[Ran]

Guys,

Nota bene: I want to be careful with this disussion in respect to WSG rules, but I think the following should be fine as it it does seem MS has discssions like this on its own forums, in fact with MS moderators participating in discussions. Mods please let me know if anytime on this thread goes over the line. This is not about sharing a recovery disk, but about making one as per MS recommendations for OEM builders like us.

From what I have read creating a recovery disk sooner rather than later is a good idea. HP and ACer ship recovery disks.

Apparently MS recommends OEM builders (like us) create one too. On the Microsoft forums itself there are instructions, encoruaged and with participation of microsoft moderators.

Here are two discussions, one general and one specific:

http://social.micros...c9-053bbb6db848

http://social.micros...0f-49782bdcbfdc

As OEM builders using the intel box, which is what I am and many of us are, those of us headless are a bit stymied, but as an academic exercise someone doing it with a monitor and keyboard could create their recovery disk, which would then work on any OEM install to the ss4200e, given the fact that we are on the same hardware.

I would not suggest sharing it, as that may not be allowed, but I certainly would like to discuss doing it here.

Is there anyone with a non headless install that can do the procedure in the second link there and produce the needed recovery disk. I would do it, but I don't have a pci card an and adapter. It does involve reinstall for a person creating such a disk, as anyone who has used their wHS has gone past point f no return for creation of recovery, as noted in instructions on second link.


Again, I don't wish to discuss sharing the recovery disk, but rather encourage someone who has a pci card to make it , and report any success. I think one person doing this successfully could share their opinions and insights to the great benfit of the rest of us.


Thanks

[Dave Marchant (WGS)]

Discussion on how to create a recovery disk fits fine within the Forum rules, and could be considered as a prime subject as WHS really is an OEM product. I don't think we would have issues with that at all.

[Ran]

Additional info. The scaleo with WHS apparently used a combination of a DOM and a custom WHS recovery disk that went into a client machine.

Here are the (not enough) details of how they did it (accept the license and download the pdf):
http://support.ts.fu...01-7FDDFF99844D

I don't know that we could duplicate that since it would involve a) finding a copy of the DOM software and b: their specific and unique WHS recovery; and in any case that may well all be/is copyright protected and not legal to use, and the point of being understanding their method if better and/or necessary.

But it does raise an interesting question: if the hard disk has any boot record at all I think it goes ide, hdd, usb in preferences and although I am no expert on the bios, we would need to figure out some way around to use usb or client pc or exploit the ide/dom.

Thoughts?

[Kenton]

I'm interested in creating one too. I did create a PING backup of the 20 gig SYS partition on the first drive in my system after I had it up and running so worse comes to worse I can always remove the hard drive again and restore it on another machine. There is a way to create an unattended installation DVD so I suspect I could create a rescue thumb drive too. But the idea of using the correct tools sounds better.

[Ran]

oh no. apparently what is on the Fujitsu WHS machines' dom to allow recovery creation and use on a client PC is "Windows PE" (WINPE or Windows Prep) which you can only get if you are a volume OEM purchaser.

I believe this makes recovery replicating Fujitsu's method problematic.

[Drashna Jaelre (WGS)]

If you have or get ahold of the WHS OEM Preinstallation Kit disk, it comes with the WinPE stuff to create a recovery disk. And instructions.

[GS_Schimpf]

I have the original Scaleo Recovery Disc that came shipping with my Scaleo. Only problem is, that it contains an "old" version with PP1 only. I would also be interested in a way to update this recovery disc to an actual state with PP3 and all actual updates.
Any clue on how to accomplish that?

[Ran]

Drashna (WGS), on 27 January 2010 - 10:44 AM, said:

If you have or get ahold of the WHS OEM Preinstallation Kit disk, it comes with the WinPE stuff to create a recovery disk. And instructions.

Dasha, thanks. Do you think someone would still need to build out something for a DOM with drivers through WINPE. If not why did Fujitsu go that route of using a DOM?
I did happen to find over the transom an image of Fujitsu DOM.

[Tly]

Drashna (WGS), on 27 January 2010 - 10:44 AM, said:

If you have or get ahold of the WHS OEM Preinstallation Kit disk, it comes with the WinPE stuff to create a recovery disk. And instructions.

What's the Preinstallation Kit disk? My WHS package came with 3 discs, install, recovery, and connector. Is it different than those?

Tks.

[Ran]

Tly, on 27 January 2010 - 07:54 PM, said:

What's the Preinstallation Kit disk? My WHS package came with 3 discs, install, recovery, and connector. Is it different than those?Tks.

"OPK" or OEM preinstallation kits come with purchases of bulk or at least three or more OEM licenses. Otherwise if hisotry is any lesson it is "around" in the "usual places"

[RebelGTP]

Is it legal to rip the WHS OPK to ISO for hosting here? I have it, along with the whole OEM packaging/materials (which wasn't much anyways)

[Dave Marchant (WGS)]

RebelGTP, on 29 January 2010 - 03:37 AM, said:

Is it legal to rip the WHS OPK to ISO for hosting here? I have it, along with the whole OEM packaging/materials (which wasn't much anyways)

I am afraid we cannot host that here as there are distribution restrictions on the product as far as I am aware.

[Tly]

If someone with the HP WHS box made a recovery disc for themselves, would it theoretically work for our Fujitsu boxes?

[ObiYawn]

I wonder if anyone has made any progress in creating a set of recovery discs for the Scaleo or at least coming up with a set of instructions of how to create a set yourself.