BMR restore of Windows 2008 prevents SP2 from being installed

[SpecialK]

I don't know whether anyone else has noticed this, but if you recover a BMR of a Windows 2008 server (in my case 32-bit, using BA Client 6.1.0.2) and then try and install Service Pack 2, it fails. It appears that the TSM client when it does the SystemState backup fails to backup the following files (for reasons best known to IBM presumably).

C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-b..-bcdtemplate-server_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_none_02fabff22d23d807\BCD-Template

C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-b..nvironment-dvd-pcat_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_none_9a17d163307ea9c1\BCD

C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-b..re-bootmanager-pcat_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_none_c329b283b330830a\bootmgr

C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-dns-server-samples_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_none_bb1ccb84f3a4f071\BOOT

C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-servicingstack_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_none_095f6148c74a7a64\x86_installed

C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-simpletcp_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_none_d128fbe24700c9af\quotes

C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-telnet-server_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_none_9307dcf14f15ce10\termcap

C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-w..nfrastructure-other_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_none_0485026df75afb69\hosts
C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-w..nfrastructure-other_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_none_0485026df75afb69\networks
C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-w..nfrastructure-other_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_none_0485026df75afb69\protocol
C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-w..nfrastructure-other_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_none_0485026df75afb69\services

C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_subsystem-for-unix-based-applications_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_none_73e857c5efef9bd9\loginenv
C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_subsystem-for-unix-based-applications_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_none_73e857c5efef9bd9\makedev
C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_subsystem-for-unix-based-applications_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_none_73e857c5efef9bd9\psxoffset

If you manually make a copy of these files and restore them after the BMR, then SP2 can be installed successfully.

I don't know whether IBM are aware of this "feature" of the BA client, or plan on fixing it.

 

[SpecialK]

OK, after further checking, what appears to be happening is that the BA Client doesn't backup any files under WinSxs that don't have a file extension. This is an error I would have thought that any [FONT=&quot]competent [/FONT]test regime would have spotted.

This is a problem in Windows 2008 32-bit and 64-bit, core and non-core versions and probably affects Vista versions as well.

 

[SpecialK]

After further experimentation it appears that sometimes (and I've yet to work out the exact circumstances) the BA client doesn't backup the BCD file, which is essential if you want to do a BMR of your system.