Drive Snapshot CD/DVD WinPE?

Hi,

I'm CJ, 13 and I'm from the Philippines. I made this thread because I've been searching a way to make a boot CD/DVD for use with Drive Snapshot for emergency use. Honestly I am a new user of Drive Snapshot and my dad bought me a license for it. Thanks to sir Bryan's links I know now how to backup and restore (within windows). In the past I only use the built in windows backup in my windows 7 x86 but I really like Drive Snapshot better.

I'm just wondering how to make a WinPE for Drive Snapshot via CD/DVD so I can make one for my windows 7 x86 and windows 7 x64? Can anyone help me please? (maybe a simple guide) Also, What is DOS boot? Can I do DOS boot to restore an image backup made by Drive Snapshot and how do I do that? Last question, What is the difference between WinPE and BartPE? I'm asking this questions because I would need it someday if my hard drive fails on me. I have a DVD-+RW disk at hand to make one but I don't know where to begin.

Anyway, I'm not that expert in regards with imaging so if anyone with a kind heart who would like to guide me then that would be really great. Honestly, I still make secondary backups with the built in one because I use my laptop mainly in school stuffs.

Thanks again for reading, all help are highly appreciated.


Best Regards,
CJ

 

CJ,

While you are waiting to find a suitable WinPE you can simply use a Win7 DVD...

Boot from a Win7 DVD
Next
On the Install now window, click Repair your computer
After the search completes, click Load Drivers
click OK on Add drivers (but move the Add Drivers window to the very edge of your monitor before clicking OK)
plug in a USB flash drive containing snapshot.exe
double click Computer
Navigate to snapshot.exe on the flash drive. Right click snapshot (the Application, file extensions aren't shown) and choose Open.
click Cancel on the "Open" window
click Cancel on the "Add Drivers" window
Close (click the X) on the "System Recovery Options" window
Minimize the "Install Windows" window

I suggest you ignore using DS from DOS. It is specialized.

 

Hi sir Bryan,

Thanks for posting the above guide using the Win 7 DVD, apreciate it. Can I also use a system repair disk aswell or just Win 7 DVD?
Copied your guide now in my notes. Thank you.

Best Regards,
CJ

 

CJ,

A Repair disk works too. Just slightly different options to find DS. You can also run DS from the Repair disk Command Prompt.

Edit... running DS from the Command Prompt is the easier method.

 

thats cool sir Bryan..
So what command should I enter if for example I'll use the Repair disk command prompt?
Thanks

CJ

 

Open Command Prompt, change to the drive letter of your flash drive containing snapshot.exe (by trial and error), type snapshot.exe and press Enter.

Edit... If you are using the 64-bit DVD, type snapshot64.exe and press Enter.

 

got it, thanks sir Bryan..
just hope others can post the winpe for it so i can make separate disk for drive snapshot. this sofware is really awesome..

CJ

 

A recent hint I found to discover what drive letter has been assigned to any given drive (in a command prompt environment) is to type
diskpart
(which is the disk partition command). Then wait until the DISKPART prompt displays. Then type
list volume
This will show what drives are mounted and their volume names. To close DISKPART, type
exit
to quit diskpart. Type
exit
again to close the command prompt window.

This procedure helps to eliminate the trial and error part using a Windows Disc for things like this...

EDIT
Forgot to note that you hit
Enter
after typing each command.

Sorry!

 

Cool, very useful command. Thanks

 

HAN, great method. Thanks.

 

Hi CJ,

As a new Drive Snapshot user I believe you may find this thread very worthwhile. In it, Brian helped me help my girlfriend with an automated DS backup-routine that's extremely easy to use and works marvelously. The thread may seem somewhat lengthy, but you can skim over most of it. Just concentrate on Brian's posts as they 'deliver the goods'. Highly recommended.

Wendi

 

Hi Wendi,

Thank you so much for sharing your thread, I do appreciate it a lot because I've learn now how to do an automated backup using Drive Snapshot, thanks to both of you and sir Bryan for the guide and others who help me aswell.

Been pulling my hair out before to do a restore specially during emergencies, now I know what to do if that time comes. Lol Sir Bryan encourage me to post my questions here and it helps me a lot. All I need to do now is to read more topics here to gain more knowledge regarding backup imaging. I guess I dont need to create a WinPE anymore as that would be confusing for me to follow.

So thanks again everyone, wilders is the coolest.

Best Regards,
CJ

 

If you fancy an alternative (more leaner), easier/no fuzz way for backups you can try:

Macrium Reflect FREE (the downloadable WinPE has been created there for you just follow the thread)
Link1

Paragon Backup and Restore (see post#9 for a customized WinPE)

Link 2

Link 3


Do not say you won't need WinPE disc...you never know what will happen. So you should be ready. Create it, try and verify if it works and then stash it for emergency cases. I have a couple of backup images from ATI, Paragon and Macrium (all with WinPE discs/USB bootable media/Linux CD) so I'll be covered when one of my backup doesn't function well(of course you need a good schedule and lots of external space).

A lot of great guys here who are very knowledgeable when it comes to imaging/backup. All are willing to help here.

Goodluck.

 

constantine76,

I think CJ meant he doesn't need to create a WinPE disc as he can restore his DS images using a Win7 or Win8 DVD.

 

Hi sir Constanine,

Thank you so much for the links you have provided and I do appreciate your input. Honestly, in the last few weeks or so I've tried to learn to use Macrium free because of its powerful features and others like Paragon, IFW and much more but upon reading some reviews I'm a bit nervous to try them because of my limited knowledge (also, my laptop win 7 x86 and x64 cant handle such powerful apps I think). So I then choose Drive Snapshot because its mainly portable and light and basing upon users here they say Drive Snapshot is okay and never fails to do its job.

Dont worry sir, maybe when I gain more knowledge in regards with backup imaging I'll have more courage to try others like what you have mentioned above. But for now I'm okay with Drive Snapshot and the built in imaging of windows 7.

As sir Bryan said above, that is what I meant as I restore my DS backups via the DVD. But you have a point sir Constantine so I am planning to make a WinPE 3.0 bootable USB with the help of a friend 'coz in some point I should still learn it and just to be prepared. Yup I agree, wilder members are the coolest. Thanks

CJ

 

Hi sir Bryan,

Thanks for the clarification. By the way sir, I have one question and maybe you could help me. My dad bought me a Seagate Expansion Drive 500 GB USB HDD, should I format it first before use using Disk Management in Control Panel? Or I just use it without formating? Its still empty. I just asked because I wanted to save backup in it.

EDIT: I noticed that my Seagate partition is set to Active, if ever I should format will I set it back to Active or not?

Thanks again sir.

CJ

 

so I made a Win PE boot disk and added drive snapshot to it at least I followed the instructions by Microsoft to add third Party applications and all that stuff...Long Story short I can boot with the disk but then all I have is a dos box with a fixed path which is "X:\Windows\System32" ...

How should I Access anything there I can't even Change Directory to anything else than X:\...

I just want to be able to open up drive snapshot and that's it I don't get this...

Someone explain please.

Also strange Thing is I don't see any drivesnapshot on the PE-Image that I created although I added it via the PE-Creation DOS Box...All I see on the Image is language Folders and some boot.ini things and stuff....

WinPE ...why make it easy when you can have it complicated I guess...

 

I beg to disagree there. What the OP stated there is loud and clear. He is thinking he does not need to create a WinPE because "it would be confusing to him to follow".

Might be good if you have guided him in the creation of the WinPE as that was his question. If there'd be something untoward that may happen and he cannot restore image backup using his Win7/Win8 DVD he'll be in a fix. Not saying it will happen but you never know especially when using new hardware. There were already some issues with external drives previously with Acronis / Macrium using the Linux CD same as with the recovery environment of Win7 / Win8 DVD not detecting external drives. When he encounters that and he has no other image backup to restore from then game over. Just a thought there for the kid.

Imo Macrium Reflect is the easiest to use. My kid (18 yrs old) uses it on her Lenovo S400 laptop. Well that's just me

@Arcanez,

That's a good question there. Encountered something like that when I was trying to make a custom pe. Still in the works literally. So there it is, a proper guide for a WinPE creation is really needed.

This will benefit all of the Drive Snapshot users.

 

CJ,

It should be OK. Does it have a single NTFS primary partition?

 

constantine76,

The Win7 disk boots into a WinPE. So he already has a WinPE. CJ will be no better (or worse) off if he creates another WinPE.

Drive Snapshot is one of the few imaging apps that can be automated, both for imaging and restores. Interesting, although most folks don't use it that way. It can also be used in a DOS environment for creating and restoring images. I prefer to run DS restores from DOS in view of the fast boot time and easy automation but I don't expect newcomers to DS to try a DOS restore. Any WinPE from BartPE onwards will allow a DS restore.

 

ok I finally found the DriveSnapshot Folder that I added to the PE boot disk. It was in X:\Windows\DriveSnapshot and from there I could Launch the program so my Image actually works...

 

Hi Brian,

Judging from comments I've read from you (and Cruise) I take it that creating an easy-to-use DS DOS-Recovery CD is not nearly as straight-forward as automating DS Backup.

I'm well aware that DS can initiate a DOS recovery from within Windows, but that assumes you can get into Windows! I'm also aware that booting up with any WinPE allows you to navigate to DS' Win-GUI, but that assumes the WinPE Boot Disk doesn't have driver issues! So that begs the question... what are the 'wrinkles' in creating an easy-to-use DS DOS Recovery CD?

Wendi

 

Arcanez,

Let's deal with the first part of your question first. I think this is the more difficult way to use DS in a WinPE as DS is somewhere in the boot.wim and you have to find it. But easy when you have done it once.

From your Command Window type..

CD \ (and press Enter)(note the space after CD )

You should now see X:\>

Type DIR (and press Enter)

You should see Program Files in the list

Type CD Program Files (and press Enter)

Type DIR (and press Enter)

Keep doing the above until you are in the folder containing snapshot.exe. Then...

Type snapshot.exe (and press Enter)

Let me know when you have it sorted and I'll outline the faster ways to do it.

 

have already found it out but thanks for further Explanation. My Image works perfectly when you figured out how to deal with it ...

Maybe I will add some more usefull programs and fuctions to it for the next image

 

Wendi,

You can make your own DOS boot disk or use the one in the DS installation program. The latter is quite good.

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=326074&page=4

See Messages #92 and #94.. Still interested?