ASR Restore With No Floppy
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ASR Restore With No Floppy
Windows Server Hacks http://www.aspfree.com/c/a/ASP/Windows-Server-Hacks-12-77-and-98/2/
During the ASR backup process, you’re asked to insert a blank, formatted floppy to create a system recovery disk (commonly called an ASR an ASR floppy). floppy). This floppy is critical to the ASR restore process, so it’s worth digging a little deeper into how it’s used. The ASR backup process saves two files onto your floppy: the ASR state file ( asr.sif ), ), which contains information about the disk signatures and configuration of disk volumes on your machine, and asrpnp.sif , which contains information about different Plug and Play devices on your system. These two files are critical for the recovery of your system, because they connect the underlying hardware configuration with the operating system above it. As we’ll see in a moment, you need to insert this floppy at the beginning of the ASR restore, in order to rebuild the disk subsystem and hardware configuration of your system before restoring the contents of the system and boot vo lumes. What if you have no floppy disk drive on your machine? Fortunately, you can still use ASR to back up your system, but its a bit of a workaround. During the ASR backup process copies of these asr.sif and asr.sif and asrpnp.sif files asrpnp.sif files are also saved in the %SystemRoot %\Repair folder %\Repair folder on your server. So, when you receive a prompt at the end of the backup process to insert a floppy, simply ignore the prompt and instead copy asr.sif and asr.sif and asrpnp.sif from asrpnp.sif from Repair Repair to to a network share on another server (one that has a floppy disk drive installed). Then, copy the files from the share on that server to a blank floppy you insert into its drive, and you now have hav e a working ASR floppy for your backup. Then, go buy a USB external floppy drive, because you’ll need it if you ever have to rebuild your original server from the backup set you created. In other words, you can perform ASR backup without a floppy, but you cannot perform an ASR restore without one. What if you lose your ASR floppy? Well, the procedure just described will work in this case too. Just insert a new blank, formatted floppy into your server and copy asr.sif and asr.sif and asrpnp.sif from asrpnp.sif from the Repair the Repair directory directory to the floppy. Note that these files must be located in the root folder on the floppy for the restore process to work, so use a separate floppy for each ASR backup; don’t try to combine several ASR backups in different folders on one floppy. However, since the Repair the Repair directory directory is located on the boot volume of the system itself, if your system volume is toast, then so is your Repair directory Repair directory and the files within it. So, what if you’ve lost your ASR floppy and the Repair the Repair directory directory is gone with your hard your hard drive?? There’s still a workaround that can save your bacon: use the Backup utility on a drive different machine to open the backup catalog for the ASR backup set you want to restore, expand the %SystemRoot%\Repair %SystemRoot%\Repair directory directory on the boot volume, select asr.sif and asr.sif and asrpnp.sif as asrpnp.sif as the files you want to restore, insert a blank floppy, and restore these two files to the root of the floppy. Presto! You now have a recovered ASR floppy you can use to initiate a restore.
How To Re-Create a Missing Automated System Recovery Floppy Disk in Windows XP http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299526 Article ID : 299526 Last Review : January 15, 2006 Revision : 1.6 This article was previously published under Q299526 On This Page
SUMMARY Create an ASR Floppy Disk
SUMMARY This article describes how to create an Automated System Recovery (ASR) floppy disk from the media that stores the ASR backup. During an ASR backup operation, a copy of the Asr.sif and Asrpnp.sif files are backed up to the backup media. In the event that the ASR floppy disk is not available, both the Asr.sif and Asrpnp.sif files can be extracted from the ASR backup set, and then transferred to a floppy disk to be used for an ASR operation.
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Create an ASR Floppy Disk
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The following steps can create an ASR floppy disk from an ASR backup operation: Format a 1.44 megabyte (MB) floppy disk and insert the disk into the floppy disk drive of the computer. In System Tools , start the Backup program. When the Backup and Restore Wizard is displayed, click Next. Click Restore Files and Settings , and then click Next. In the What to Restore dialog box, select the media that contains the ASR backup. Ensure that the media is inserted. Expand the Automated System Recovery Backup Set that corresponds to the ASR floppy disk that you want to create. Expand the second instance of the drive letter that contains the system files. Expand the Windows_folder /Repair folder. Click the following files from this repair folder: Asr.sif and Asrpnp.sif , and then click Next. At the Completing Backup or Restore Wizard screen, click Advanced . At the Where to Restore screen, set the Restore Files to: dialog box to Single Folder , and then set the Folder Name dialog box to the root of your floppy drive, for
5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Click Next. On the What to Restore page, click to select the check box next to the media that contains the ASR backup. Expand the ASR backup set that corresponds to the ASR floppy disk that you wan t to create. Expand the second instance of the drive letter that contains the system files, expand Windows_Folder , and then expand the Repair folder. In the right pane, click to select the check boxes next to Asr.sif and Asrpnp.sif , and then click Next. On the Completing the Restore Wizard page, click Advanced. On the Where to Restore page, click Single Folder in the Restore files to box, type A:\ in the Folder name box, and then click Next. NOTE: The Asr.sif and Asrpnp.sif files must reside on the root of the floppy disk drive for use in a ASR restore operation. Follow the instructions on the remaining pages of the wizard. The restore options that you can configure on the remaining pages of the wizard are optional and do not affect the transfer of files to the floppy disk.
11. When you click Finish on the last page of the wizard, the files are copied to the location that you specified. The ASR floppy disk is ready for use in an ASR restore operation. Back to the top
REFERENCES For more information about ASR, see Windows Help. To do this, click Start, click Help and Support , type automated system recovery in the Search box, and then press ENTER to view the topics returned.
Windows Server Hacks http://www.aspfree.com/c/a/ASP/Windows-Server-Hacks-12-77-and-98/2/
During the ASR backup process, you’re asked to insert a blank, formatted floppy to create a system recovery disk (commonly called an ASR an ASR floppy). floppy). This floppy is critical to the ASR restore process, so it’s worth digging a little deeper into how it’s used. The ASR backup process saves two files onto your floppy: the ASR state file ( asr.sif ), ), which contains information about the disk signatures and configuration of disk volumes on your machine, and asrpnp.sif , which contains information about different Plug and Play devices on your system. These two files are critical for the recovery of your system, because they connect the underlying hardware configuration with the operating system above it. As we’ll see in a moment, you need to insert this floppy at the beginning of the ASR restore, in order to rebuild the disk subsystem and hardware configuration of your system before restoring the contents of the system and boot vo lumes. What if you have no floppy disk drive on your machine? Fortunately, you can still use ASR to back up your system, but its a bit of a workaround. During the ASR backup process copies of these asr.sif and asr.sif and asrpnp.sif files asrpnp.sif files are also saved in the %SystemRoot %\Repair folder %\Repair folder on your server. So, when you receive a prompt at the end of the backup process to insert a floppy, simply ignore the prompt and instead copy asr.sif and asr.sif and asrpnp.sif from asrpnp.sif from Repair Repair to to a network share on another server (one that has a floppy disk drive installed). Then, copy the files from the share on that server to a blank floppy you insert into its drive, and you now have hav e a working ASR floppy for your backup. Then, go buy a USB external floppy drive, because you’ll need it if you ever have to rebuild your original server from the backup set you created. In other words, you can perform ASR backup without a floppy, but you cannot perform an ASR restore without one. What if you lose your ASR floppy? Well, the procedure just described will work in this case too. Just insert a new blank, formatted floppy into your server and copy asr.sif and asr.sif and asrpnp.sif from asrpnp.sif from the Repair the Repair directory directory to the floppy. Note that these files must be located in the root folder on the floppy for the restore process to work, so use a separate floppy for each ASR backup; don’t try to combine several ASR backups in different folders on one floppy. However, since the Repair the Repair directory directory is located on the boot volume of the system itself, if your system volume is toast, then so is your Repair directory Repair directory and the files within it. So, what if you’ve lost your ASR floppy and the Repair the Repair directory directory is gone with your hard your hard drive?? There’s still a workaround that can save your bacon: use the Backup utility on a drive different machine to open the backup catalog for the ASR backup set you want to restore, expand the %SystemRoot%\Repair %SystemRoot%\Repair directory directory on the boot volume, select asr.sif and asr.sif and asrpnp.sif as asrpnp.sif as the files you want to restore, insert a blank floppy, and restore these two files to the root of the floppy. Presto! You now have a recovered ASR floppy you can use to initiate a restore.
How To Re-Create a Missing Automated System Recovery Floppy Disk in Windows XP http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299526 Article ID : 299526 Last Review : January 15, 2006 Revision : 1.6 This article was previously published under Q299526 On This Page
SUMMARY Create an ASR Floppy Disk
SUMMARY This article describes how to create an Automated System Recovery (ASR) floppy disk from the media that stores the ASR backup. During an ASR backup operation, a copy of the Asr.sif and Asrpnp.sif files are backed up to the backup media. In the event that the ASR floppy disk is not available, both the Asr.sif and Asrpnp.sif files can be extracted from the ASR backup set, and then transferred to a floppy disk to be used for an ASR operation.
Back to the top
Create an ASR Floppy Disk
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
The following steps can create an ASR floppy disk from an ASR backup operation: Format a 1.44 megabyte (MB) floppy disk and insert the disk into the floppy disk drive of the computer. In System Tools , start the Backup program. When the Backup and Restore Wizard is displayed, click Next. Click Restore Files and Settings , and then click Next. In the What to Restore dialog box, select the media that contains the ASR backup. Ensure that the media is inserted. Expand the Automated System Recovery Backup Set that corresponds to the ASR floppy disk that you want to create. Expand the second instance of the drive letter that contains the system files. Expand the Windows_folder /Repair folder. Click the following files from this repair folder: Asr.sif and Asrpnp.sif , and then click Next. At the Completing Backup or Restore Wizard screen, click Advanced . At the Where to Restore screen, set the Restore Files to: dialog box to Single Folder , and then set the Folder Name dialog box to the root of your floppy drive, for
5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Click Next. On the What to Restore page, click to select the check box next to the media that contains the ASR backup. Expand the ASR backup set that corresponds to the ASR floppy disk that you wan t to create. Expand the second instance of the drive letter that contains the system files, expand Windows_Folder , and then expand the Repair folder. In the right pane, click to select the check boxes next to Asr.sif and Asrpnp.sif , and then click Next. On the Completing the Restore Wizard page, click Advanced. On the Where to Restore page, click Single Folder in the Restore files to box, type A:\ in the Folder name box, and then click Next. NOTE: The Asr.sif and Asrpnp.sif files must reside on the root of the floppy disk drive for use in a ASR restore operation. Follow the instructions on the remaining pages of the wizard. The restore options that you can configure on the remaining pages of the wizard are optional and do not affect the transfer of files to the floppy disk.
11. When you click Finish on the last page of the wizard, the files are copied to the location that you specified. The ASR floppy disk is ready for use in an ASR restore operation. Back to the top
REFERENCES For more information about ASR, see Windows Help. To do this, click Start, click Help and Support , type automated system recovery in the Search box, and then press ENTER to view the topics returned.
