Microsoft KB Archive/302700

= An Error Message Is Displayed When You Attempt to Use the Automated System Recovery Wizard =

Article ID: 302700

Article Last Modified on 1/15/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

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This article was previously published under Q302700



SYMPTOMS
The Automated System Recovery (ASR) feature enables users to create a set of floppy disks that can be used to automate the process of recovering a failed system.

When you attempt to use the ASR Wizard on Windows XP Home Edition, you may receive the following error message:

Backup Utility

The files for recovery diskette could not be created. The operation was cancelled.

If you receive this message, you may be unable to create a backup set with ASR.



CAUSE
This behavior can occur because ASR is not supported in Windows XP Home Edition. However, Windows XP Home Edition users can access the ASR Wizard if they install the Ntbackup program from the Valueadd folder on the Windows XP Home Edition CD-ROM.



RESOLUTION
To work around this behavior, access the Automated System Restore Wizard:  Install Backup Utility for Windows on the Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition CD-ROM. Follow these steps to install Backup Utility for Windows:  Double-click the Ntbackup.msi file in the following location on the Windows XP Home Edition CD:



 When the installation wizard is complete, click Finish.  Click Start and, then click All Programs. Point to Accessories, point to System Tools and then click Backup on the All Programs menu.</li> Click the Advanced Mode link on the first screen of the Backup and Restore Wizard.</li> On the Backup Utility dialog box, click the Automated System Recovery Wizard button.</li></ol>

NOTE: ASR does not function and is not supported on Windows XP Home edition.

The ASR Wizard may create the floppy disks and a backup file (Backup.bkf). The floppy disks, however, cannot start the ASR process in Windows XP Home Edition if they are used after a catastrophic system failure.

For catastrophic malfunctions that result in the need for total data recovery, you must use the following steps for the recovery process (which assumes that a full backup had been performed a short period of time prior to the equipment failure and subsequent data loss):
 * 1) Manually reinstall Windows XP from the installation media.
 * 2) Install Ntbackp from the Valueadd folder of the Windows XP installation CD-ROM.
 * 3) Use Ntbackup to restore the data by using the backup set that had been created prior to the system failure.

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MORE INFORMATION
The error message in the Symptoms section of this article is not always displayed. When the error message is not displayed, you can create a backup set with ASR. In the situation where a backup set is created with ASR, the startup floppy disks that are created to use with ASR do not work with Windows XP Home Edition.

The backup set is still valid. You can recover the data set that had been created with the ASR Wizard by proceeding as if the data set had been created with Ntbackup.

Keywords: kberrmsg kbprb KB302700

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