Acronis with HP Elitebook Workstation please help asap

PXEboot uses the Acronis default Linux recovery environment which may not have drivers for the latest intel NIC's and/or PCIE NVME hard drives.  In those cases, you woul dneed to create a WinPE .WIM file (will require downloading and installing the Windows 10 ADK first though).  You can then upload the .wim file to your server and select it .  Alternatively, use a USB flash drive or CD and make bootable recovery media and try to boot to that and see if it detects your NIC that way.  By default, it too will use the default Acronis Linux recovery media though so may also not have the necessary drivers for your NIC or hard drive if it is newer hardware.  In that case, you would still need to create WinPE recovery media instead after downloading and installing the Windows 10 ADK.

OR... if there's time and you want to keep it simple, purchase a USB 3.0 to ethernet adapter and use that for PXE boot instead.  All of these use the same generic hardware and have the default bootalbe Linux recovery media and/or PXE boot should have no problem working with them (we use them without issue at work).  

If you need one in a hurry, Amazon Prime Now may be available in your area.  They can deliver in 2 hours for a fee.  4 hours for free (but you have to order from an Android or iOS device using the Prime Now app and it may not be available in all areas)

http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-com-Amazon-Prime-Now/dp/B00R20MPW2/ref=sr_…

Here's an example of a USB 3.0 to gigabit ethernet adapter for less than $20 on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-k…

We ran into this issue before and working to find out which driver worked best for making a WinPE image and this is the driver that we used that allowed us to boot and see the network with the Intel l219-lm NIC in the new HP machines.

Link:

http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=09596765078614376729

Hope this helps everyone who is running into this issue with the current 1660 build of Acronis Snap and Deploy 5.

I was also running into this issue- I had a number of brand new HP Elitebook laptops ( 820 G3, 840 G3 etc.   which were just released in March of 2016)  and the Acronis PXE boot would begin, but once the acronis agent loaded on the target laptops, they would not have a network connection anymore. 
I was running build 1658 and then upgraded to build 1660 and still it occurred.

After bouncing around support for a day, i finally spoke to a L2 engineer who steered me to a new Build:  1662 

I installed this build, removed and re-added my PXE components, and now i am all set. So clearly 1662 includes drivers for many newer computers.

***Note as of 4-25-2016, the latest build on the website is 1660, so you will need to contact support and ask for an FTP link to build 1662

Here the same problem.
Is it possible to share the link to the new build ?
Thanks!

Hi,

Sorry i can't find the link anymore, but i beleive that it was a one time use, tied to the FTP account they setup for my support case.

All you have to do is contact Acronis support and open up a new case and request build 1662.  Note: as i stated- this resolved the issue for me for laptops that are part of the Gen 3 (G3) of HP's Elitebook line which was just released in Feb of 2016.

Also once you install this update, you do have to remove your PXE components and re-add them.

Okay, en thanks!

Have someone else also got this link because I get no response from Acronis in connection with the new build??

Thanks.

Alex-

I found the link!... it was a custom URL, but it actually just points to here: 

Again - i can't stress this enough: once you install this update, you have to go back and check your default settings and remove\re-add your PXE components.

IF you dont: you will find the default settings (like unicast vs mujlticast, license type to use etc) will be wonky and the PXE components will still be the 1660 version.

Thanks Bob, but i need an login en password?

so i have the PE image installed with the nic driver software. when i pxe boot and select win PE its just opens up a command prompt. i am not sure what to run after that step. any help with be very much appricated.

so i have the PE image installed with the nic driver software. when i pxe boot and select win PE its just opens up a command prompt. i am not sure what to run after that step. any help with be very much appricated.

can i please get build 1662 please. please PM me the link. its super urgent i have wasted a whole day and getting no where

Alex: Sorry- my personalized link from support expired. it must have had a login embedded in it. the link that i had now just goes to the main FTP page that i referenced above.

Heather- i have never successfully done a WinPE image. i have always used the Acronis Image Creator option to create images, and then add those images to templates that i created. From there I PXE boot computers and deploy whatever template that i need.  Like you, I also wasted  a day screwing around with the whole Win PE media garbage. in the end, i called support back and explained that nothing from HP's Elitebook lineup that was relased from Feb-Apr 2016 were being recognized and that Acronis had to be aware of this. I had no desire to stop using PXE\templates and go to this foolish WinPE and if there was any upcoming releases in beta that i would be happy to try it. That is when they explained that there was an upcoming 1662 release and that it included nic support for many new models.

If you have support with Acronis, then call, open a ticket and explain that you need a login to Acronis FTP site so that you can download Acronis Snap Deploy 5 build 1662. If you dont have support, then its time to renew or buy some more licenses!

Heather- you could also follow Bobbo_3C0X1 advice above and try using a USB nic adaptor instead of the laptops built in NIC. odds are that would work. Admittedly that is a workaround compared to getting a build of Acronis that will work properly, but in a pinch or if its only a few computers a USB nic should do the job. 

Bob

thanks. i just realised my support expired. But thanks for all the advice.

same issue guys. tried the whole win PE thing. didnt work. opened a ticket with support and they refuse to escalate and send me build 1662. want me to try the whole win PE thing again and need proof.. i say this is a joke.. So disappointed with their support.  their product should have latest drivers. they shouldnt be giving their customer such a run around.

Hello Saurabh,

Thank you for your posting! I'm really sorry to hear that you are not satisfied with our customer service. I've looked into your open ticket and can confirm, that support agent has provided the link to the build 1662 in the first follow-up email and requested additional information for further investigation if the issue persists. 

Heather, I'll send you the link in PM.

Thank you,

Hello, can you send me the link in PM to?
Thanks.

Alex, sent the link in PM. If any questions, please let me know.

Hi, Is the build 1662 fixed the M.2/NVMe issue? I have had the same issue, no connection when it's ready to deploy the imgae. I have the HP Z240 with m.2 on it. So i don't know if the build 1662 will also solve the m.2/NVMe nissue. Thanks.

Hello John,

The build of Acronis Snap Deploy 5 with proper support for NVME devices in standard bootable media is pending to be created very soon (within a couple of weeks). However if you experience issues with NIC detection, I'll send you the link to 1662. Please PM me for that.

Thank you,

Hello,
We have the same problem with our brand new lenovo l560 laptops that we are just about to deploy.
PXE respond and proposes image deployement task, but then ethernet NIC is not recognise (empty card properties form) then "netwok error" see laptop jpg, unable to execute task.
We use Acronis snap deploy 5 1660.
Do we have to buy a generic usb card adapter or can we download a new build of the server software ?

I precise : we do not have the problem with the lenovo desktops see desktop jpg.

Thanks for your help,
Philippe

Philippe,
Build 1662 will probably fix the NIC issues that you are having and the 1666 Beta build would also add NVMe hard drive support.
Regardless of what you decide to do- anytime you upgrade Acronis Snap Deploy.. .make sure you remove the PXE components and then re-add them. as the upgrade process does not alter the PXE components.
I'll PM you more info.

Service ICT Herstal,

Bob is correct that the 1666 beta should get you going.

The only caveat I want to point out for everyone is that the default recovery media/bootable media is Linux-based. If the Lenvo laptops (or any newer systems these days) have the hard drive set in "RAID" instead of "AHCI", it may not see the hard drive either. Most manufacturers have an option for the newer NVME PCIE hard drives now and these can reduce queue depth latency by being set in RAID instead of AHCI since AHCI has a limited queue depth.

Unfortunately, even though many of these systems are using a single NVME PCIE hard drive and being set to RAID, Linux does not have proper Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) drivers for many newer RAID controller devices.

If the beta 1666 gets the media to boot across the network, but your hard drive is not detected (assuming it is using a newer NVME PCIE hard drive), the work-a-round for a single drive set in RAID mode would be to go into the bios of the system first and temporarily set the SATA mode to AHCI (if your BIOS allows you to pick - some newer systems are locking this down) and do the backup or recovery and then switch back to AHCI when you're done.

Alternatively, you can create a .WIM file in Acronis and upload that to your Acronis SD5 deployment server and boot to that instead (or boot WinPE media directly from the system). You'd need to create the .wim file and inject the proper IRST driver (32 or 64-bit depending on the type of winPE boot.wim being created so that the WinPE environment can detect the RAID controller and see the NVME PCIE hard drive or any hard drive that is set to use RAID as the SATA mode in the bios.

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25165/Intel-Rapid-Storage-Tec…)