Acronis BartPe plugin question

Discussion in 'Acronis True Image Product Line' started by truthseeker, Feb 8, 2008.

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  1. K0LO

    K0LO Registered Member

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    Now you're beginning to get the picture. Mustang's plugins do not contain any Acronis code and are useless without having a legally-purchased copy of the Acronis product.

    You are perfectly welcome to write the code required for making a TrueImage plugin for BartPE or VistaPE yourself; there are plenty of instructions out there on how to do this. The TI 10 script for VistaPE is 334 lines of code; hardly an insignificant task, so why begrude the poor guy a few bucks for doing this work? Do it yourself if you want to save the money. I doubt Mustang is doing this to make money; for years he offered his work for free but it does take some money to keep a server online. By the time PayPal extracts their fees from his hide I'll bet he barely breaks even.
     
  2. truthseeker

    truthseeker Former Poster

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    NO ACRONIS FILES ARE INCLUDED? ARE YOU 100% SURE?
    WHAT IS FREE??
    WELL IT WORKED FOR ME, NO PROBLEM! I DOWNLOADED THE BARTPE PLUGIN FROM MY ACRONIS ACCOUNT, AND THEN UNZIPPED THE FILE. THEN IN WINBUILDER I POINTED THE TRUEIMAGE SELECTION TO WHERE THE FILES ARE, AND VOILA, THE FINAL ISO WAS BURNED TO CD AND WHEN I BOOTED IT I HAVE TRUEIMAGE PLUGIN AVAILABLE! WHO TOLD YOU IT DOESNT WORK? MUSTANGo_O?
    THIS IS SILLY COMMENT AS I HAVE NOT DOWNLOADED MUSTANGS SCRIPT FOR $4.95 or $9.95 TO TEST THIS!

    WHAT EXACTLY IS CONTAINED IN THE SCRIPTS THAT MUSTANG SELLS?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 9, 2008
  3. FBMachines

    FBMachines Registered Member

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    We, as a forum, can typically help if you provide necessary information about your issue in a rational manner.

    Glad you are now able to build a VistaPE rescue disk.
     
  4. FBMachines

    FBMachines Registered Member

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    I deduced that you were using Mustang's script because you were using the Guide which is written for use with it. It might not make sense if used in a different manner.


    It is exactly that, a SCRIPT (essential a text file that includes a list of commands that can be executed without user interaction.)

    As you know, when you purchase True Image you can download Acronis's limited Plugin for no extra charge.
     
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2008
  5. FBMachines

    FBMachines Registered Member

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    Yep, 100% sure.
     
  6. Dave49

    Dave49 Registered Member

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    It also wouldn't hurt if someone from Acronis would make a statement here just to clarify this question of legality. It could help prevent the waters from becoming further muddied. Unless they are protecting a possible future position.

    ~Dave
     
  7. Tatou

    Tatou Registered Member

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    I thought this was a forum for people to seek and received help not a forum for people to insinuate wrong doing, "ripping Acronis off", by Mustang who by the way would have to be one of the most helpful persons on this forums and whose scripts have enabled people to use TI across a wide range of hardware.
    Some people use their time and skills to help other people, others use their time " I have actually personally spoken to an Acronis staff member about your website and the plugins you sell and make money from" to achieve something only they know what it is.

    Keep up the good work Mustang


    PS Yes I bought a Mustang script and yes it works and yes TI works well for me.
     
  8. truthseeker

    truthseeker Former Poster

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    WELL I DIDNT USE MYSTANG SCRIPTS BECAUSE I DONT NEED HIS SCRIPTS! ALL I NEEDED WAS THE BARTPE SCRIPT DIRECTLY FROM ACRONIS. SO ANYONE IS ABLE TO CREATE A VISTAPE BOOT CD USING THE ACRONIS BARTPE PLUGIN. NO NEED FOR ANY OTHER SCRIPTS!
    OK I GOT IT! SO ALL THOSE OFFERED ON MUSTANGS WEBSITE ONLY CONTAIN TEXT BASED SCRIPTS, NO ACRONIS "WORKAROUND" TO GET ACRONIS SUPPORT WITHOUT PURCHASING THE FULL PRODUCT? BUT THAT RAISES A QUESTION... IF I WAS ABLE TO CREATE A BOOT VISTAPE CD WITH JUST USING THE ACRONIS BARTPE SCRIPT, THEN ANYONE CAN DO THE SAME WITHOUT NEEDING TO PAY MONEY FOR A SCRIPT FROM MUSTANG!
    AND THATS EXACTLY WHAT I DID! THE BARTE PLUGIN IS 30.7MB. ALL I DID THEN WAS UNCOMPRESS THE FILE USING 7z, AND THEN POINTED WINBUILDER TO THE FOLDER IT IS IN AND IT CREATED A VISTAPE BOOT CD WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS! IF I CAN DO IT ANYONE CAN. IT WAS EASY AS ABC! SO WHY DOES A PERSON NEED TO PAY MUSTANG FOR A SCRIPT?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 9, 2008
  9. truthseeker

    truthseeker Former Poster

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    Why would you need to pay money for a script? You dont need a script to build the boot CD with Acronis plugin enabled. Its so easy as clicking a button and pointing to where the Acronis Barte plugin files are. It only took me 10 seconds to do this. SO WHY WOULD ANYONE NEED TO BUY A SCRIPT FROM MUSTANG?
     
  10. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    The Acronis BartPE plugin is 30MB. mustang's is only script files and very, very small (about 638KB). Acronis includes all the necessary Acronis files in their plugin. mustang can't do that so his script copies the necessary files from the TI installation on the computer.

    As to why purchase it... because it just works better. It has more features and better support. No one is under any obligation either way. If the Acronis plugin works for you then use it. Just don't expect to mount an image or use UR or any of the other features unavailable in the Acronis version.

    Also, I've never tried putting the Acronis BartPE plugin into a WinBuilder build and I'm really surprised that it worked. As far as I know, there isn't any way for a BartPE plugin to work with WinBuilder. The script files are completely different.

    What exactly do you mean by "pointed WinBuilder to the folder it is in"? In PeBuilder (BartPe) the plugin folder needs to be copied to the correct sub-folder and in WinBuilder (VistaPE) a script file needs to be copied into the correct sub-folder.
     
  11. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    Why does anyone pay for the "Pro" version over the "Standard" version of a program? To get more features that they want or need to be able to use. I fail to see why this is such a hard concept for you to grasp.

    Feel free to spend hours and hours writing and debugging your own scripts and then see if you'd just want to give it away (which mustang did for a long time).
     
  12. truthseeker

    truthseeker Former Poster

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    As I said, I used 7z to decompress the plugin from Acronis, and then in Winbuilder clicked on the Acronis box, and then on the right side of the window it asks where the Acronis files are located, so I simply pressed the browse button to where I decompressed the file, and that was it. Easy as ABC! took me 10 seconds :)

    So just so I fully understand... Are you claiming that if I was to use Mustangs script, it would add more features to the VistaPE boot CD when I load Acronis from within it? IF so, isn't that modifying Acronis plugin program? Is that legal?
     
  13. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    First, the Acronis BartPE plugin is a Microsoft Installer (.msi) file. I don't think you can decompress it with 7z.

    Secondly, there is a TI 10 plugin that is normally included with WinBuilder that isn't mustang's or Acronis's. Is that what you checked?

    Why would supporting features that are already in the program be considered "adding" features? TI is a Windows program. BartPE and VistaPE run Windows. TI can run in BartPE and VistaPE 99% as it would in a standard Windows installation. mustang has just gone to the effort to allow these functions to work properly whereas Acronis hasn't bothered (just has they haven't bothered to fix a lot of other problems/bugs).
     
  14. FBMachines

    FBMachines Registered Member

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    Mustang created his scripts from scratch. He did not alter or modify Acronis' plugin.
     
    Last edited: Feb 10, 2008
  15. truthseeker

    truthseeker Former Poster

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    YES YOU CAN! I right click on the file called: TrueImage11BartPE_s_en.msi and 7z opens it up and extracts all the files. Try it yourself using 7z.exe

    Yes, that must be what I checked. I only saw one entry that said ACRONIS, so I checked it, and then on right window browsed to where Acronis files are located.

    Ok, if that is the case, good on Mustang for helping other users.
     
  16. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    I thought that was for TI 10, so I'm surprised by it working with TI 11 (though, it may have been updated since I last looked).

    If that is what you did, then the BartPE plugin files from Acronis being copied or installed anywhere is meaningless. Your VistaPE build would work just as well without the BartPE files.
     
  17. truthseeker

    truthseeker Former Poster

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    But I only created the VistaPE boot CD so I can use Trueimage from it if needed, and as a test to see if it backs up and restores faster than the Acronis boot CD.
     
  18. Bubba

    Bubba Updates Team

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    This discussion can now continue but it will do so without the accusations, trial by fire and other innuendos. Discuss the Acronis BartPe plugin in regards to it's function and leave the other dribble for Judge Judy Please.

    Thanks,
    Bubba
     
  19. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    If it works for you, then that's the main thing. Most people find that BartPE/VistaPE will backup and restore with close to the same speed as directly from Windows which can be anywhere from 2 to 10 times faster than from the Full (Linux-based) version of TI.

    I did just check on the Acronis TI 10 script in WinBuilder (it does still say TI 10), and it does use the BartPE files that Acronis installs. I never gave that script a good look as I never used it. Apparently, it copies the BartPE files and uses those instead of grabbing the "real" files from the Windows installation. This is a different method of using the Acronis BartPE plugin than is standard (no BartPE script is run), which is why it didn't make sense to me as WinBuilder doesn't support BartPE scripts.

    However, it may still have problems because it was designed for TI 10 and not TI 11. Then again, it may not because it is copying the Acronis files which are all for TI 11.
     
  20. truthseeker

    truthseeker Former Poster

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    I tested the VistaPE boot CD with Trueimage plugin that I created. And I am using TI version 11, yet it still worked as a plugin for VistaPE, so even though VistaPE was designed for TI 10, my TI 11 works well too.

    And to my surprise, it only took 7 minutes to backup my 10GB Vista C: compared to 14mins it takes using the Acronis created rescue CD.

    So I can now see how using windows drivers on the VistaPE is a lot faster (50% faster) then using the linux based Acronis boot CD.

    However, it did take 3 minutes longer for the VistaPE CD to load, yet that still leaves the process 4 minutes faster :) I can now use that 4mins for better things ;) hehe

    But having said that, I would rarely need to use a boot CD anyway, as I just backup through Windows Vista environment. And it Vista failed to boot, I would press F11 and restore from there.

    But it's good to have the VistaPE and TI plugin boot CD just in case Vista wont boot and F11 fails for some reason.

    So I am happy now :) I am fully covered in any emergency. THANK YOU ACRONIS, WILL YOU MARRY ME hehe :)
     
  21. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    Glad you got it worked out.

    The speed difference becomes a lot more important if you're backing up or restoring really large images.

    Regarding boot-up speeds, my results are pretty much the reverse. TI Full takes much longer to boot than BartPE/VistaPE. BartPE boots in about 3 or 4 seconds and VistaPE boots in probably around 20 seconds (when booting from my hard drive). TI Full seems to vary between 30 seconds to 3+ minutes, depending on the computer. My images usually range between 10GB to 60GB so I usually use BartPE/VistaPE or backup from Windows.

    It's good to have several methods available that you know work. If both the TI Full mode and BartPE/VistaPE work properly, you're chances of not having problems are greatly increased.
     
  22. truthseeker

    truthseeker Former Poster

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    Yes mudcrap, you make a good point. It would make a bigger difference when the hard drives are much bigger. At this moment my Vista data is only 10GB and it takes 7 mins to backup with VistaPE and BartPE plugin, saving me only a few minutes instead of using the Acronis boot CD.

    However, if my HDD data began getting to 60+GB, then the time saving would be very noticeable and more appreciated.
     
  23. Mac25

    Mac25 Registered Member

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    Re: Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows Vista SP1

    was you sucessful at creating the VistaPE boot cd?
     
  24. truthseeker

    truthseeker Former Poster

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    Re: Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows Vista SP1

    Yes, created it succesfully and intergrated the BartPE Acronis plugin that I downloaded from my Acronis account.

    I found that using this bootCD does backup and restore in 7mins, instead of 14mins using the Acronis Rescue CD.

    It is because VistaPE is using WIndows drivers and not linux drivers which the Acronis Rescue CD does.

    However, I rarley use CD anyway, only in emergeny if hard drive crashes. Because I rather use F11 at startup. It's easy and convenient.
     
  25. Mac25

    Mac25 Registered Member

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    Re: Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows Vista SP1

    what applications is loaded with it, does it give you a GUI, was there a guide you followed to build the cd, my attemps have not been sucessful.
     
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