Burned copy of bootable Vista recovery disk won't boot

[phkhgh]

Got a Toshiba recovery disk w/ Vista, which will boot my Satellite P200-ST6061. This isn't a Vista installation disk, but a recovery disk (image).

Burned a copy of the bootable disk, verified the burn w/ Nero.

The burned copy won't boot the laptop. Is there a common reason(s) why it wouldn't? Remember, this isn't a MS Vista installation disk.

Before burning, copied the files to my HDD and modified one line in the Install.ini file. The Readme file from Toshiba says if the value for "CustomSystemInstallation=1," then "creating & installing a custom install is supported," using the recovery disk. The orig line was "CustomSystemInstallation=0".

Doubt changing that one value in the Install.ini file causes it not to boot from burned copy - could be wrong.
EDIT: just remembered on burned copy, I didn't choose the option "finalize" the disk (or single session) after burning.

Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[iss]

it sounds like you did not do a direct copy from the disk but instead ripped the files or ripped it as an ISO. generally when yo do that you have to re add the boot sector bin file. and you need to make sure it is burned "disk at once" and "not track at once."

 

[phkhgh]

Thanks iss,
The method I used was copying the entire DVD from the orig DVD to a folder on my HDD, using Windows 'copy.' Then modified the one Install.ini file.

Did not create an 'image' file using Nero when copied from orig DVD to HDD.
Did choose "Make Data DVD."
Did use 'Disk at Once.'
Did choose 'Multi-session.' (maybe shouldn't have?)

Then used Nero to create a "data DVD", and selected all files in the folder created on HDD. Whether that got the 'boot sector bin file', don't know. If it's a hidden file on ORIG DVD, probably not.

Is there a way to copy all files, including boot sector bin, AND allow modifying the install.ini before burning it all to new DVD?

What's your suggestion of "type of DVD" to choose when setting up the burn process? That seems to be part of prob here - I'm not just copying DVD to DVD, because of wanting to modify the install.ini file.

Thanks!

 

[iss]

The easiest way to accomplish what you want to do is to use and ISO program to rip the disk to an ISO then use the ISO program to modify the ini file and then add it back to the ISO and close it. Then burn the image to a disk.

Also make sure that you have "Show hidden files and folders" marked in folder options in windows explorer.

 

[Cinders]

I don't do this all the time so I don't remember everything. But you need to start with bootable DVD in NERO then on the Boot tab click no floppy emulatiuon click the image file radio button and browse to the boot file image. Yes you will need to download and install a program like Ultra ISO to extract the boot file. Change the number of loaded sectors to four and change the name of the disk on the Lable tab to whatever the original image disk is named. Add the files to the compilation and burn the disk. I like to use this site for reference.

 

[iss]

If you use a program like UltraISO you can extract the file you want to modify, re add the file and save the ISO and then simply use the burn image function in Nero. UltraISO can manipulate ISO images. if you choose another way then your going to have to follow the steps that cinder posted.

 

[phkhgh]

Thanks all.

First (reminder) this is a recovery disk, and not a MS Vista installation disk.
2nd, on a bootable disk like this or a Windows disk, where is the "boot sector bin file"? Is it usually hidden, and can it be seen by any normal methods on the orig bootable disks?

Wait - hold on... OK, had to wait for my head to quit spinning.
Not sure what the easiest way to go in THIS case, since have a recovery disk, not Windows install disk.

Exactly what is on the orig bootable DVD that just "copying" it can't pick up. The page linked on winsupersite, mentions the "microsoft corporation.img", file, OR some *.img file as the one needed to make the CD bootable. I find no *.img file on the ORIGINAL recovery DVD. Yes, I have folder views set to show hidden / system files. Free Commander didn't show one either.

OK iss, I have Nero 7 Ultra. It does have a "create boot CD / DVD" option. Isn't it logical that if it has that option, it'd handle copying what was needed? That is, IF I was ONLY trying to make a bootable identical copy.

You're saying use nero to rip from the orig recovery DVD in DVD drive TO the HDD.

Then, modify the install.ini file, which is now w/in the ISO file created by Nero - perhaps using UltraISO (or IsoBuster?) to modify the ini file? Save it, then burn a copy.

Thanks for link Cinders. You think an ISO utility will be necessary IN ADDITION to Nero 7 to even make an IDENTICAL bootable copy of orig DVD?

I can try IsoBuster / UltraISO just to see if it finds such an *.img file on orig DVD.

 

[iss]

Actually what I was telling you is yo don't need Nero at all until it's time to burn the image. You would use the "make CD\DVD image option in Ultra ISO, that would rip the files from the disk as a ISO image. then use Ultra ISO to open the ISO image, extract the file you want to modify, modify it and re add it to the ISO image and then save the image. when you do it this way it remains a bootable ISO image thru the whole process. once the ISO image is saved then yo use the "Burn image" option in nero to burn it to a disc. and your done.

 

[phkhgh]

Thanks iss,
Did get UltraISO - used it to extract boot record (was a bit of a "black box" about what it was doing). But, for the "free" vers of Ultra, there is a limit on size of file you can save (I believe), and my file was > 4 GB. But, good to know for future!! Thanks.

Thanks to the hard work of everyone giving advice on how to make a bootable copy of the Vista recovery disk (yes, it has Vista), it does work. I was able to modify the install.ini file as planned. The bad news is, it didn't seem to change my options on restoring (it calls it installing). That's because I haven't gone thru the entire restore/installation process - yet.

Used Nero 7 Ultra, but its instructions would have been totally insufficient. W/O the help of others here & another forum & all the links to info on making bootable CD, I'd still be making coasters!!!

For anyone still interested, Nero 7 will indeed make bootable copies from a recovery disk, and I assume any Windows or other app's bootable disk. BUT, it seems you must use another utility to extract the boot info off orig disk. I say "seems" because haven't tried it 7 ways from Sunday.

The way I did it was copied the data from orig DVD to HDD, because wanted to experiment modifying a file. You can do the same after creating an ISO (and other) file w/ various burning prgms, by using UltraISO or maybe IsoBuster?, but w/ U_ISO (free ver), there may be some limit on size of file you can save.

Copying the files to HDD like I did (then extracting the boot record, which you later tell Nero, etc., where to find the "bootable image file"), you could delete files from Vista to heart's content, but not recommending it. BTW, I couldn't get vLite to work w/ this recovery disk, assume because it's not actually Vista install disk.

I finally used UltraISO to extract the boot info off orig DVD, mainly because could never get IsoBuster to run. It installed fine, but hung when launched. Downloaded / installed / reinstalled it twice from different sites incl their own - no go. Was a little unclear on what UltraISO was doing w/ extracting the boot info, and it put it in a file w/ extension ".bif", but Nero seemed to accept it fine.

Still not clear why Nero needs you to use another utility to "make a bootable CD / DVD" work in Nero.