Norton Bootable Recovery Tool for NIS 2010

Seems like the NBRT for NIS2010 does not work.  File size does not match description.  Should be around 291MB.  Actual download is around 250MB.  It is a valid .iso file and will burn to a cd - but will not boot without crashing.  Tried multiple downloads/burns and tested on multiple machines.  Crashes every time.  Downloaded direct from FTP site & (same resulting link) from symantec web page:

http://www.symantec.com/norton/support/globalmaps/recoverytool.jsp

It would be nice to have a reliable boot disk.

Please flag this issue for Symantec employees to check.

 

 

Thanks.

 

RustyBucket

 


rustybucket wrote:

Seems like the NBRT for NIS2010 does not work.  File size does not match description.  Should be around 291MB.  Actual download is around 250MB.  It is a valid .iso file and will burn to a cd - but will not boot without crashing.  Tried multiple downloads/burns and tested on multiple machines.  Crashes every time.  Downloaded direct from FTP site & (same resulting link) from symantec web page:

http://www.symantec.com/norton/support/globalmaps/recoverytool.jsp

It would be nice to have a reliable boot disk.

Please flag this issue for Symantec employees to check.

 

 

Thanks.

 

RustyBucket

 


To troubleshoot your issue I just downloaded the ISO file for the bootable cd for NIS 2010 from the link in your post, it's on my desktop now. File size is 291 MB. If you're only getting 250 MB that's probably why it's crashing.

Huh?  Check that out.  Just tried again.  WATCHED it download.  ZZZZzzzzzz.  Sure enough - it thinks it going to download ~291MB of .iso data.  Gets to the ~251MB mark and quits.  Exact same file size each time.  251,104KB.  .ISO file burns just fine - just crashed with I/O error every time.  Tried to download on 09/15, 09/20, 09/27, & now 09/28.  Got same results.  Dang GREMLINS!

 

Never had problems with any other downloads.  Everything else seems to be ok.  Will try Firefox and see what it does.  Will update status tomorrow.

 

RustyBucket

What are you using to download it? Sounds like it is downloading a cached file.

Hi rustybucket,

 

I just tried downloading using your link. The ISO that I got is 305,620,992 bytes (291mb). It appears you have a problem with your download manager. Can you try downloading using different software?

Still no luck.  Tried both IE8 & Firefox 3.5.  Get the same result each time.  Even saved download file to several different locations.  Exact same file size.  Using Vista Ultimate SP2 w/all patches.  Cleaned out all of the temp files using both Sytemworks Express Cleanup and Webroot WIndow Washer.  Only apps running are NIS2010 & Ghost14 (Ghost is idle - set for manual backups).  No accelerators installed.  I can download the N360 NBRT just fine - not the NIS2010 NBRT.  I have rebooted everything - SB6120 cable modem / WRT610N router / computer / & my mind.  Not sure how I would be snagging a cached file.

 

RustyBucket

I would try doing a hard reset and maybe rebooting and trying it again.


rustybucket wrote:

Still no luck.  Tried both IE8 & Firefox 3.5.  Get the same result each time. 


If you have access to a second computer, try downloading there. That may be the easiest way to get a workable ISO. Then you can continue troubleshooting why you're unable to get a clean download on the current system.

Hello RustyBucket,

 

Although I am getting the full 291MB download, I am experiencing similar issues when after the Recovery Disc loads, there are Error reports of "O/S not found" or "Drive not present or removed".

 

I have tried multiple burning programs and have also tried the Symantec recommended Gear ISO burner. I have used different download locations and multiple computers have been used to download / create / test the discs.

 

I will be sure to communicate this information to Symantec.

 

FWIW, I had no problem creating last year's NIS 2009 Recovery Tool - worked like a champ.

 

Hang in there! (and don't make any more "coasters" until we get some input).

 

 

Phil,

 

After reading OPs problem I downloaded the ISO. The download went smoothly (see my earlier post) and I burned the ISO to CD.

 

Then I booted using that CD. The boot went smoothly. My product key was auto-recognized and updates were downloaded. I didn't run a scan but I don't have any reason to think a problem would surface at that point.

 

It's very curious that different users are experiencing wildly different results. I'm glad you're communicating the problem to Symantec and I'm looking forward seeing the response.

Message Edited by Brubaker on 09-28-2009 10:28 AM

Thanks for the input Brubaker!

 

I failed to mention that I have only tested on XP SP3.  I'll try Vista SP2 later this evening.

 

What platform are you using?

I tried it on XP SP3. If I get a chance I’ll try it with Vista SP2.

I've just downloaded the file and mine is 251MB ......

 

I don't have time now to burn this and try it but without knowing exactly what it would tell me I opened the ISO file with ISOBUSTER and looking down the tree it shows that under Norton the BOOT.WIM file is flagged with a red X as is the BCD file under Microsoft and it reports a large number of missing sectors.

 

As I say I've never used this tool before -- just happen to have it on board. This may be normal but someone might want to check a 291MB file with ISOBUSTER and see if it shows the same red flags.

Phil,

 

I just tried again using the same CD on a laptop running Vista SP2. Everything went the same except that the updates did not download. I think that's because it's using a wireless connection. I could have tried an ethernet connection to my router, but that didn't seem necessary as everything else appears to be working normally and it was ready to scan.

 


Brubaker wrote:

Phil,

 

I just tried again using the same CD on a laptop running Vista SP2. Everything went the same except that the updates did not download. I think that's because it's using a wireless connection.

 

Hi brubaker, You are right, only a hardwired connection works to get virus defs downloaded. 

 

 I could have tried an ethernet connection to my router, but that didn't seem necessary as everything else appears to be working normally and it was ready to scan.

 


 

Hi mdturner,

 

Thanks for the confirmation.

 

On reflection, that had to be the case since the requisite connection doesn't exist in the recovery environment.

Quick update.

 

Plugged in my old computer - XPSP3 w/all updates - and it downloads just fine.  Burned .iso - it boots and works perfectly.

 

Returned to VistaSP2 computer.  Removed WRT610N router from equation - connected DIRECT to SB6120 cable modem - it downloaded just fine!  ??hmmmm??  Reconnected WRT610N router and tried again.  No dice.

 

Downloading this file behind my WRT610N router with XPSP3 works while VIstaSP2 does not.

 

RustyBucket  

Took me 3 downloads, 4 burn tries before I got a disk that worked. Part that bothers me is, it looks like it didnt download defs. When I scanned, it said using current defs: aug 29, 2009.  My ver of 2009 will not dl defs either but maybe that’s because my 2009 licence has expired. Frankly IMHO even if your licence for the installed program has expired, they should still allow your NRD to update. That said, I wasn’t impressed. NRD scanned only a third of the files the installed ver does. Seemed worse than the 2009 ver but maybe I’m not recalling right… mad cow ya’ know.


Myrdhinn wrote:
Took me 3 downloads, 4 burn tries before I got a disk that worked. Part that bothers me is, it looks like it didnt download defs. When I scanned, it said using current defs: aug 29, 2009.  My ver of 2009 will not dl defs either but maybe that's because my 2009 licence has expired. Frankly IMHO even if your licence for the installed program has expired, they should still allow your NRD to update. That said, I wasn't impressed. NRD scanned only a third of the files the installed ver does. Seemed worse than the 2009 ver but maybe I'm not recalling right.... mad cow ya' know.

 

From 2009 the applications stop working completely once your subscription expires; not just frozen in time. So that would be why your Recovery DIsk would not DL defs too.

 

If you had a vailid subscription 2010 would have updated the definitions for the scan when you ran the disk but 2010 would be fixed on the date it was put on the server I imagine, like the downloaded trial versions or even the downloaded ones for installation.

 

2010 is designed not to scan files that are OK'd by Insight which means not just that their reputation is OK but that they have not been altered in anyway since the were cleared. That could explain why it did not scan as many -- are you comparing installed 2010 with the 2010 Recovery Disk? -- but you may be right that the recovery disk should update. That would make sense but it might mean that even after your 4th attempt it was not right.

 

Hopefully someone from Symantec can comment about this -- they know about the downlod problem.

I’m comparing NiS2010 which I have a valid licence and the NRD2010…  NRD did not seem to update since it said using current defs as of aug 29. In fact my NIS2010 with insight files included scans more than NRD2010 does. NRD only scanned some 196,000 files when NiS will scan more than that on my boot drive alone… all drives have over 1 million files.