4Hak3rs

Ever since I purchased my HP MediaSmart Server and configured it just the way I liked it, I searched the web for information on how to make a quick, easy and inexpensive backup. Sure I could use Acronis TrueImage, DriveImage XML, or Ghost, but I wanted something different.

My Windows Home Server came with a Server Recovery Disk that allowed me to Restore my machine to Factory Default, but that’s not a backup.

After trying a few options, including the PXE feature of the Windows Home Server, I was not happy with the complexity involved, especially because I wanted to make it as simple for others, and, I wanted a solution that would allow me to take the backup off-site. Using the built-in backup application that keeps the backup on a separate drive was not a solution for me.

As all of you who own a HP MediaSmart Server know, we already have the ability to restore an image from the Server Recovery Disc DVD using the built-in USB flash drive, which is activated during boot by inserting a paperclip into the small hole next to the front USB port and running the DVD from our PC.

This process runs an application that is on the built-in flash drive that connects to your PC that runs an application from the DVD. This procedure was created because it’s quick and easy, especially on a server that doesn’t have a screen, but it’s only one part of a two part solution. The missing part, of course, is creating an updated image of your Windows Home Server. This is where WHS_IMAGE.EXE comes in.

Booting your Windows Home Server using the built-in flash drive runs WHS_RECOVERY_SERVER.EXE which listens for the application WHSRecovery.exe that you run from the DVD. The thing is that if you run
WHS_IMAGE.EXE from your PC it will create an image from your Windows Home Server instead of restoring it.

Take a look at your Server Recovery Disc, you will see WHSRecovery.exe
the required Dll WHS_RECOVERY_DLL.DLL and a folder called Recovery Image, which has the recovery image partition.table and volume.image

I found the application on the web and put the EXE and required DLL file into this WHS_IMAGE.ZIP file.

[Disclaimer:]The point of this article is to help you out, to make things better for you by showing you how to make a backup, but be careful when you restore your backup. I tested this out and it worked for me. If you follow these instructions, you do so at your own risk. I cannot be held responsible if the information provided messes you up.

To be safe, I actually keep all my data on a separate drive, not a separate partition, but a separate drive. I know of someone who restored his OS and wiped out his data that was on the second partition. If I screw up my restore, I could always restore my machine to the factory default and have Windows redo the PC backups, but if I lose my data, because I didn’t physically remove my data drive, then I’m really not a happy camper. P.S. I even have a DNS-323 that I use as second backup, so take precautions, you wouldn’t want the process of making a backup to cause the lose of all your data.

So,
1) extract the zip file to your pc, let’s say the D: drive in the root
2) open a dos prompt and change to that drive and folder.
3) On your Windows Home Server, reboot it and when the third light flashes, put a paperclip into the small hole next to the front usb port and press the button and release, the light should change colors.
4) Now back on your PC, run WHS_IMAGE /i [path]
where [path] is the name of a folder, not the name of a file, but the name of a folder that already exists, that will contain the files created by this application. so something like
WHS_IMAGE /I D:\Backups
5) If you timed everything correctly, you should get a message saying connecting and a progress number will appear.

If all goes well you will have an updated partition.table and volume.image file that you can even burn to a DVD.
I created an .ISO of the original Server Recovery Disc but replace the above mentioned files with my own and burned the image.

You can even create an 8GB USB key and keep your image on that. Copy the file WHSRecovery.exe from the DVD so that you have everything in one place.

That should be everything, please come back every once-in-a-while to see if I have made any corrections or even added a video.

Good Luck.