Acer Veriton M46500G Issue with access to SSD hard disk for disk imaging.

I'm the maintainer of the G4L disk imaging program, and have a user that has used the program on other systems with no problems, but now has a number of new Acer Veriton M46500G computers with 250G SSD. He boots the G4L from its linux kernel, and it sees the disks with the partitions fine. He then does an image, but normally, on a new system that has had free space cleared, the image should be about 1/10th the disk size, but he is getting images close the to full size of disk. Not clear if this is some access problem, or security feature. System has Windows 10, and INTEL SSD 256G disk. Could it be an issue with the firmware or some BIOS setting to allow access to disk. Program just uses dd to copy the raw data, and then compress it to make a bare image backup. The created image passes compression programs test, so it is valid, but seems more likely it is getting some random data or something from disk rather than real data that should greatly compress? Long distance communications, so trying things takes time.
Any ideals? Thanks.

[Edited the thread to add model name to the title]

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JackE

Not sure. I have to think about it some more. But as a possible workaround for now, it seems easy enough to have your user temporarily shrink the volume for the G4L operation. Then expand it back after the image is done. Jack E/NJ

msetzerii

Just to add. Put a new 1TB NVME board in. Used my G4L to image the original 256G NVME to 1TB NVME speed was 880MBs took about 4 minutes.

Did have to reset the GPT size of drive, and used gparted to move partition 4 to end, and then resized partition 3 to use extra space.

Removed original 256G and it seemed to boot same. Did note old NVME had non-buffered speed of 880MB while new drive had over 2000MB. Buffered speeds where 18000 and just under 20000. Unfortunately, same issues with power on being very random and wifi card sometimes working and sometimes not??

Since had a new install on the 1TB tired the ALT-F10 to reinstall Window and save user files, that seemed to run fine, but then got in some wierd loop, where it said disk needed repair, and showed screen setting up auto repair, but that screen just remained and never went beyond.

Hard Rebooted and did the ALT-F10, but this time did the restore windows and selected to wipe all files (still having all files on original 256G NVME) this reinstalled Widows 11 (seems generic) with none of the acer add-ons. Went thru with install and rebooted with no issues at that point, but later found the random starting issues would reappear on reboots or startups. Sometimes power boot would do nothing, some time it would flash on then immediately off, sometimes on and keyboard would light left to right, but the nothing. Sometimes it would seem to repeat start process multiple times. Sometime it would then just sit on a blank screen. Other times, it would eventually show the Predator screen and boot to Window 11 screen. Sometimes the Internal Wifi would be there, and sometimes it would show with no wifi, but plugging in a usb wifi would then activate. Sometimes on reboot, it would then see both the internal wifi and usb wifi. Ran memtest86+ 6.10 on ram and no issue. Ran both linux and windows scan disk programs on NVME disks and no issues on either. So, no error messages or beeps. Don't know if keyboard blinking patterns mean anything. Don't know if maybe wifi card is flaky and it is causing issue. Don't know if it is a card that can be removed or replace or if it is mounted permanently on motherboard as it seems CPU is on at least some models. Using a very old Acer Aspire E1-731 that has been rock solid that was about $600 new. This Predator Helis 500 was about $2500 when my brother got it new a few years ago. He also has another Acer that is older and still running great. So not sure one high end machine has issues.

Any diag tools that might identify what issue could be. Seems Ram, Disk, and CPU seem to work fine once it succesfully boots. Did have issue that sometimes if it would sleep in Windows 11, it would not reactivate?? Most times it would. Set the Sleep to Never when running on AC, and that has resolved that problem so far…

Thanks. Brother's gaming machine, but right no very flaky.

Retired Computer Science Instructor with 36+ years.

Larryodie

I would unplug, ooen it up and reseat all cables. cards, including the Ram.

Clean the pins of any connectors that looks tarnished with a rubber eraser and q-tip alcohol very carefully.

"where it said disk needed repair, and showed screen setting up auto repair, but that screen just remained and never went beyond.:

This may have been a spam message ?

Check your Task Manager start ups and processes running .

billsey

I'm guessing you actually are asking about a Veriton M4650G, not a M46500G, since I don't believe the latter exists. I wonder if you are seeing issues with a flaky power supply? Things are sounding a little too random to pin down to a specific component, but a PSU affects everything. Re: the drive speed, the original SSD was likely an NVMe x2 drive and the new one is NVMe x4.

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