How to create bootable rescue DVD(s):

Discussion in 'Acronis True Image Product Line' started by wdormann, Sep 16, 2004.

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  1. wdormann

    wdormann Registered Member

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    This is an updated version of a post that I had made a short while ago.

    Several people have asked, so here is how you can create a bootable rescue DVD that also contains the TIB files.

    1. Back up your system with TrueImage, and specify a 635MB image size. This will give you the best space usage on the DVD, and also give you the option of copying your images to CD if you're the masochistic type.
    2. Create a Bootable Rescue CD using the Acronis software.
    3. Install and open WinISO
    4. In WinISO, click Actions -> Make ISO from CDROM, and save that ISO somewhere.
    5. Open that image file using WinISO
    6. Save boot information to a file called "trueimg.wbt"
    (Click "Bootable CD" in the lower left corner, and then select "Save boot information to file...")
    7. Get CD Shell and BCDW and extract it to a directory somewhere. Whatever this location is, I will refer to it as [cdshell] from now on. For example, replace [cdshell] with "c:\cdshell" if that's where you put it.
    Now you're ready to create the bootable DVD.

    8. Open Nero and create a new DVD-ROM (Boot) project.
    9. On the Boot tab, select Image file, and select the file
    [cdshell]\boot\loader.bin
    10. Use the "No Emulation" setting, and the number of loaded sectors
    should be 4. (Other values should be left at the default)

    [​IMG]

    11. Create a DVD directory structure like this (TIB files in the root, and two subdirectories called "boot" and "acronis"):

    / (root) (Put your TIB files here)
    |
    | + BOOT (Drag the contents of "boot" directory from your [cdshell] directory here)
    |
    | + ACRONIS (put the trueimg.wbt file here)

    Or if my ascii art isn't that good, it should look something like this:

    [​IMG]

    That's it. Save your Nero project and that way the next time you want
    to create a bootable rescue disc, all you will need to do is update your
    TIB files. (Or if you overwrite the old TIB files, Nero will pick up
    the changes and automatically include the latest version)

    You will be able to fit up to 7 TIB files on a single DVD. If you have more, then just make additional ISO DVDs that have these files. Only the first disc needs to be bootable.

    If for some reason you don't want to use the smaller 635MB TIB sizes, you can use up to 1.9GB files onto an ISO9660 DVD. (It's actually 2GB, but ATI8 uses GiB rather than GB, so you have to use slightly smaller file sizes to get the expected results)

    There may be easier ways to do it, but this is how I did it on my system, and it works.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 23, 2004
  2. cleversod

    cleversod Registered Member

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    HI
    You are obviously a clever man, thanks for perservering with this post, but if I may just ask you to clarify I few points (my local pc shop is doing a wonderful trade in blank dvd's) and I now have plenty of beer and coffee mats!
    I've spent hours on this issue, but if I can just ask a few, I would be grateful if you reply.
    ok lets start.....
    1. the first part of your post is fine, works well ( even if the downloads are a little slow! but that's no fault of yours!).
    2. when you extract the cd bootable wizard it doesnt contain a file called cdshell.ini so as you copy it to the cdshell/boot folder, it doesnt ask to overwrite this file, maybe I am doing something wrong at this stage?
    3. if you edit the bcds.ini file, by deleting all the contents and putting what you mentioned in ( assuming same file names) would that be ok?


    Incidentally, the cdshell.ini contains the 2 lines:
    set samplePath="scripts/doctorxp"
    set sampleFile="example.cds"
    which if the dvd does boot is where the console prompt ends up asking you to start with......



    4. The exact dvd structure is the most confusing.
    lets see if I have this right/
    5. the Tib files ago in the root ( I have 3 tib files)
    6. create a directory called boot and the boot folder of the cdshell folder goes in here so for example H:\ is the dvd drive letter
    so H:\BOOT\boot ( with all it's subsequent files)

    7. H:\ACRONIS\trueimage.wbt (is the final bit made with the winiso program)

    You have to understand that for us mere mortals, this is complicated stuff , and I ( and I am sure others) would appreciate you help in clarifying the creation of a bootable dvd, the holy grail..........
    I know it all seems simple and easy for you, but for the rest it IS rocket science¬!
    :))

    Thanks
    John
    cleversod@ntlworld.com
     
  3. wdormann

    wdormann Registered Member

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    I've updated my post. Re-read it and it should address your questions.
    I think the main problem is that while the link to the Bootable CD Wizard for CDShell itself is valid, the download link on that page is broken. I've updated the link to go to the directory instead. You want the zip file.
     
  4. cleversod

    cleversod Registered Member

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    Thanks for taking the time to clarify this, I'll burn the dvd (and midnight oil!!) tonight, thanks again.
    Regards
    John
     
  5. Menorcaman

    Menorcaman Retired Moderator

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    Hi Will,

    I've downloaded all three files but can't reconcile the contents of the two zips with the DVD directory structure provided in your example (i.e. there are no "dos4bcdw" or "samples" boot subdirectories in the zips whilst there are others not shown in your screendump). If, in fact, you've used these very same zips then perhaps you could advise this 61 year old duffer where he's going wrong?

    Regards
    Tom
     
  6. crjackson

    crjackson Registered Member

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    wdormann

    Thanks for the great information. I too and having trouble getting the Boot DVD to work.

    If it's not too much trouble, could you possibly post a link to one of these bootable DVD ISO's (for download) without the tib files? Then I (we) could simply just inject the tib's as needed.

    It would be nice if Acronis would have the option to create bootable DVD media as well as CD's.

    Thanks....
     
  7. tyee

    tyee Guest

    A great way to upload any file is to use www.yousendit.com. Perfect for this type of solution.
     
  8. wdormann

    wdormann Registered Member

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    The screenshot was taken from CDShell 2.0.11
    Perhaps the newer version has a different directory structure.
    I'm sure it'll still work, though. Did you try it??
     
  9. cleversod

    cleversod Registered Member

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    I have tried it, and very carefully, burnt 4 dvd's trying it, and each time ended up with a dvd that boots into a console , saying unknown command. The files in the new versions of cdshell and bootable cd wizard have definitely changed from the ones you have....maybe you could post the files you have, as they are not that big?
    Thanks
    John
    ps. again, thanks for your help and patience in this thread.
     
  10. wdormann

    wdormann Registered Member

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    Ahh, fun fun. It appears that they've changed the syntax for CDShell. With the new disc that I've created using the new cdshell and bootable cd wizard files, I too am seeing the "unknown command" error.

    OK. I've edited the instructions one more time.
    I've included a download link for the CDshell + Bootable CD Wizard for CD Shell files that I used when I created the original document.

    It should work now. Be sure to use RW discs if you're playing with this stuff! :)
     
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2004
  11. cleversod

    cleversod Registered Member

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    Thanks, the new updated instructions work fine, thankyou,.....no more beer mats!
    ta
    John
     
  12. wdormann

    wdormann Registered Member

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    Fifth time is the charm, eh?

    Glad it's working for you!
     
  13. cleversod

    cleversod Registered Member

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    yes, works like a charm,,, now,,,,, anyone want a few beermats? I have a few going spare........
    LOL
    John
    again, thanks for your patience in helping us on this one. It's a shame that an otherwise brilliant product doesnt have this facility, maybe they could add it as an update (rather than an upgrade)?
    not that I am hinting or anything.
     
  14. Menorcaman

    Menorcaman Retired Moderator

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    I've followed your latest instructions and created a working self-contained bootable TI rescue disk. Absolutely brilliant!! Many, many thanks.

    Regards
    Tom
     
  15. Sheki9

    Sheki9 Guest

    what happened to the screen shots?
     
  16. wdormann

    wdormann Registered Member

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    They're there. I had to do a little maintenance on the server that hosts the images. I guess I could move them elsewhere...
     
  17. LowWaterMark

    LowWaterMark Administrator

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    The images have been localized and are now provided from this site. Thanks wdormann for all your work on this! :cool:
     
  18. Menorcaman

    Menorcaman Retired Moderator

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    I PM'd wdormann a few days ago and suggested he consider having this thread posted as a Sticky. He agreed and said he would contact a moderator.

    I believe this thread is too useful to loose amongst the many hundreds of others. If you agree, can you do? Many thanks.

    Regards
     
  19. LowWaterMark

    LowWaterMark Administrator

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    Yes, he and I have been discussing this thread, which is why I localized the images. There are still a couple other points we're working on to ensure this threads lasting value, as well.

    As for making it a sticky, in and of itself, I'm thinking that is probably not the best way to go. In several forum sections here we have too many sticky threads. Yes, many are valuable, but then you end up having to page down significantly to see the currently active threads.

    An alternative is to create a single sticky thread that has all the links to any FAQs and the more highly useful support threads. A one stop shop for all the key threads that people can make immediate use of to answer questions or solve issues. So I'm looking into that next. We want to do this in the several other forum sections, too.
     
  20. Menorcaman

    Menorcaman Retired Moderator

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    Many thanks for the reply. Your points are well made and received. The FAQ route seems like a very good idea.

    Regards
     
  21. blarg

    blarg Registered Member

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    Im confused. I followed your instructions to the letter and all I boot into is a shell. Who do I automate it so it loads Acronis so I can restore?
     
  22. Menorcaman

    Menorcaman Retired Moderator

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    Hi

    Welcome to the TI support forum. Not sure where you've gone wrong. Did you by any chance create a new "boot" folder in Nero's directory tree and then drag the boot directory of the combined CD Shell + BCDW file to it rather than the contents of that boot directory? If so then the necessary boot files would be located in a sub-folder (boot) of the main boot folder and that's not what's required.

    Regards
     
  23. blarg

    blarg Registered Member

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    Nevermind, I went back to using Ghost 2003. Imaging shouldn't require downloading 3rd party utilities to get it to work.
     
  24. Menorcaman

    Menorcaman Retired Moderator

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    Blarg, it seems you've totally missed the point of the thread o_O. There's no need to use 3rd party utilities if you merely want to create images as per the TI User's Guide.

    This is all about creating a bootable DVD that contains the TI boot rescue media plus the image files that will already have been produced via TI. It's for people who wish to burn their images to DVD and then restore them without first having to boot from the TI Boot Rescue CD (it saves an unecessary disk swap).
     
  25. wdormann

    wdormann Registered Member

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    Hi folks,

    I've got some new information, so I figured I'd bop back in here. One of the things I was working on before I left off here was to coordinate with LowWaterMark to update these instructions so that they did not require any files from my own server (which may or may not be available all of the time). The screenshots that I provided are now hosted by the Wilders web server, but the one remaining item is the CDShell+Bootable CD Wizard zip file. This served by me, as they are old versions that are no longer available.

    Just today I got a reply from an email I sent out earlier, and it appears that there is a new version of BCDW For CDShell that is compatible with the latest version of CDShell.

    Sooo... as it is right now, these instructions are still valid. But if the goal is to make these instructions more permanent, it might be a good idea to look into using the latest versions of these programs. That way, the instructions may be able to link directly to the applications on the authors' pages, rather than some unknown site (mine). I don't know if I'll be doing any testing of the new BCDW and CDShell myself, but if somebody is feeling ambitious they might want to give it a shot.
     
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