Solved Image your system with free Macrium

[Mang Nux]

How did you install win7 without keyboard/mouse?

The mouse/keyboard work perfectly in the BIOS/UEFI environment, Windows environment and they worked fine during the installation of Windows (booted from Win7 SP1 disk). It's only the Macrium disk that has this problem

If you attach an external disk or flash disk to same usb2.0 port... does macrium see it?

How could I know that if i can't navigate the rescue media?

Try machine's other usb2 ports

There are only four, and they're all on the chipset's controller. None of them work.

When I boot from the disk, I get to the 'desktop' where I see a message saying I might need to install network (N/A for my purposes) and USB (these will be for the motherboards USB 3.0 controller which I don't need). The mouse doesn't work, the keyboard doesn't work, and all I can do is hard-reset the PC.

 

[SIW2]

Try making your macrium winpe with this: https://www.dropbox.com/s/21wh1sm9z4ua45k/PEALLx64v16.zip

Just unzip it exactly like this:



Then rt click and run as admin on the .cmd file:



It will ask if you want to d/l a couple of tiny things to include. e.g. Recuva, not required, you can just say no to any questions if you like. Macrium will be included automatically.

 

[whs]

You can try with my WinPE which works on many systems and with wired and wireless mices. Download the .iso from here and burn it to CD.

 

[Scoop]

Mang Nux,

I hope you get it resolved. As whs suggested, try that link if you haven't done that yet. I recall having some difficulties creating the WinPE CD. It took 2-3 attempts but I was able to create a working bootable CD.

It was a little confusing for me at first as I was getting a query to load drivers during the ISO setup dialog in Macrium Reflect (free version). It loaded all but 1 driver for my Laptop, an Ethernet Adapter driver indicated that it didn't load but I don't need that to boot from the CD and to process clones or images.

I was able to create the CD from the ISO setup dialog on my Mom's older XP Desktop PC without any "drivers not loaded" dialog's and the CD tested ok. I've processed a couple of clones and an image on Mom's PC using the boot CD.

Another member here that's been using Macrium (free ver) for years helped me understand this "drivers not loaded" dialog box when booting to the CD. He mentioned that the message isn't uncommon to see when booting the CD.

I recall that I selected WinPE 3.0 instead of the latest version which, if I recall, is 4.0 or similar.

When I tried to setup the media-creation dialog with the latest WinPE version I had problems so I used the ealier PE version which worked on my Desktop and Laptop PC's.

 

[whs]

I recall that I selected WinPE 3.0 instead of the latest version which, if I recall, is 4.0 or similar

The latest verion is 5 - that's what is on my Skydrive (5.2)

 

[Scoop]

I recall that I selected WinPE 3.0 instead of the latest version which, if I recall, is 4.0 or similar

The latest verion is 5 - that's what is on my Skydrive (5.2)

Thanks, I was going by memory which isn't near as good as my PC's RAM .

 

[Mang Nux]

The macrium site said that 3.1 is based on Windows 7 and 4.0 is based on 8. I'm using Windows 7 x64, so I thought that 3.1 was the one I should use (when I first burned it through Macrium, it automatically selected 3.1, so that reinforced my suspicion). Is that wrong, or doesn't it matter?

Anyway, I tried the image you linked linked whs, but the same problem occurs. There's no more message about drivers, but the mouse and keyboard are still completely dead. I even tried a different keyboard and nothing. The keyboard is lit up right until I get to the 'desktop' of the rescue media, then all the lEDs go out.

Should I still try SIW2's method even though the other one failed?

I'm using a UEFI BIOS and Windows 7 is installed in UEFI mode with GPT formatting. I don't suppose the linux based rescue media supports UEFI booting?

The HDD light is constantly flashing mildly, so I hope it doesn't risk my data when I have to reset the system to get out of the rescue media every time.

 

[Britton30]

You can give the 4.0 version a go, I thought it was for a UEFI install. I could never boot it.

 

[whs]

Don't mess with the Linux CD. Did you download the .iso from my Skydrive.

There is no restrictions using version 4 or 5. They work in 7 and 8 alike. And the recovery CD should not be effected by UEFI - at least I think so.

 

[Mang Nux]

Don't mess with the Linux CD. Did you download the .iso from my Skydrive.

Yes, as I mentioned in my last post. Same problem with unusable M/K. Since your ISO appeared to include drivers for my USB 3.0 controller (no warning message), I even tried it a second time with everything connected to USB 3.0 ports, but again, no luck.

 

[Britton30]

Only USB 2.0 has worked for me.

 

[whs]

I don't know what to say. This CD worked for me and for a few other people. I use it on 6 PCs and never had a problem. This is too bad.

Maybe try the Linux CD after all. It is different but maybe it works. It is easy to produce from the Macrium program. No WAIK required.

 

[Mang Nux]

I tried the Linux disk and that wont work either. I get to first screen where you choose between 'Macrium rescue CD' or 'Macrium rescue CD (Verbose)' I can select either with the keyboard, but upon pressing enter it goes black for a second then back to the same screen, only now there's no input. Again, all I can do is switch the PC off using the case switch.

I'm not even sure if the Linux disk supports UEFI booting. I can't find a definite answer anywhere on the net. That's probably the problem.

I would have been happy with the linux disk if it was compatible with UEFI and restoring GPT disks. I don't need any advanced manipulation of images, just straight restore. I used to use it on my old standard BIOS systems and it was fine.

Anyway, I'm at a loss as to what to do now. I knew I would regret buying a mobo without PS2 ports.

 

[SIW2]

If you are using 64 bit, this should make a working winpe with macrium ( or aomei backupper ).

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7xjp8pznpt1tnl8/winre64.zip

Extract it onto your drive like this:



Then rt click and RUN AS ADMIN on the WINRE64-runmeasadmin.cmd

 

[whs]

You are not the only one who is at a loss. The other option I could propose is to use AOMEI for imaging. That is a fine program too and maybe that works.

Free Hard Disk Partition Manager, Backup Software, NTFS to FAT32 Converter - AOMEI Technology

PS: I just saw the post of SIW2. He has always good ideas. Suggest you try his solution too.

 

[Mang Nux]

If you are using 64 bit, this should make a working winpe with macrium ( or aomei backupper ).

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7xjp8pznpt1tnl8/winre64.zip

Extract it onto your drive like this:

View attachment 302261

Then rt click and RUN AS ADMIN on the WINRE64-runmeasadmin.cmd

That doesn't work. I tell it to boot from the disk, but it just ignores it and boots to windows.

EDIT: and funnily enough, when I installed AOMEI and tried it's restore media, it acted exactly the same way. I don't think it's UEFI bootable, despite there being a UEFI folder on the disk.

 

[Kaktussoft]

How did you install win7 without keyboard/mouse?

The mouse/keyboard work perfectly in the BIOS/UEFI environment, Windows environment and they worked fine during the installation of Windows (booted from Win7 SP1 disk). It's only the Macrium disk that has this problem

If you attach an external disk or flash disk to same usb2.0 port... does macrium see it?

How could I know that if i can't navigate the rescue media?

Try machine's other usb2 ports

There are only four, and they're all on the chipset's controller. None of them work.

When I boot from the disk, I get to the 'desktop' where I see a message saying I might need to install network (N/A for my purposes) and USB (these will be for the motherboards USB 3.0 controller which I don't need). The mouse doesn't work, the keyboard doesn't work, and all I can do is hard-reset the PC.

After winpe has been booted.... macrium runs automatically. If you attach an usb external drive prior to booting you can see it in the macrium window

 

[SIW2]

Since those various different recovery media work fine for other people, there appears to be something wrong at your end.

Are you able to get everything functioning if you boot up winre? ( F8 -repair my computer)

 

[whs]

Since those various different recovery media work fine for other people, there appears to be something wrong at your end.

Are you able to get everything functioning if you boot up winre? ( F8 -repair my computer)

I think so too. We must look somewhere else. Maybe it is the BIOS that is retarded.

I once bought a very expensive Sony Vaio laptop where the same problem existed. I was unable to move the cursor when booted with a live CD. After Sony had confirmed the problem from there test center, they took the laptop back.

OP - can you check whether the system can operate the cursor and keyboard with another live CD - maybe some Linux live CD.

 

[Mang Nux]

I finally solved it. It was something to do with the XHCI setting in the BIOS. At the default of 'Smart Auto' or with it set to 'Enabled', there is no input with the rescue media. However, if I choose 'Disabled' or 'Auto', the USB mouse and keyboard work fine.

Thanks for all the help/suggestions.