Skip to main content

Creating WinPE boot drive with Acronis 2016?

Thread needs solution

Hello,

I have Acronis True Image 2016.  I need to create a Win PE boot disc.

 

In Acronis 2016, I went to Tools

Selected Rescue Media Builder

Selected WinPE Based Media with Acronis Plug in

It tells me I need to download - which I did.  It doesn't say where to put it or how to install it.   So I'm stuck as it keeps telling me I need to download it.

0 Users found this helpful

I just found out you need to change the extention on the add on from .3 to .exe - well isn't that obvious and straight forward - WTF?

I told it to make the media on a thumb drive - I'll try booting from it and let you know how it progresses.

OK - I've made it as far as booting off the drive.  I did copy my Intel RAID driver to the thumb drive.   However I don't kknow how to load them so that the Win PE disk sees my drivers so it can see the m.2 disc.

Thanks I've almost got it working!

 

  1. Download the media add in from the rescue link in Acronis (there is a link in 2016 under tools, rescue media builder, winpe)
  2. Change the extension from .3 to exe of the downloadable
  3. Run the executable to install
  4. Go back to tools, rescue media builder
  5. Select your usb drive
  6. After it creates the USB drive, copy your device driver windows to the usb drive
  7. Boot off the thumb drive
  8. At a command prompt, type
    drvload.exe inf_path
    where inf_path is the path to a device driver on the thumb drive (e.g. c:\f6flpy-x64). You can specify multiple paths by separating each inf_path entry with a comma
  9. Now you go to clone disk wizard in WinPE and image!!!!!

 I ran it a second time and it worked fine - no promises about the safety of your data but it did work for me.

Thanks for getting back with that.

Could you please tell me what kind of M.2 drive this was?

Is this by any chance for a Dell XPS 15 9550? I have that laptop and am stuck trying to make a usb rescue media that will work and see both my ssd and my network (I backup to a synology NAS). The standard rescue media builder allows me to create a usb that will boot and provide access to my network and NAS but won't see my SSD. Using the builder to create a Winpe version gets errors when I boot from the usb and doesn't see my ssd or my NAS. I'm getting a bit frustrated with the whole process.

I am not migrating to an SSD, the SSD cam in my system when I bought it. I'm trying to use TI 2016 for backup and recovery purposes. The only major thing that does not work (I do have a few minor issues that I am working thru) is the ability to create a working boot disk/usb.

When you create the USB disk, you'll want to then copy the drivers needed for any additional drives to that disk - e.g. f6flpyNAS, ftflpynvme etc.   Once you boot to the boot disk, you'll have to go to the dos prompt.  Loaddrv c:\f6flpynas etc.   Then once it has loaded the drivers you can get to those drives.

boe dillard

Here it is 10/04/2016, almost a year later. Would you do it and different with the new tools offered by Acronis?

Bob

Acronis default Linux recovery media should see any SATA SSD and as of 2016 v6559 and newer, now also can see emmc flash hard drives and PCIE NVME hard drives too.  

The only time you would need to use WinPE is if your system bios has the SATA mode set to RAID instead of AHCI.  If your system is set to RAID (even if you don't actually have a RAID 0, 1 or 5 configured), WinPE is needed  because Linux does not usually have the necessary RAID controller drivers (not a limitation of Acronis but of the Linux kernel being used).  In cases where RAID is used, then you would need to create WinPE and inject the proper IRST (intel rapid storage technology) drivers so that the RAID controller is detected and can pass the drive information onto the PE OS environment.

You can sign up for a free trial of Acronis 2017 and get access to the default trial bootable Linux recovery .iso and test it on your system.  Keep in mind the limitation of RAID in the bios and if you need to create winPE, use the Windows 10 ADK since it has the best out of the box driver compatibility for other newer hardware like the latest intel NICs too.  You can permanently inject the IRST drivers in your WinPE (if you need to go ths route) so that they are there by default:

https://forum.acronis.com/forum/112372#comment-387006

 

 

Sorry, I should read a bit more accurately. I'm using Windows 10 Pro, Special. I do use the Raid and not the AHCI. Also, I use a Adaptec 8885 Raid CVontroler Card.

>>In cases where RAID is used, then you would need to create WinPE and inject the proper IRST (intel rapid storage technology) <<

Thank's for the perfect info on the raid, (intel rapid storage technology), So many times I see advice, IRST, and not a clue as to what to do next. I can work with this. Your advice must also hold try for the 8885Q, I'm thinking.

Thanks for your help.

Bob

Your Adaptec RAID controller may use drivers other than the Intel ones.  Check their support site to find out.