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Problem Making Rescue Media Builder

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Howdy,

Using TrueImage since 2015, I always used Rescue Media Builder to make a USD Flash.

In fact, I don't use TrueImage Windows at all, after each purchase I just install it, make the USB boot flash, uninstall TrueImage and just use the flash in DOS mode when booting!

Last time I made the USB flash was around one year ago!

Last week I wanted to make a new one, I found that the contents of created flash is completely different and also, it does not work on one of my laptops (works fine on all other PCs), I was using last build of 2018!

I contacted support for a week and I just got different MISLEADING answers, and am so disappointed with support.

One of them suggested that last build of 2019 is fine, suggested to update, I asked a user of 2019 to make a USB and the contents of disk was same as mine, the new one, so I confirm that in 2019 is also the same!

I found that Rescue Media Builder makes different contents based on the used system config, but cannot force it to make it like before.

Let me explain:

In the past, it used to make 37 folders (language codes) on the root of flash + 2 files (bootmgr) - This is what I wanna make again and is OK for me!

Now, it makes a different one with 2 files and 43 files - This is not what I want

NOTE that even if my laptop needs some config to work with the new flash, I want to know how to make the flash like before

Please advise, if you're sure how to proceed - screenshot of both drives attached.

* This does NOT help: https://kb.acronis.com/content/60820

Anhang Größe
shot.png 520.62 KB
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Omid, welcome to these public User Forums.

Your screen capture shows the Windows PE version of rescue media at the top, and the Linux version of the media at the bottom.

By default, Acronis will try to create the Windows PE version media by using the files from your Windows Recovery Environment - this is also shown as the Simple method in the tool.

If there is a problem with your Windows Recovery Environment, then it will look to see if you have the Windows ADK kit files installed for WinPE or else will fall back to creating the older, Linux based media.

You can check the status of the Windows Recovery Environment by opening an Administrator level Command Prompt or Powershell window then typing in the command:

reagentc /info

then check what it shows in the first line for Windows RE status:  this should show 'Enabled' along with further detailed information.

Hey Steve, thank you sooo much, I will try that but I think you're right & this should be the solution.

Just please let me know the difference(s) between Windows PE version & Linux version?

While I test this, I wanna say that Acronis Support wasted a week of my time with misleading information!

One said it works for USB disks less than 16GB so I purchased a 4GB and today a 8GB with no luck!

And few more wrong solutions until the most funny one: Support told I must upgrade to 2019, this is the problem of 2018 version!

Because I refused all of solutions offered by support, each time they forced to buy a support case or upgrade to 2019!

2019 has nothing more than 2018 when I don't use Windows app at all, I just use Rescue Media!

I really was disappointed by their disgusting support, with their lack of knowledge they were just wasting my time & asking to pay!

I'm a customer since 2015 until 2018, a simple bug report took 2~3 years to fix, and my only support request was misleading for a week!

As a developer for ~2 decades, I really don't like the way things work in Acronis!

Just please let me know the difference(s) between Windows PE version & Linux version?

The advantages of the WinPE versions are mainly support for newer devices such as NVMe M.2 drives and RAID usage which is picked up from the Windows RE area, plus additional device drivers can be added when needed. The other aspect is best compatibility with UEFI Secure Boot which may need to be disabled for some Linux media OS's.

One said it works for USB disks less than 16GB so I purchased a 4GB and today a 8GB with no luck!

Any USB sticks from 2GB up to and including 32GB should work just fine for the rescue media - larger drives may not boot but this is purely a restriction imposed by Microsoft, not Acronis.

You may want to take a look at the MVP Custom ATIPE Builder tool  (link below) which creates a more flexible & versatile rescue media stick based on WinPE and using either WinRE or the ADK - the tool offers a more desktop type approach with WinPE, with a file explorer, web browser and integration of any installed Acronis products.

Another option to consider is the create a 2GB FAT32 partition on an external USB disk drive then allocate a drive letter to that FAT32 partition.  You can then direct the MVP tool or the rescue media builder tool to use that FAT32 drive to create the media and have a combined boot tool that can also be used to store your backups without needing a second drive plus your USB stick.

I currently have a 2TB Seagate Barracuda drive in a USB 3 external case that has a 2GB FAT32 boot partition for my rescue media that I use regularly.

Note that you can also get the original "linux" version of the rescue media, directly from your account products and tools if that one works best in your environment.  It's in .iso format so can be burned to disc, or you can try a tool like .iso to usb (although some of those tools can be a bit flaky for bootability).

It's also still possible to build the Linux version with the rescue media builder (if you install Acronis again) and click on advanced and then pick the Linux version.  Really no need to build the Linux version though if you can just download it from your account and burn the .iso.

As for the new version not working on one system.. it's because it is using WinRE (Windows Recovery Environment) from that system.  Basically whatever OS is on that system has it's own recovery partition and it is being built off of that as the base.  Because it is intended for that specific hardware, it includes that systems drivers and is based off of that OS.  Let's say this is a Win 7 32-bit machine... and then you want to use it on a Windows 10 64-bit machine with a PCIeNVME drive... may not work because Windows 7 doesn't have native support for those hard drives.

But... if you build WinRE off of a current Windows 10 1903 build it should work on just about anything, so long as they share the same bios architecture (32-bit or 64-bit).  Most systems are 64-bit, but there are some cheap-o tablets, laptops and 2-in-1's with 32GB of emmc flash hard drives that have to use 32-bit rescue media (legacy mode).  

Steve, you saved me man, really thank you, one week of my time wasted with support providing useless info or suggesting to get 2019!

All of my PCs and Laptops are m2 SSDs (Samsung 960Pro/970Pro) so Linux version is completely out of question for me, pretty useless if does not support NVMe M.2 SSDs and also my UEFI Secure Boot Enabled PCs.

So I found that the iso image I was downloading with each version was a piece of junk as well (for me).

Finally I forwarded this suggestion to them (For Developers):

Nowadays, many people just have NVMe M.2 SSDs as their primary drive, so the Linux version is pretty useless!
In TrueImage > Rescue Media Builder, when starting to create the USB Flash, show the proper warning to the user IF Windows Recovery is disabled and it cannot find the required files to make the Windows PE version, so if Linux version is made and becomes useless, user already knows the root of the problem, specially with your out of the picture disappointing support!
 
Peace :)

Omid, glad to have been able to help.  Acronis is only able to distribute the Linux (ISO) version of the rescue media due to licensing rules.  Microsoft require that any WinPE or WinRE media is created directly on the system where Windows has already been licensed / activated.

I do agree though that the Acronis Rescue Media Builder should give a warning if the WinRE is not valid for creating media so that users are fully informed and understand that there are limitations for the older Linux based media.