An ASR restore operation can result in prompt to provide the correct tape media or a warning message about unsigned drivers

Consider the following scenarios:

• On a Windows Server 2003-based computer or on a Windows XP-based computer, when you use the Automated System Recovery (ASR) method to restore a backup from a tape device, the restore operation may not recognize the tape device. When this issue occurs, you may be continually prompted to provide the correct media that contains the backup set.
• On a Windows Server 2003-based computer, when you use a network device with third-party device drivers for Automated System Recovery (ASR), you receive the following unsigned driver warning message even if all network adapter device drivers are digitally signed:
  The software you are installing for this hardware:
  
  network adapter device name
  
  has not passed Windows Logo Testing to verify its compatibility with this version of Windows. Continuing your installation of this software may impair or destabilize the correct operation of your system either immediately or in the future. Microsoft strongly recommends that you stop this installation now and contact the hardware vendor for software that has passed Windows Logo testing.

These issues may occur if the device that you use to restore the backup requires third-party device driver files. In the ASR method, only the device driver files that are included in Microsoft Windows operating systems are loaded during the restore operation. If the network or tape device requires any third-party device driver files, you must separately copy these device driver files to the hard disk during the Text mode part of the ASR restore operation.

To resolve these issues, follow these steps:

1. Change the [InstallFiles] section of the Asr.sif file to include the information about the third-party device driver files. The Asr.sif file is available on the floppy disk that you created during the ASR backup process. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Copy the third-party driver files to the root folder of the floppy disk that you created during the ASR backup procedure (known as ASR Floppy).
      
      Note Network adapter or tape driver files might be available on a manufacturer-supplied driver CD or from the manufacturer's Web site. Typically, you have to copy the following three third-party network adapter or tape driver files to the root folder of the floppy disk:
      • driver.inf
      • driver.sys
      • driver.cat
      The actual name of these files will vary, depending on the manufacturer. Additionally, third-party driver packages may contain a processor-specific driver.sys file in an I386, IA64, or Amd64 subfolder. Copy the driver.sys file that is appropriate for your processor to the root folder of the ASR floppy disk.
   2. Using a text editor such as notepad, open the ASR.SIF file
   3. Add the following lines under the [DISKS.GPT] section:

      [INSTALLFILES]
      1=1,"Volume label","%FLOPPY%","driver.sys","%TEMP%\driver.sys","Vendor name",0x00000026
      2=1,"Volume label","%FLOPPY%","driver.inf","%TEMP%\driver.inf","Vendor name",0x00000026
      3=1,"Volume label","%FLOPPY%","driver.cat","%TEMP%\driver.cat","Vendor name",0x00000026

      • The driver name of driver files that are used in this example is generic. The actual driver names will vary, depending on the manufacturer.
      • During the ASR restore process, the two folders to which you can copy these drivers are %SYSTEMROOT% and %TEMP%. We recommend that you use the %TEMP% folder instead of copying these drivers to the Windows folder.
      • The volume label can be any string from 1 to 11 characters. For example, the volume label can be ASR.
   4. Add a volume label to the ASR Floppy disk by using the Label.exe tool. This volume label must match the one that is used in the Asr.sif entries in step 3.
2. Create a new text file that is named Winnt.sif and add the [Data] section and the [Unattended] section into the Winnt.sif file to establish the path that the Plug and Play Manager can use to locate and install the third-party device drivers. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Create a new text file that is named Winnt.sif.
   2. Add the following lines to the Winnt.sif file:

      [Data]
      AutoPartition = 1
      MsDosInitiated = 0
      UnattendedInstall = Yes
       
      [Unattended]
      OemPreinstall = YES
      OemFilesPath = a:\
      OemPnPDriversPath = TEMP
      

      Note The Winnt.sif file is required to establish the path that the Plug and Play Manager will use to locate and install drivers. By default, PNP only searches the %SYSTEMROOT%\INF folder.
3. Create the folder A:\$OEM$\TEXTMODE on the floppy disk to include the SCSI or RAID drivers that are typically installed by pressing F6 key during the ASR restore operation. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Prepare a floppy disk.
   2. Create folder A:\$OEM$\TEXTMODE.
   3. Copy all the SCSI or RAID drivers (.inf, .sys, .cat) into A:\$OEM$\TEXTMODE folder.
4. Start the ASR restore operation by restarting your computer by using the Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 CD, depending on the operating system that is being restored.
5. Insert the ASR Floppy disk immediately after you press a key to restart to CD.
   
   Note This step is required for the Setup program to process the Winnt.sif file. If the BIOS is configured to restart from floppy after the CD, you can typically have the floppy inserted before to restarting from CD.
6. Select F2 for Automated System Recovery.

At the end of Text mode Setup, Windows Setup may repeatedly generate the following message: If you receive this message, and the ASR floppy disk is in the drive, press ENTER to copy the file from the floppy disk to the hard disk. This message may appear for each file that is listed in the [InstallFiles] section of the Asr.sif file.

Additionally, during the PNP part of the GUI mode ASR recovery, you may receive a Files Needed message that states that the driver.sys file is needed. This behavior may occur if the third-party manufacturer used processor specific sub-folders for their driver installation. The path that is listed in this message would be referring to this sub-folder. For example, this message might refer to the C:\Temp\I386 folder. To work around this issue, change the path to C:\Temp, and then click OK.

If you also have to install SCSI or RAID drivers by pressing the F6 key, the ASR restore operation displays following message: Winnt.sif "OemPreinstall = YES" causes this problem. SCSI or RAID drivers are loaded from A:\$OEM$\TEXTMODE directory in preinstall mode. When you have to install both the network adapter device driver and the SCSI/RAID driver in the ASR restore operation, use the disk that you created in step 3 when this message is displayed.

For more information about how to modify the [InstallFiles] section of the Asr.sif file, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: