My laptop has no network port
I have been a loyal user of Acronis since 2011 and it has saved me several times. The computer I purchased four years ago has no dedicated RJ45 port and I use a Belkin dongle to access a wired network. I just had a catastrophic failure of my 512 GB SSD drive. Totally dead. "No worries" think I, as I have my rescue media built and in my fire proof safe and I have my backups (full images) daily on my offsite network server with RAID plus my NAS system at my home. I ordered a new SSD and installed, then booted to my rescue media. It can't see my network! I even went so far as to use the F11 "e" option at boot, disabled quiet mode and then accessed your Linux library in an attempt to hack into it and add a driver. After several hours of fruitless folly, in desparation I lucked into a search phrase on google that got me to your WinPE system document. I followed the directions and still no network. Sooooo, I next had to copy the latest backup from the server down to a local USB 4GB that I use for backups of important files at my desktop between full backups, (yes, I am Anal about my data), I was finally able to get going. My question is, why did it have to be so hard? More and more computers are coming without an RJ45 jack, I checked, and of the last 3 laptops I have purchased for my engineers none have them. All of them must use a dongle or wireless to access the world. My new workstaion that I just ordered when this went down doesn't have one either.
It would be nice if you could make your recue media software smart enough to look at the current machine configuration, have the WinPE included in your basic install package, then as it made the winPE version of the rescue media it could notice how you are connected to the network/internet and copy the necessary drivers into the package.
Every other time I've had a crash I have had a network port and, hence, no problems. This whole experience has been very frustrating.
Again, I'm not savaging your software as it is awesome on the whole, this just has been a nerve wracking day and a half and I'm really afraid that someone not lucky enough, and persistent enough, to find the WinPe page, would give up and figure they got hosed.
I hope you can do something to help this problem soon.
David Vogel
Thank you for your reply. I already use a Belkin dongle for my wired connection, I only use wireless at home, but use the same dongle when I need to transfer large files faster than is possible with wireless. I just have to stand in my equipment room and plug directly into my router. The major problem is that WinPE did not recognize the network through the dongle. It saw the dongle and powered it up, just wouldn't try to log on or ask for a password. The dongle is also my extra USB ports and I had the rescue WinPE version and the USB hard drive plugged into it. It restored fine that way. it would be much e convenient if it would be able to take the next step and see my wired (not wireless) connection. Like I say, I have recovered it, it just was tons and pounds harder than it is when I had a RJ45 integrated into the motherboard. In your post you mention the " Killer e2200 Gigabit Ethernet Controller " dongle and the custom builder app. Will the app function with any dongle or just the one he recommends?
Thank you,
Dave
David, the MVP Custom PE Builder tool can extract device drivers from your system where you run it and include these in the rescue media plus there is also an option with the tool to map a network drive if you wish to use it.
Thank you for your help. I'll get the kit and make them for everyone.
Dave