The restore operation is unsuccessful, and the following error is logged when you use Automated System Recovery to restore a Windows Server 2003-based computer: "Error code 0x2"

When you try to restore a Microsoft Windows Server 2003-based computer by using an Automated System Recovery (ASR)-based backup solution, you experience the following symptoms:

• The operating system files are restored. However, the Windows registry is not restored successfully.
• If you examine the log file that the backup program generates, it contains the following error code:
  Error code 0x2
  This error code references Asr_pfu.exe file.

This behavior occurs if one of the following conditions is true:

• You use backup media from the release version of Windows Server 2003. You use this backup media to restore a computer that has a service pack installed.
• You use backup media from a version of Windows Server 2003 that has a service pack installed. You use this backup media to restore a computer that is running the release version of Windows Server 2003.

The Asr_pfu.exe program restores the Smss.asr file and the Ntdll.asr file. However, the destination computer for the restore operation is not running the same service-pack level as the backup set. The Asr_pfu.exe program cannot remove the lock from the Smss.asr file or from the Ntdll.asr file. When the Asr_pfu.exe program cannot remove these locks, the backup program that you use cannot restore the locked files successfully. Therefore, the restore operation is unsuccessful.

To work around this behavior, restore the computer by using a backup set that has the same service-pack level as the computer. For example, to restore a computer that is running the release version of Windows Server 2003, use a backup set that contains the release version of Windows Server 2003. To restore a computer that is running Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1), use a backup set that contains Windows Server 2003 SP1.

For more information about how to use ASR, visit the following Microsoft Web site: