BleepingComputer.com: File And Settings Transfer Wizard/fastconv

I made a big mistake and used the file and settings transfer wizard to an external USB hard drive resulting in the following: USMNT2.UNC folder with the following items: Status and IMG00001 ....to IMG00006 (all about 2 gigs).

I have looked through multiple suggestions and tried the following:

1) Used various versions of the FAST wizard without success: get the following error: "The location that you specified does not cotain stored information. Please type a valid path in folder box. If you entered a path to a removeable dist the disk must be in the drive" This is when I point to the USMNT2.UNC folder.

2) I tried multiple suggetions from previous postings on this site using the Fastconv.exe tool and when I hit enter...nothing seems to happen except numbered database files (t0000000...t00000001) end up in the location where I ran the program. The DOS screen shows the following scrolls to directions of the different switches with directions, an example of a command line, and back to the command prompt.

Does anyone have any new intel on exact command lines that work or other fixes with the FAST wizard?

Are there any other files in the USMNT2.UNC folder that should be there?

How long and how do you tell if the Fastconv utility is actually working?

Thanks for any suggestions.

See if this helps:

Files and Settings Are Not Transferred When You Use the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307869/en-us

If you do not have the SP2 Critical Update that mey be the cause.

and

Current versions of Windows should not be installed to USB hard disk drives because Windows does not support USB hard disk drives as the primary boot device.
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/storage/usb-boot.mspx

I have tried the fix you mentioned (making sure the system is updated SP2 Critical update), which has not worked either. Regarding the USB drive, I'm not booting from it but I used it to transfer the files & settings to when I performed the wizard, so that I could reformat my laptop which was infested with spyware, etc....then I was going to transfer the settings back onto the laptop after reinstalling Windows XP.

I am not sure what else to do but wait for another update that might fix this or keep trying the fastconv program to recover the data. I am not sure if I'm writing the code correction. I have tried the following at the MSDOS propt with USMT2.UNC folder on the C: drive with a NEW folder for destination and TEMP for temporary:

fastconv/S:C:\USMT2.UNC/D:C:\NEW ----> nothing happens with DB base file formed in C:
fastconv /S:C:\USMT2.UNC/D:C:\NEW ----> same
fastconv /S:C\USMT2.UNC/D:C\NEW -----> same
fastconv /I/S:C\USMT2.UNC/D:C:\NEW ----> same
fastconv /S:C:\USMT2.UNC /D:C:\NEW ----> Source store is invalid (I put a space in between the switches).
fastconv /S:C:\USMT2.UNC /D:C\NEW ----> Source store is invalid.
fastconv /S:<C:\USMT2.UNC> /D:<C\NEW> ----> The syntax of the command is incorrect.

Any more suggestions to get this to work...could this be that there is a missing file inside of the USMT2.UNC folder?

Thanks

It is outragous!
File and Settings Transfer Wizard (FSTW) "did me in". I specified a hard drive on my system to "back-up" to. The FSTW created a sub-directory named USMT2.UNC and created three (4) files, in that sub-directory, named as follow: IMG00001.DAT, IMG00002.DAT, IMG00003.DAT; the first 2 files are exactly 2,097,140KB each. The 3rd file is 84,055KB. The 4th file created was named STATUS, amounting to 1KB.

I saved the entire directory of files to a DVD. I then performed the FSTW from XP-Home. I did a FULL XP-Pro installation, not an upgrade. I attempted to perform a FSTW reinstallation and received messages as follow:
"The FSTW location that you specified does not contain stored information. Please type a valid folder path into the edit box." "If you entered a path to a folder on a removable disk, the disk must be in the drive."

What the matter here!!? I said, ok, I'll remove the files from the directory they were created to be in and try the command again. Same message. In fact, while the program appears to read and recognize the subdirectory USMT2.UNC, it does not appear to recognize the DAT files on their on.

After repeatedly trying over and over again, FSTW gave me a message "Transfer in progress, please wait while the Wizard transfers files and settings". Almost immediately thereafter I received the following message: "Please insert Disk 1". And then a final message: "The disk you inserted in not the correct one, insert Disk 1".

I got on the Internet to find out something about this nonsence. I saw "posts" on this mess as far back as 2001!! I emailed Microsoft. Somebody by the name of Blesson, a Representative from MS Online Customer Service, wrote back saying he/she can assist me and that "..once I have the product information number I will be able to provide the support options available for..."

OK! I got a problem! I bought my XP-Pro from an online store (it is legitamate) and it happens to be an OEM, a "Dell" disk, and it's printed right there on the disk. MS says if the product is OEM, I got to go to the OEM. Great!

I call and write OEM Dell, -BUT, they say, "if it's not on a machine we sold you we can't help you". Now, what the hell do you suppose the retailer knows about something like this that I should spend half a day going back and forth over this with him/her and over that and the other they'ed likely blame me for doing or not having done??!!

I am SREAMMING!

After all the "posts" I've read on this matter and contiue to read daily; and with all the collective CLOUT Windows XP users should have, on their own, and from hundreds of forums like this, AND FROM YOU FORUM OPERATORS, and from millions of users in this country, and the millions that use this procuct around the world..., I, and hundreds more in the mess we're in with FSTW, should have had answers already. I am sure that literally millions of user's program files are "lost", and yet remain in our possesion because of this absolutely lousy Microsoft feature.

I's sure the problems with FSTW have been fixed. Why, then, has there not been a posting for a work-around?

Somebody out there please, please get answers! The answers should be free! The answer should be immediate and posted now! Stop this suffering!

Wait !! Do NOT point the FAST to the USMT2.UNC directory !!

Point it to the parent directory. Restoring using FAST should work with this.

The license you bought from Microsoft when buying an oem version of Windows does not come with support from Microsoft even though it will legitimately validate on a custom made computer. That's why it is considerably cheaper than a retail version. The one exception to this is support in connection with problems that arise as a result of installing a critical upgrade. Microsoft's policy is to supply free support in that case.

Support, if any, will come from the builder of the system. Dell is not the system builder in your case. If you have a warranty on the system, whoever built the system for you is contractually obligated for support.

Most people who are capable of building their own systems do not need nor do they want to pay for Microsoft support, but if you needed it you should have bought the retail version.

First of all there is a mistake in the error message aprt listed below: I believe the highlited one s/b USMT2.UNC but none the less.

I made a big mistake and used the file and settings transfer wizard to an external USB hard drive resulting in the following: USMNT2.UNC folder with the following items: Status and IMG00001 ....to IMG00006 (all about 2 gigs).

I found this page and it is too much for me to read thru maybe it will lead you to an answer on your quest.

FILE & SETTINGS TRANSFER
(F.A.S.T. for Short)
Including Windows XP SP2
Version 3.1 — Last Updated March 29, 2006

The link is: http://aumha.org/win5/a/fast.php

pascor22234, on Apr 26 2006, 06:39 PM, said:

Yes! Point it to the root directory and FAST works just fine! As an example, I put the USMT2.UNC directory in the root of C:
I then pointed FAST to C: and it found the USMT2.UNC directory and it worked just fine.
The easy fix for "The FSTW location that you specified does not contain stored information" is located right here!

pascor22234 you rock and thank you so much for giving us the fix!

I am having the same issues. I saved my files, and settings to upgrade my computer. Saved them to a USB External drive, 160GB drive.

When I installed the new hardware, (video card, and Ram), I found that Windows was very uncoroperative. So I reinstalled XP with SP2, and attempted to apply my Files and settings from the USB drive.

To no avail. Then I updated the Files and settings transfer wizard. Again no go.

At the request of Microsoft, I have tried multiple times to convert the .DAT files and now Im getting error messages.

When I run rmv2opq I get error 5, and sometimes error 2. Does anyone know what these errors are? I have looked, and so far have not found any solutions.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Rich D.

To RichDD: Start your own thread, rather than confusing this one with your system issues.

A little courtesy for those who may have need to follow this thread.

Louis

pascor22234, on Apr 26 2006, 07:39 PM, said:

Work like what? Explain? Lead me into some type of direction please?

I've been struggling this for a couple of days and I found a solution.

I believe the USMT2.UNC folder has to be placed in the original location it was backed up to. For instance, if you used F.A.S.T./USMT on the old computer and backed up to C:\, then decided to grab the USMT2.UNC folder and move it to a USB drive (as most do, since they are transferring files to the same computer they are formatting), you MUST remember to dump the folder back onto C:\.

After this, when you run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard, tell it to skip making a boot disc and then point it to the root directory where the USMT2.UNC folder sits (i.e., C:\) and NOT the USMT2.UNC folder itself. It especially will not work if you leave it on the USB drive and try to restore from there. I tried a hundred different combinations, including the FASTConv.exe "unsupported" fix from Microsoft, and none worked.

Remember:
1. Copy USMT2.UNC back to where you ORIGINALLY copied it from on your "old" computer.
2. Point the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard to the ROOT directory/drive letter and NOT the USMT2.UNC folder itself.

This should work! I recovered an old backup for my mom's laptop moments ago! Man is she happy she didn't lose her work and bookmarks. =)

I hope this information can make someone else happy too! :D

Source store is invalid - solution!

The problem is not with you, it's with fastconv (or fastconv.exe).
In order to avoid the "Source store is invalid" message do the following:
1) Do NOT include a drive letter after the /s option command.
For ex:
fastconv /s:USMT2.UNC /d:des /t:tmp
is OK
fastconv /s:c:\USMT2.UNC /d:des /t:tmp
is NOT OK

Funny enough,
fastconv /s:USMT2.UNC /d:e:\des /t:e:\tmp
is OK (if you have an e: hard drive connected)

The other optional switches do accept letter drives/paths. The /s option does NOT.

2) Fastconv ONLY WORKS if your source directory is in the C: drive
Say what?! Yes, that is the only case it works.
So, you have to make sure the USMT2.UNC directory is in the C: DRIVE. It can be in a subfolder, such as c:\fast\USMT2.UNC, or any other. But in that case you have to place the fastconv.exe command in that same subdirectory (c:\fast), run the command prompt, do a "cd c:\fast", create the tmp and des subdirectories, and run fastconv from there:
fastconv /s:USMT2.UNC /d:des /t:tmp

Hope this helps everyone having this "Source store is invalid" problem.
Fastconv works provided you take into consideration the above two factors. The problem is, you have to place all the source backup files in your C: drive, you better have plenty of room there. The destination files can fortunately go to another hard drive.

Good luck to all! I just subscribed to this board so everyone searching for this would find the solution. This was a real headache for me. :-)

*** IMPORTANT: Source store is invalid - solution!

NOT WORKING. I tried my own solution that I described on the post right above at another PC. It didn't work. I'm afraid it works on some computers, others still give the source store is invalid message. If that happens, try another computer, different Windows version / service pack.

Good luck.