AOMEI question to SIW2 about .iso disk with AOMEI Backupper 4.06

Please see prior topic of discussion 04 November 2017:

Operating System Not Found(After weeks of unrepaired Start up problem)
Operating System Not Found(After weeks of unrepaired Start up problem)

Hi again all and especially SIW2:

Thanks for helping me fix the Laptop so I can work on my broken iPad to restore/data recovery from it.
About AOMEI:

You Posted:

You can borrow a copy of my boot media. It has lots of repair tolls in it, ( including Aomei Backupper 4.06 ).

Boot it up. then have a look with Aomei part assist or disk management and post a screenshot of what they show.

17514x64-v5.iso

I have currently Professional Edition 2.2

Which says when you click on icon that it refuses to save anything new until I update it (to Ver 3 last time I checked).....it says version 4.0.6 is available now)

They say on website if yu don't have Version 3 or higher installed you must find the original license number when you got the AOMEI....that is somewhere hidden back in 2014? 2015? Emails but not under AOMEI topic...I tried in 10 Emails... no one from AOMEI sent me anything and they ddidn't respond to my twice sent request back in 2017 for help getting my license number so I can upgrade from 2.2 Professional Edition (which I paid for) up to new one..

Version 3 and higher "remembers" your License number so you don't need to "find" the original Email you received as a receipt!
So I really
Really!
Appreciated your .iso disk.

I downloaded and created the boot disk.

[off topic} I got super occupied trying to restore iPad1 that refused to get out of stuck restore loop.... (and sync saved files were corrupted on last 10 or 15 months so can't be used!) Its ok...got through it all by self with help from free outside people (like yourself) on the Apple side of the Computer world.... so I was able to restore it without paying for a complete expensive Data Recovery process so I can now buy a brand new iPad with the money and download a saved copy of the missing data to it. [end off topic]

I only related that to let you know where I was since November 2017, all this time...

I created a new thread as I'm certain adding to a thread that was not mentioned since November 2017 would just get my new post lost....so sorry to have to "re-invent" the topic.....

Anyway... why I write today is when I opened the .iso boot disk....I expected to find AOMEI Folder with version 4.2 in it... not true....

SO maybe I saved and created the .iso the wrong way.... I went over the instructions and there were really no "choices" I had other than to burn disk which I did.

Have any suggestions for me?

(I know I promised to rep you (and others) but since the .iso disk did not work as intended I did not do it on that post number #5 04 November 2017.)

Operating System Not Found(After weeks of unrepaired Start up problem)
Operating System Not Found(After weeks of unrepaired Start up problem)

I tried to keep this first post short.

Any questions from SIW2 or anyone please let me know I'll answer them or look them up for you!
Thanks again!

XP VM USER

Hi XP VM User,

Are you unable to boot to the DVD or just that AOMEI is not appearing?
Do you wish to enter the PE or Linux environment of AOMEI? (boot from DVD to AOMEI Backupper)
You can always download AOMEI and create a Linux or Windows PE based AOMEI boot disk.
To locate your license on your machine you can run Belarc Advisor, free program, which provides a plethora of info besides all the installed programs and corresponding license keys.

I took a look at your years ago post. I'm downloading the ISO SIW2 imbedded in his reply. Will take a look see and get back to you.

Tried to create bootable CD (ImgBurn), image is only 379 MB, wouldn't boot, used Rufus to create bootable flash drive. Booted to flash drive & multiple tools including AOMEI Backupper 4.0.6. appeared on desktop. Clicked AOMEI, it booted and GUI appeared. Works fine.

If you don't have a USB flash drive, you can purchase a small one on the cheap! You can download Rufus and burn the ISO to the USB flash drive, only takes a few minutes being the ISO is 379 MB. Personally I use AOMEI Backupper free and find it more than adequate for my needs. Note: If you have more than one HDD or SSD or a Combo of both, do not try to restore a drive from a backup from within windows, i.e. click on AOMEI when your using Win7. Even though being careful choosing the disk to restore, it will botch the install. I've experienced this on two occasions on my personal desktop. If I boot AOMEI from USB or DVD and restore from there all is well!

Link to Rufus
Link to Rufus Portable (doesn't install on your machine)

XP VM User,

I make it a point to try to, as thoroughly as possible, explain everything in layman's terms, at least at the beginning of post responses, until I get a feel for the level of knowledge the person requesting assistance has. Terse replies quite often leave newbees clueless. i.e. burn iso to usb without instruction what an iso is or how to burn it to disk or dvd (copy & paste don't work to make it bootable)

I'm in IT. I don't recommend any website, application, download, etc., that I haven't, as thoroughly as possible, check for malware, pups, malicious anything. I use Virus Total, free, to scan pretty much everything that I recommend. Many of the programs, utilities and tools I recommend, I use frequently. I don't believe any other SevenForum members providing assistance would knowingly suggest something that would damage, or further damage your computer. By the way, I'm currently studying for my CompTIA Security+ Exam and others, which is indicated in my profile (right-click usesrname or emoji, click about me)
I've been using ImgBurn for years, doesn't have USB support but excellent for DVDs or CDs.

"......Terse replies quite often leave newbies clueless. i.e. burn iso to usb without instruction what an iso is or how to burn it to disk or dvd..." While I totally agree with this very good idea you have expressed, there are many of us, at work, at school, en-route to somewhere, who only have time to post "road-signs" pointing the way to an answer set. Often, speaking for myself only -- my best answer is a "road-sign" because of time, circumstances, I do not know what the OP knows and does not know, and, I do not do walk-throughs very well at all (I tend to confuse rather than clarify a process). At the very least, a correctly given road-sign points a newbie or imtermediate to good starting point[s].

We all have different time constraints due to work, etc. & totally understandable. I'm not knocking anyone chiming in on an issue posted. Most often, a "road sign" is more than adequate to point the OP in the correct direction & will suffice. I always say "Google is your friend" and suggest Googling the issue for possible solutions. I usually get a feel for what level of computer knowledge the OP knows from a post or two. I'm currently a student & part time instructor for newbies in compute usage and simple troubleshooting/repair (covers my continuing education for my CompTIA certs) & a great deal of satisfaction.

RolandJS, I've perused several of your posts, and always learn something from them!

Happy computing!

XP VM User said:

Hi Snick!

Thank you for replying to me!

I hope you don't mind a lot of words---as everything you say is 100% great and I have responses to ask for more details!

First some missing info I learned not to print the first time as it makes the initial question longer:

1. I have Macrium too.

2. I got both recommendations to use Macrium as well as AOMEI

I use both. I'm very upset with most of the backup programs out there since I lost (yes lost) Norton Ghost on this computer. Norton Ghost always let me (without mounting or any difficult procedures! or dangerous for my data) peek into the saved "box" and check and see if everything I saved was there....

3. I always ask, after I saved the entire computer system ---I don't do incrementals for fear that the auto erase if data gets too large will take out an "incremental" just because I miscounted the GB available on my External HD by even 1 GB (I have it set to 5 GB as 1 GB is the minimum for Macrium anyway).

4. I've not been able to back up AOMEI since two years ago when version 3 came out and I wrote to them twice to help me and because I don't use the secret password or correct account number or license number they never replied to my requests for help in getting the License number

(((((((((SUCCESS! You recommended: Belarc Advisor for me to use and I will do that as long as the review ---it seems legit--no PUP's on the install so I can get the license number and I'l just use the AOMEI Download of 4.2 that appears on my screen when I attempt to use the AOMEI)))))

(((THANKS!!! I rep the second reply as I can only do one I should have thanked also the first one but the rule here is only one until I do 10 others if I recall))))

5. I am always worried that my saved backup won't work when I have to actually "DO" it.
And of course....if the computer is "dead" and can't communicate for help here over the Internet, how am I by myself...supposed to restore a backup ....when I've never done that! And I can't ask anyone because its not by "phone" its by an Internet posting board connection... So I'd be forced to say no money to having a real life data restorer do that for me (after I spent all these years saving and re saving more and more data over and over again...

6. Don't say "never happens".....already happened. With an iPad, the sync worked for years, every month updated it....sometime during last year or two it failed to save correctly. Looks OK from the outside.. "Sync was successful" Just like the PC says "Backup created successfully"

But when trying to restore it....says "files corrupted " You can't restore the backup!

So I'm an upset , unhappy camper.....Why am I wasting hours every month backing up computer(s) I have a few older ones i still use...when I can lose it all....even if I save the last 2 or 3 o 4 copies! as never actually tested them for restoration properties

7. So I only have Macrium for the past few years while I struggled to figure this out.... Just one system and unless I mount the drive and unmounted it properly without corrupting the data in the process I can't check the insides to see if its ok (plus how many hours it takes me to confirm drive size, starting ending cylinder (haven't used that important terminology for a few years sorry if I mumbled while typing it here) and all that data stuff manually that Norton Ghost did automatically for me....

8. Ok enough background I am sure I missed a lot...onto your posts! (Great work thanks!)

Post Number #2:

I wrote my responses in between your lines:



No idea what you are referring to! Let me hazard a guess? You think because my name is crazy and refers to my first question here about using XP VM on a Windows 7 Machine that I'm still using XP on the Windows 7.... Left that for Oracle Virtual Box long ago...
Now what happens is that I'm unable to continue using AOMEI as there is an update that I can't install as I said earlier, because I lost my license Email location.
*But you solved that with your use of Belarc Advisor
Here is more of your quote:



Sounds perfect for me! For everyone else I looked it up:

Here for all is a review of
Belarc Advisor v8.6. and links to it too
https://www.lifewire.com/belarc-advisor-review-2625784



Thank you for doing this for me.... I always think I don't follow the easy to follow instructions properly as I never seem to see what others write they see! On to Post Number #3!

------

Post number #3:


Thanks a second time for link to Rufus! Will definitely use it as all I have is Roxio and ImgBurn....Don't remember which one I used...whichever one pops up in the small window when I insert a DVD and it gives me permanent choices which I never know what to do as no one is helping me choose every single button press here!
(Maybe I should leave computers to someone else who I somehow pay to just press the buttons for me----sigh).




YES! Thanks! What a lead in to my next (unpublished as yet on Windows Seven Forum) question!
I have handfuls of the cheap flash drives sitting on the keyboard....how does one label these anyway? Use a metal etching pen? Takes forever and my handwriting is terrible!!! Pu t them in and out over and over again looking for the right "volume"?

All I've done in past few months of doing that trying to fix broken iPad is ruin one of my 3 USB Ports on the Windows 7 Laptop! Unless I get a hub (Now I got to carry a hub with me everywhere????? ) I will lose use of USB with this computer as always have a mouse (Bluetooth) in one USB as I never got the hang on using the touch pad and click and stop and hove3r and click and you know what I mean....when its "formatting" the entire computer because I hovered too long over "format" when all I wanted to do was "eject" some media or flash drive!! :lol: for real.....so I use a mouse that I can move without clicking automatically.... easy! Makes life using laptop as easy as my old Desktop...
At the moment I don't have more than one Drive! Again you'll have to wait for my next new thread question where I will ask about having multiple drives and worn out USB ports or having a bigger internal laptop drive and all the possible ways that can go very wrong!) future question here on another thread at Windows Seven Forum for more information about mhy terrible choices I have to make without funds!!!




Thanks for Rufus!..... Portable? Doesn't install...does that mean it "doesn't work" or does it mean that it doesn't take up Drive MB/GB space by installing on the HDD? Which is better is not clear to me why I would use one over the other ... I'll have to choose one--probably the built in program so I always have it ready to use with or without the internet working!) Thanks for giving me both choices!! You know how I think!

I was trying to make more than a few backups for my next big "project" on this old 2010 laptop.....more details when I write a long new question---sorry for keep on mentioning it but they are connected and I'll refer back to here when I make the new thread depending upon your replies to my reply if they are useful for my new question!

And thanks for the final words of advice on all your posts:

Patience & Tenacity are virtues, when dealing with Computer issues
I agree! Thanks for your patience in reading my long worded posts!

XP VM USER (the name I got assigned here)

Regarding Portable, here's a description
Regarding Norton Ghost, Macrium Reflect and AOMEI provide the ability to mount a backup image, i.e. allow you to access the backup image. I don't believe you can use one backup utility to access the image created by another. You can copy files, folders, pics, video, etc., but you cannot add to the image. AOMEI -> utilities -> explore an image -> path -> select the image you wish to mount, select a drive letter and it appears as another drive in Computer, which you would then access the same way you would C: drive, except you can't add anything to the image (not sure if you can delete anything, haven't tried). Macrium Reflect free has the same ability just different wording and location.

I use AOMEI Backupper Standard 3.0, free, and it does everything I need it to do, full drive image, incremental, differential, drive clone, etc. I don't see a need to pay for program when adequate free ones are available! I like free! When you run a backup utility, always check the verify image upon completion, or similar wording, & the images is scanned for integrity (not a bricked/broken/unusable backup)

Restoring from a backup requires you to create either a DVD, CD or USB with linux live or Windows PE. AOMEI -> utilities -> create bootable media -> Windows PE (because linux can be a little tricky if your not familiar with it) I have both CD and small USB 3.0 (loads faster). On my HP and Compaq machine F9 is boot sequence access. Choose the appropriate location and after AOMEI loads, restore -> path (to your backup) and follow the instructions. There's a choice when the backup is installed: Computer, sleep, restart, shutdown, etc. (checkbox with corresponding drop-down menu) I have never recommended relying totally on Windows Backup, as it's failed me, and others I've assisted numerous times, especially if you've been infected with one of the nasty viruses on the net.

Regadring labeling, do you mean naming the USB as it appears in Computer? If so, you right-click the drive as you would any drive or CD-RW or DVD-RW or BR-RE (RW & BE acronym for re-writable), select rename for the popup menu and type in the box, excluded filename/folder characters are not permitted) and the rename is complete. You cannot rename a CD-R CD+r, DVD-R, DVD+R, BR-R, or BR+R, as those disks are WORM (write once read many)

Regarding worried about backups not working, if your paranoid, create a backup, verify integrity & create another backup, verify integrity) Not likely that both would be unusable.

If you backup your system regularly, I do mine weekly, you won't need to use paid-for services to recover your data if the drive crashes, yes I do that too for friends and locals!

I just got a moment to review this and welcomed all of the comments by Snick and RolandJS

I do agree with RolandJS and APPRECIATE!!! so many times those here and elsewhere who take the time to help me.

RolandJS said:

"......Terse replies quite often leave newbies clueless. i.e. burn iso to usb without instruction what an iso is or how to burn it to disk or dvd..." While I totally agree with this very good idea you have expressed, there are many of us, at work, at school, en-route to somewhere, who only have time to post "road-signs" pointing the way to an answer set. Often, speaking for myself only -- my best answer is a "road-sign" because of time, circumstances, I do not know what the OP knows and does not know, and, I do not do walk-throughs very well at all (I tend to confuse rather than clarify a process). At the very least, a correctly given road-sign points a newbie or imtermediate to good starting point[s].

I get the message! I'm sympathetic to those who have lives outside of this Forum and I don't want to intrude too much into there.... but then again, if I write too tersely to save word space and reading time here... I tend to not state the full information people need (note my need to clarify what I meant by "labelling" as one item that was easy to remedy reading Snick's reply---not to say no, but I haven't needed to do what he said....so now I know what to do when that happens---so I already expanded that and printed it out to keep by computer should I need to do that type of labeling but see my reply to Snick below for more details---of course more words sorry all who so kindly read my posts and have to read more words).

I use Google!

I consult things before I press the "button" even if I think I know what I'm doing I always print out a list of steps (either ones I get here or elsewhere)....

I will respond a bit deeper to the suggestions from Snick above just didn't want to leave empty space here for a day or so since you posted so quickly back to me...I need a bit of time to compose this and something else (always it seems) intervened in the way, in the meantime and short on grammatical skills..

Just one note for today's post, as I can maybe expect a reply as I was not clear enough for Snick in my first lengthy reply (#4) above.

Snick said:

Regadring labeling, do you mean naming the USB as it appears in Computer?

I'm talking about methods (I use hospital tape---nothing else seems to stick long enough with daily handling and use) and hand write in pen that rubs off (says permanent on marker pen! but it never is with handling daily)... so without clear labels imagine you have a bunch of 5+ in a row and more off to the side in a catch all pile, all the same color shape and size and company flash drives sitting on the keyboard in small space between F keys and screen and they move while I type so they keep falling off!....anyway.... Before inserting in the same USB port to check them out to see if that is the one I want to use I'd like to read the outside to see what is on the inside...

Please someone out there! Make a lot of money! Invent something like we had on 3 1/2 Floppy Drives... nice writeable white label (replaceable too!) indicating in as small type as computer could type on adhesive label roll, or I can write with ordinary pen that did not smear or rub off.. so I know what is in each 32 GB Flash Drive.... So I don't wear out hubs and time waiting for the flash drive to load so I can explore it or get its "name" on the screen so I can see...yes that is where I put the missing material I need or want to add item to.

(AND sadly yess I have one in "red" color which is a catch all when I need to dump something fast and turn off the computer and have no time to even figure out where that goes properly so I can find it....That one is almost up to its 30 GB full level...while others have empty spaces waiting for the properly categorized item to be moved to that drive.... (and again not to belabor a physical problem... probably have to buy a hub for a laptop? Isn't that weird carrying one around????) I'm going to totally wear out the only free USB port left that still works 100%.

"....I'm going to totally wear out the only free USB port left that still works 100%"
One can purchase a female-to-male adapter that will take the hit for constant plugging things in and removing said things. Altex in Austin, just to use an example, sells them for about $5-6 apiece.