Acronis True Image Home 2011/Plus Pack and AIK

[damien76]

Is there a different way to make a WinPE-based rescue media without using AIK for Windows 7 (PE 3.0)? I have the Plus Pack here but I am having problems downloading the 1gb file here in my location because of server time-outs.

Been using the F11 Recovery Manager in the BIOS and the Linux boot cd. Wanted to try the WinPE but hit a snag.

This is for Windows 7? How about for XP SP3?

Is there another way around that?

Thank you

 

[damien76]

Anyone?

 

[jumanji]

I do not think you can create a WinPE rescue disk without using AIK.

If you read the Help file in the Acronis WinPE ISO Builder:
AIK for Windows Vista and Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or later (PE 2.0):
http://www.microsoft.com/Downloads/details.aspx?familyid=C7D4BC6D-15F3-4284-9123-679830D629F2&displaylang=en

Once you download the appropriate AIK, it should be a child's play creating the ISO with the ISO builder.

Please check with your friends around whether they will be able to download the AIKs and make it available. (In case they have a faster connection). You may also search for torrent downloads if it could help.

 

[Mark Phelps]

Macrium Reflect, the PAID version (now known as Standard) does provide the means to create a WinPE v3.x Rescue CD. In version 4 of MR, they separated out the WinPE product, and like with WAIK, you had to download it to your PC. They gave you one free download of the product. But with version 5 of MR, they include the WinPE disk-creation capability by default.

Sorry, I don't know how big the download is (because it actually downloads it in the background as part of the ISO creation process), but it has to be a LOT smaller than WAIK because, when I created the CD, it only took a few seconds to create the ISO.

They still allow you to download the WAIK -- but you only need to do that now if you want to customize the creation of the ISO image. Perhaps Acronis has a similar option.

 

[damien76]

Hello guys,

Thanks so much for the reply here. I will look into your advices thanks Incidentally I placed a support ticket at Acronis but to this date still no reply. I was asking the same question to them.

Will get back here to update the post.

Thanks guys

 

[TJG]

You can use your System Repair Disc, look in the source directory and find boot.wim. That is a winpe with the SRT package added to it. Copy to your drive and mount it with DISM and edit the windows\system32\winpeshl.ini file.

 

[damien76]

You can use your System Repair Disc, look in the source directory and find boot.wim. That is a winpe with the SRT package added to it. Copy to your drive and mount it with DISM and edit the windows\system32\winpeshl.ini file.

-- I have a W7 System Repair Disc that I created/downloaded from NeoSmart. You are suggesting to explore that cd and mount it with DISM (..forgive my ignorance..what is DISM..?) ...

How can I edit the "windows\system32\winpeshl.ini file"...?

I am at a loss there....can you please elaborate..

Thanks all

 

[TJG]

In windows 7 goto start, all programs, maintenance. You should have option to create a system repair disc.
When finished with that use windows exployer to view files on disc. should find a file in the source directory called boot.wim, copy that file to a work directory on your C: drive and rename it winpe.wim. Then make a directory in the work directory called mount. At this point you could go ahead and use Acronis WinPE ISO Builder on the C:\work\winpe.wim to add files. Then use elevated command prompt and run:

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

This will mount the file into the mount directory. using win exployer look in the mount directory and you will see a windows directory in that a system32 directory that contains winpeshl.ini if you view or edit that file you will see something like:

[LaunchApp]
AppPath=x:\source\recovery\recenv.exe

This is what runs the recovery tools. I use a shell program called NU2MENU so I change it to:

[LaunchApp]
AppPath=x:\nu2menu\nu2menu.exe

Then copy the nu2menu files into a directory called nu2menu on the root of the mounted winpe file and edit the xml file in that directory. I also add other tools into it also. When you finish editing the file, you need to unmount it:

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

This will save changes and unmount the winpe file. Then you can rename it back to boot.wim and place it back into the source directory. A flah drive work very good as it is hard to copy back to a CD.

Hope this helps, at least you can make it with out the WAIK but it much easier with it. I also use a VPC to test my builds.
TJG

 

[damien76]

@TJG,

Thanks very much for the reply. Will try that out this weekend and be back here to report.

Regards,

damien

 

[damien76]

Hello TJG,

This is my firs time to make a WinPE disc. Thanks and kindly allow me more questions please:

....should find a file in the source directory
called boot.wim, copy that file to a work directory on your C: drive and rename it winpe.wim. Then make a directory in the work directory called mount.

-- I mounted it successfully (Dism /Mount-Wim /WimFile:C:\zAIK\winpe.wim /index:1 /MountDir:C:\zAIK\mount) and made it up to checking the winpeshl.ini and double-click and see:

[LaunchApp]
AppPath=x:\source\recovery\recenv.exe

At this point you could go ahead and use Acronis WinPE ISO
Builder on the C:\work\winpe.wim to add files.

-- What files can I add...? Can you give me some examples..? Is it needed..? I just would like to make a bootable WinPE for Acronis so I guess the plug-in is all I need to add..right? Or I am understanding it wrong...

I use a shell program called NU2MENU so I change it to:

[LaunchApp]
AppPath=x:\nu2menu\nu2menu.exe

Then copy the nu2menu files into a directory called nu2menu on the root of the mounted winpe file and edit the
xml file in that directory. I also add other tools into it also.

-- I have launched NU2MENU. Go>Edit a menu file>C:\zAIK\mount\Windows\System32\wilpeshl.ini. Edit the winpeshl.ini to,

[LaunchApp]
AppPath=x:\nu2menu\nu2menu.exe

,the save it...correct?

-- and then make a "nu2menu" directory(folder) thus:

C:\zAIK\Mount\Windows\nu2menu

,and paste the winpeshl.txt there...correct?

.....then I edit the xml file in that directory.

-- The file was saved in .txt. How can I edit it? Will I launch NU2MENU and,

Go>Edit a menu file>C:\zAIK\Mount\Windows\nu2menu\winpeshl.txt

I am sorry I seem to be doing it wrong..I am at a loss there...(not really that tech savvy..) I have attached some images for you.

I really hope for more patience for this.

Will wait for your reply.

Thank you very much.

damien

 

[TJG]

Hello damien 76
Before you mount the winpe.wim you can run Acronis ISO builder and select your c:\zAIK\wimpe.wim file to add the Acronis True Image files to it. You should see it mount, save, and unmount the winpe.wim file. It probably will save as AcronisMedia.wim that is the new file with Acronis added to it. Delete the winpe.wim and rename this file winpe.wim.
Now it is ready to mount.
After you mount winpe.wim. The file winpeshl.ini is located in your c:\zAIK\mount\windows\system32\winpeshl.ini and must stay in this directory. I use notepad to edit the file and save as "winpeshl.ini" the quote marks are nessary to keep if from changing to a txt file.
The nu2menu program will allow you to add other programs, that later, but it has a start button and you can select exit to shut down after using the disc or drive. This nu2menu works best in the root of the wim file so the directory should be
c:\zAIL\mount\nu2menu The program itself has a file called c:\zAIK\mount\nu2menu\nu2menu.xml that you can edit.
Your C:\zAIL\Mount is the root directory of the WIM file so make directory for nu2menu in that directory not in the windows. Try this and let me know how it works.
TJG

 

[TJG]

damien 76, one more note. When you unmount you c:\zAIL\mount, that is when it saves your changes to the winpe.wim file.
TJG

 

[damien76]

@TJG,

Thanks very much for the reply. I seem to be doing it wrong really. I'll do as instructed and will get back here.

Regards,

damien

 

[TJG]

Damien
How are you doing with this? I saw the PM but can't figure out how to reply to it. Need help with that. TJG

 

[damien76]

Hi TJG,

I'm currently in the office and have a ton of work. I replied to your PM also. I'll probably continue this endeavor when I get home early tomorrow. Thanks!

damien

 

[damien76]

You the man TJG! Just achieved success yesterday! Well have not tested it yet but will post again when I can. Tons of work at the office still.

Thanks for the help!

damien

 

[TJG]

Thanks damien76 glad you achieved success and thanks for letting me know. When your ready to build a custom WinRE.wim with ATIH, let know. Easy on all the work.

TJG

 

[maxseven]

Please guys don't PM each other on this--I am interested too! Just last night I was looking at ATI's WinPE builder instructions, and was intimidated by the 1Gb download of the full AIK (I have a limited bandwidth ISP).

One thing that confused me at the MS AIK download site was: there's a version for W7 and there's a new version for W7SP1--am I correct in assuming TJG that if I make a disc using your instrs on a W7SP1 PC, that I will have an SP1 boot disc for any SP1 PC? And if I make a disc using a nonSP1 PC, it's good for non-SP1 computers?

For all the surfing I've been doing on the AIK recently, TJG I have never seen anything like your ideas in this thread. Will be amazing to me if I can get it to work! TIA!

 

[damien76]

@maxseven,

Hi max. The PM was just some clarification I needed as I m not well adept in this particular area. Just some basic question that was not basic for me..you know stuff that might be embarrassing that I should know but I do not know. Previously I asked SIW2 if he has a workaround for Acronis but learned he has not used Acronis yet. Yeah the download was discouraging really. I even tried to download it here at the office but I can't finish it because of work.

I suppose that the SP1 procedure is the same as what TJG posted. I still have not fully tested it as I am work schedule is night-time now (change shift) and can't spend more time at home now.

Try it out. Then we can post and compare or maybe someone will jump in and help as with TJG.

 

[TJG]

Hello maxseven

If you create a winpe disc from your system repair disc, it will work on both as I had this working before I upgraded to SP1 and the first disk still work. I need to try to give contents of me nu2menu.xml file so others can see what I have in it. Hope it can be copied and pasted to new file.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<?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>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remember when you copy the boot.wim from your system repair to your HDD, make a directory called mount in same directory to mount the image file. This mount directory is the root of the image file and all work needs to be inside this directory. Then when you unmount /commit it will save changes to original file. If you run into problems, post back and I'll see what I can do. Thanks for the post.
TJG