Veritas™ System Recovery 21 User's Guide

Last Published:
Product(s): System Recovery (21)
  1. Introducing Veritas System Recovery
    1.  
      About Veritas System Recovery
    2.  
      The components of Veritas System Recovery
    3.  
      Accessing Help and Support for Veritas System Recovery
    4.  
      Sending your feedback regarding Veritas System Recovery 21
    5.  
      Accessing Veritas QuickAssist (VQA)
    6.  
      Updating Veritas System Recovery with Veritas Update
  2. Installing Veritas System Recovery
    1.  
      System requirements for Veritas System Recovery
    2.  
      Supported file systems, disk types, disk partition schemes, and removable media
    3.  
      Feature availability in Veritas System Recovery
    4.  
      About the trial version of Veritas System Recovery
    5. Installing Veritas System Recovery
      1.  
        Activating and setting up Veritas System Recovery after installation
      2.  
        Activating Veritas System Recovery after the trial period
    6.  
      Uninstalling Veritas System Recovery
    7.  
      System requirements for Veritas System Recovery Monitor
    8.  
      Installing Veritas System Recovery Monitor
  3. Ensuring the recovery of your computer
    1. Creating a new Veritas System Recovery Disk
      1.  
        Welcome Panel
      2. Creation Options
        1.  
          Veritas System Recovery Disk recovery matrix
        2.  
          Veritas System Recovery Disk customization support matrix
        3.  
          Non-availability of the Typical option
      3.  
        Download and install Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK)
      4.  
        Languages Options
      5.  
        Veritas System Recovery Disk Storage Media/Destination Options
      6.  
        Licensed Features Options
      7. Storage and Network Drivers Options
        1.  
          Adding a Storage or Network Driver
      8.  
        Startup Options
      9.  
        Network Options
      10.  
        Setup LightsOut Restore Options
    2. Customizing an existing Veritas System Recovery Disk
      1.  
        Welcome Panel
      2.  
        Recovery Disk Source Options
      3. Veritas System Recovery Disk Storage Media/Destination Options
        1.  
          How to add new drivers or driver versions to the Veritas System Recovery Disk
      4.  
        Licensed Features Options
      5. Storage and Network Drivers Options
        1.  
          Adding a Storage or Network Driver
      6.  
        Startup Options
      7.  
        Network Options
    3. About restoring a computer from a remote location by using LightsOut Restore
      1. Configuring LightsOut Restore
        1.  
          Welcome Panel
        2.  
          Source Location Options
        3.  
          Licensed Features Options
        4. Storage and Network Drivers Options
          1.  
            Adding a Storage or Network Driver
        5.  
          Startup Options
        6.  
          Network Options
        7.  
          Setup LightsOut Restore Options
    4.  
      Testing the Veritas System Recovery Disk
  4. Getting Started
    1.  
      How to use Veritas System Recovery
    2.  
      Starting Veritas System Recovery
    3.  
      Configuring Veritas System Recovery default options
    4. Setting up default general backup options
      1.  
        Setting a default backup destination
    5.  
      Improving your computer's performance during a backup
    6.  
      Enabling network throttling
    7.  
      Setting default options for the Windows notification area
    8. File types and file extension
      1.  
        Adding new file types and extensions
      2.  
        Renaming file types and extensions
      3.  
        Restoring default file types and extensions
      4.  
        Deleting a file type and all of its extensions
    9.  
      Removing or changing the unique name for an external drive
    10.  
      Configuring default FTP settings for use with Offsite Copy
    11.  
      Logging Veritas System Recovery messages
    12.  
      Enabling email notifications for product (event) messages
    13.  
      Setting up your first backup using Easy Setup
    14.  
      Home page
    15.  
      Status page
    16.  
      Tasks page
    17.  
      Tools page
    18.  
      Advanced page
    19.  
      Using Veritas System Recovery RESTful Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
  5. Best practices for backing up your data
    1.  
      About backing up your data
    2.  
      Best practices for backing up data
    3.  
      What to do when a backup is finished
    4.  
      Tips for running defined backups
    5.  
      Backup destinations
    6.  
      Backing up dual-boot computers
    7.  
      Manually validating recovery points
  6. Backing up entire drives
    1. Defining a drive-based backup
      1. USB disk rotation
        1.  
          How USB disk rotation works
      2.  
        Rules for network credentials
      3.  
        Running command files during a backup
      4.  
        Editing backup options
      5.  
        Verifying the integrity of a recovery point
      6.  
        Viewing the progress of a backup
      7.  
        Recovery point encryption
    2.  
      Compression levels for recovery points
    3.  
      Running a one-time backup from Veritas System Recovery
    4.  
      Running a backup from Veritas System Recovery Disk
    5.  
      How Offsite Copy works
  7. Backing up files and folders
    1.  
      Backing up files and folders
  8. Running and managing backup jobs
    1. Running an existing backup job immediately
      1.  
        Running a backup to create an alternate type of recovery point
    2.  
      Adjusting the speed of a backup
    3.  
      Stopping a backup or a recovery task
    4.  
      Verifying that a backup is successful
    5.  
      Viewing the properties of a backup job
    6.  
      Editing backup settings
    7.  
      Enabling event-triggered backups
    8.  
      Editing a backup schedule
    9.  
      Disabling or enabling a backup job
    10.  
      Deleting backup jobs
    11.  
      Adding users who can back up your computer
    12.  
      Configuring access rights for users or groups
  9. Backing up remote computers from your computer
    1. About backing up other computers from your computer
      1.  
        Adding remote computers to the Computer List
      2.  
        Adding local computers to the Computer List
      3.  
        Removing a computer from the Computer List
    2. About the Veritas System Recovery Agent
      1.  
        Using the Veritas System Recovery Agent
      2.  
        About managing the Veritas System Recovery Agent through Windows Services
    3. About deploying the Veritas System Recovery Agent
      1.  
        Preparing a computer in a workgroup environment to deploy the Veritas System Recovery Agent
      2.  
        Deploying the Veritas System Recovery Agent
      3.  
        Manually installing the Veritas System Recovery Agent
    4. Best practices for Veritas System Recovery services
      1.  
        Opening Windows services
      2.  
        Starting or stopping the Veritas System Recovery Agent service
      3.  
        Setting up recovery actions when the Veritas System Recovery Agent does not start
    5.  
      Viewing Veritas System Recovery Agent dependencies
    6. About controlling access to Veritas System Recovery
      1.  
        Enabling users or groups to access Veritas System Recovery
      2.  
        Changing permissions for a user or a group
      3.  
        Disabling access for users or groups to Veritas System Recovery
      4.  
        Running Veritas System Recovery using different user rights
  10. Monitoring the status of your backups
    1. About monitoring backups
      1.  
        Refreshing the information that displays about hard disk configuration changes
    2.  
      Icons on the Home page
    3.  
      Icons on the Status page
    4.  
      Configuring Veritas System Recovery to send SNMP traps
    5.  
      Customizing the status reporting of a drive (or file and folder backups)
    6.  
      Viewing drive details
    7.  
      Improving the protection level of a drive
    8.  
      About using event log information to troubleshoot problems
  11. Monitoring the backup status of remote computers using Veritas System Recovery Monitor
    1.  
      About Veritas System Recovery Monitor
    2.  
      Starting Veritas System Recovery Monitor
    3.  
      Icons on the Veritas System Recovery Monitor console
    4.  
      Configuring Veritas System Recovery Monitor default options
    5. Adding a remote computer to the Computer List
      1.  
        Importing a text file to add multiple remote computers to the Computer List
    6.  
      Modifying the logon credentials for the remote computers
    7.  
      Removing a remote computer from the Computer List
    8.  
      Viewing the backup protection status of a remote computer
    9.  
      Viewing the Protection Status report
  12. Exploring the contents of a recovery point
    1.  
      About exploring recovery points
    2. Exploring a recovery point through Windows Explorer
      1.  
        Mounting a recovery point from Windows Explorer
    3.  
      Opening and restoring files within a recovery point browser
    4.  
      Dismounting a recovery point drive
    5.  
      Viewing the drive properties of a recovery point
  13. Managing backup destinations
    1.  
      About backup destinations
    2.  
      Differences between drive-based backups and file and folder backups
    3.  
      Cleaning up old recovery points
    4.  
      Deleting a recovery point set
    5.  
      Deleting recovery points within a recovery point set
    6.  
      Copying recovery points
    7. About managing file and folder backup data
      1.  
        Viewing the amount of file and folder backup data that is stored on a backup destination
      2.  
        Manually deleting files from your backups of files and folders
      3.  
        Finding versions of a file or folder
    8.  
      Automating the management of backup data
    9.  
      Moving your backup destination
    10.  
      About support of OneDrive for Business
  14. Managing virtual conversions
    1.  
      Defining a virtual conversion job
    2.  
      Running an existing virtual conversion job immediately
    3.  
      Viewing the properties of a virtual conversion job
    4.  
      Viewing the progress of a virtual conversion job
    5.  
      Editing a virtual conversion job
    6.  
      Deleting a virtual conversion job
    7.  
      Running a one-time conversion of a physical recovery point to a virtual disk
  15. Managing cloud storage
    1. Direct to cloud
      1.  
        Providing the OpenStorage destination path
      2.  
        OpenStorage destination options for backups
      3.  
        OpenStorage destination options for recovery
    2.  
      Downloading OpenStorage Files
    3.  
      How Offsite Copy works for cloud storage
    4. About creation of Amazon Machine Image (AMI) in Amazon from Veritas System Recovery backups
      1.  
        How to create an Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
      2.  
        How to view the conversion tasks and AMI status
    5. About S3-Compatible Cloud Storage
      1.  
        Using S3-Compatible Cloud Storage in Veritas System Recovery
    6. About Veritas System Recovery supporting Veritas Access
      1.  
        Using Veritas Access Storage in Veritas System Recovery
    7.  
      About the Cloud Instance Creator Utility
  16. Recovering files, folders, or entire drives
    1.  
      About recovering lost data
    2.  
      Recovering files and folders by using file and folder backup data
    3.  
      Recovering files and folders
    4.  
      Recovering a secondary drive
    5.  
      Recovering a drive
    6.  
      Exploring files and folders on your computer by using Veritas System Recovery Disk
    7.  
      Recovering files and folders by using Veritas System Recovery Disk
  17. Recovering a computer
    1.  
      About recovering a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)-based computer
    2. Booting a computer by using the Veritas System Recovery Disk
      1.  
        Configuring a computer to start from a USB device or DVD
    3.  
      Preparing to recover a computer by checking the hard disk for errors
    4.  
      Recovering a computer
    5.  
      Recovering a computer from a virtual disk file
    6.  
      Recovering a computer with different hardware
    7. About using the networking tools in Veritas System Recovery Disk
      1.  
        Starting networking services
      2.  
        Mapping a network drive from within Veritas System Recovery Disk
      3. Configuring network connection settings
        1.  
          Setting a status IP address to enable recovery from a recovery point on a network share or drive
        2.  
          Getting a static IP address if pinging is unsuccessful
    8.  
      Viewing the properties of a recovery point in the Veritas System Recovery Disk
    9.  
      Viewing the properties of a drive within a recovery point in the Veritas System Recovery Disk
    10.  
      About the Support Utilities
  18. Copying a hard drive
    1.  
      Preparing to copy a hard drive
    2.  
      Copying one hard drive to another hard drive
  19. Using the Veritas System Recovery Granular Restore Option
    1.  
      About the Veritas System Recovery Granular Restore Option
    2. Best practices when you create recovery points for use with the Granular Restore Option
      1.  
        Protecting your Microsoft Exchange server for successful backups
    3.  
      Starting the Granular Restore Option
    4.  
      Starting Granular Restore Option and opening a specific recovery point
    5.  
      Restoring a Microsoft Exchange mailbox
    6.  
      Restoring a Microsoft Exchange email folder
    7.  
      Restoring a Microsoft Exchange email message
    8.  
      Restoring files and folders using Granular Restore Option
  20. Appendix A. Backing up databases using Veritas System Recovery
    1.  
      About backing up databases using Veritas System Recovery
    2.  
      Creating a manual cold (offline) backup
    3.  
      Creating an automatic warm backup
    4.  
      Creating a hot (online) backup using Veritas System Recovery
  21. Appendix B. Backing up Active Directory
    1.  
      Tips for protecting a domain controller in Active Directory
  22. Appendix C. Backing up Microsoft virtual environments
    1.  
      About backing up Microsoft virtual hard disks
    2.  
      About backing up and restoring Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machines
  23. Appendix D. Using Veritas System Recovery 21 and Windows Server Core
    1.  
      About Veritas System Recovery 21 and Windows Server Core
    2.  
      Installing Veritas System Recovery 21 on Windows Server Core using commands
  24.  
    Index

Recovering a computer

If Windows fails to start or does not run normally, you can still recover your computer. You can use the Veritas System Recovery Disk and an available recovery point or a virtual disk that you created from a recovery point.

Note:

If you can start Windows and the drive that you want to restore is a non-operating system drive, you can restore the drive within Windows.

The Veritas System Recovery Disk lets you run a recovery environment that provides temporary access to Veritas System Recovery recovery features. For example, you can access the recovery features of Veritas System Recovery to restart the computer into its previous, usable state.

Note:

If you purchased Veritas System Recovery from your computer manufacturer, some features in the recovery environment might not be available. For example, if the manufacturer installed the recovery environment on your computer's hard disk. Your manufacturer might also assign a keyboard key for the purpose of starting the recovery environment. When you restart your computer, watch for instructions on your computer monitor, or refer to your manufacturer's instructions.

If you have a recovery point for the hard drives that you want to recover, you can fully restore your computer. Or, you can recover another hard drive back to the state it was in when the recovery point was created.

Note:

If you restore a recovery point to a computer that uses different hardware, the Restore Anyware feature is automatically enabled for you.

See Recovering a computer with different hardware.

Veritas System Recovery 21 does not create a dynamic disk or storage pool layout. To restore a volume, you need to manually create a dynamic disk or a storage pool configuration. Boot the computer using the Veritas System Recovery Disk and on the Analyze panel click Open Command Shell Window.

  • If you want to create a dynamic disk configuration, run the DISKPART utility.

    The following technote provides information about restoring dynamic disks.

    http://www.veritas.com/docs/000037965

  • If you want to create a storage pool configuration, use PowerShell commandlets.

    Note:

    For the PowerShell commandlets configuration, create a recovery disk using the Advanced option.

After you create the required configuration, you can continue with the steps to recover a computer.

To recover a computer

  1. Boot the computer by using the Veritas System Recovery Disk.

  2. Check the hard disk for errors.

    See Preparing to recover a computer by checking the hard disk for errors.

  3. On the Home panel of Veritas System Recovery Disk, click Recover My Computer.

    If your recovery points are stored on media and you only have one media drive, you can eject the Veritas System Recovery Disk now. Attach the USB device or insert the DVD that contains your recovery points.

  4. On the Welcome page of the wizard, click Next.
  5. On the Select a Recovery Point to Restore panel, select a recovery point to restore, and then click Next.

    Select Recovery Point to Restore options when you view recovery points by Date

    View by - Date

    Displays all of the discovered recovery points in the order in which they were created.

    If no recovery points were discovered, the table is empty. In such cases, you can search all local drives on the computer or browse to find a recovery point.

    Select source folder

    Lets you view a list of all available recovery points that may exist on your computer's local drives or on a specific drive.

    Map a network drive

    Specifies a shared network folder path and assign it a drive letter. You can then browse the folder location for the recovery point file you want.

    Browse

    Locates a recovery point on a local drive or a network folder.

    Select the Show hidden drives check box to see a list of the hidden drives along with the list of the other drives. You can select a hidden drive as a location where you want to store the recovery points. The hidden drives are displayed in the following format:

    DiskNo-PartitionNo\

    For example, a hidden drive is displayed as: 2-3\. Where 2 is the disk number and 3 is the partition number

    Note:

    By default, this check box is not selected.

    Select a recovery point

    Lets you select the recovery point to restore.

    Recovery point details

    Gives you additional information about the recovery point you want to restore.

    Select Recovery Point to Restore options when you view recovery points by File name

    View by - File name

    Lets you view recovery points by their file name.

    Recovery point folder and file name

    Specifies a path and a file name of a recovery point.

    If the recovery point is located in a hidden drive, you must specify the location of the hidden drive in the following format:

    DiskNo-PartitionNo\Filename.v2i or DiskNo-PartitionNo\Filename.iv2i

    For example, if the hidden drive location is on Disk 2 and Partition 3, you must enter 2-3\file.v2i. Where 2 is the disk number and 3 is the partition number.

    Map a network drive

    Specifies a shared network folder path and assign it a drive letter. You can then browse the folder location for the recovery point file you want.

    Browse

    Locates a recovery point on a local drive or a network folder.

    OpenStorage Destination

    Lets you select an OpenStorage storage destination that you want to use for restoring the recovery points.

    See OpenStorage destination options for recovery.

    Recovery point details

    Gives you additional information about the recovery point you want to restore.

    Select Recovery Point to Restore options when you view recovery points by System

    View by - System

    Lets you use the current system index file that is located in the recovery point storage location. The system index file displays a list of all of the drives on your computer and any associated recovery points from which you can select.

    The use of a system index file reduces the time it takes to convert multiple recovery points. When a recovery point is created, a system index file is saved with it. The system index file contains a list of the most recent recovery points, which includes the original drive location of each recovery point.

    System index folder and filename

    Specifies a path and a file name of a system index file that you want to use for recovery.

    If the recovery point is located in a hidden drive, you must specify the location of the hidden drive in the following format:

    DiskNo-PartitionNo\Filename.sv2i

    For example, if the hidden drive location is on Disk 2 and Partition 3, you must enter 2-3\file.sv2i. Where 2 is the disk number and 3 is the partition number.

    Map a network drive

    Specifies a shared network folder path and assign it a drive letter. You can then browse the folder location for the system index file (.sv2i) you want.

    Browse

    Lets you browse to a path that contains a system index file.

    For example, you can browse to an external (USB) drive, a network location, or to removable media to select a system index file.

    OpenStorage Destination

    Lets you select an OpenStorage storage destination that you want to use for restoring the recovery points.

    See OpenStorage destination options for recovery.

    If disks with no layout structures are detected, you are prompted to initialize the disk layout. A list of disks without layout structures is displayed. The list shows the default disk layout type, either GPT, or MBR. If required, you can change the layout type for the disks, and then click OK to initialize layouts on them.

    Note:

    If you are recovering a UEFI-based computer, you must restore its system partitions to a GPT disk.

  6. On the Drives to Recover panel, select each drive that you want to recover and set the options that you want, and then click Next.

    Select drives to recover

    Lets you select the drives that you want to recover.

    Add

    Adds the additional drives that you want to recover.

    If the recovery point is located in a hidden drive, you must specify the location of the hidden drive in the following format:

    DiskNo-PartitionNo\Filename.v2i or DiskNo-PartitionNo\Filename.iv2i

    For example, if the hidden drive location is on Disk 2 and Partition 3, you must enter 2-3\file.v2i. Where 2 is the disk number and 3 is the partition number.

    Remove

    Removes the selected drives from the list of drives to recover.

    Edit

    Lets you edit the recovery options for a selected drive.

    Ignore recovery point corruption during restore (potential data loss)

    Automatically excludes the corrupted data and continues to restore the recovery point. The restored data does not contain the corrupted portion of data.

    Note:

    There may be potential data loss as corrupted data is excluded from restore.

    Verify recovery point before restore

    Verifies whether a recovery point is valid or corrupt before it is restored. If the recovery point is invalid, the recovery is discontinued.

    This option can significantly increase the time that is required for the recovery to complete.

    Do not verify recovery point before restore

    Does not verify whether a recovery point is valid or corrupt before it is restored. During restore, if there is corrupted data on the recovery point, an error message is displayed and you cannot restore the recovery point.

    Use Restore Anyware to recover to different hardware

    Selected automatically if any of the following are true:

    • You recover a non-operating system drive to new or to different computer hardware. Or, you can recover both an operating system drive and one or more data drives to new or to different computer hardware.

    • You upgrade to new or to different computer hardware from an older computer.

    • The motherboard on the computer has failed.

    If you recover a data drive only to new or to different computer hardware, this option is not selected for you.

    When you recover your computer, select the drive on which Windows is installed. On most computer systems, this drive is the C drive. In the recovery environment, the drive letters and labels might not match what appears in Windows. You might need to identify the correct drive based on its label. Or, you can identify the drive by its name, or by browsing the files and folders in the recovery point.

  7. Optionally, select a drive that you want to recover, and then click Edit.

    Select the options that you want to perform during the recovery process, and then click OK to return to the Drives to Recover panel.

    Delete Drive

    Deletes a selected drive in the list to make space available to restore your recovery point.

    When you use this option, the drive is only marked for deletion. The actual deletion of the drive takes place after you click Finish in the wizard.

    Undo Delete

    Returns a deleted drive to the list of drives.

    Resize drive after recover (unallocated space only)

    Resizes a disk after the recovery point is restored. After you select this option, you can specify the new size in megabytes. The size must be greater than the identified size of the disk that you selected in the list.

    Primary partition

    Because hard disks are limited to four primary partitions, this option is appropriate if the drive has four or fewer partitions.

    Logical partition

    This option is appropriate if you need more than four partitions. You can have up to three primary partitions, plus any number of logical partitions, up to the maximum size of your hard disk.

    Check for file system errors after recovery

    Checks the restored drive for errors after the recovery point is restored.

    Set drive active (for booting OS)

    Makes the restored drive the active partition (for example, the drive from which the computer starts).

    You should select this option if you restore the drive on which your operating system is installed.

    Note:

    Do not select this option if you are restoring system partition or boot partition of a UEFI-based computer. This option is applicable only for MBR-style disks.

    Restore original disk signature

    Restores the original, physical disk signature of the hard drive.

    Disk signatures are part of all Windows operating systems that Veritas System Recovery supports. Disk signatures are required to use the hard drive.

    Select this option if either of the following situations are true:

    • Your computer's drive letters are atypical (for example, assigned letters other than C, D, E, and so forth).

    • You restore a recovery point to a new, empty hard disk.

    Restore master boot record

    Restores the master boot record. The master boot record is contained in the first sector of a physical hard disk. The master boot record consists of a master boot program and a partition table that describes the disk partitions. The master boot program analyzes the partition table of the first hard disk to see which primary partition is active. It then starts the boot program from the boot sector of the active partition.

    This option is recommended only for advanced users and is available only if you restore a whole drive in the recovery environment.

    Select this option if any of the following situations are true:

    • You restore a recovery point to a new, empty hard disk.

    • You restore a recovery point to the original drive, but the drive's partitions were modified since the recovery point was created.

    • You suspect that a virus or some other problem has corrupted your drive's master boot record.

    Note:

    Do not select this option if you are restoring system partition or boot partition of a UEFI-based computer. This option is applicable only for MBR-style disks.

  8. Click Next to review the recovery options that you selected.
  9. Select Reboot when finished if you want the computer to restart automatically after the recovery process finishes.
  10. Click Finish.
  11. Click Yes to begin the recovery process.

See Recovering a computer from a virtual disk file.