ACER Aspire 3 A317-51 Why Windows disk disappears when booting from a CD

vtt
vtt Member Posts: 3 New User
edited February 2023 in Aspire Laptops

I would like to help a friend to set up a backup/restore system for her Windows from a bootable CD in case of a cyber attack (ransomware). She owns an ACER Aspire 3 A317-51 running Windows 11.

By default the Acer BIOS does not allow the choice of the boot unit which is always the Windows disk. By disabling the Secure Boot option, after creating a Supervisor password it is possible to choose the CD/DVD with the F12 key at the next boot (after entering the password). So far it works.

However, when booting the system from the CD, the backup/restore program detects the different units connected, including the external backup disk, except the Windows disk. I have used 2 types of CDs, the Acronis True Image CD and the Macrium Reflect CD, but the result is the same: no Windows disk!

I have implemented this technique on several computers without any problems. So I guess that in Acer BIOS there is an internal option that hides the Windows disk when managing the computer from an operating system (in this case Linux) for security reasons (??) but this makes it impossible to restore Windows from a CD or USB key !

Has any Acer user experienced this kind of problem and what is the solution? Thanks in advance for your answers.

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

Answers

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer

    To boot from an external drive, the F12 boot option must first be enabled in the BIOS MAIN tab. Then on startup, tapping the F12 key should present a boot menu to allow booting from a bootable external stick or DVD.

    To make a bootable backup and restore stick or DVD, the Acer Care Center back/restore app should be used from the Windows environment Search Windows start menu 'acer care center'. Then click on the app near the top of the Start menu to run the care center. Click on the recovery management option.

    Jack E/NJ

  • vtt
    vtt Member Posts: 3 New User

    Thank you for your answer and your help.

    As I mentioned in my question I have taken steps to activate F12, etc. With F12 I can choose the boot device, in my case the CD/DVD drive, the restore CD is read and the restore program is loaded into memory. Unfortunately the Windows disk is not visible, which makes backup or restore impossible!

    Regarding your suggestion to use the Acer Care Center back/restore app to create a recovery unit, does this mean that this would be the only way to back up and restore the Windows disk? I am very surprised and the vendors who sell their backup applications should really not be happy!

    In my opinion the problem lies elsewhere. Kind regards.

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer

    >>the restore CD is read and the restore program is loaded into memory. Unfortunately the Windows disk is not visible, which makes backup or restore impossible!>>

    Should work though some portable USB DVDs don't work as expected outside the Windows environment. Best to try to use a bootable stick. The Acer Care Center is convenient but not the only way to backup/restore the system. I sometimes use AOMEI backerupper on a stick if the Acer care center isn't available. I stopped using DVDs for backups a long time ago since their shelf life seemed terrible no matter what brand I got.

    Jack E/NJ