Creating Rescue Disk using BartPE

In Program Files/Acronis/TrueImageHome/BartPE

I've burned 2 CD's:

1. The contents of the TrueImageHome directory
2. The contents of the BartPE directory

In both cases when I restart the computer, it activates the CD, reads it and I get the normal Windows startup.

Is that normal? It implies that Windows is always sound to operate. This is not at all as the Acronis Rescue disk.

Or... am I doing something wrong?

 

No, you cannot simply burn the files in those folders to a CD. I wish it were as simple as that. The files in the BartPE folder are the True Image plug-in files that you have to incorporate when making a BartPE cd.
There were a few posts explaining how to do this .. try a search for them

 

Yes you are doing something wrong. You need to download BartPE ( a separate program ) at http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/. Read the site carefully for the build instructions. BartPE experts hang out here http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?act=idx. With BartPE you are building a bootable XP based CD not a Linux based rescue CD.

 

Thomasjk,

In recent days, I did download the BartPE download. And I followed instructions.

My Computer did not come with a CD for Windows, instead, the computer carries a restore partition to recover Windows, as installed by the OEM.

When the BartPE program searches for the necessary Windows files (XP Home), it finds the bulk of them in c:\Windows but there are some that it cannot find (about half a dozen .dll's). So that upon using the BartPE CD to boot, the first thing that happens is a request for the Windows CD... which I don't have. Is there something in the Acronis/TrueImageHome/BartPE directory that can be of help here?

At this point my conclusion is to depend on the standard Acronis Rescue CD and I fully expect that to work. It has no problem finding my USB external HDD (under another letter, because of Linux) but the command line to the archived image has the proper Windows drive letter.

BTW, I must not power up the USB external drive before the Acronis menu comes up, using the CD Rescue disk, because if powered up, the CD gets confused (I believe it's trying to boot the external drive).

 

You can't use the installed windows files that are on your hard drive to create a BartPE CD. Borrow a retail version of XP Home or Pro from a friend. Copy the contents to a separate subdirectory your hard drive and point Pebuilder at the subdirectory. You may need to slipstream in SP2 ( preferred ) but you at least need SP1.

 

thomasjk,

You are confirming that I cannot create a BartPE CD bootable disk without a Windows XP CD, which, as I said, I don't have.

But the Acronis Rescue CD works very well. So, why would I need BartPE?

 

You don't if the rescue cd works for you. For me it doesn't work on my desktop except in Safe mode. I prefer BartPE because its a windows based environment and there are less issues with drivers. I also have other utilities installed on the same BartPE CD.

 

Ok, that clears the issue for me. Thanks.

 

It in fact is pointless to use a Bart PE CD to operate Acronis if the rescue disc works for you . But I think that A Bart CD should be a part of every installation. By all means do get hold of a Windows install cd & build a Bart CD. There are so many things you can do with one that its worth it. I think Someone named mustang has a site some where with plug ins that will help you make a workable Bart PE boot cd that probably will boot Acronis for you.

 

Woody777,

I've downloaded:

TrueImageHome10 from Mustang and unzipped

and

PE Builder v3.1.10a - self-installing package back on my desktop.

If that is the good file from Mustang, how do I incorporate that with the other?

 

Install PE Builder in the root directory of your hard drive. Extract Mustang's plugin file to the Plugin directory created when you installed BartPE. Then run the Get_files+lic.cmd file to create the plugin structure. There is a TrueImage*.HTM help file. here is the help text from V9:

PE Builder v3 plugin
Acronis True Image 9 Home Plugin Builds 3625 and UP
Created by Paul Larini (mustang)

This plugin was tested using BartPE 3.1.9 and XPE 1.0.4 built on Windows XP Pro Service Pack 2 English version.



Instructions:



You must use Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or higher as the source disk to build your BartPE. This plugin will not work properly if you build with Windows XP Service Pack 1.



This plugin works best with the Windows XPE plugin from Sherpya. XPE is a BartPE plugin that creates a Windows like shell and moves the user profiles to the ram drive among a lot of other nice things. If you are not already using XPE, you can download it at http://oss.netfarm.it/winpe . If you are new to BartPE, I highly recommend you download the free Reatogo version of BartPE (with XPE integrated) from http://www.reatogo.de . This will give you a ready to use BartPE disk, including XPE, with a minimum of effort. Most of the process is automated. Clear and easy to use instructions are provided on the web site.



This plugin is also working properly in a normal BartPE using the default Nu2Shell.



To install this plugin just unzip it and copy the TrueImageHome9 folder to the pebuilder\plugin folder.



Before you can use this plugin you must Run this “mini autoHelp” to configure your plugin:



… Plugin\TrueImage9\TIH9-Get_Files+Lic.cmd



TIH9-Get_Files+Lic.cmd (by reatogo) will copy all files to your plugin, add the license key from your registry to the plugin´s INF and create a “helper plugin”

… Plugin\z_UpperFilters\UpperFilters.inf

to ensure, these upper filter entries are processed last by PEbuilder.



Make sure you are connected to the Internet before running TIH9-Get_Files+Lic.cmd. It will automatically download and install a necessary plugin for you.



After you install a new build of True Image 9 Home, you can update the plugin very easily. First, double click RESET-PLUG.cmd in the plugin folder. Second, double click TIH9-Get_Files+Lic.cmd. Now create a new BartPE disk.



You should be ready to build your BartPE disk and test the plugin.





Known Issues:



You can’t use the Manage System Restore feature. All other operations should work.



You can build a Rescue disk. You can manage a secure zone. You can create a new secure zone. You may see an additional error message about not being able to read from the hard drive when you create a new secure zone. If you do, click on the “Ignore All” button. Boot back into normal Windows and check to see if a secure zone was created. For me it was. You can activate the Recovery Manager feature in an existing secure zone.



In order to get image mounting to work, “PartMgr” was removed from an “Upper Filters” line. This may cause hidden partitions to be assigned a drive letter in BartPE. Don’t worry, they will not get a drive letter when you boot back to Windows.



If you build your BartPE from a Windows 2000 machine, the license information will not be automatically picked up from the registry. You will have to copy and paste it from the registry to the inf file. You will find it at HKLM\Software\Acronis\TrueImage under “standard”.



Copyright (c) 2000-2004 Acronis, Inc. All rights reserved.


The V10 plugin instructions should be similar.

 

Seems like there are a few "ifs"...

So, if my Acronis Rescue disk works well, why should I bother with BartPE... what useful thing I can do*with it that is so beneficial?

BTW, this is a Home & Small business application.

 

The Linux rescue cd is notorious for a lack of driver support for some newer hardware. The only way to get the driver support is for Acronis to add the Linux drivers and have you download them and rebuild the CD. This means you have to open a support request or get lucky and post the issue here where they might respond. With BartPE the windows drivers can be added by you for newer hardware and there are also windows driver packs available if needed. You can rebuild the BartPE CD independent of Acronis support.

 

The BartPE disk lets you add special drivers that may not be present in the TI recovery environment. You can also add other programs that run under BartPE to make a comprehensive trouble-shooting and system repair CD. Because the BartPE environment is Windows there are often better drivers that will allow it to work where the TI disk doesn't at all or the TI disk environment runs very slowly.

So for a couple more "ifs", if the TI disk works and performs well on your machine and if it does all that you require then there is no need to make a BartPE disk. I only use the TI CD since I find it boots faster and works fine for me. Also, to use the BartPE disk you have to insert it and boot from it. If you are restoring an archive on a system that is working well, such as doing a restore after testing some software, then it is more convenient to start the restore process in Windows and let it boot up the TI environment from HD rather than play with a CD.

 

If I understand correctly, BartPE will boot the computer and have the proper files to get a damaged Windows XP to start which will then permit me to do a restore from the Acronis menu in my Windows configuration.

If I

there's a chance this may work?

 

Possibly, it actually boots up in its own Windows environment on the PC - look at BartPE as a small independent operating system you can use to get a PC running by using a CD. Depending on the plugins you built BartPE with, it may then have the tools for you to fix a damaged XP installation on the PC. As far as this forum goes, most people don't have much more than the Acronis TI plugin installed with the basic BartPE system. If you don't have a serious problem the basic BartPe system may be able to correct it.

 

Yes, possibly, as seekforever says, but why would a True Image user tinker with Windows repair? He would boot from BartPE with the TI plugin (only if the regular TI Rescue CD didn't work for him), start the TI found inside the BartPE environment and simply restore an image of the system partition, this way reinstating a working Windows.

 

Ok, I will attempt this in the morning.

 

You may find these instructions helpful:

http://www.supportpcs.co.uk/bartpe/

 

Here is how I proceeded;

1. The Windows' I386 directory was copied to the root directory
1. The BartPE download was transferred to my root directory
2. The ATI10Image plugin was unzipped and copied to the root directory
3. The BartPE Builder was started

For the Windows source file, the path given was C:\
The path for the ATI10 plugin was given as C:\

The CD-ROM request was clicked.

Result:

11 .sys files missing (hpt3xx, hpt3xxNT, fasttrack, hpt374, hpt371, hptpro, hpt366, ft100, fttx2, U133, ft100i)
Warning: system not designed for OEM Windows

Test:

1st screen: Starting BartPE with progress line
2nd screen: message:

Please Insert the disk labeled
Windows XP Professional CD-ROM
Into drive A
Press Enter when ready

Conclusion: It becomes quite clear that BartPE requires a Windows XP CD-ROM. My computer manufacturer elected to install the Windows Recovery in a hidden partition on my internal HDD (I see it being backed up each time I create a full image backup).

So I remain with a couple of tools:

I have:
- a floppy with the necessary files to boot Windows (should the MBR become damaged). And it works very well.
- The Acronis CD Rescue disk works very well.

Thanks to everyone for your support.

 

Your conclusion is correct about needing a windows XP CD. Just for the record should you try this again the steps you detailed will not work. Here is the way to do it:

1. Copy the complete contents of the XP CD to subdirectory on your hard drive. The CD must have SP2 to work with Mustang's plugin. Using just the i386 subdirectory will not work as you found.
   
2. Install BartPE in the root directory of your hard drive.
   
3. Unzip the Acronis plugin contents to the plugin subdirectory created when you installed BartPE. If your using Mustang's plugin run the TrueImage10_Getfiles_+lic.cmd file to create the plugin structure. I recommend Mustang' plugin because the Acronis created plugin for V10 is missing two files.
   
4. Run PEbuilder.

 

Thanks Tom.

I'll contact my Computer manufacturer and see if they can mail me a Windows XP Home CD with SP2 (I trust BartPE does not insist on the Pro version).

Doubt they'll have it with SP2, but, who knows.

 

BartPE will work with either version of XP. If they do not have it with SP2 let me know and I'll explain how to slipstream SP2 into a XP CD.

 

Assuming your manufacturer will give you a disk (good luck with that one ) you might also find this procedure useful. I did.

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=839781&postcount=1

F.

 

Ok, Tom. They are located in Vancouver so I'll call in an hour or so.

Oh... thanks Foghorne