WinPE bootable media cannot boot (True Image 2021 Update 5 build number 39216)
I recently updated to build 39216 (True Image 2021 Update 5). The Acronis Media Builder creates media without a problem, but if I choose the Advanced > WinPE-based media (64-bit, to match my OS) or the 'Simple' method, the system won't boot. The circling dots of the UEFI startup screen go around endlessly, and it doesn't progress beyond there. However, Linux-based media works fine.
I've tried creating it on two systems, and running it on two systems: one Windows 10 202H, the other Windows 10 2004. Each of the combinations fails:
- creating it on system one and using it on that system
- creating it on the second system and using on the first
- creating it on the first system and using it on the second
- creating it on the second system and using it on that system
On the 202H system I have a third party AV product. Disabling it before running the Media Builder doesn't help. The other system doesn't have third-party AV but relies on Windows Defender.
I was running True Image 2019 before upgrading, and needed to upgrade my boot media because the 2019 media cannot restore backups made with the 2021 version, as I found by experience.
Thankfully, the Linux-based media works fine, despite the awkwardness of it requiring keyboard input.
Thank you, @Enchantech, for your question.
I'm using spinning (not solid state) external drives, and not flash media. One computer only has USB 2.0 ports (it pre-dates 3.x). However, on both computers, it is1-2 minutes of completely blank (black) screen before the spinning dot circle of UEFI startup appears. Once the spinning circle of dots appears, I waited 10-15 minutes before forcing the computer off by holding down the power button.
Compare that with less than 20 seconds for each to completely boot into Windows from an internal drive, or 5 seconds or less before I get the boot menu presented by the Linux-based boot media.
Paul Beam wrote:Thank you, @Enchantech, for your question.
I'm using spinning (not solid state) external drives, and not flash media. One computer only has USB 2.0 ports (it pre-dates 3.x). However, on both computers, it is1-2 minutes of completely blank (black) screen before the spinning dot circle of UEFI startup appears. Once the spinning circle of dots appears, I waited 10-15 minutes before forcing the computer off by holding down the power button.
Compare that with less than 20 seconds for each to completely boot into Windows from an internal drive, or 5 seconds or less before I get the boot menu presented by the Linux-based boot media.
Paul,
Thanks for the further details. Both the Linux media and the WinRE/PE media can be booted on machines using either UEFI or Legacy/CSM (MBR) boot. Can you tell me which method your computers use?
I would assume that it is possible that the Linux version of the boot media may be booting via Legacy (MBR) method and that this is the correct method for your installation of Windows however, If you computers can use either UEFI or Legacy/CSM boot then the WinRE/PE version of the media may be attempting to boot as UEFI due to bios settings of your computers but something is not allowing that to complete.
The media should definitely boot before a lapse of 10 minutes so something is certainly not working here.
Both computers boot in UEFI mode, according to https://kb.acronis.com/content/59877 > Linux-based Bootable Media > 2. Acronis Loader boot menu.
Also, I have used WinPE -based media for years in UEFI mode and it was fine. It's only since upgrading to this version of ATI that I've had a problem.
Use the MVP WinPE media builder to solve your problem.
https://forum.acronis.com/forum/acronis-true-image-2019-forum/mvp-tool-…
I agree with Paul above, give the MVP Media Builder tool a go, I have seen one other post on the Forum where the user had similar issues and I believe the switch to the MVP tool fixed the problem.
Mustang wrote:
Use the MVP WinPE media builder to solve your problem.
https://forum.acronis.com/forum/acronis-true-image-2019-forum/mvp-tool-…
Thank you, Mustang,
I did try your media builder. I was a bit hesitant, as it didn't say it works with ATI 2021 (2018 is the latest version it mentions).
It did create the media, though, and even booted the computer. So far so good. However, when I decided to test to see if it could use my backups, it failed miserably. I chose my most recent backup, and entered the password (since the backup is encrypted by True Image), but then it just showed 'No items to display'.
I decided to try the Bootable Rescue Media Builder > Advanced > WinPE > Windows ADK choice. That was similar, but at least gave me an error message:
"Unsupported File. Error while opening the archive file. The archive format is not supported by this operation." I tried the last full backup. That gave the same error, as did every full version before that, all the way back to June 2020. These are .tib files that are apparently (based on the icons) Files and folders type of backups. I did have two Entire PC type backup .tib files. They were able to be read. Since discovering this, I've done a new Entire PC backup!
So it seems the current version of Acronis True Image cannot open files that previous versions could open without a problem. Where do I report this problem?
I have not tried your MVP WinPE media builder with an Entire PC-type backup.
Paul,
Where are your backups located?
You say that the issue now exists that file/folder backups cannot be opened. This suggests that you have multiple file/folder backups. Are all of these backups created by the same task?
In the above question if that answer is yes, then are you attempting to access and open these backups in the same location as answered in the first question above or, have you moved a backup file to another location/folder and are attempting to open it there?
My backups are on a local USB HDD (which Windows shows as F: when the USB drive is attached), in the original place they were backed up to.
It's interesting to note that from within Windows 10, with the file-based .tib backups
- I can
- Recover files from within the ATI application
- double-click a .tib to find and restore files from it to my C: drive (excruciatingly slow)
- I cannot
- 'mount' a .tib, as I'm told the 'Specified archive cannot be mounted since it contains no partitions.'
From the Rescue Media (either Linux- or WinPE-based), I cannot see or recover backed up content.
Paul,
Using the Rescue Media are you able to navigate to the external drive? Be advised that drive letters can be different in Rescue Media than what is shown in installed Windows.
This may be a situation where your F: drive in Windows is now E: or some other letter.
To answer your question, Enchantech, yes, I can navigate to and select the .tif file of my choice. I've been using True Image for more than ten years (started in 2006, or earlier), so am very familiar with using ATI's Rescue Media through the years. See https://forum.acronis.com/comment/575467#comment-575467 for more detail of what happens.
So it appears to me that there is a bug in ATI 2021's Rescue Media preventing it from understanding what it reads from file-based backups. I upgraded my Rescue Media from ATI's 2019 version because that version could not read the files produced by the 2021 backups: neither file-based nor entirePC-type backups. The 2021 Rescue Media can read and restore 2021 entire PC backups, but not file-based backups made with ATI.
I ran a test of a Files & Folders backup. This was done using TI 2021 build 39216 from Windows. I booted the MVP WinPE media with TI 2021 Build 39216 and was able to recover a file from the backup. I selected recover files and folders and TI was able to see the backup tib file. I right clicked the tib file and selected Recover from the drop down menu. TI was able to see into the backup and display all the files. I was able to select the file I wanted to restore and click Proceed to restore the file to a new selected destination. The recovery was successful.
I see no problem with the recovery media. Have your files & folders backups been made with TI 2019? I didn't test that situation.
Thank you, Mustang. You've just poked a hole in my theory. How dare you! (wink: just joking). It was a dumb oversight on my side, but I'm sure one that is common enough among end users, especially since the backup job was created years ago and doesn't advertise itself as File and Folder method. In fact, the only hint that it is that rather than a partition or full disk backup is the icon, which is only given a name if you go to set up a new job. So while it was a silly human error on my part, TI could be clearer in both identifying the type to the user in the TI Windows interface, and especially in giving a better error message when using the rescue media interface and choosing the wrong type of backup file.
So, yes, I must remember to choose the 'recover files and folders' recovery method when trying to recover the 'files and folder' type backup. I had been using the full disk or partition option, as that's the only kind of backup used on the second system (my daughter's, who is now away at school, so I can't test on her system for the time being). I'll try that when I have time, and report back. I'll try to remember to try it with backups made with TI 2021 and with TI 2019, just to be sure it's backwards compatible.
That does leave the bug with TI 2021's Bootable Rescue Media Builder when choosing the 'Simple' creation method. That seems to be their preferred method, and the one that most people will choose. The fact that it simply won't boot is a serious bug, IMO.
Let us know if you are able to deal with the TI 2019 Files & Folders backups with the TI 2021 media.
As for the Simple media not booting. There are some problems there. First, Acronis doesn't find the correct winre.wim file in the currently used Recovery partition. They search for the file starting at the beginning of the disk. That is wrong because Microsoft leaves the old Recovery partition in place at the beginning of the disk and creates a new Recovery partition at the end of the disk upon Windows upgrades. This became a problem when Acronis added the volsnap upper filter registry entry to fix a issue with Bitlocker systems. Windows 7, Windows 8 and early Windows 10 WinPE won't boot with the volsnap upper filter in place. You can read more about the problem and how to fix it here https://forum.acronis.com/forum/acronis-true-image-2020-forum/how-repair-ti-2020-build-22510-boot-disk-created-windows-7-using-simple-option . They don't seem to be willing to fix these issues.
Thank you, Mustang:
Let us know if you are able to deal with the TI 2019 Files & Folders backups with the TI 2021 media.
Yes, TI 2021 is able to deal with files created with both 2019 and 2021 using the Files & Folders backup method.
As for the Simple media not booting....
Interesting. Thank you for the background and fix.