O.T. - Connection Problem:

You and me both,.. the only other
recourse would have been to install
the spare HD.

Obviously the 8500 can detect CD's but
not USB flash drives.

Since as you say the Dell Data Save
can be used only once. Is there a way
to copy the file from Key to Disk?

Use this kind?

http://www.officedepot.com/a/product...IjIaAl-58P8HAQ


What do you think?

Robert

Mark Twain wrote:
You and me both,.. the only other
recourse would have been to install
the spare HD.

Obviously the 8500 can detect CD's but
not USB flash drives.

Since as you say the Dell Data Save
can be used only once. Is there a way
to copy the file from Key to Disk?

Use this kind?

http://www.officedepot.com/a/product...IjIaAl-58P8HAQ


What do you think?

Robert

There are a number of things you could pick up.

"DVD+R"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD%2BR

Fifty for 20 bucks.
http://www.officedepot.com/a/product...rintable-Disc/

(The DVD-R are also fifty for 20 bucks)
http://www.officedepot.com/a/product...D-R-Printable/

The DVDs hold 4.7GB and are preferred for bulk
data transfer (such as this case, of holding
a factory restore). CDs are too small for the
job, and not practical.

(A single BluRay disc could hold the whole thing,
but they're just not practical. And you might
not have a burner for those. There are about
the same price per gigabyte.)

When you have a raw set of files, a "software" can
grind them up into CD-sized or DVD-sized chunks. The
factory restore partition may be pre-ground to
DVD-sized chunks already, and the software is not
prepared to make them into CD-sized chunks.

Normally, I would pick DVD+RW for the ability
to rewrite them, but I saw one comment that
the software you're using, prefers write-once
media. Personally, I would prefer the software
just output ISO9660 files, and leave the
burning strategy to me :-)

All you can do, is go back to that application
and see if it is prepared to write to DVD. Making
sure you have some sort of DVD media before you
start. If you don't own any DVD media, pick some
up to complement your CD cake-box of media.

I stock both DVD and CD here, for this reason.
CDs are for Kaspersky, Macrium, Windows rescue
disc. DVDs are for the rest.

And you can see that a 50-pack of jewel cases for
the now-burned media, costs as much as the media.
This is the product I'm using right now, possibly
picked up locally at Walmart. I used to be able
to get Dynex jewel cases at Zellers, but they're
out of business now. Target came and went, leaving...
nothing. Just Walmart survives (in Canada).

http://www.officedepot.com/a/product...-and-DVD-Slim/

Even a six-pack of media would get the job done,
but usually you pay more for media at that
size of packaging. When I used to buy optical
drives, where the drives weren't very good,
I could easily spend $50 on little sample
packs of media, looking for a media that actually
works. There's a good chance the Verbatim is Ritek,
which should be OK.

My computer store even sells Ritek branded media,
but that's not very common. Ritek normally sells
in bulk to other companies like Verbatim, for
distribution. But my computer store does have some
ugly little packages with Ritek in them. Avoiding
the fancy color graphics of the branded companies
on the outside of the package. Of course, you
don't know (even if scanning the media tag),
whether Ritek made them or not. Only long term
experience will eventually tell you whether they're
some sort of counterfeit (do error scan, rescan after
three months, look for degradation).

Paul

I'll have to wait till the next check before
I can buy anything,..... so until then I
guess we wait.

One question,.. the DVD-R will boot? Also,
didn't you say the application was given only
once so that if I went back to the application
it wouldn't work? or did you mean I could only
use it once.

Robert

I went back to the application and it
just says discs or USB Flash Drive:

http://i65.tinypic.com/zji70g.jpg - Dell Data Safe


Robert

Isn't there some way of copying the
file from the Cruiser key to DVD or
is it better to try and have the
program write them (if it accepts
them).




Robert

Mark Twain wrote:
Isn't there some way of copying the
file from the Cruiser key to DVD or
is it better to try and have the
program write them (if it accepts
them).




Robert

It might take 18 CDs.

It should take around 3 DVDs.

As for the media type, I'm just passing on a comment from
a forum thread I saw, where someone claimed the program
wanted write-once media. I don't know how you prove that,
until the moment the blank is in the tray, and an error
message greets you.

Because nothing is documented, how can we begin to guess ?

This is all a matter of "cut and try".

As for the contents of the Cruzer, there is going to be
some sort of boot loader. And I don't know how the data
will be presented on there. While it might be ISO files,
then again, it might not.

If I was there in front of the machine, I'd take that
hidden partition apart, and answer some of these questions.

Since you restored with Macrium, it's possible the software
now has no memory of loading the Cruzer with data.

Paul

Not sure what you mean by taking
the hidden partition apart?

Here's the contents of the Cruiser:

http://i68.tinypic.com/iymlw2.jpg -Cruiser

Robert

Mark Twain wrote:
Not sure what you mean by taking
the hidden partition apart?

Here's the contents of the Cruiser:

http://i68.tinypic.com/iymlw2.jpg -Cruiser

Robert


Cruzer:

One of those folders, has gigabytes of files in it.
Which folder is it ? What is the file type of any
gigabyte-sized files ?

Hidden Partition:

A hidden partition is not type 0x07 like your C: drive.
It has no drive letter. If you look in Disk Management,
there is little you can do to the partition. You cannot
"Explore" it. You can't even format it from the menu there.

Using PTEDIT32, you can examine the current partition
type field, then figure out what is the best way to make
the files visible. Symantec offered free copies of PTEDIT32.exe
for years and years, but now they've stopped. leaving people who
didn't get a copy, in a lurch. Now you have to use Linux
to make the necessary change (sudo fdisk /dev/sda and do it
from there). Once the files inside the partition are visible,
you can start Googling based on what you find. While
the Goodells web site is useful for some of these problems,
it may not cover more modern PCs like the XPS 8500.

Paul

Think I found it

http://i64.tinypic.com/2libqcl.jpg - preload (12.6 GB)

http://i68.tinypic.com/123b6dw.jpg - preload contents


The rest of the files make up the remainder.

Robert

Mark Twain wrote:
Think I found it

http://i64.tinypic.com/2libqcl.jpg - preload (12.6 GB)

http://i68.tinypic.com/123b6dw.jpg - preload contents


The rest of the files make up the remainder.

Robert

OK, it's ground up into DVD sized chunks.

BASE.WIM 3433189 KB Boot DVD, leaves some room for the boot files
BASE2.WIM 3981767 Data DVD, full
BASE3.WIM 3982508 Data DVD, full
BASE4.WIM 1799132 Data DVD, half-full

For the purposes of putting it on the Cruzer, you'll
notice they didn't stuff it all together into one WIM
file. If there was a single 12.6GB WIM file, it would
imply run-time reshaping of the WIM set. But it looks
like they are delivered as items sized for usage
with single-layer DVD.

If a local store would sell you those at the bulk-rate
discount, it would take four DVDs at $0.40 each, to
do the job. For a total of $1.60 (plus jewel boxes
for safe keeping, so double the price at least).

If you don't think you would ever burn that much media,
then you don't have to buy a 50-pack. The problem is,
you don't always get a lot of choices at the computer
store any more.

My computer store used to have a display with four or
five cubic meters of cake-boxes. All sorts of different
brands. Now, there is a single shelf with a very very
limited selection.

If I go to Staples (which is not a computer store),
there is lots of "Staples Branded" DVDs there, which
I won't buy because I have no idea what I'm getting.
Staples used to have Maxell and Verbatim, and I could
still buy stuff back in those days that I would want
to take home.

Paul

So I need to buy 4 say 5 and they have
to be DVD-R correct?

I did a little checking and it seems
no one offers singles anymore. You
have to buy in the pack size:

https://www.radioshack.com/products/...nt=17964713605

Jeeez just to use (4),... and I hardly
use that media. I'm surprised anyone does
now. I thought everything now was writable?
I suppose for security sake it makes sense
but 50?

Robert

You have to admit,.. this is one
interesting problem,. and were
still not done! *L*

So what is the procedure once I get
the DVD-R's?

Do I just copy/past the files over
the then boot with the first DVD?

Then it repairs whatever and should be
back to normal?

Robert

Mark Twain wrote:
So I need to buy 4 say 5 and they have
to be DVD-R correct?

I did a little checking and it seems
no one offers singles anymore. You
have to buy in the pack size:

https://www.radioshack.com/products/...nt=17964713605

Jeeez just to use (4),... and I hardly
use that media. I'm surprised anyone does
now. I thought everything now was writable?
I suppose for security sake it makes sense
but 50?

Robert

Search around on Amazon, to get a SKU for something else.

These have cases. 10-pack. "Verbatim 95099"

https://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-Bran.../dp/B0009YEBWK

And the Staples price isn't very good.

http://www.staples.com/Verbatim+9509...atim%252095099

A little better price.

http://www.officedepot.com/a/product...VD-R-47GB-16X/

*******

These are just discs with no case. 10-pack. "Verbatim 97957"

https://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-Bran.../dp/B00J88HOIG

Then I can shop around, and this is $5.

http://www.officedepot.com/a/product...Bulk-Box-Pack/

You can then search other retailers closer to you, using the Verbatim part
number and see if they carry it.

Rewritable media can come in smaller packs than that, like five or six,
but maybe for the write-once, 10 might be as few as you can get.

I doubt if I drove around here, I could find either of those, because
as I said, the shelf space allocated for optical media, is quite small.
Staples still had media, but the last time I looked (a couple years ago),
it was Staples branded. They may offer a product online, which isn't
in the store.

Both rewritable and write-once seem to be stable now. But it wasn't
always that way. The CD-RW stuff could be pretty grim. But the modern
media hasn't been causing a problem here.

The CD media is for music (to play in your car play perhaps),
while the DVD media might be used for DIVX-encoded movies.
To record a movie at original bitrate, you'd use dual-layer media (9GB),
but anyone building a "collection" at home, uses single-sided discs
of 4.7GB, and re-encode with a standard other than the original format.
Because the discs are cheaper.

People also use DVDs for data backup, although it can take
a pile of those for any decent-sized backup job. And BluRay is
priced no better than DVD - you can get quite high capacity
BluRay now (I think up to 100GB), but they're not cheap,
and you'd hate yourself if burning a 100GB one and the
burn failed. But they do hold a lot of stuff.

On our media here, there is a "tax" which is collected and goes to
the recording or movie industry. Which is why the pricing on some
of the media can be a bit screwy. That could be why a dual-layer DVD
is more expensive perhaps. I've only ever had a 5-pack of dual-layer
here as a test, and I couldn't afford at the prices they charge,
to have a stack of those.

Paul

I did searches also but I didn't
think to look for 10 packs or of
Office Depot and there's one in town.

I'll see if they carry any 10 packs

hmmmmmmm I didn't know all of that
pretty interesting actually,.
so DVD-R's isn't an obsolete medium.


Thanks,
Robert

Hmmmmmmm I tried using the store locator
and it doesn't show my town. Wondered if
it closed?

Robert