Recovery CD Confusion

1 & 2 are almost the same. They are both Linux. 2 uses a different loader and may have newer drivers than 1.

If 1 and/or 2 work for you, there really isn't any pressing reason to make a WinPE version. However, some people like having multiple methods available.

When you booted to the CD, did you validate your backup image? If not, that's another good test to run. It makes sure the backup image can be read successfully by TI.

The downloadable ISO image file, as you discovered, is an alternative Linux environment, similar to that from the bootable media created via the program. The downloadable ISO image has more up-to-date hardware drivers than the one created via the bootable media builder. So, if option 1. above does not "see" all of you hardware - does not see all the drives, for example - it is good to try option 2. If either option 1. or option 2. fully support your hardware, there is not really a need to try option 3, the WinPE version. This is basically a preference, since a WinPE bootable media is a sort of "self-contained" Windows environment as opposed to a Linux environment.

For basic disk imaging/recovery operations, there is no difference between these in usage. Where the difference in environments shows up is if you want to do other disk maintenance tasks or recovery activities, because then, if you are limited by using a Linux environment, you do not have access to any "Windows" based tools, such as chkdsk (for finding and marking off bad disk sectors and damaged files) and regedit (for editing the Windows registry). For example, personally, I always run chkdsk on all partitions on all drives from the WinPE environment, never from Windows, as a part of periodic disk maintenance activities. In other situations, registry editing is require to restore system bootability, and this can be done via the WinPE environment but is not accessible under Linux.

The WinPE environment is also customizable to provide a environment which users may find to their advantage, but this is not required for basic operation. But I am obviously quite biased, so you can readily disregard my comments...

The "short" answer is that if the Linux environment bootable media work with your system, there is no real "need" to make a WinPE bootable media. This is basically an option that Acronis makes available as part of the Plus Pack. Where the WinPE environment really shines is in support of the widest range of hardware which we all like to adorn our systems with. Driver support within Linux for this vast array of hardware is always playing "catch up" and sometimes not totally successfully, but driver support in the WinPE environment is based on a Vista core which is quite up-to-date.

I used the downloadable Linux bootable media for a number of system backups and restores well before I ever made a WinPE bootable media. But now, I use the WinPE bootable media exclusively - I don't use True Image any other way.

@ MudCrab

Thanks for your post MC. I'm going to take your advice and test as you suggest! Thanks. GL

Greetings Gary and thanks for your thoughtful and detailed posting. It certainly clarified things for me. German is my second language. They have an expression, "He who has a choice has to suffer the pain of choosing."

Anyway, I'm intrigued now by the WINPE proposition. Do you know of a "Create a WINPE Bootable Disk for Dummies Primer" anywhere or will I have to make do with the sticky posted at the forum?

Many thanks again.

GL

My tutorial is actually an attempt at the simplest approach for making a WinPE bootable media. If you stick the first part of the tutorial, ignoring the initial part about updating the A43 file manager (I just happen to really like this utility, but Acronis includes it anyway), it is about as simple as I know how to make it. Ashley's tutorial is more on modification one can make to the WinPE environment that I purposefully ignore to make things simpler. I wouldn't worry about this stuff until you are comfortable making a basic WinPE ISO with TI.

Try this approach and let me know if there are any problems (sending a PM is the best way to let me know). IMHO, the hardest and most painful part is downloading the HUGE WAIK ISO from Microsoft - over 1G download. Installation of the WAIK was easy for me. Otherwise, I tried to lay things out with the most basic steps leading to a WinPE ISO.

No matter what, as MudCrab pointed out, validation under whatever recovery environment is used is VITALLY IMPORTANT.

Hi Gary

I didn't know that it was your tutorial I was talking about "being stuck with". No disrespect intended. It's more a comment on my level of knowledge. Anyway, I went back to your tutorial and spent hours with it and actually did create a workable CD. I posted to the end of the tutorial thread with what I encountered.

It IS fairly straightforward. The trick is the clear up the basic terminology first. Otherwise it looks like rocket science.

One trick for me was deciding which of the environments to choose when generating the WinPE environment, X86, amd-64 or, the Itanium. I finally figured it out. I have a 64 bit environment, but it makes no difference because I'm not working with in in WinPE. Took a while, then I chose the x86 route.

Learned a lot!

GL

GL-

No worries. No disrespect found in anything you said. This matter is rather confusing, really. In answer to a question posted at the end of the tutorial about BartPE...

What Acronis provides is a BartPE plugin that you must build BartPE bootable media with, similar to the WinPE build. But the BartPE builder is a freeware application, and you have to have a XP installation disk to make a build. I find WinPE ISOs easier to build, and WinPE is Vista based rather than BartPE's XP base - newer drivers. Actually, the WinPE builder uses the BartPE plugin, so the functionality of True Image in both environments is identical - the same executable. Bart created the BartPE environment some years ago when Microsoft severly limited who could get WinPE distributions. Now WinPE is available to anyone.