Question Can't see SATA Port Drives when Booting DOS to make Backups?

[Z15CAM]

Can see them in Win GUI CMD DOS but what good is that if Windows has CRASHED or is Infected.

I have a C7H MB with a 3700X with latest BIOS and Drivers .

My 1st BIOS supported 3000 series CPU's and did not disable PCIe 4. I was using a 2600X and had no issues navigation with a WinME Dos Boot USB to Fat32 32GB partitions which each contained a copy of DOS GHOST.EXE and the appropriate INI which are located on the SATA Ports to run GHOST Backups for all my NTFS Partitions and Fat 32 Boot partition. I have a NMVe in the M2 2 PCIe slot, 2 x's 500 SSD's in RAID-0 on 2 Sata ports for a 1GB Playground or scratch drive, a 4 TB GPT drive for Media Storage and a DVD Optic.

After installing a 3700X, using the latest 3004 BIOS, upon booting into dos using a ME DOS USB thumb I get ERROR "INVALD DRIVE SPECIFICATION" when searching for Drives located on the SATA Ports but can still see my Primary Boot M2 2 PCIe 3 drive. So I can BackUp OS onto a Thumb which is painfully SLOW.

After mounting the 3700X I did notice new hardware named PCIe encryption driver not installed in device Manager and updated the Chipset Driver which I believe just disables PCIe 4 support on the x470 chipset or something to do with the Infinity Fabric.

Had no problem with earlier BIOS's for 3000 series using the 2600X CPU.

Apparently I can't use HDD's for BackUps anymore and forced to use a Dos Bootable Thumb that only reads the Primary NMVe Disk in the PCIe 3 M2 2 slot.

It is something to do with the New BIOS UpDate and wondering if there something I have to tweek in BIOS in order for a DOS Boot to see drives on the SATA Ports ?

I've been on the phone with an ASUS Support Worker and he can't seem to come with the answer as to why I can not navigate to drives located on the SATA Ports when booting DOS. They are sending me Ticket to fill in.

Gotta say the support worker with an East India accent did try as we on the phone for over 1/2 hour and he did consult with others but to no avial ;o)

Something Flakey with that latest ROG-CROSSHAIR-VII-HERO-ASUS-3004 BIOS with a 3000 Series CPU !

First time I have ever called for Product Support in my 45 years of working with PC's.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Sure Macrium Reflect will do it with an ESD WIM Boot for a cost but once you have used ReDeploy to New Hardware you have to buy a new License for the New PC where the old 1.36 MB DOS Ghost.exe app could do it for FREE with an Inturrupted Win Update install image - I'm sure Virtual Larry understands ;o)

Buy a new licence for new hardware? That's how it's always been with Windows, if you change the mainboard. Product Activation goes back to XP. So nothing new there.

The key here (if you'll pardon the pun) is to purchase a Retail key. Unlike the keys you get from the Windows Store or as OEM (or those 3rd party sellers on various platforms), retail keys are freely transferable to new hardware. One PC at a time of course. Yes, they're more expensive then either of the other options, but I've got 11 years out of (one of) my 7 Pro Retail key (both 7 and 10), so everything is relative.

Worst case, you may have to call MS to activate a retail key. It's usually no big deal, they're usually quite large with legit keys.

 

[Z15CAM]

Insert_Nicknam: Sorry I was not referring the Windows License but rather to the Macrium Reflect License for Redeploy from a specific system ! Actually you can over ride Win's Activation if you engage Sys-Prep CMD: "slmgr.vbs /upk" and during a timely reboot in the backup process and capture the Image (A 1.36 Mb DOS App GHOST.EXE was my favorite) - MS allows 3 transfers to new hardware without activation. If you run out you can re-arm Sys-Prep with a registry tweak for each image. (Really do not want to hint any further as it's rather dangerous territory ;o)

Just saying Macrium Reflect charges you for redeploy were you can do it yourself with GHOST.EXE: however, ASUS screwed BIOS not to recognize Sata Drives through a DOS boot for RGB Crap.

Not saying you can't use a RUFUS Dos Boot using GHOST with a descent 32GB Fat32 USB thumb but your limited to see only your Primary PCIe Boot drive and sub partitions but no Sata Drives to back up.

Plus ASUS dispensed with "The Stilt" DRAM tweaking options in the new BIOS - BUT may have incorporated Stilt into the D.O.C.P (XMP) profiles - Presently running 4 X's 8GB's T-Force Samsung-B at 1.35v 3200Mhz 14-14-14-31-73-1T using their new 3200 MHz D.O.C.P profile but would not mind getting RAM up to 3600Mhz 16CL at under 1.5v with a Ryzen 3700X @ 4400Mhz on a C7H.

I'm not excluding using Dram Calculator for Ryzen ;o)

Will let you know - Just don't have the time to test as I've yet to put the system under water and have other client systems to FIX!

But man ASUS throwing in this new crappy RGB BIOS at the expense of DOS compatibility was a real Stinger eating up valuable BIOS property!

Basically with this new ASUS BIOS a RUFUS Dos Boot with GHOST will back up your system to a FAT 32 USB but nothing else on Sata.

I like a RAID-0 dual SATA SSD's Playground which I can't backup with a DOS Boot with this New ASUS BIOS or even store an image to a FAT32 partition on a Sata drive with a Dos Boot - WHAT GIVES ?

MS insists an ESD WIM Boot like Macrium PE crap - What about backing up Linux or BSD OS's - Hay GHOST.EXE still works ;o)

Hate my Dyslexia having to edit my Posts.

 

[extide]

Seriously, try out parted magic. I just don't like supporting the author...

 

[Z15CAM]

I think most of you are missing the whole point about my post: ASUS has with their new BIOS Firmware eliminated a pure DOS boot that will NOT recognize Sata Ports and used the space for RGB CRAP ! RGB is not why I bought a C7H originally !

In my opinion, ASUS has to restore the emulated DOS Boot or give us and alternate BIOS to affirm their original terms of purchase.

 

[extide]

No, they didn't. They replaced it with the firmware for Ryzen 3000 series, that is if they actually removed it at all. I'm not entirely sure that they did.

Also why are you choosing this hill to die on? I mean come on those tools from 15+ years ago suck -- try some newer stuff -- no need to be curmudgeonly about it.