How to perform a system recovery on an eFolder
BDR for ShadowProtect from the Recovery partition
This how-to guide provides instructions for performing a system recovery on your eFolder BDR for ShadowProtect. System
recovery restores the BDR’s C: drive back to the factory settings from the recovery partition on the BDR. Optionally it can
restore the X: drive back to the factory settings after the restore.
Important! If you choose to restore the X: drive back to the factory settings after performing the system restore, all data and
backups will be lost!
Launching the system recovery
If you find that the system volume (C: drive) needs to be recovered back to factory default, follow the steps in this how-to
guide to recover the system volume from the system recovery partition on the BDR itself.
1. Open Windows Explorer, navigate to C:\Program Files\SoftThinks\PC Angle\, and run PCAG.exe. (see Figure 1.1 - 1)
Figure 1.1 - 1
Note: If the BDR will not boot into the operating system, you can press F8 while the system is booting to access the Advanced
Boot Options. Selecting Repair Your Computer from the menu will also launch the PC Angle system recovery environment. (see
Figure 1.1 - 2)
Figure 1.1 - 2
After launching PCAG.exe, the main interface for PC Angle (see Figure 1.2) is displayed.
Figure 1.2
2. Click the Start button on the top right of the main screen; then click the Restore button at the top of the PC Angle interface
(see Figure 1.3)
Figure 1.3
3. Next, click the System Recovery button (see Figure 1.4)
Figure 1.4
PC Angle displays a prompt to click the Reboot button at the bottom of the screen (see Figure 1.5).
Clicking the Reboot button to reboot the BDR into to the Recovery Partition where you will be able to initiate the System
Recovery of the C: drive.
After the recovery of the C: drive is complete, select an Administrator password and activate Windows. The system
continues to install other applications and scripts as part of the recovery process, reboots, and logs back into Windows,
after which you are asked if you would like to restore the X: drive back to the factory settings.
Important! Choose “No” if you want to keep the backup data that is on your X: drive. If you set the X: drive back to the
factory settings, you will lose all of your data on the X: drive. If you accidently restore the X: drive back to the factory
settings, you can start new base images on the protected machines and reseed the data back to the eFolder Cloud.
However, you can always download the backup data from the eFolder Cloud to the BDR into their respective folders on the
X: drive. ShadowProtect should then continue the backup jobs that are currently running. This eliminates the need to start
new full backups and reseed the data.
4. Click the Reboot button.
Figure 1.5
5. Wait for the BDR to reboot into the PC Angle recovery environment.
Note: The screen is just like the one that is displayed when you launched the PCAG.exe (see Figure 1.2); the difference is
now you are running off the recovery partition.
6. Again, click the Start button on the top right (see Figure 1.6).
Figure 1.6
7. Now select Restore from the top menu (see Figure 1.7)
Figure 1.7
8. Next, click the System Recovery button to launch the system recovery process (see Figure 1.8)
Figure 1.8
Performing the System Recovery
You are now ready to perform the steps needed to restore the system volume (C: drive.)
9. Unless you have other restore media inserted into the BDR (USB or DVD), you should only see one option when you are
asked to select a drive containing the PC Angle restore points (see Figure 2.1). This should be the recovery partition that
is hidden on the BDR. If no options are displayed in this list, you must insert the correct USB recovery media (if you
created it before hand) or DVD recovery media. Select the Recovery [drive letter:] option and then click Continue.
Figure 2.1
10. Next, select the point in time to which you would like to restore the system drive and click Continue. Typically, there should
only be one selection. Note that the date and time of the restore point might differ from the one shown in the example
below (see Figure 2.2).
Figure 2.2
The PC Angle software now performs the system recovery of the C: volume. First it preps the system disk (see Figure
2.3); then it restores the point in time back to the disk.
Figure 2.3
11. After the PC Angle software has completed the restore, you are prompted to close the program and reboot back to the
restored volume (C: drive) (see Figure 2.4) Click the Close button and wait for the system to reboot.
Figure 2.4
12. After the BDR reboots, you are prompted to enter the Windows Server 2012 product key (see Figure 2.5), which is located
on the side or top of the BDR case. Enter the Windows Server 2012 product key, or skip this step if you do not want to
enter the product key at this time. If you do not enter the product key at this time, Windows will prompt you to enter it in
at a later time, or you can enter it manually later by displaying the Control Panel and searching for “Activate Windows”.
After you enter the product key or made the decision to enter it later, click Next or Skip, respectively.
Figure 2.5
13. You are now asked to agree to the “Microsoft Software License Terms.” If you agree to these terms, click the checkbox
labeled “I accept these license terms for Windows and this computer” and then click the Accept button (see Figure 2.6)
Figure 2.6
14. On the next screen (see Figure 2.7), you are prompted to enter a new administrator password. Enter a new administrator
password and verify it, then click Finish. The BDR now displays the default Windows login screen. Press CTRL + ALT + DEL to
login as the administrator using the new password you just set.
Figure 2.7
At this point, PC Angle runs some post-restore scripts to finish the recovery process. (see Figure 2.8) After the scripts
have completed, the system will automatically reboot.
Figure 2.8
15. After the system has rebooted, log back in to the server. Within a few moments, a prompt appears asking if you want to
restore the X: drive back to the factory settings. (see Figure 2.9) If this is a full system recovery and the X: drive was
recreated, the system will automatically label the X: drive and copy the factory file and folder structure
Figure 2.9
16. If you chose to restore the X: drive back to the factory settings, you are prompted a second time (see Figure 2.5) to confirm
your selection. Caution! If you choose “Yes” on the second prompt, the PC Angle software then reformats the X: drive
removing all files and folders that are stored on the X: drive, including any and all ShadowProtect backups. This is a
destructive process. You will lose all data on the X: drive.
If you choose “No” at the second prompt, then the system recovery is complete and the data on the X: drive stays intact.
Figure 2.10
17. If you chose to restore the X: drive, the system sets the X: drive back to the factory settings (see Figure 2.11). After the PC
Angle script completes, the X: drive is reset (if you chose to restore it) and the system recovery is complete.
Figure 2.11
If you run into problems with the system recovery, open a support ticket with the eFolder Support team or email
[email protected] to automatically open a medium-priority support ticket.