Back Up Problems - Help Please

[MarcJF]

I wonder if anyone can help me?

Turned on my PC this morning, running Vista, and it would not boot up. I ran all the fixes and debuggers etc but they all referenced back to one error. I tried restoring previous back up points to no avail.

Finally in desperation I decided to return the PC to it's factory state, well that's what the ICON said, after backing up all my files.

I didn't have anything to back up so I popped to Argos and bought an external hard drive. Seagate Free Agent.

I plugged in the USB when propmpted and everything backed up. So far so good.

System now restored and working. However when I go to look at the files on the external drive, they all seem to be contained within a file called Drive Manager, which is a DMG file that I can't open.

Anyone got any ideas please?

[BOAC]

Never 'eard of it guvnor, but a quick Google tells me it is a Mac file and you cannot use it on Windows. Edit to add apparently you can burn an ISO from it (Google).

Now, why not tell us which machine/OS/backup programme you have for starters?

[MarcJF]

It's on Vista, mentioned above, the hard drive works with both PC and Mac and apparently needs no pre configuring, just plug and go. I don't see how a PC would have saved all my files in a Mac format?

[hellsbrink]

No idea, but one idea is to format the external drive and then backup everything again now you have the system working properly.

There'll probably be something in the manual about it, must be an option in the menus somewhere.

Oh, something like this will help you http://www.download.com/TransMac/3000-2248_4-10017073.html?tag=lst-5

[BOAC]

As hellsbrink says - what does the manual say? I recall my external (LaCie) had two separate backup systems for PC and Mac on it, plus a file with all the instructions. Either you have somehow selected a Mac backup from your PC, or DMG is a Seagate file type which has some particular function, and your instructions should tell you what to do with it. Did you follow the install/operate instructions fully?

Every reference I find on the Seagate website for DMG refers to Mac! Have you wandered around the Seagate forums? I think they have a 'live chat' function on the site too for help?

[MarcJF]

unfortunately there were only two options, a system restore and a back up and system restore. I plugged in an external HD and picked the latter, there were no options to choose from. I'm not a tecky guy, but not for a minute did it occur to me that Vista would back up in a file format that it could not then read!

on the plus side the data is not lost, it's just hiding. Still any ideas appreciated....

[Saab Dastard]

Buy a Mac, mount the DMG image file, copy your data back...

SD

[hellsbrink]

Well, Marc, there are programs out there to convert the DMG file, see the link I posted earlier as an example.

Unfortunately, it costs you more money.

[BOAC]

Always in favour of low cost solutions, Marc, so I recommend:-

Re-format (Free) the drive in NTFS if not already
Back-up your machine to the drive simply using the Free MS Backup

You will obviously lose whatever 'magic' restore function you have been sold, but at least you will have a back-up.

[hellsbrink]

Some very good, low cost solutions here

http://filext.com/info/showthread.php?t=160

[bnt]

System now restored and working. However when I go to look at the files on the external drive, they all seem to be contained within a file called Drive Manager, which is a DMG file that I can't open.

Anyone got any ideas please?
Well, I presume you know what software created that file - that is, the backup program that came with your FreeAgent drive. So, I presume you reinstall that program (whatever it is), run it, and look for anything that says "Restore".

Taking a Backup, without knowing how to Restore, can be compared to taking off in a plane without knowing where you're going to land... the one is no good without t'other! :ooh:

[BOAC]

A solitary thought has struck me, Marc - I admit to a little confusion now re-reading your posts #1 and #6 - if the 'restore' was successful as you say, is it purely curiosity that makes you want to open the file or do you really need to? If the former, I suggest sublimation a better option:)

[MarcJF]

Thanks for your replies so far. Maybe I didnt make the original situation clear, when the PC crashed and I could not restore to a previous point, Vista gave me two options, to reformat or to back up and reformat.

I chose the latter, at no time did it ever ask what file format etc I wanted. I just assumed it would back up to an external drive as was.

On trying to access that backup I find it is contained within a file called Drive Manager and the type is a DMG file.

Using MagicISO I can open that file, but it now appears my files are contained within something called a DS_Store File. I have no idea what I need to open this, I was just kind of expecting that watever Vista backed up in it would use to re-open? Clearly not.

So I'm off to Google again. Any ideas appreciated, or failing that any advice on where to take the hard drive - I'm near Bedford.

Cheers

[bnt]

No, I understand the situation, I just assumed you'd know what program it was that actually did the backup, and so you could use the same program to restore from it. From looking at the Seagate forums, I think the program is called "Drive Manager" - have you tried that? Have a read of this (http://seagate.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/seagate.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=4959).

It's not unusual for a proprietary backup program to put the data in one or more large compressed files, with no "standard" way to get at them, other than using the same program that backed them up.

[green granite]

Stupid question, have you just tried telling vista to do a restore?

If it did a back up automatically it should do a restore from that back up when asked. You shouldn't need to open the back up files separately.

This may be of help. http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/0625443e-f5c7-4bec-a5e3-3b7e00503c481033.mspx

[Diedtrying]

If you have a .DMG file on a Windows PC it's likely you have a Macintosh file and you won't be able to use what is in it. Some sites distribute for the PC in an .EXE file and for the Mac in a .DMG file.

[bnt]

So, Drive Manager.DMG is a Macintosh program file? That would make sense, but if so, it's obviously not what you want for Windows, and your data is not in there either. You want the Windows version. You can download Drive Manager & other drivers, that came with the drive, from Seagate (http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/) (select Downloads, then "FreeAgent External Hard Drive Software").

It looks to me like there should be "FreeAgent Pro" software pre-installed on the drive, which is probably what that "Drive Manager.DMG" file is part of. I think there should be a Windows version there too. If you format the drive, Seagate says you have to contact them to get a replacement version, which sounds like a pain, so I'd avoid formatting the drive if I was you.

As for where your data is: it will be a BIG file!

[hellsbrink]

Marc

HAve been doing some more hunting and they (http://www.winmatrix.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2875 ) say this http://www.winimage.com/ will allow you to extract the dmg file to a temporary folder and then you can copy, etc, what you need.

Just another suggestion, I'm afraid, but if we can get one to work then all is good.

[Background Noise]

Surely he doesn't want to format his ext hard drive as that is where his data (hopefully) is. It seems strange that the vista backup option has resulted in a mac-only backup but dmg and ds_store files are mac files usually. ds_store files are a mac finder thing that you don't see on a mac but which show up on a windows OS, I see them all the time on memory sticks that are used between the two machines.

You don't say where you are but you might to want to find someone with a mac and see if they can extract the files from the external drive.

It may even be possible to recover the original files from your PC hard disk as the formatting doesn't always remove them it just makes the space available.

[BOAC]

BN - I agree with line 1 of your post but System now restored and working. of his first post led me to believe he did not actually need THAT set of backups? Hence my ongoing confusion.

Marc - either you are 'restored' or not? If 1) I suggest you don't have an immediate problem? Can you please clarify? I cannot really understand what/why you are trying to do this.

If it IS just curiosity then I suspect you have hours of endless fun ahead trying to read the files:)

[MarcJF]

Sorry for confusion. The PC is up and running, but all my data is still on an external drive where I can't get at it. I tried the services of Iyogi - they could't work out why the windows restore would not restore a DSG file!

So i'm no further forward. I've tried MagicISO and WinImage both to no avail. It can't be that difficult, sadly I don't know anyone with a Mac - I'm nead Bedford if anyone is close?

[Background Noise]

How big is the dmg file? How sensitive is the data?

[BOAC]

Right - got it. Sorry for the 'confusion' on my part - I assumed 'system now restored' meant back to where you wanted it.

Have you been in touch with Seagate Tech Support? There is a warranty.

My La Cie USB external came with two folders on it, one for Mac and one for Windows. I was asked to install the appropriate programme. I chose not to, and used MS Backup instead. My point being that I would have expected - somewhere - a choice to be offered to you between a Mac b/up and a Windows?

I'm fascinated - is this yet another Vista compability problem?

Did you (from the Seagate site)


Connect your FreeAgent Desktop drive to your computer. System Tray Notifications identify the connection of the drive and the AutoPlay window opens.
Click Install FreeAgent Desktop Software. The Select Language window opens.
Select a Language (e.g., English) from the list provided.
From the next screen, click Install Software.
Note to Windows Vista Users: A User Account Control window opens asking for your permission to continue. Click Continue.
The InstallShield Wizard prepares the Drive Manager Setup. The Welcome window opens.
Click Next. The License Agreement window opens.
Select a translated, End User License Agreement (e.g., United States) and click on the Next button.
Click Yes to accept the terms of the License Agreement. The Choose Destination Location window opens.
Accept the default destination folder or click Browse to select a different folder. Click Next. A Setup Status window keeps you informed as the installation proceeds.
When the installation is done, the InstallShield Wizard Complete window opens. Decide whether to restart your computer and complete the installation now and click Finish.
At this point, the Drive Manager application opens. Click on the "X" to close the program.
Click on the Exit button to close the installer. ??????Is there no option in 'Drive Manager application' to restore?

[MarcJF]

Thanks BOAC.

When my desktop crashed i was essentially given two options, to back up and reformat, or reformat. I chose the former. I plugged in the new external hard drive and it backed up. There were no options and my PC was in no state to select anything. I just assumed, maybe incorrectly, that the back up would be readable to Vista.

I think Seagate tech support is my next call in the morning. The likes of PC World, I-yogi etc have no idea. The data is not sensitive, but it is important, i'd gladly pay anybody's fee but having spoken to around 30 people now i'm starting to think a solution is not available. If this file were full of something say the police were interested in i'm sure they would find a way, any coppers out there?

[planecrazy.eu]

I managed to open a DMG in Fedora/RedHat/Linux, maybe at a last attempt you could try that.

However, i have used the following tool

http://www.acutesystems.com/scrtm.htm

Its called transmac, there is a 30day demo, so you can see if it works, and its about £30.

From a little searching on the internet, the best tools i could see are.

UltraISO
MagicISO

There are a few tools that convert DMG to iso's but they seem to be unreliable.

I have used TransMac, i know it works, so i would give it a shot first.

You say you have used one of the tools i listed, so i am guessing the other is no good. You can download a copy of VMWARE Player and Fedora for free, Linux and MAC/BSD use a similar file system.

I always try WINRAR from RARLABS to extract anything and everything, have you tried that?

Having lost my partition recently, i have been trying some data recovery tools, they seem to find loads, stuff i deleted a fair while back and a few os installs ago, i use pretty much all my hdd, so it didnt find too much as i am always going over the hdd. worth a shot.

Have a go at DMG to iso too, its free, but i am lead to belive its pretty hard to use?

Last thing i could find is

http://www.mediafour.com/products/macdrive6/

its supposed to ipen DMG, well be able to mount.

[MarcJF]

Well chaps thanks for all your ideas, in the end nothing was able to extract these files that I could find. So i've taken the step of having the hard drive recovered, that brings it's own challenges but at least I'll have the data. Cheers again.