Clean installs to new SSD's., and getting from 8.0 to 8.1

[alphanumeric]

:thumb:

 

[Mediaman09]

Found this one odd -

-ShowKey displays the correct activation key
-BelArc Avisor 8.4 displays the correct activation key
-Speccy Ver 1.25 displays the INCORRECT activation key ( it shows a 25 char key but I don't recognize it).

This is for a store bought WIN 8.1 PRO 64bit OEM licence.

 

[alphanumeric]

Found this one odd -

-ShowKey displays the correct activation key
-BelArc Avisor 8.4 displays the correct activation key
-Speccy Ver 1.25 displays the INCORRECT activation key ( it shows a 25 char key but I don't recognize it).

This is for a store bought WIN 8.1 PRO 64bit OEM licence.

I do believe its been reported that some work fine in 8.0 but not it 8.1.

 

[Mediaman09]

Regarding the 4 partitions referenced earlier, how does Reflect Macrium fare with regard to including all 4 partitions in an image?

When I try with EaseUs To Backup, it sees all 4 partitions, but complains "the specified file system is not supported" and needs to do a much much slower sector-by-sector backup to continue.

Should only 3 of the 4 ( the three seen by Disk Manager) be the ones included in any attempt to create an image of the SSD?


Created by Windows install:

​

Handling by Ease US:

​

 

[Clintlgm]

Regarding the 4 partitions referenced earlier, how does Reflect Macrium fare with regard to including all 4 partitions in an image?

When I try with EaseUs To Backup, it sees all 4 partitions, but complains "the specified file system is not supported" and needs to do a much much slower sector-by-sector backup to continue.



Should only 3 of the 4 ( the three seen by Disk Manager) be the ones included in any attempt to create an image of the SSD?


Created by Windows install:

View attachment 36415​

Handling by Ease US:

View attachment 36416​

Reflect has no issues with cloning a UEFI GPT Disk if your going from a hard drive to a smaller SSD you would use the redeploy to different hardware mode. There instructions are very comprehensive and easy to follow. The free edition will do it for you

 

[Mediaman09]

I already have the SSD as my boot drive. Not looking for cloning. Just want to do periodic image backups.

 

[Clintlgm]

I already have the SSD as my boot drive. Not looking for cloning. Just want to do periodic image backups.

I do my C:\ back ups as a full disk image.
I have several images saved to restore to certain stages of my installations
I have set up weekly Incremental back ups to my OS SSD/Hard Drive
I have daily scheduled Data Files back ups.
additionally daily Cloud back ups of files.
I use Acronis for my MBR WS, and Reflect for my UEFI installations, So far as I know only Macrium Refect and Paragon are the only 2 back up programs that are fully 8.1 and UEFI GPT compliant. I have no personal experience with Paragon I have read in these forums that it will work. Acronis for the last 3 year versions advertised that were UEFI GPT compliant this was not the case and the first release of 2014 also could not restore a booting UEFI GPT OS Disk. Reflect has been the first that successful in restore a full UEFI GPT OS disk. If your choice of back up programs is complaining about partitions I would consider something else or dealing direct with the programs company/tech support? Much better than having a crashed disk that you can't restore

 

[Mediaman09]

Issue
For those on 8 or 8.1 , how did you ever get around the Access Denied or You don't have permission to save to this location issues ?? See: http://www.eightforums.com/user-acc...-insane-access-denied-please-please-help.html

Desperate Workarounds
If there is truly no solution, I need to think in terms of abandoning both Win 8 machines, format them and install Windows 7. Very very painful and time consuming to do this on otherwise perfectly working machines, but I see no other option.

Activation going from Win 8 to Win 7

• On my 8.1 machine, I had already bought a Win 7 license when I gave up on 8.0 when it first came out,
  so I am good there and should be able to so a fresh reinstall using that key.
• One my 8.1 PRO machines with tore bought OEM key, can I use it to activate WIndwos 7 (Digitalriver download)

 

[alphanumeric]

I haven't had any Access Denied Issues with 8.0 or 8.1. You can't install Windows 7 or activate it with a Windows 8.0 or 8.1 key, you have to use a Windows 7 key.

 

[Mediaman09]

Downgrading Win 8 : i googled downgraded and looks like there might be something there - not sure if its applicable to me or not, but will investigate

My Access/permission issues: Hmmm, you dont have these issues, so that means its possible to avoid them. Yet I did new fresh installs. Might it be related to Secure Boot?? I note its OFF on both my Win 8 machines. Is yours ON?

If I now turn Secure Boot ON in the BIOS, it will likely mess up my Win 8.1 installation ; I see some posts where users end up in an endless loop and cant boot, so its likely best I keep it OFF, but if I do start over on a new install , what are there merits of having Secure boot on vs off?

Ref: http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/17058-secure-boot-enable-disable-uefi.html

 

[alphanumeric]

Downgrading Win 8 : i googled downgraded and looks like there might be something there - not sure if its applicable to me or not, but will investigate

My Access/permission issues: Hmmm, you dont have these issues, so that means its possible to avoid them. Yet I did new fresh installs. Might it be related to Secure Boot?? I note its OFF on both my Win 8 machines. Is yours ON?

If I now turn Secure Boot ON in the BIOS, it will likely mess up my Win 8.1 installation ; I see some posts where users end up in an endless loop and cant boot, so its likely best I keep it OFF, but if I do start over on a new install , what are there merits of having Secure boot on vs off?

Ref: http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/17058-secure-boot-enable-disable-uefi.html

Nope, I've never had any access issues and I've done numerous installs of 8.0 and 8.1 on different PC's. Some with UEFI and some without. It's not a secure boot issue. Where did you obtain your install media from? Some manufacturers offer downgrade rights to Windows 7 on PC's sold with 8 Pro. You have to contact the manufacturer for the install media and product codes that go with it, if they offer it on your model.

 

[Mediaman09]

....Nope, I've never had any access issues and I've done numerous installs of 8.0 and 8.1 on different PC's. Some with UEFI and some without. It's not a secure boot issue. Where did you obtain your install media from? Some manufacturers offer downgrade rights to Windows 7 on PC's sold with 8 Pro. You have to contact the manufacturer for the install media and product codes that go with it, if they offer it on your model.

My media is totally legit:

-For the Win 8.1 machine -its Dell OEM supplied plus 8.1 store download
-For the Win 8.1 PRO is store bought

..and both installs behave the same .​

At first I did not even notice these issues... It was only after a few days when I started noticing that:

a) I could not save downloaded files off the web to my HDD data drive - rather windwows forces me to use the boot drive (of all places) as it wants it stored in the C:\Users directory. The suggested tip by some is to turn OFF Enable Protected Mode- but it didnt help. Perhaps its an IE thing... but I dont have the issue on Win 7

b) I could not save changes to files ( even thoguh could create files and folders). This one can be quais-addressed by Taking Ownership, but that's a tremendous burden to do every time you create a new file even if the folder is owned).
​

Again, only happens on my Win 8 machines, No issues on my four Win 7 machines.

Yet, you dont have these issues, so I'd love to figure out why !!!!

 

[alphanumeric]

OK, just wanted to make sure your media wasn't compromised in some way. Some members with OEM installs have had to resort to bit torrent etc to get install media. That media can have issues if its been modified. Issues like what you describe. Where exactly are you trying to save the files? If it's a non standard location a program may be protecting the folder.

 

[Mediaman09]

I can undersrstand a protected area issues ( and in those case I need to Take Ownership).

But for the IE downloads, i am just trying to save to seperate data-only HDD drive. No reason for it to block me. I'll post some snapshots of the exact sequence later tonight. Maybe another set of eyes will spot the problem. It should not be telling me that You dont permmisiosn to save in this location, or access denied, when that locaiton is my own personal fodler on a differenet drive and I am signed in as Administrator, with full rights that drive.

 

[alphanumeric]

What happen if you navigate to that same folder in explorer?

 

[Mediaman09]

Let me give a specific example.

Context - All I am after here is for some consistency and simplicity and free reign to access my own data (nothing on the boot drive). At this point I don't even care about security. I just want access to my own files. I would love to turn all the features off that are allegedly there for my own good - they are not - all they are doing is frustrating me to no end, and giving me stress beyond description. And yet I did everything clean, fresh and by the book. Unreal number of hours wasted and I am completely exhausted. I am hopeful there is a simple fix that I have over-looked to date.

Problem - Ok see pic below.

From my main pc, PC01(Win 8.1) , I can see all my other PC's. When navigate to PC04 (Win 7) , I see both of the shared HDD's on that machine. I can navigate through Data04, but I am denied access to Data04BU. Yet both drives are shared and both have permissios set to everyone. WHY CAN I SEE ONE DRIVE BUT NOT THE OTHER.

I don't have this problem with say PC05 (Win7). Its set up the exact same way.

I dont use Homegroup at all (and don't need to, as access to PC05 is fine). All pc's are on the same workgroup.

So why cant PC01 behave the same for PC04 as it does for PC05?

On PC01 I am signed in as Dad (administrator) There is a Dad and Mom account on PC01
On PC04 I am signed in as Mom (administrator) . There is no Dad account on PC04
On PC05 I am signed in as Mom (administrator) There is no Dad account on PC05

(Now, get this,..when I sign in as Mom on PC01, the trouble accessing PC4 goes away. But that's really not the answer, as even when I am signed in as Dad, I can see all of PC05 without issue - so why cant I see all of PC04 without issue?




No problem navigating the Data04BU drive when on PC04.

 

[Mediaman09]

I found the missing link I was looking for.

Its not just the Sharing tab that matters ; its the Security tab.

On DataBU04, EVERYONE had full rights under Sharing (per pic above) but did not have a line item in the Security tab (per pic below). Once added the drive was available for me to access.

I still two more issues I need to work though, but that's for later. For now, I am enjoying the moment

 

[alphanumeric]

OK, see up until now I was unaware you were having the access issue on network drives, that makes a big difference. I thought you were having the issue accessing files folders on a drive connected internally to the PC. I use the same username and password on all my PC's so once a folder is shared correctly I get access. Anyway it looks like you may have it all figured out now.

 

[Mediaman09]

OK, see up until now I was unaware you were having the access issue on network drives, that makes a big difference. I thought you were having the issue accessing files folders on a drive connected internally to the PC. I use the same username and password on all my PC's so once a folder is shared correctly I get access. Anyway it looks like you may have it all figured out now.

You had it right - I am dealing with more than one problem - the other two issues were indeed internal drive issues:
-being blocked from saving attachment to data drive from the web ( even with Enable protected mode off)
-access denied when changing a ini text file on the boot drive.

I want to revisit those issue next to confirm they still exist, and present the full context if I cant resolve it.

Appreciate all the assistance date - truly !! Misery loves company.

 

[Mediaman09]

Okay, here is an example the being blocked issue.

I am on Win 8.1

I go to a web site and download a PDF file ( something I've done a thousand times on other Win 7 machines) and save it to my data drive (a data only HDD) ; it wont let me, and suggest I save it to C:\Users ... which is precisely where I do NOT want to save it.

I am signed in with an Administrator account - one that has full rights.

I tired deselecting Enable Protected mode in IE, but it didn't help

I tried re-establishing the rights by forcing child folder to inherit the full rights again, but it didn't help

All I am wanting to do here is save a PDF file to my own drive! Never ever had this issue before.

The only thing that seems to work ( though I don't know if it works 100% of the time), is to Take Ownership of every root folder in the drive , one by one. It runs through very quickly, but still, I have 187,000 files one drive so its not an instant process.

Surely, there is a setting I am missing somewhere? I do NOT have this issue on my other Win 8 machine with Win 8.1 PRO.