k (even by Nortons admission at their site)

 

This has nothing to do with the burning process. All I'm doing is creating a image to the 2nd partition of the primary partition (the O/S).

Quote:

Bear in mind also that the maximum file size that can be handled under FAT32 in Win2K is 2GB. If your partition is bigger than this, I think DI splits it into 2GB (or thereabouts) chunks, ie several image files.

You mean 32GB don't you? I'm splitting the images into 670MB portions for burning later. BTW, this is all FAT32

 

BUT..........does anyone know what the error means??

[packman 0]

Oh, so you're putting an image of your main partition into another partition, then? Fine, that's what I do as well - not only do I keep an image on CD-RW but also an image on the hard drive. With imaging to another partition, I also get the same error messages occasionally that I've mentioned.

 

Sorry I can't help with your own error message. If you look very very carefully through Powerquest's website, you'll find a very long list of error messages and their meanings. Yours might conceivably be there.

 

No, I DIDN'T mean 32GB, I meant 2GB. For FAT32, 32GB is the notional limit on PARTITION size under Win2K (in practice, you can often use more), 2GB is the limit on FILE size. They're quite different. Remember, the backup is stored as a single file or a number of single files.

[adamvjackson 0]

Videobruce: Have you tried scheduling a disck check for the next reboot? May have some crosslinked files, etc that are causing problems.

[packman 0]

Yes, that's quite important. I forgot to mention that I usually run a disk check before I make the image. You can run it either from Command Prompt or I seem to recall that you can do it in Windows, in Disk Management.

[packman 0]

Videobruce, an explanation of your problem is given at Powerquest, as indicated by that link you gave. Ive just looked. So have you downloaded the zip file and followed Powerquest's instructions?

 

That said, it might be worth trying a few more obvious things first, like running ChkDisk or whatever.

[videobruce 0]

What "free sectors in the first track"? Why does it work on other boxes and not here. Same O/S, same FAT32, same program.

 

I did run Fdisk and both partitions look good.

I also ran Scandisk on both partitions including a curface scan and both pass.

I even ran Maxblast since it is a Quantum HDD and it passes their certification (though I know that is a hardware test).

 

No to D/L'ing their file. Don't want to use that. Too risky IMO.

[packman 0]

I don't know whether this'll help at all but I remember reading in the Drive Image manual that it's advisable to leave some unallocated space on the hard disk. This, I seem to recall, is at one particular 'end' of the disk and is for some disk management function. Can't remember exactly what. When I partitioned my hard drive, I deliberately left about 400MB unallocated.

 

Have a look at what it says in YOUR manual.

[videobruce 0]

The first partition is 5GB, the one I'm imaging.

The 2nd is 50GB where it is going.

 

Can't be a problem here!

[packman 0]

No, when I call it "unassigned", that means that when you format the hard disk in the first place, you should leave a small amount of the total capacity on the hard disk unformatted. Subsequently, you'll be able to see that in the graphics in Disk Management in Win2K. Let's say you had a HD with 40GB-worth of formattable space and you want to split that into three partitions of ROUGHLY 15GB, 15GB and 10GB. What I'm saying is that you ought to format them as 15GB, 15GB and 9.6GB, leaving 0.4GB unassigned. Or possibly 14.6GB, 15GB and 10GB. It's up to you. Obviously, the figures won't be nice round figures but do you get my point? In 40GB, 0.4GB is nothing to cry over losing, anyway.

 

Unless you have the very rare situation of a completely full main partition (and clearly you don't), the size of image created of that main partition will simply be the sum total of the data in that partition. For instance, if you keep your OS, programs and personal files all in that one main partition, then the size of the image of it that you create with Drive Image will be simply that, not the entire size of the main partition. So, if your main partition is, say, 15GB in size and the used portion of it is 1GB, then the image size (uncompressed) will be 1GB. If the used portion is, say, 3GB, then DI will generate two image files in your image partition, one 2GB and one 1GB. Savvy?

[videobruce 0]

Interesting, but I think you might of lost me.

 

You are saying to leave a small blank space on the HDD not formatted or partitioned?

 

If this program needs some blank space, why isn't addressed in the program. I have never seen any warning about this.

Next, if it does need this space, why has it worked on other drivers in other systems that have no reserved areas?

[packman 0]

Yes, I am saying that, when you format the hard disk, it's suggested that you leave a small amount of memory space on it not partitioned (and therefore unformatted), ie unassigned. Certainly, in my Drive Image 5.0 user manual, it recommends this. It suggests around 300MB but I upped it a bit to nearly 400MB, just to be safe.

 

I don't know how Powerquest further developed Drive Image since v5.0, except that I'm aware that it's much more Windows-oriented now, with the version you've got. I can't therefore say whether Drive Image still requires that small unassigned area still. Interestingly, it does kinda fit with your error message, though. Perhaps 'missing sectors' means that it can't access those sectors because there aren't any free ones?

 

Again, I can't explain why you've apparently had no problems running Drive Image on other machines that have no unassigned space. PCs and what and how you run apps on them are infinitely variable beasts and very difficult to debug when things like this happen. All I can suggest is that you read your DI manual very carefully, if you were supplied with one. Are you running FAT32 on all machines?

[videobruce 0]

Yes on the FAT32

 

The 2002 version sets up the progran for a virtual floppy on reboot. Partition Magic does the same thing. The older versions only run off a virtual floppy after you start the program as you know.

 

End result is the same.

[packman 0]

Videobruce, I've been looking through my DI manual. It seems I've misled you somewhat on the business about unassigned space. It becomes relevant only for NTFS partitions, or if you have OS2 extended attributes in FAT32 partitions. Sorry about that.

 

Some other thoughts that have come to mind are:

 

Since last making an image, have you altered the hardware on this machine?

 

Are you trying to image a partition that's actually hidden?

 

Have you changed the partition order, since making the image? Under Win2K, this can cause a boot.ini problem.

 

Sorry if these seem stupid questions but you don't actually say at what stage of the process you get that error message. I presume that you get it when you first start the imaging process.

[videobruce 0]

Ok on the above about the unallocated space.

Never made a image on this box, it isn't mine.

Partition is the active partition.

The error is just before it would prepare the virtual floppy for rebooting.

 

The box orginally had ME, then upgraded to 2k using NTFS.

 

I changed it back to FAT32 using the Windows CD setup from a bootable CD.

[packman 0]

I presume that by "partition is the active partition" means that it's the active partition that you're trying to make an image of. Right? Fine. Absolutely OK.

 

When you 'upgraded' from WinME, was it a clean install of Win2K? I ask because it's usually best to completely re-format the HD, to get rid of all remnants of ME, before installing Win2K. You can then achieve that clean install by inserting the Win2K installation CD and starting the new formatting and Setup. The Setup will then ask you to insert the WinME CD, to check that it's a bona fide upgrade. But no crappy ME files will get written on to the HD.

 

Sorry if you know all this already.

[videobruce 0]

Yes to the first and second questions.

 

The 3rd install (mine) was fresh since it was formatted in NTFS before.

[videobruce 0]

I looked at the partitions with Partition Magic and there is a 7.8MB unallocated space in the primary partition. Fdisk doesn't show this.

Any idea what that is or how to merge it?

[packman 0]

I think you are misunderstanding what 'unallocated' space is. Unallocated space doesn't occupy ANY partition, because it's not partitioned space of any kind. It's just unpartitioned space on the HD.

 

A primary partition doesn't contain unallocated space. It may (and usually does) contain unused formatted space, however, as OS, programs and/or data will usually take up only a portion of the partition.

 

Personally, I wouldn't bother messing around with FDISK. Instead, I'd do all partitioning in Win2K Setup, as it's much easier and less confusing to do it there. Later, when you've fully installed Win2K, you can use Disk Management to create or modify further partitions. I usually create one bootable primary partition and one appropriately-sized extended partition using Win2K's Setup, then complete the making of further partitions (I personally favour just one primary partition and the rest logical partitions) in Disk Management, ie I split the extended partition into logical partitions. There's no reason why you shouldn't choose to use three or even four primary partitions, though. It's up to you.

 

To find out exactly what you've got, or not got, by way of partitioning on your now-Win2K machine, look in Disk Management, as it's nicely shown there, graphically (including any unallocated space). First, make sure all partitions are unhidden, then click on Start/Settings/Control Panel/Admin Tools/Computer Management. Then click on Disk Management.

[videobruce 0]

This 'unallocated space' shows connected to the primary partition in Partition Magic.

 

This was partitioned using the Windows setup.