36 replies to this topic

[Arvy]

Has anyone come up with a working LiveXP (or other) plugin for the newly released version 11 of Acronis Disk Director? I'm just about ready to toss this so-called "upgrade" in the garbage and revert back to DD10 for several reasons.

The Acronis DD11 release package includes files that they claim will work in a Windows preinstallation environment, but I've had no success at all with "translating" their .INF file into a usable LiveXP plugin. Both of my DD10 PE and TrueImage PE plugins work fine, but when I attempt to run the DD11 executable from a LiveXP build, it just sits there doing absolutely nothing at all. No functionality, no error message -- NOTHING!

Incidentally, for anyone else who may be tempted to "upgrade" from DD10 to DD11, my advice would be don't. The latter version is missing several features (disk editor, etc.) that were included in the former. Looks to me like another one of Acronis' recent crippled "home" packages designed as a marketing "teaser" ploy to get people to buy a fully functional "professional" package. Great way to double the corporate profits - NOT!
__
EDIT: I've just noticed that the .INF file included with the Acronis DD11 release specifies copying MachineInstanceProvider.dll to the PE build, but that file is nowhere to be found in the DD11 release package. I suppose that might account for at least a part of the application's start-up problem in the Windows preinstallation environement, although it is also absent from the primary DD11 installation on my hard drive which seems to work okay.

[dera]

 dd11.7z   3.4KB   1434 downloads

[Arvy]

Thanks, dera. That works.

Now I just have to figure out what stupid mistake or omission I was making. I got the DD11's license pickup okay, but I think I may not have added its path to the environment as you did. Either that or my use of DirCopy to replace a lot of those individual FileCopy items resulted in some mislocations.

Anyhow, you got it! Thanks again.
__

P.S.: I hope you won't mind, but on the very likely supposition that other Acronis DD11 users may be having similar problems, I've linked to this thread from the relevant item in the Acronis forums.

[Arvy]

For the curious among you, my problem was none of my above guesses. It was my silly assumption that ANY modern Windows application, especially one intended for use in a preinstallation environment, would be designed to handle registry entries specifying component paths based on Windows environment variables (e.g., %SystemDrive%). Acronis TrueImage and DD10 can. DD11 can't!

DD11 doesn't mind using REG_EXPAND_SZ (0x2) registry entries as such. It just can't handle any environment variables contained therein. The system drive and/or program drive letters must be specified explicitly. So it's back to the old RegAddBoot approach for all of its PE builds I guess.

SHEESH! I wonder what "improvements" Acronis will come up with for their next "upgrade".

[Arvy]

For others who may prefer the RegAddBoot approach over using a particular drive letter specified by the script itself, the following substitutions are needed in dera's script.

In the HKU section:

RegAddBoot,HKLM,0x1,"SOFTWARE\Acronis\DiskDirector","RecoveryExpertPath","%PE_Programs%\%ProgramFolder%\RecoveryExpert.exe"

RegAddBoot,HKLM,0x1,"SOFTWARE\Acronis\DiskDirector\CommonComponents","fnls.dll","%PE_Programs%\%ProgramFolder%\fnls.dll"

RegAddBoot,HKLM,0x1,"SOFTWARE\Acronis\DiskDirector\CommonComponents","ftrace.dll","%PE_Programs%\%ProgramFolder%\ftrace.dll"

RegAddBoot,HKLM,0x1,"SOFTWARE\Acronis\DiskDirector\CommonComponents","icu38.dll","%PE_Programs%\%ProgramFolder%\icu38.dll"

RegAddBoot,HKLM,0x1,"SOFTWARE\Acronis\DiskDirector\CommonComponents","rpc_client.dll","%PE_Programs%\%ProgramFolder%\rpc_client.dll"

RegAddBoot,HKLM,0x1,"SOFTWARE\Acronis\DiskDirector\CommonComponents","resource.dll","%PE_Programs%\%ProgramFolder%\resource.dll"

RegAddBoot,HKLM,0x1,"SOFTWARE\Acronis\DiskDirector\CommonComponents","gc.dll","%PE_Programs%\%ProgramFolder%\gc.dll"

RegAddBoot,HKLM,0x1,"SOFTWARE\Acronis\DiskDirector\CommonComponents","thread_pool.dll","%PE_Programs%\%ProgramFolder%\thread_pool.dll"

RegAddBoot,HKLM,0x1,"SOFTWARE\Acronis\DiskDirector\CommonComponents","ntmsapia.dll","%PE_Programs%\%ProgramFolder%\ntmsapia.dll"

RegAddBoot,HKLM,0x1,"SOFTWARE\Acronis\DiskDirector\CommonComponents","libcrypto9.dll","%PE_Programs%\%ProgramFolder%\libcrypto9.dll"

RegAddBoot,HKLM,0x1,"SOFTWARE\Acronis\DiskDirector\CommonComponents","libssl9.dll","%PE_Programs%\%ProgramFolder%\libssl9.dll"

RegAddBoot,HKLM,0x1,"SOFTWARE\Acronis\DiskDirector\CommonComponents","events_trace.dll","%PE_Programs%\%ProgramFolder%\events_trace.dll"

RegAddBoot,HKLM,0x1,"SOFTWARE\Acronis\DiskDirector\CommonComponents","core_workers_shared_context.dll","%PE_Programs%\%ProgramFolder%\core_workers_shared_context.dll"

RegAddBoot,HKLM,0x1,"SOFTWARE\Acronis\DiskDirector\Settings","WorkingDir","%PE_Programs%\%ProgramFolder%"

RegAddBoot,HKLM,0x1,"SOFTWARE\Acronis\DiskDirector\Settings","SystemInfoPath","%PE_Programs%\%ProgramFolder%\systeminfo.exe"

RegAddBoot,HKLM,0x1,"SOFTWARE\Acronis\WinPE","A43","%PE_Programs%\%ProgramFolder%\A43\A43.exe"

And in the HKLM section:

RegAddBoot,HKLM,0x1,"SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\mms","ImagePath","%PE_Programs%\%ProgramFolder%\mmsBundle.dll"

So far as I can determine, when those RegAddBoot items are used, adding the DD11 program folder to the Windows search path is not necessary.

[dera]

adding the DD11 program folder to the Windows search path is not necessary.

yes, i think you are right
i left it in my script because the 'Acronis Media Builder' (type: Windows PE 2.x/3.0) adds this folder to the 'Path', too

[AMG]

Hello

I have Acronis Disk Director Home (V 11.0 build 216) and will file list for plugin folder and acronisdd.inf and acronisdd_nu2menu.xml for BartPe/PEBuilder !!!
Please Help me and sorry my english ist not perfect i come from germany !!!

[dera]

 dd11_BartPE.7z   3.19KB   1397 downloads

Edited by dera, 12 August 2010 - 09:31 AM.

[AMG]

Thanks dera !!!
I have testet for my BartPe NO starting DD11 then starting my TrueImage10 why ???

[dera]

The above posted BartPE plugin works for me in a plain BartPE.
In my build i have no other acronis plugin
i mean i have no additional TrueImage plugin only this Disk Director 11

Can dd11 start if you run not the TrueImage_starter.exe but the ManagementConsole.exe?

[AMG]

Hi dera

Yes i have Acronis True Image (V 13.0 build 7046) and Acronis Disk Director Home (V 11.0 build 216) !!!
I have edit your acronisdd_nu2menu.xml :
[codebox]<!-- Nu2Menu entry --> <NU2MENU> <MENU ID="Storage"> <MITEM TYPE="ITEM" DISABLED="@Not(@FileExists(@GetProgramDrive()\Programs\Acronis\ManagementConsole.exe))" CMD="RUN" FUNC="@GetProgramDrive()\Programs\Acronis\ManagementConsole.exe">Acronis DiskDirector</MITEM>
</MENU>
</NU2MENU>[/codebox]
and have tested no result no started DD11 !!!

[dera]

then try to separate the programs folders
i mean e.g. in the dd11 .inf and .xml
use 'Programs\Acronis\DD11' instead of 'Programs\Acronis'

post #8 edited

[AMG]

Thanks dera you are the best !!!
The problem is my path sorry working perfect !!!

[Arvy]

Ah, I see that you did follow my reference here from the Acronis forum. Your answers there made me think that you had rejected that suggestion and were following the old Acronis DD10 instructions which definitely will not work for DD11.

Anyhow, all's well that ends well. Glad you got it working.

[AMG]

Hi dera

I will registred for my BertPE DD11 we make it this ???

[codebox];LICENSE [Software.AddReg] 0x1, "Acronis\DiskDirector","home","Copy and paste your key here"[/codebox] "enterprise"="home" and key ??? I have tested key = xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx ---> my regkey not works and tested key = HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Acronis\DiskDirector\MMS\Configuration\License ---> CurrentConfiguration "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx..." not works !!!

Can you help me please ???

[AMG]

Hello Arvy

Sorry thanks for info you are the best !!!

[Arvy]

No problem. The only thing that matters is to get it working for you.

I'm not dera, but as I told you elsewhere, you want the value from your registry for the Aconis\DiskDirector "enterprise" entry. It gets entered into exactly the same place in the registry for your PE build. For a Bart PEBuilder .inf file, that would be done as follows:

[Software.AddReg]

0x1, "Acronis\DiskDirector", "enterprise", " xx xx ....(etc.).... "

[dera]

"enterprise"="home" and key ???

No

use
;LICENSE
[Software.AddReg]
0x1, "Acronis\DiskDirector","enterprise","Copy and paste your key here"

use the key from HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Acronis\DiskDirector ---> enterprise

[AMG]

I have no this path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Acronis\DiskDirector ---> enterprise ???
Is this a problem for WIN7 64Bit ???

[dera]

then try to read the license key from the reg. key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Acronis\DiskDirector ---> enterprise

[AMG]

Hi

I have found the key -> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Acronis\Acronis Disk Director\Settings -> key
See Picture ---> http://www.sevenforu...;pictureid=2854
I have search complete registry not found DD enterprise !!!
I have tested the key no activated DD11 !!!

[AMG]

I have this tested
[codebox];LICENSE [Software.AddReg] 0x1, "Acronis\Acronis Disk Director\Settings","key"," xxxx xx xx xxxxx xx xxxxxxx ...."[/codebox] NO activated DD11 !!!

[Arvy]

Whatever you may find under Acronis\Acronis Disk Director\Settings will NOT help you at all with DD11. It appears that at least a part of your confusion may be due to having previously installed DD10 and not having removed it completely. In any case, whatever the reason, that "key" entry is NOT what you want. DD11 doesn't use it at all.

A proper and successful installation of DD11 onto your local machine hard drive should normally uninstall all those old DD10 entries and install DD11's "enterprise" registration instead, along with that WinPE sub-folder and files that I mentioned to you previously. But if, in fact, you do not have DD11 installed properly and working successfully on your hard drive, you're going to have a very difficult time setting up a fully functional DD11 inclusion in any PE build.

I thought you said in the Acronis forum that you had it working "perfectly." Did I misunderstand your comment again? Both dera and I would like very much to help you, but the complete picture of your situation is somewhat unclear. Could you post another link showing your registry's Wow6432Node\Acronis\DiskDirector expanded instead of Wow6432Node\Acronis\Acronis Disk Director.

[AMG]

My problem is starting my BartPE DD11 then is a DEMO version !!!
I will full version for BartPE DD11 !!!
My path in the registry is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Acronis\Acronis Disk Director\Settings !!!
----------
Demo version information
The demo version of Acronis Disk Director is fully functional except for the following limitations:
Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2010 11
- All volume operations can be performed on volumes whose initial and resulting size is not larger than 100 MB. Operations on volumes whose size is larger than 100 MB cannot be committed.
- The following disk operations can be committed only if each volume on the disk is not larger than 100 MB:
- MBR to GPT (p. 42) and vice versa (p. 43) disk conversion;
- Basic to dynamic (p. 43) and vice versa (p. 44) disk conversion;
- Clone basic disk (p. 41); you can proportionally increase the volumes on the target disk, but none of them will exceed 100 MB.
----------
I have a NOKIA 3720 classic on the SD-Card is BartPE. When i repair the PC's for my friends then starting the PC on my handy and working !!!

[Arvy]

Aha! That certainly would explain the absence of any "enterprise" registration.

Yes, I would think you'll need the fully registered version for any serious purpose. That 100MB limitation makes the demo pretty much useless for anything other than a "first glance" in today's world of drive hardware.

And, if you'll take my advice, it's usually wise to uninstall ANY old software before installing new versions, no matter what the promotional material may tell you. Saves a lot of conflicts and confusion in my experience, and you can always put it back again if you change your mind.