How to make a bootable CD to automate backup and avoid the GUI

In other words, I want to avoid the GUI. The CD would simply boot and run the backup / restore.

The Server is Citrix Xenserver 5.5

Can I do that with v10?

The 9.5 version included a DOS executable called trueimagecmddos.exe
With this file you can take the tib files made with the bootable rescue media and place them on a DVD along with the executable. Then make this disk a bootable windows 98 disk and edit the autoexec.bat file to call the executable with a deploy parameter, the location of the tib file and the target for example:
acronis.exe /deploy /harddisk:1 /target_harddisk:1 /filename:%CDROM%:\mybackup.tib

i renamed the executable to acronis because trueimagecmddos.exe was too long and gets truncated when burned using my DVD burning software.

THIS METHOD WILL NOT WORK WITH ACRONIS 10
they stopped shipping Acronis with the trueimagecmddos.exe, there is a trueimagecmd.exe but this only works in windows environments, not DOS. I know for certain that 9.5 has it and heard that it was released in the Echo line till 9.7

Hi,
I tried your method but I did not have any luck with the script. I would really appreciate your help on to how to make a bootable CD to automate backup and avoid the GUI

Thanks a lot,
Roberto

Does your cd boot into a dos environment when you boot from it? Once it drops you into a command prompt type that line in my comment and see if it restores to the disk. If it does, then it's just a matter of editing the autoexec.bat file to run that command instead of droping you to a command prompt.

yes, I could boot up but the autoexec.bat did not work ....
I am just trying to overwrite existing HDD wit my saved .tib image

try this as your autoexec.bat after renaming your executable to acronis.exe:

@ECHO OFF

set EXPAND=YES

SET DIRCMD=/O:N

set LglDrv=27 * 26 Z 25 Y 24 X 23 W 22 V 21 U 20 T 19 S 18 R 17 Q 16 P 15

set LglDrv=%LglDrv% O 14 N 13 M 12 L 11 K 10 J 9 I 8 H 7 G 6 F 5 E 4 D 3 C

cls

call setramd.bat %LglDrv%

set temp=c:\

set tmp=c:\

path=%RAMD%:\;a:\;%CDROM%:\

copy command.com %RAMD%:\ > NUL

set comspec=%RAMD%:\command.com

copy extract.exe %RAMD%:\ > NUL

%RAMD%:\extract /y /e /l %RAMD%: ebd.cab > NUL

LH %ramd%:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd001 /L:%CDROM%

%CDROM%:acronis.exe /deploy /harddisk:1 /target_harddisk:1 /filename:%CDROM%:\backup.tib

EXIT

Hi Rigel,
it took me some time to try creating the restore DVD again. I've been busy with so many projects and finally I got some spare time.
I created the Windows 98 SE bootup diskette using this KB http://support.microsoft.com/kb/187632

I used the autoexec.bat as you posted above. I created a bootable DVD using trueimagecmddos.exe renamed as acronis.exe, backup.tib and the boot.img. When the PC booted up from the floppy disk I got that old menu if I want to boot up with or without CD-ROM support.
I picked with CD-ROM support and at one point it said that I don't have a FAT or FAT32 partition and it could not open my image ....(3.9GB - larger than the 2GB FAT32 limit).

What I am doing wrong?
Thanks a lot.

I use the Windows 98 OEM bootdisk maker from this site http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm and then replace their autoexec.bat file with the one I posted. Then I use that floppy as my boot img for my CD/DVD where I dump the tib and acronis.exe

Sorry, I tried using the Win98 CD and I ended up using the same site like you, the only difference is that I used the SE version.
So you had no problem with the NTFS, correct?

Hi Rigel,
I tried again using the Windows 98 OEM bootdisk and I got the same error:

WINDOWS 98 HAS DETECTED THAT DRIVE C DOES NOT CONTAIN A VALID FAT OR FAT32 PARTITION.
At the end MSCDEX get loaded (version 2.25)
Drive D: =Driver MSCD001 unit 0
Failed to open image archive.

I sent you a PM with my e-mail address just in case.
Thanks a lot.