No option to use USB for creating Acer Factory backup

Spartan1
Spartan1 Member Posts: 36

Tinkerer

edited March 2023 in 2014 Archives

Acer Veriton M2631G running Windows 7 Professional. Trying to make Factory Default Recovery media using a USB memory stick.  Have tried several different 32Gb formatted USB memory sticks which are all recognised in Disk Management, but the Acer Recovery software only gives the option to recover to DVDs.

 

Anyone any clues why I can't use USB for this backup?

 

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Answers

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    Have you formatted to FAT32?

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • Spartan1
    Spartan1 Member Posts: 36

    Tinkerer

    Yup, certainly is.  Successfully copied a file to the USB stick whilst it was attached to the Acer.  Oh, and I do realise that the file will get wiped if I am lucky enough to be able to get the Acer Recovery software to work with the USB stick. Smiley Happy

     

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    What's your erecovery version?

     

    in this video the USB option is available:

    http://youtu.be/RuYHIzrbE2s

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • Spartan1
    Spartan1 Member Posts: 36

    Tinkerer

    Version 5.01.3511

     

  • Spartan1
    Spartan1 Member Posts: 36

    Tinkerer

    Just watched that video.  The screenshot at 1:05 shows the options to select the Thumb drive (USB stick).  No such option exists on mine  -  only the DVD drive.  Nothing else shows if I try clicking on the little down arrow...

     

    I actually tried disconnecting DVD drive's SATA cable to see if I could force the Acer eRecovery software to use the USB drive.  No dice, I'm afraid...

     

  • When you press [F12] Boot menu, which choice have you?

    France
  • Spartan1
    Spartan1 Member Posts: 36

    Tinkerer

    Pressing <F12> at boot does nothing  -  just rolls straight into the Windows 7 operating system.  Also, no options re boot menu are mentioned at the bottom of the BIOS screen, only <Del> for BIOS.

     

     The other thing I noticed in that Acer video ^^ was that the icon and wording was different to mine.  Mine states "Create Factory Default Disc" and the icon does NOT show the USB symbol, only a DVD disk.

  • In the bios setupt utility, you can enable "F12 boot menu". I think it's in boot tab.

    France
  • Spartan1
    Spartan1 Member Posts: 36

    Tinkerer

    Ok, done that.  Here's what is listed in the menu when <F12> is pressed:-

     

    Windows Boot Manager

    WDC WD20EURS-73TLHYO

    KingstonDataTraveler 2.0PMAP

    MAT**bleep**A DVD-RAM SW830

     

    The 3rd item is the memory stick I want to use for the recovery...

     

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer
    Windows 7 doesn't permit to use USB pen to create recovery media but on acer video they used windows 7.

    So maybe you need a newer version of erecovery if it exists.
    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • Spartan1
    Spartan1 Member Posts: 36

    Tinkerer

    Guys, thanks for ongoing help  -  much appreciated.

     

    Ironfly, if that's correct, how come I have that USB eRecovery option on an Acer Veriton M4630G, also running Windows 7 pro?  Just checked it, and that has a slightly earlier version of the Acer eRecovery software, namely 5.01.3507.

     

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer
    That's interesting.
    Are you running the erecovery as administrator?
    Maybe is a permit problem.

    Or.....You can try to copy the erecovery folder of the m4630g, rename the erecovery folder of the desktop with the issue and then paste the "older" version.

    Try to run the erecovery exe and check if it runs and the USB option is available.
    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • Spartan1
    Spartan1 Member Posts: 36

    Tinkerer

    I'm ahead of you on that one!  Already tried copying the Acer eRecovery Management folder over to the M2631G machine and rebooting, but unfortunately it made no difference.  Also, user has administrative rights, and I have also logged on as The Administrator.  Still no go.

     

    Tried updating Windows with the 128 updates which were waiting, but didn't do a thing to solve it.

     

    And here's another twist to the tail...  I have another Veriton M4630G, absolutely identical to the other one in every shape and form, and that DOESN'T offer the USB option.  This is all becoming consistently inconsistent.  Smiley Sad

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    crazy things.

     

    Have you tried to do the USb recovery on the pc that let you choose USB?

    have it worked?

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • Spartan1
    Spartan1 Member Posts: 36

    Tinkerer

    Hi again!  Yes I have...  Carried out the Create Factory Default Backup onto a 32Gb USB stick, and after some time it reported it had completed satisfactorily.  I haven't tested it to see if it'll work, but I'm fairly confident it's ok...

     

    Other than a call to Acer technical on Monday (not sure how worthwhile that might be!?), I guess the only other option is to create a Windows 7 System Image for this installation, via the Maintenance menu under Backup and Restore.  I note that the USB stick will apparently need to be formatted NTFS  -  do you think there will be any problems doing this?  And am I correct to assume that since an Acer backup will easily fit onto the USB stick, a Windows System Image will not require any more space?

     

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    windows system image is different from Acer factory backup

     

    the system image is a full copy of your partitions at the time you did it (so you will find all your installed programs, drivers and issues if any), so need more space (some partitions must be saved, other can be chosen) and you must have a recovery media to re-install your system image

     

    the Acer factory backup, will create a bootable media to re-install your OS.

    see this video from Acer:

    http://youtu.be/737wBusvs8w

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • Spartan1
    Spartan1 Member Posts: 36

    Tinkerer

    Well I spoke to Acer Tech today, and the upshot is you can't make a recovery onto a USB stick.  They failed to explain why I managed to do it on one machine out of the four!

     

    So I resort to using umpteen DVDs to make a recovery...  Oh no I can't, it doesn't work!  Laboriously went through making the first recovery (used 4 DVDs) and then thought "I'll check this really works".  Bunged in a new blank HDD, booted on the UEFI DVD option using the first DVD only to be informed "Please boot this Recovery Disk using legacy BIOS mode".  Booted up selecting 'non-UEFI DVD' from the boot menu, and now told "This Recovery System can only be used on UEFI mode...".

     

     

     

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    So,

    maybe you can try to use and external USB HDD, this will work for sure, since i used to create recoveries or system images.

     

    about your issue now.

     

    is your new HDD with raw data or formatted?

     

    the HDD must be raw, without any partition or formatted, set UEFI and secure boot ENABLED.

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • Spartan1
    Spartan1 Member Posts: 36

    Tinkerer

    Hi

     

    It's without format or partition.

     

    Think I'm gonna try making an image using Acronis, as Acer's backup and recovery software seems to be utter cr*p!

     

  • Blayn-Acer
    Blayn-Acer Administrator Posts: 2,355 Community Administrator

    Sorry for my late contribution to the discussion. In Windows 7, not all systems and versions of eRecovery support making a USB recovery drive. More Windows 7 systems do not support this, than ones that do. One thing that sometimes determines if you can create USB media, is the availability of an optical disk drive in a system. Sorry for the inconvenience, but on some systems, DVD media is the only option.