Backup Impossible- Verification Failed Error

Q:Since I've purchased Nero 8, for the life of me, I've never got any of the backup to work, probably due to my lack of understanding the concepts and jargon. Should be easier. Instructions riddled with acronyms and technical mysteries - impossible to understand. I've got .nda files from some kind of backup I did recently, in anticipation of a software problem, which turned out to be real. I don't know what nda files are or what kind of backup it was. I just want my restoration but how?

I have opened up Back It Up's Restore and hit the verification button. Verification failed! Am I wasting my time again here? Why had Nero told me that the backup had been successful, when it wasn't? Do I go onward through the fog and attempt to do restoration and risk losing my operating system for lack of understanding any of the problems associated with simple backups? Why would Nero have given me a successful backup prompt when these verification errors occur? I want my files back. Nero skunked me.

I've got .nda files from a backup of some kind in Nero's Bacitup 3. Nero made me make a bootable disk from whatever kind of a backup this was. I now have a boot disk but have no idea what I'm to do next. Verification failure? Should even proceed with trying to restore something that may do more harm than good? What next? Reboot with this disc?

I've never used a boot disk before. Give me a clue here please!! Further, if I used this boot disc, what is going to happen to my XP Pro sp2 OS? I have a Lenovo laptop. OEMs don't give you copies of the XP software- You must know that. Will this restoration attempt with boot disc reformat my hard drive? I do not know. See my fear? Will I need to reformat the hd to get an nda files w/ the verification problems? Is restoration of the questionable files from the verify failures even going to work? Will I be wasting even more time? Will this restore my operating system or will I have to reinstall windows? Kill me now. So much confusion! No wonder Microsoft is rich. So much useless information.
So much for the rant. Seems hopeless trying to understand. Any help or advise is welcome here. Probably won't get a reply but THANKS.

A:Well gee- after all that, should I help? :)

You made a drive backup. The only way to restore it in v8 is to use the bootable disc.

Start your computer and put the disc in the drive before windows starts loading and restart.

It will boot into Linux and you will then be able to restore your drive backup. If the backup you made was of a corrupt operating system, you should restore it to a different partition or another drive that has enough space.

Q:So the file verification failure is meaningless and I should proceed? I really didn't want to try something with failure written all over it. I'm not familiar with how a boot disc works or for that matter, how a Linux system looks. Any clues on what to do to complete that task? Screenshots or anything that would guide me... Thanks for the input.

A:Since you're restoring your operating system, you can't do it from Windows which is running when using v8. That's why it boots into Linux.

The Backitup manual is here- http://www.nero.com/enu/support.html#step%...2%3Btrigger%3A4 Note that it will take a few minutes to download.

Look at sections 12.2 and 12.3.

Q:

I'm still afraid of the approach, due to variables of what kind of backup I have here. The manual you linked to is better than the one I had. Thanks for the link...somewhat better but still vague on some questions.

I'm not sure what the "image" restoration is or that is what I had used for my backup. That said, if these are the wrong instructions for my type of backup (no idea), then I'd be in trouble...again. I think I understand how to sequence the cd bootable disk to deploy with a restart. However, the backup resides on a usb storage device (1Tb size) and I don't know, without an operating system, if that would be accessible in the scenario described in the manual instructions. Specifically, is a .nda file an image file or could it be some other kind of backup file? I don't recall doing an image backup. And will the usb storage device cause problems?

A:The .nda is not an image file. It is a file containing your files that were backed up using compression. I don't have time right now to review the sections of the manual I referenced but I don't think they apply to an image file.

Q:Apparently I did a "Drive Backup" which seems to differ from an image backup. An important question for me to get an answer to: Is the actual operating system restored in the "Drive Backup" or are .nda files just basic file restorations- sans any system files? I've had system problems, not missing files so I need to find out if I'm on the right track. Lot of time spent trying to understand. I appreciate the input. Part of my issue here is approach avoidance caused from fear of losing the os from more operator errors caused by ignorance.

A:
I've already mentioned that you did a drive backup.

Since you backed up the entire C: partition (which I assume has the operating system), then it will include the operating system. When you do a restore using the ImageTool, the old operating system will be restored. That's why I gave you the caution about a corrupt operating system and what you should do if it was corrupt.

If it will help you any, a .nda file can be opened using a .zip program like Win RAR. However, the file names will not include all lettering and you'll have to figure out the names of the files to determine which ones you want and then rename them.

Q:The problem I had foresaw was with verification failures. I don't like failure. I just had a catastrophic failure. That is why I balk at looking Nero's: verification failures. I'm still foggy on that. At this point I want to reload the software that failed on my hard drive but don't want whatever was on the system that caused my catastrophic failure, to still be around for more devilry. I wanted to go back to my system files that had been healthy. I'm not sure what caused the failures in my system but was hoping for an avenue to clean it up. Not sure if the Nero backup will get the hiccup out of my registry...or wherever it is. I haven't tried it yet. Cannot afford much more down time. Thank you for your replies wither. Wither, it must be what happens to me when I spend a lot of time at the keyboard and forget to practice yoga :-) Do appreciate you. Thanks again.

Q:Hi bob,

Me too, I don't love "verification Failure", especially when they happen against my System disk. Therefore I prefere to save the C: drive using the ImageTool disc.

About your external drive: you can boot the ImageTool disk at any time. It's not destructive procedure till you don't start the restore procedure. So don't fear and give a try: you will check there if all your disc/partitions are available under Linux o.s.

Regarding O.S corruption, take a look to this post.

Salut
Adriano

A:Well, hindsight. I've only got the one "Drive Backup" to use. I don't understand what a verification failure error means. I've got a boot disc. Not willing to use it. It's certainly a frustration after I let the backup go all night and thought I was safe. Nero prompted me that backup had been successful. Really? Success is verification failures? I don't understand. Not willing to undergo the torture of failure to reload the drive and possibly wiping my files, with no other backup available. The instructions do not make any sense at all. Same with most of these backup programs. Difficult to understand. I do understand what failure means. I don't like it. All Nero has to offer me for a backup is verification failure. This isn't easy.

A:If you don't want to restore the backup, that's up to you. We've certainly answered your questions on how to do the restore.

I don't know how the verification works. If it compares what's in the backup to corresponding files on your hard drive, it probably won't work because the files are now different on your hard drive.

Q:Big risk to attempt a backup and lose the os, due to ignorance of what verification failure is. Does anyone know? Comparable files on existing hard drive vs backup? Doesn't make sense to me. Neither did the Nero declaration that backup was successful...This will have to be a last resort. Very uncomfortable with it.

End: Don't use cheap discs. Use a Disc with good quality and burn the backup at the lowest speed can solve this Problem. If backup System, better not to use nero BackitUp, You can use Ghost. Or do the backup in linux or Windows PE.