9 replies to this topic

[DrZharn]

File Name: DriveImage XML
File Submitter: DrZharn
File Submitted: 29 Aug 2011
File Category: App scripts

DriveImage XML is a tool for cloning drives. This script is based off the BartPE plugin found at
http://www.runtime.org/peb.htm
Works with or without VSS. however it works better with VSS.

Doc

Click here to download this file

[littlepoor]

can you point me to a working script for vss support

[dera]

http://reboot.pro/14...post__p__135537

[Wonko the Sane]

Works with or without VSS. however it works better with VSS.

May I ask what "better" means?
If you run it from a PE there is no need whatsoever AFAIK for shadowing the source volume (which is already non-booted/offline).
Or if you prefer the use of VSS is actually needed when you have the source volume booted (normal install) but doesn't make much sense when you are running "another" OS from "another" volume.
The only possible use of VSS from a PE I can imagine is if you have the PE installed to the same volume that you want to backup.


Wonko

[DrZharn]

Wonko Here is some information that may help you.

[Wonko - "May I ask what "better" means?"]
Better as in, it is faster with VSS installed and running.

[Wonko - "The only possible use of VSS from a PE I can imagine is if you have the PE installed to the same volume that you want to backup."]
dsk2vhd also needs VSS to work and can be used in PE. Driveimage can use it for faster backup times.

And before you ask I made a plugin for dsk2vhd However I do not use it. In my environment i need to backup a computer and open that image for possible file extraction.
a dsk2vhd image is in VHD format and can be mounted as a drive. However if you backup an infected system then make that image live on a fresh system..... Well you see the issue.

BTW I like the {Wonko the Sane} tag :-)

[Wonko the Sane]

dsk2vhd also needs VSS to work and can be used in PE. Driveimage can use it for faster backup times.

And before you ask I made a plugin for dsk2vhd However I do not use it. In my environment i need to backup a computer and open that image for possible file extraction.
a dsk2vhd image is in VHD format and can be mounted as a drive. However if you backup an infected system then make that image live on a fresh system..... Well you see the issue.

BTW I like the {Wonko the Sane} tag :-)

Good to know.
I thought that speed "bottleneck" was in the size of chunks transferred and in the actual HD/media speed, and that the locking mechanism was irrelevant.

It is possible that somehow VSS provides a sort of "cache" or whatrever that speeds up transfers?

But if it's all about speed, you can use alright any "fastish" dd-like tool you may have around/be familiar with and then add to the RAW image the VHD footer (though it is entirely unneeded to have the image as .vhd if the scope is that of mounting the image, the only use for using the .vhd format over a plain RAW image is IMHO to use it in VirtualPC or with windows n "native boot").
JFYI, Clonedisk can directly do this (and it uses not VSS) but cannot say whether this approach is faster or slower than another app :
http://reboot.pro/15244/


Wonko

[littlepoor]

i tried the script with win7SP1 as source and still keeep getting errors:

>vssadmin.exe List Shadows
vssadmin 1.1 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
© Copyright 2001-2005 Microsoft Corp.
Contents of shadow copy set ID: {8338db3d-e0cc-4b6a-a07b-4f2d3338112d}
Contained 1 shadow copies at creation time: 23.07.2011 16:21:20
Error: The shadow copy provider had an unexpected error while trying to process
the specified command.

>vssadmin.exe List ShadowStorage
vssadmin 1.1 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
© Copyright 2001-2005 Microsoft Corp.
Error: The shadow copy provider had an unexpected error while trying to process
the specified command.

>vssadmin.exe List Volumes
vssadmin 1.1 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
© Copyright 2001-2005 Microsoft Corp.
Error: The shadow copy provider had an unexpected error while trying to process
the specified command.

vssadmin.exe List Writers
shows no errors

DriveImage XML v2.30 still cant access vss

@dera
can you please check the commands and tell me if you got errors too ?
i can not get it to work

any ideas?

[dera]

I used 'Windows 7 Ultimate with SP1 x86 English' source
(SP1-U Media Refresh version was used)
in my build the 'Components\MS Visual C++ Runtimes (2005/2008)' - VcRunTimes.script is enabled



DriveImage XML seems works - does not complain for VSS





Regards,
dera

[littlepoor]

thx for the information, with Win7PE_SE_2011_07_22 und Win7x86 SP1 it is working, but not in my full build.
i hope i find out why.

[AYColumbia]

Thank you very much for this script. I used this app for all my backups in UBCD4Win and am glad to see it here for this PE environment.

I've updated the script to include the latest 2.30 version. I hope that was all right. Download script with DriveImage XML 2.30.