Acronis True Image Home 2011/Plus Pack and AIK

hello maxseven
In the mounted image file, in the nu2menu directory is a nu2menu.xml file. Delete that file and use notepad to write a new file. Example
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<NU2MENU>
<MENU ID="Startmenu">
<MITEM TYPE="POPUP" DISABLED="@SetMenuPos( 'L','B' )0" MENUID="Programs">Programs</MITEM>
<MITEM TYPE="POPUP" MENUID="System">System</MITEM>
<MITEM TYPE="ITEM" CMD="RUN" FUNC="@GetEnvVar('ComSpec')">Command Prompt (CMD)</MITEM>
<MITEM TYPE="ITEM" CMD="RUN" FUNC="@ShowRunDialog()">Run...</MITEM>
<MITEM TYPE="SEPARATOR"></MITEM>
<MITEM TYPE="POPUP" VISIBILITY="@Shl(@Not(@FileExists(@GetWinDir()\setupldr.bin)),'1')" MENUID="Shutdown">Shut down</MITEM>
<MITEM TYPE="ITEM" VISIBILITY="@Shl(@FileExists(@GetWinDir()\setupldr.bin),'1')" CMD="EXIT">Exit</MITEM>
</MENU>
<MENU ID="Shutdown">
<MITEM TYPE="ITEM" VISIBILITY="@Shl(@FileExists(@GetWinDir()\system32\nu2shell.exe),'1')" CMD="EXIT">Exit Nu2menu</MITEM>
</MENU>
<MENU ID="System">
<MITEM TYPE="ITEM" CMD="RUN" FUNC="taskmgr.exe">Task Manager</MITEM>
</MENU>

</NU2MENU>
<!-- Nu2Menu entry for Acronis-->
<NU2MENU>
<MENU ID="Programs">
<MITEM TYPE="ITEM" DISABLED="@Not(@FileExists(@GetProgramDrive()\Program Files\Acronis\TrueImageHome\TrueImage_starter.exe))" CMD="RUN" FUNC="@GetProgramDrive()\Program Files\Acronis\TrueImageHome\TrueImage_starter.exe">Acronis True Image</MITEM>
</MENU>
</NU2MENU>

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Hopefully you can copy and paste to notepad then save it as nu2menu.xml in the nu2menu directory of mounted image file. Use quotes to keep it from adding the .txt extension.
From reading your post, looks like your looking for a WinRE.wim file. I'll write another post and explain how to do it.

TJG :)

To make a WinRE.WIM without WAIK.



Get the cd\sources\boot.wim file from the System repair CD and copy into a directory on your HDD. example: copy d:\sources\boot.wim c:\work\boot.wim.
Run Acronis WinPE ISO builder to add Acronis files to this file. When it completes, you should have new file. example: c:\work\AcronisMedia.wim. Delete the c:\work\boot.wim file and rename the AcronisMedia.wim to boot.wim. Next mount the image file in c:\work\mount. Example:

Dism /Mount-Wim /WimFile:C:\work\boot.wim /index:1 /MountDir:C:\work\mount

all on one line.
Then in the mounted image file goto c:\work\mount\sources\recovery and make a new directory called Tools then in the
C:\work\mount\sources\recovery\tools directory make a new file called WinREConfig.xml
Use notepad and quotes to do this

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<Recovery><RecoveryTools><RelativeFilePath>..\..\..\Program Files\Acronis\TrueImageHome\TrueImage_Starter.exe</RelativeFilePath></RecoveryTools></Recovery>

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I write this all on one line because sometimes it doesn't work if the enter key is used.
You can install ONE tool to the winre.wim. I like the acronis because you don't have to set location of factory file and you can save your image.tib files to any drive.
If you plan to use on a recovery partition on you HDD, get a copy of
c:\work\mount\windows\system32\recovery\ReAgent.xml and save to another location for later.
Then unmount the image file.

Dism /Unmount-Wim /MountDir:C:\work\mount /Commit

Once it complete you should have a new boot.wim file to put back into the CD or flash drive. Finished

I use diskpart to make a partition on my HDD that I call Recovery and also use for boot partition so that it is the active partition. In that partition I make a directory called Recovery and in that recovery directory I make another called WindowsRE then copy this boot.wim to it and name it WinRE.WIM.

%SystemRoot%/Recovery\WindowsRE\WinRE.wim

%SystemRoot% = Drive letter of you Recovery partition. Then before I make an image of the partition that windows is installed to, make sure you DO NOT have a
%Root%\Recovery directory and make sure that in
%Root%\Windows\system32\recovery\ that there is NOT a WinRE.wim file. This will keep the restored image from messing up the F8 key. If you upgrade your c partition after the first time this will Not be a problem as the file and directory are NOT on the C partition.

After you have your recovery partition setup you will have to run ReAgentc.exe It seems like alot of people have problems with this and this is part of reason to remove the WinRe.wim and the Recovery directory from the C Drive. The ReAgentc.exe file has to be ran from %DriveLetter%\windows\system32 When you boot computer with a WinPE the drive letter can be different from expected. It might be D: rather than C:
Use NotePad and look and HDD to see what the drive letters are then

?1\Windows\System32\Reagentc.exe /setreimage /path ?2:\Recovery\WindowsRE /target ?1:\Windows

?1 = drive partition of recovery ?2= drive partition of windows

Example:

c:\windows\system32\reagentc /setreimage /path d:\recovery\windowsre /target c:\windows

You should see something that said success. Reboot and try the F8 key at boot and see your Acronis at bottom of the Recovery Con.
If you have problems, just copy that little file: ReAgent.xml that you saved to
C:\windows\system32\recovery and overwrite the old file and then run Reagentc again.

Have fun TJG :)

I finally get my USB stick booting, and upon "Loading..." get a screen entitled Windows Boot Manager, saying that Windows can't boot, it is missing snapman.sys. I'm aware that this is Acronis' Snapshot Manager driver, used to deal with open files when Acronis is making a backup from within the running Windows environment. I look at my boot.wim (made from AcronisMedia.wim of course) and it does not have a snapman.sys file in system32\drivers. So I think I will add snapman.sys and maybe it needs snapapi.dll also which is located in Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Acronis\SnapAPI.

Hmm, wait. My boot.wim doesn't *have* the Program Files (x86)\ folder, only Program Files\ i.e. for 64-bit programs. So I look in the ATI manual again and it says

To add Acronis Plug-in to WinPE 2.x or 3.0 ISO:
1. Do one of the following:

When adding the plug-in to the existing Win PE 2 or PE 3 ISO, unpack all files of your Win PE 2 or 3 ISO to a separate folder on the hard disk.

When creating a new PE 2 or 3 ISO:

select from the Start menu Microsoft Windows AIK → Windows PE Tools Command Prompt

run the copype.cmd script to create a folder with Windows PE files. For example, from a command prompt, type:

cd Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools\
copype <arch> <destination>

Where <arch> is the hardware architecture (can be x86, amd64, or ia64, but Acronis supports x86 only)
and <destination> is a path to the local folder. For example,

copype x86 c:\winpe_x86

2. Select Acronis → Plus Pack for Acronis True Image Home 2010 → Acronis WinPE ISO Builder from
the Start menu.
3. Specify path to the folder WinPE\ISO, e.g. c:\winpe_x86\ISO.
.
.
.

So it appears that since I have started with a boot.wim/winpe.wim from my x64 Windows 7, that Acronis didn't install properly, and won't work?

I only have 64-bit Windows here--do I need to DL a W7 x86 repair disc and use that as my base instead? Guess I will look for one, since I doubt there is any way to create a 32-bit Repair Disc from 64-bit W7HP?


EDIT: I do have a W7HP 32-bit Upgrade disc here, that came together with the 64-bit I bought, and it has a boot.wim inside, though not the one I need. So will have to download the <200Mb iso file and start-over again. Stay tuned...

TJG said:

To make a WinRE.WIM without WAIK.



Have fun TJG :)

I appreciate your post TJG--it is a thing of beauty.

With all due respect however, that does NOT look like fun!!!

I will try it after I get the basic boot thing working. In fact, it's still not entirely clear to me what I'm going to have when I do finally get it to boot (cuz I might've thought it *was* the screen you've shown above).

maxseven said:

With all due respect however, that does NOT look like fun!!!

Since I had to start-over anyway, having DL'ed a 32-bit Repair disc, I quickly realized that making a Recovery disc was even easier than a nu2menu disc!

And as I suspected Acronis likes the 32-bit Repair boot.wim just fine, and it boots. HOWEVER it immediately points-out to me that I'm using a 32-bit Repair disc on a 64-bit OS and it wants me to Quit.

Well, I was able to click-around and thru these warnings, and eventually get to the pretty menu with Acronis True Image at the bottom, so I launched it and it works. But there are a couple of issues with it:

1. I can't see my network drives. Even the Linus boot disc shows my network drives.

2. There's no change in the GUI ie. I was hoping for a higher-res display.

Point 2. is trivial but point 1 is serious. I wonder why it doesn't see my NIC, or how to get that aspect working.

I'll go back now and make the nu2menu disc and see if it works any differently.

maxseven
From the quote in #34, I think we are doing it different. I just run Acronis WinPE Builder and select the boot.wim file itself.
When it run, it will mount, save files, and unmount.
I don't do this:

When adding the plug-in to the existing Win PE 2 or PE 3 ISO, unpack all files of your Win PE 2 or 3 ISO to a separate folder on the hard disk.

I just tried the WinRE.wim from a 64bit disk and installed Acronis and it did have the missing files you said were not there.
I also run the Acronis WinPE ISO Builder on the .wim file first before I mount it. And yes the pic is what you will end up with, hopefully.
TJG :)

TJG said:

maxseven
From the quote in #34, I think we are doing it different. I just run Acronis WinPE Builder and select the boot.wim file itself.
When it run, it will mount, save files, and unmount.
I don't do this:

When adding the plug-in to the existing Win PE 2 or PE 3 ISO, unpack all files of your Win PE 2 or 3 ISO to a separate folder on the hard disk.

I just tried the WinRE.wim from a 64bit disk and installed Acronis and it did have the missing files you said were not there.
I also run the Acronis WinPE ISO Builder on the .wim file first before I mount it. And yes the pic is what you will end up with, hopefully.
TJG :)

I confused you--I don't use the Acronis procedure, I use yours, to the letter. I was just citing their statement about "x86 only" from their User Guide.

But now you have me confused when you say it works w/your 64-bit Repair disc. I may have to try again.

But I have SUCCESS with both the RE and the original nu2menu procedures, after DL'ing the 32-bit Repair disc off'n the internet! Unfortunately, neither gives me an Acronis that can see my network.

If you have any ideas about that I'd appreciate it, cuz otherwise I have to stick with the Linux boot method...

When I said it worked, I got the winre.wim from my win7 64 disc and ran acronis on it to see if snapman files were loaded to it. I would have to break down my system and install my win 7 64 bit drive to test it and haven't did that. I did see a big difference in the files for the 64 bit as to 32 bit winre. Might have to give it a try later.
TJG

No joy I'm afraid. I was only able to get the nu2menu method to work with a 32-bit Repair Disc, and in the end Acronis doesn't see my network. And the Recovery menu method worked/booted too, though the Repair aspect doesn't work with my 64-bit PC, and once again Acronis didn't see my network, nor even does it offer a "Network Settings" selection in Options, which it is supposed to. Very bizarre. Nothing special about this PC except that it has an Nvidia chipset and nvidia ethernet. I'm surprised that Windows doesn't have native drivers for it, especially given that Acronis' Linux rescue disk works just fine with the network.

Not a good day here--I tried also the Acronis BartPE with PEBuilder, and after realizing PEBuilder doesn't work w/64-bit W7, I instead made a disc on a 32-bit XP machine I have here. That method got a little past the "Windowsxp" screen and BSODs.

Thanks anyway TLG, I learned a few new tricks in the last 24 hours!