Recovery Media Creation Guide

Based on
Active Backup for Business 2.4.0

1
 Table of
Contents

Introduction  01
About Recovery Media Creation

Method 1: Automatically Create Recovery Media  02

Summary
System Requirements and Supported Media Types
Create USB Recovery Media
Create ISO Recovery Media
Cancel Recovery Media or Troubleshoot Failure

Method 2: Manually Create Recovery Media  08

Summary
Create Recovery Media with the Windows ADK
Pack Recovery Media
Boot Recovery Media (ISO Image or USB Drive)

Create Recovery Media for a Linux Device  23

Summary

Appendix  24
Get WinRE
Copy Drivers
Install Drivers
Find your information Configure Resolution
Configure Language Settings
Synology publishes a wide range of supporting
documentation. Add Certificate to WinPE Image

In Knowledge Center, you will find useful Help and FAQ

articles, as well as video tutorials breaking up processes
into handy steps. You can also find User's Guides, Solution
Guides, brochures, and White Papers. Experienced users and
administrators will find answers and guidance in technical
Administrator's Guides and Developer Guides.
Got a problem and unable to find the solution in our official
documentation? Search hundreds of answers by users and
support staff in Synology Community or reach Synology
Support through the web form, email or telephone.
Introduction

Introduction

About Recovery Media Creation

Synology's all-in-one backup solution, Active Backup for Business, supports the backing up of
physical devices including Windows PCs and Windows or Linux servers. If you would like to
restore an entire device, recovery media can be created by using this solution.

For Windows devices, there are two methods that can be used to do this, depending on your
device settings. For automatic recovery media creation, the device you use to create the media
must have identical language and region settings to the device you intend to restore, as well
as run the same Windows version and drivers. Manual recovery media creation is available
for 32-bit systems, as well as devices that do not meet the conditions for creating automatic
recovery media.

For Linux devices, instructions on how to create recovery media will also be provided in this
guide.

The following chapters provide a step-by-step guide on how to create recovery media for your
device.

01
 Method 1: Automatically Create Recovery Media

Method 1: Automatically Create Recovery

Media

Summary

Synology Active Backup for Business Recovery Media Creator is a desktop tool that can
be used with Active Backup for Business. This tool is designed for administrators to create
recovery media for bare-metal or volume-level restores. Administrators can use this tool if the
device intended to create the recovery media is running a 64-bit version of Windows and has
the same language and region settings, as well as the same Windows versions and drivers as
the device intended to be restored. If the device intended to be restored does not meet these
conditions, refer to Method 2: Manually Create Recovery Media for more details.

Visit the Synology Download Center to download this tool and use it to create recovery
media if all of the default settings do not need to be changed and no further customization
is necessary. Synology Active Backup for Business Recovery Wizard does not need to
be additionally installed as it is embedded in the Synology Active Backup for Business
Recovery Media Creator. The following sections will guide you through how to use this tool.

System Requirements and Supported Media Types

System Requirements
• Windows 7 (all editions)

• Windows 10 (all editions)

• Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1

Supported Media Types

A USB drive:
• Required capacity: 1 GB

• Required local system volume storage capacity for temporary files: 2.5 GB

• Supported recovery model: UEFI 64-bit

An ISO image:
• Required capacity: 1 GB

• Required local system volume storage capacity for temporary files: 2.5 GB

• Supported recovery model: Legacy/UEFI 64-bit

02
Method 1: Automatically Create Recovery Media

Create USB Recovery Media

1. Insert a USB drive with at least 1 GB capacity.

2. Launch Synology Active Backup for Business Recovery Media Creator and select USB
media.

Windows ADK Installation

A pop-up notification will appear if no Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows
ADK) is detected. Click Download and the wizard will guide you through the Windows ADK
installation process.

Deployment Tools and Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) must be

installed to build recovery media (see the image on the next page). Installing Windows
ADK may take a few minutes. If you want to download the Windows ADK in advance, we
recommend downloading version 1803.

Notes:

• Starting with Windows 10 (version 1809), Windows Preinstallation Environment

(Windows PE) is released separately from Windows ADK. To create recovery media,
both the Windows ADK and WinPE packs need to be downloaded and installed. For more
information, please refer to Microsoft's article, Create bootable WinPE media.
• Internet connection must be available when downloading and installing Windows ADK. If
you cannot use the online ADK installer, refer to Microsoft's article, Install the Windows
ADK offline.
• WinPE for Windows 10 (version 1803) is suggested for the download and installation
through the Windows ADK. To check its compatibility with your device, you can refer to
Microsoft's article, What’s New in Windows PE.

03
 Method 1: Automatically Create Recovery Media

Select the Target USB Drive

All of the detected USB drives will be listed in the drop-down menu on Synology Active Backup
for Business Recovery Media Creator. Please select a target USB drive and then click Create to
start the automated recovery media process. This action cannot be undone once the creation
process of USB media has started.

Time Zone and Language

Synology Active Backup for Business Recovery Media Creator automatically detects and
applies the local time zone and language to the created recovery media. The default settings
will be applied if the local time zone and language cannot be detected. The default time zone
is Pacific Standard Time (PST), and the default language is English. Time zone settings may
affect the backup time of the recovery media version shown in the Synology Active Backup
for Business Recovery Wizard.

04
Method 1: Automatically Create Recovery Media

Boot Recovery Media

1. After recovery media has been created, a message will appear on the progress bar at the
bottom of the tool.

2. Click Finish to open the directory for storing the ISO image. You can either mount the
image onto the virtual machine intended for restoration, or burn the image onto a disk by
using a third-party tool and insert the disk into the device that you want to restore.

3. Reboot the device and press F2 to enter the BIOS mode. This hotkey may vary according to
different vendors.

4. Navigate to the Boot tab and prioritize the order of Removable Devices (for USB).

5. Exit the setup process and you will be directed to Synology Active Backup for Business
Recovery Wizard, which will start the recovery process automatically.

Note:

Synology Active Backup for Business Recovery Wizard does not need to be additionally
installed as it is embedded in Synology Active Backup for Business Recovery Media
Creator.

Create ISO Recovery Media

System volume of at least 2.5 GB is required for creating recovery media in ISO format because
creating an ISO image itself will occupy 1 GB, and the temporary files will occupy the remaining
1.5 GB. Afterward, launch Synology Active Backup for Business Recovery Media Creator
and select ISO media.

05
 Method 1: Automatically Create Recovery Media

Windows ADK Installation

A pop-up notification will appear if no Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows
ADK) is detected. Click Download and the wizard will guide you through the Windows ADK
installation process.

Deployment Tools and Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) must be

installed to build recovery media. Installing Windows ADK may take a few minutes. If you want
to download the Windows ADK in advance, we recommend downloading version 1803.

Notes:

• Starting with Windows 10 (version 1809), Windows Preinstallation Environment

(Windows PE) is released separately from Windows ADK. To create recovery media,
both the Windows ADK and WinPE packs need to be downloaded and installed. For more
information, please refer to Microsoft's article, Create bootable WinPE media.
• Internet connection must be available when downloading and installing Windows ADK. If
you cannot use the online ADK installer, refer to Microsoft's article Install the Windows
ADK offline.
• WinPE for Windows 10 (version 1803) is suggested for the download and installation
through the Windows ADK. To check its compatibility with your device, you can refer to
Microsoft's article What’s New in Windows PE.

06
Method 1: Automatically Create Recovery Media

Specify the ISO Image Path

To create ISO media, please define the directory for storing the recovery media once it is ready
in ISO format. Click to browse and select the target directory.

Time Zone and Language

Synology Active Backup for Business Recovery Media Creator automatically detects and
applies the local time zone and language to the created recovery media. The default settings
will be applied if the local time zone and language cannot be detected. The default time zone
is Pacific Standard Time (PST), and the default language is English. Time zone settings may
affect the backup time of the recovery media version shown in Synology Active Backup for
Business Recovery Wizard.

Boot Recovery Media

1. After recovery media has been created, a message will appear on the progress bar at the
bottom of the tool.

2. Click Finish to open the directory for storing the ISO image. You can either mount the
image onto the virtual machine intended for restoration, or burn the image onto a disk by
using a third-party tool and insert the disk into the device that you want to restore.

3. Reboot the device and press F2 to enter the BIOS mode. This hotkey may vary according to
different vendors.

4. Navigate to the Boot tab and prioritize the order of CD-ROM Drive.

5. Exit the setup process and you will be directed to Synology Active Backup for Business
Recovery Wizard, which will start the recovery process automatically.

Note:

Synology Active Backup for Business Recovery Wizard does not need to be additionally
installed as it is embedded in Synology Active Backup for Business Recovery Media
Creator.

Cancel Recovery Media or Troubleshoot Failure

To cancel a recovery media creation that is in progress, close the application interface.
The cancellation process may take some time because of the time needed to unmount the
mounted files and delete the unfinished pack. If the creation process fails at a certain stage,
Synology Active Backup for Business Recovery Media Creator will automatically finish the
current stage, and then unmount and delete boot.wim. Recovery media created in USB format
cannot be rolled back once the creation process has begun.

If recovery media creation fails during the creation process, please open the extracted folder
named Synology Restore Media Creator and fetch the log titled restore-media.log. Send the
log to Synology Technical Support for further assistance.

07
 Method 2: Manually Create Recovery Media

Method 2: Manually Create Recovery Media

Summary

Manual recovery media creation is the alternative method in the case that the device intended
to create the recovery media is running a 32-bit version of Windows, has different language
and region settings, or has different Windows versions and drivers than the device intended to
restore. The following sections guide you through how to create recovery media manually.

System Requirements and Limitations

Prerequisite Environment

To manually create recovery media, a Windows 7 or above building environment with Internet
connection is required. The RAM on the target device must be larger than 512 MB. Before
customizing the recovery media, a CD/DVD rewritable drive or a flash drive must be attached
to the device.

PE-based Recovery Media

PE-based recovery media contains Windows Pre-installation Environment (WinPE), which

is a small Windows operating system for installing, deploying, and repairing the Windows
operating system of desktops and servers that have crashed or are unbootable. The recovery
media also contains Synology Active Backup for Business Recovery Wizard, which allows
you to restore your device to the pre-installation environment.

To obtain the Windows PE, please download and install the Windows Assessment and
Deployment Kit (Windows ADK) from Microsoft Windows. Please refer to the section
Download and Install the Windows ADK for more information.

08
Method 2: Manually Create Recovery Media

Notes:

• Recovery media based on WinPE 3.0 or above enables dynamic loading of the necessary
device drivers. We recommend you to use WinPE for Windows 10, which supports better
hardware compatibility and requires less effort when copying and installing drivers. For
more information on the compatibility of each WinPE version, please refer to Microsoft's
article What's New in Windows PE for more information.
• Recovery media can be built either for x86 or x64 architecture. An x86-supported recovery
media is required for an x86 architecture device.
• The 32-bit version of Windows PE can boot 32-bit Unified Extensible Firmware Interface
(UEFI), BIOS PCs, and 64-bit BIOS PCs. The 64-bit version of Windows PE can boot 64-bit
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), BIOS PCs, and 64-bit BIOS PCs. For more
information on the partition style when setting up Windows, please refer to the article by
Microsoft, Windows Setup: Installing using the MBR or GPT partition style.
• Internet connection must be available when downloading and installing Windows ADK.
If you cannot use the online ADK installer with GUI, please refer to the Microsoft' article,
Install the Windows ADK offline, for more information.

Administrative Permissions

The entire process of creating recovery media requires users with local administrative
permissions to use the command-line interface (CLI). Right-click on the CLI icon and choose
Run as administrator to begin.

Create Recovery Media with the Windows ADK

Download and Install the Windows ADK

When creating recovery media, we recommend downloading and installing Windows ADK
version 1803

Deployment Tools and Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) are also
required for building recovery media (see the image below). Installing Windows ADK may take
a few minutes.

09
 Method 2: Manually Create Recovery Media

Notes:

• Starting with Windows 10 (version 1809), Windows Preinstallation Environment

(Windows PE) is released separately from the Windows ADK. To create recovery media,
both the Windows ADK and WinPE packs need to be downloaded and installed. For more
information, please refer to Microsoft's article, Create bootable WinPE media.
• An Internet connection must be available when downloading and installing the Windows
ADK. If you cannot use the online ADK installer, refer to Microsoft's article Install the
Windows ADK offline.
• WinPE for Windows 10 (version 1803) is the recommended version to be downloaded and
installed through the Windows ADK. To check its compatibility with your device, you can
refer to Microsoft's article, What’s New in Windows PE.

Copy Required Boot Files to WinPE

1. Right-click the CLI icon and select Run as administrator to begin.

2. Change the file directory by the command in this step. For example, if the path of the
installed Windows ADK is C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10, the command will be:

cd "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Assessment and Deployment

Kit\Deployment Tools"

3. Enter the following command to run the .bat file that will read all the environment variables
required for creating recovery media:

DandISetEnv.bat

10
Method 2: Manually Create Recovery Media

4. Copy WinPE to this designated path. Here, we use the path C:\winpe for example, displayed
below:

copype.cmd amd64 C:\winpe

Please note that amd64 will build the media required for the 64-bit WinPE. amd64 is used
as the example here because it is the mainstream hardware architecture. If you want to
create recovery media for a 32-bit device, the amd64 in the example command should be
changed to x86.

5. If you are restoring a device without an Ethernet port, use this step. Otherwise, you can skip
this step and continue to Mount and Configure “boot.wim”.

To support a WiFi connection, replace WinPE with WinRE. The following example uses
WinRE from the Windows Recovery Tool. Refer to Get WinRE for details.

xcopy /h c:\Windows\System32\Recovery\Winre.wim C:\winpe\media\sources\

boot.wim

Note:

To configure the drivers required for certain Wi-Fi modules through PE Network, the PE
Network and drivers (PE Network.exe) need to be copied and installed to recovery media
during the recovery media creation process.

Mount and Configure "boot.wim"

The file boot.wim works as the operating system for WinPE. It needs to be mounted before
copying the necessary configurations and Synology Active Backup for Business Recovery
Wizard. The command for mounting boot.wim is shown below:

Dism.exe /Mount-Wim /WimFile:"C:\winpe\media\sources\boot.wim" /index:1 /

MountDir:"C:\winpe\mount"

Note:

If certain hardware require a specific driver that is not supported by WinPE, the driver needs
to be copied or included in the media during the creation process. Refer to Copy Drivers and
Install Drivers for more information.

Download Synology Active Backup for Business Recovery Wizard

The latest version of Synology Active Backup for Business Recovery Wizard can be
downloaded from the Download Center. Please download the 64-bit zip file if you had
entered amd64, and download 32-bit zip file if you had entered x86.

We recommend that you create a separate folder on your hard disk and name it
ActiveBackup, so the path would be: C:\winpe\mount\ActiveBackup. Afterwards, extract the
recovery wizard to this directory.

11
 Method 2: Manually Create Recovery Media

Set the Time Zone

Time zone settings can be configured at this stage, and may affect the backup time of the
recovery media version shown in Synology Active Backup for Business Recovery Wizard.
You can change the time zone within the quotation marks according to your needs. Please
check the time zone names on the list from Microsoft, Default Time Zones.

//Set the time zone to your local time zone

Dism.exe /Image:"C:\winpe\mount" /Set-TimeZone:"Taipei Standard Time"

Configure "winpeshl.ini"

After WinPE has been initiated, the executable file, winpeshl.exe, will run automatically.
winpeshl.exe will read the winpeshl.ini file. The purpose of this file is to initialize the network
environment once your device has entered the WinPE environment and Active Backup
Recovery Wizard has been launched.

You can create this file by copying the following content and pasting it into your notepad. Save
the file as winpeshl.ini and move it to the directory C:\winpe\mount\Windows\system32.

[LaunchApps]
%systemroot%\System32\wpeinit.exe
%systemdrive%\ActiveBackup\ui\recovery.exe

Note:

If resolution and language configurations are required, please refer to the Configure
Resolution and Configure Language Settings sections for more information.

12
Method 2: Manually Create Recovery Media

Set up WiFi connection (for WinRE only)

This option is only possible if you replaced WinPE with WinRE in the previous steps.

After starting up the Recovery Wizard, you can set up the WiFi connection via the Command-
line interface. This option can be found in the top-right corner of the NAS login page.

Set up the WiFi connection via either of the following:

• Netsh WLAN commands

• PE Network:

a. Copy PE Network.exe to the Recovery Wizard during manual recovery media creation.

b. Open the Command-line interface in the Recovery Wizard and execute PENetwork.
exe.

c. Select the wireless connection interface and the connection point, then enter its
credentials.

Once you have successfully connected to the WiFi, you can continue with the recovery process.

Unmount "boot.wim"

Every adjustment made to boot.wim needs to be committed to become effective. If all of the
configurations are ready and expected to be effective, the parameter /COMMIT is required:

Dism.exe /Unmount-Wim /MountDir:"C:\winpe\mount" /COMMIT

13
 Method 2: Manually Create Recovery Media

Pack Recovery Media

Pack Recovery Media into an ISO Image

Turning the media into an ISO image allows you to restore it directly on VM or burn the ISO
image to CD/DVD or flash drive with a third-party tool for future recovery. Enter the command
below to pack your customized media into an ISO image:

MakeWinPEMedia /ISO C:\winpe C:\winpe\custom_pe_amd64.iso

Pack Recovery Media into a USB Drive

1. Insert your USB Drive into your PC.

2. Identify whether the partition table pertains to MBR or GPT:

UEFI-based PC supports both UEFI (GPT) and legacy (MBR) BIOS modes. For Legacy BIOS
mode, Windows PE needs to be booted in the MBR mode in order to correctly install
Windows. Refer to Microsoft's article, Boot in UEFI or legacy BIOS mode, for more
information.

3. Enter the following commands in sequence according to your partition table type. Please
note that the commands in bold should be changed according to your needs.

GPT

Step Description Command

1. Launch the disk partition tool diskpart

2. List all the disks on the device list disk

3. Select which disk needs to be cleaned in

select disk 2
the next step

4. Clean all the data from the previously

clean
selected disk

5. Convert the partition table to GPT convert gpt

6. Create the primary partition create partition primary

7. Select the first partition select partition 1

8. Format the USB’s file system to FAT32

format quick fs=fat32 label="WinPE"
and name the USB

9. Assign the drive letter for the USB assign letter="S"

10. Specify that the partition is required

by the device, and prevent assigning drive gpt attributes=0x8000000000000001
letter automatically on another device

11. Exit exit

14
Method 2: Manually Create Recovery Media

MBR

Step Description Command

1. Launch the disk partition tool diskpart

2. List all the disks on the device list disk

3. Select which disk needs to be cleaned in

select disk 2
the next step

4. Clean all the data from the previously

clean
selected disk

5. Convert the partition table to MBR convert mbr

6. Create the primary partition create partition primary

7. Select the first partition select partition 1

8. Activate the partition to be formatted active

9. Format the USB’s file system to NTFS and

format quick fs=ntfs label="WinPE"
name the USB

10. Assign the drive letter for the USB assign letter="S"

11. Exit exit

Note:

The command in bold should be changed according to your needs. For example, "select disk
2" should be changed to the corresponding disk number for your media.

4. Enter the command below to copy the customized WinPE file to the USB drive. Please
note that the underlined command should be changed according to your requirement.
For example, the S in the sample command could be changed to your assigned letter.

xcopy.exe c:\winpe\media /E /F S:\

Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) on Synology NAS for DSM 6.2 (MBR
only)

Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) supports booting WinPE loaded from PXE server via
Internet connection. You need to configure a DHCP, PXE, and TFTP server to set your Synology
NAS as a PXE server. This section guides you through configuring DHCP, PXE, and TFTP on your
Synology NAS.

1. Create a shared folder named "PXE" on your NAS. Then, go to DSM > Control Panel > File
Services > SMB/AFP/NFS and tick the Enable SMB service checkbox.

2. Go to My Network Places on your computer, enter the shared folder PXE, and create a
Boot folder under it.

net use y: \\Your-Remote-NAS\PXE

y:
md Boot

15
 Method 2: Manually Create Recovery Media

3. Mount and customize boot.wim.

Dism.exe /Mount-Wim /WimFile:"C:\winpe\media\sources\boot.wim” /index:1 /

MountDir:"C:\winpe\mount"

4. Copy the PXE boot file to the newly created Boot folder.

copy C:\winpe\mount\windows\Boot\pxe\*.* y:\Boot

5. Copy boot.sdi to the same Boot folder.

copy C:\winpe\media\Boot\boot.sdi y:\Boot

6. Copy the bootable WinPE image to the same Boot folder.

copy C:\winpe\media\sources\boot.wim y:\Boot

7. Copy the TrueType font to the Boot folder (optional).

md y:\Boot\Fonts

copy C:\winpe\media\Boot\Fonts\*.* y:\Boot\Fonts

16
Method 2: Manually Create Recovery Media

8. Create a BCD file as an administrator by using the command line interface (CLI) and
entering the commands below.

// Use bcdedit.exe to create space for BCD:

bcdedit /createstore c:\BCD

// Configure the RAMDISK:

bcdedit /store c:\BCD /create {ramdiskoptions} /d "Ramdisk options"
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {ramdiskoptions} ramdisksdidevice boot
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {ramdiskoptions} ramdisksdipath \Boot\boot.
sdi
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /create /d "winpe boot image" /application
osloader

// The last command will return a GUID, for example:

// The entry {a4f89c62-2142-11e6-80b6-00155da04110} was successfully
created.

// Copy the returned GUID to use it in the next command. Substitute 'GUID1' with the
copied GUID in the commands below:
// Create a new boot record for the Windows PE image:
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {GUID1} device ramdisk=[boot]\Boot\boot.
wim,{ramdiskoptions}
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {GUID1} path \windows\system32\winload.exe
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {GUID1} osdevice ramdisk=[boot]\Boot\boot.
wim,{ramdiskoptions}
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {GUID1} systemroot \windows
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {GUID1} detecthal Yes
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {GUID1} winpe Yes

// Configure BOOTMGR, substituting 'GUID 1' with the copied GUID:

bcdedit /store c:\BCD /create {bootmgr} /d "boot manager"
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {bootmgr} timeout 30
bcdedit /store c:\BCD -displayorder {GUID1} -addlast

// Copy this BCD file to the shared folder "Boot"

copy c:\BCD y:\Boot\BCD

9. Copy bootmgr.exe and pxeboot.n12 to y:.

copy y:\Boot\bootmgr.exe y:\bootmgr.exe

copy y:\Boot\pxeboot.n12 y:\pxeboot.n12

10. Unmount "boot.wim" when done.

Dism.exe /Unmount-Wim /MountDir:"C:\winpe\mount" /COMMIT

11. Sign in to your DSM, go to Control Panel > File Services, and tick Enable TFTP service.
Select the PXE shared folder as the TFTP root folder.

12. Enable DHCP server from Control Panel > DHCP Server > Network Interface.

17
 Method 2: Manually Create Recovery Media

13. Enable PXE from Control Panel > DHCP Server > PXE and configure the boot loader.
Select bootx64.efi and click OK.

14. When you are restoring the device, enter the BIOS Setup Utility to change the BIOS boot
sequence. Prioritize Network in the boot order. By doing this, you will be able to enter WinPE
via PXE.

Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) on Synology NAS for DSM 7.0 (UEFI
and MBR)

Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) supports booting WinPE loaded from PXE server via
Internet connection. You need to configure a DHCP, PXE, and TFTP server to set your Synology
NAS as a PXE server. This section guides you through configuring DHCP, PXE, and TFTP on your
Synology NAS.

UEFI
1. Create a shared folder named "PXE" on your NAS and then download SMB Service from
the Package Center. Go to DSM > Control Panel > File Services > SMB and tick the Enable
SMB service checkbox.

2. Go to My Network Places on your computer, enter the shared folder PXE, and create a
Boot folder under it.

net use y: \\Your-Remote-NAS\PXE

y:

md Boot

3. Mount and customize boot.wim.

Dism.exe /Mount-Wim /WimFile:"C:\winpe\media\sources\boot.wim” /index:1 /

MountDir:"C:\winpe\mount"

4. Copy boot.sdi to the same Boot folder.

copy C:\winpe\media\Boot\boot.sdi y:\Boot

5. Copy the bootable WinPE image to the same Boot folder.

copy C:\winpe\media\sources\boot.wim y:\Boot

6. Copy the TrueType font to the Boot folder (optional).

md EFI\Microsoft\Boot\Fonts

copy C:\winpe\media\Boot\Fonts\*.* y:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\Fonts

18
Method 2: Manually Create Recovery Media

7. Create a BCD file as an administrator by using the command line interface (CLI) and
entering the commands below.

// Create storage for BCD with bcdedit.exe:

bcdedit /createstore c:\BCD

// Configure the RAMDISK:

bcdedit /store c:\BCD /create {ramdiskoptions} /d "Ramdisk options"

bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {ramdiskoptions} ramdisksdidevice boot

bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {ramdiskoptions} ramdisksdipath \Boot\boot.

sdi

bcdedit /store c:\BCD /create /d "winpe boot image" /application

osloader

// The last command will return a GUID, for example:

// The entry {a4f89c62-2142-11e6-80b6-00155da04110} was successfully
created.

// Copy the returned GUID to use it in the next command. Substitute 'GUID1' with the
copied GUID in the commands below:
// Create a new boot record for the Windows PE image:
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {GUID1} device ramdisk=[boot]\Boot\boot.

wim,{ramdiskoptions}

bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {GUID1} path \windows\system32\winload.efi

bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {GUID1} osdevice ramdisk=[boot]\Boot\boot.

wim,{ramdiskoptions}

bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {GUID1} systemroot \windows

bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {GUID1} detecthal Yes

bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {GUID1} winpe Yes

// Configure BOOTMGR, substituting 'GUID1' with the copied GUID:

bcdedit /store c:\BCD /create {bootmgr} /d "boot manager"

bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {bootmgr} timeout 30

bcdedit /store c:\BCD -displayorder {GUID1} -addlast

// Copy the BCD file to the Boot shared folder

copy c:\BCD y:\Boot\BCD

8. Copy bootx64.efi to y:.

copy c:\winpe\media\EFI\Boot\bootx64.efi y:\bootx64.efi

9. Unmount "boot.wim" when done.

Dism.exe /Unmount-Wim /MountDir:"C:\winpe\mount" /COMMIT

10. Sign in to your DSM, go to Control Panel > File Services > Advanced > TFTP, and tick the
Enable TFTP service checkbox. Select the PXE shared folder as the TFTP root folder.

11. Install DHCP Server from the Package Center. Go to DHCP Server > Network Interface to
enable the DHCP server.

19
 Method 2: Manually Create Recovery Media

12. Open DHCP Server and go to the PXE page. Choose Local TFTP server and select bootx64.
efi as the boot loader.

13. When you are restoring the device, enter the BIOS Setup Utility to change the BIOS boot
sequence. Prioritize Network in the boot order. By doing this, you will be able to enter WinPE
via PXE.

MBR
1. Create a shared folder named "PXE" on your NAS and then download SMB Service from
the Package Center. Go to DSM > Control Panel > File Services > SMB and tick the Enable
SMB service checkbox.

2. Go to My Network Places on your computer, enter the shared folder PXE, and create a
Boot folder under it.

net use y: \\Your-Remote-NAS\PXE

y:
md Boot

3. Mount and customize boot.wim.

Dism.exe /Mount-Wim /WimFile:"C:\winpe\media\sources\boot.wim” /index:1 /

MountDir:"C:\winpe\mount"

4. Copy the PXE boot file to the newly created Boot folder.

copy C:\winpe\mount\windows\Boot\pxe\*.* y:\Boot

5. Copy boot.sdi to the same Boot folder.

copy C:\winpe\media\Boot\boot.sdi y:\Boot

20
Method 2: Manually Create Recovery Media

6. Copy the bootable WinPE image to the same Boot folder.

copy C:\winpe\media\sources\boot.wim y:\Boot

7. Copy the TrueType font to the Boot folder (optional).

md y:\Boot\Fonts

copy C:\winpe\media\Boot\Fonts\*.* y:\Boot\Fonts

8. Create a BCD file as an administrator by using the command line interface (CLI) and
entering the commands below.

// Use bcdedit.exe to create space for BCD:

bcdedit /createstore c:\BCD

// Configure the RAMDISK:

bcdedit /store c:\BCD /create {ramdiskoptions} /d "Ramdisk options"
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {ramdiskoptions} ramdisksdidevice boot
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {ramdiskoptions} ramdisksdipath \Boot\boot.
sdi
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /create /d "winpe boot image" /application
osloader

// The last command will return a GUID, for example:

// The entry {a4f89c62-2142-11e6-80b6-00155da04110} was successfully
created.

// Copy the returned GUID to use it in the next command. Substitute 'GUID1' with the
copied GUID in the commands below:
// Create a new boot record for the Windows PE image:
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {GUID1} device ramdisk=[boot]\Boot\boot.
wim,{ramdiskoptions}
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {GUID1} path \windows\system32\winload.exe
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {GUID1} osdevice ramdisk=[boot]\Boot\boot.
wim,{ramdiskoptions}
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {GUID1} systemroot \windows
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {GUID1} detecthal Yes
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {GUID1} winpe Yes

// Configure the BOOTMGR, substituting 'GUID 1' with the copied GUID:
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /create {bootmgr} /d "boot manager"
bcdedit /store c:\BCD /set {bootmgr} timeout 30
bcdedit /store c:\BCD -displayorder {GUID1} -addlast

// Copy this BCD file to the shared folder "Boot"

copy c:\BCD y:\Boot\BCD

9. Copy bootmgr.exe and pxeboot.n12 to y:.

copy y:\Boot\bootmgr.exe y:\bootmgr.exe

copy y:\Boot\pxeboot.n12 y:\pxeboot.n12

21
 Method 2: Manually Create Recovery Media

10. Unmount "boot.wim" when done.

Dism.exe /Unmount-Wim /MountDir:"C:\winpe\mount" /COMMIT

11. Sign in to your DSM, go to Control Panel > File Services > Advanced > TFTP, and tick the
Enable TFTP service checkbox. Select the PXE shared folder as the TFTP root folder.

12. Install a DHCP Server from the Package Center. To enable the DHCP server, go to DHCP
Server > Network Interface.

13. Open DHCP Server and go to the PXE page. Choose Local TFTP server and select bootx64.
efi as the boot loader.

14. When you are restoring the device, enter the BIOS Setup Utility to change the BIOS boot
sequence. Prioritize Network in the boot order. By doing this, you will be able to enter WinPE
via PXE.

Boot Recovery Media (ISO Image or USB Drive)

After you have mounted the ISO image or attached the USB drive to the device intended for
restoration, press F2 to enter the BIOS mode once your device has been rebooted. Please note
that this hotkey may vary according to different vendors. Afterwards, navigate to the Boot tab,
and prioritize the order of CD-ROM Drive and Removable Devices according to where the
recovery media is located. Exit the setup process and you will be directed to Synology Active
Backup for Business Recovery Wizard, which will start the recovery process automatically.

22
Create Recovery Media for a Linux Device

Create Recovery Media for a Linux Device

Summary

If you have created a backup using the Active Backup for Business Agent on a Linux device,
Active Backup for Business Recovery Media can guide you through restoring the backup
data from your Synology NAS to your Linux device.

Synology Active Backup for Business recovery media for Linux is implemented by using ISO
images, which can also be burned to your USB. To create recovery media for Linux, go to the
Download Center and download Synology Active Backup for Business Recovery Media for
Linux (Synology-Recovery-Media.iso).

For instructions on how to create a bootable USB recovery drive for your Linux device with ISO
burning software, Legacy BIOS, and for UEFI, you can refer to this tutorial.

Since the recovery wizard is already embedded in the Active Backup for Business Recovery
Media for Linux (Synology-Recovery-Media.iso), it will start up automatically when booting
up your Linux device using recovery media.

23
 Appendix

Appendix

Get WinRE

You can obtain WinRE via the following methods.

From the Windows Recovery Tool

1. Enter the following command to check if your Windows Recovery Tool has WinRE:

reagentc /info

2. The system will respond with one of the following:

• If WinRE exists in the system: Windows RE status: Enabled

• If WinRE does not exist in the system: Windows RE status: Disabled

If WinRE doesn’t exist in the system, then you need to get WinRE from the OS installation
disc.

3. Stop running WinRE:

reagentc /disable

4. Generate the WinRE image at specific location:

c:\Windows\System32\Recovery\Winre.wim

From a Windows installation disc

To get WinRE from a Windows installation disc, refer to Customize Windows RE for
instructions.

Copy Drivers

If your hardware requires a specific driver that is not supported by WinPE, the driver should
be copied to and included into the recovery media when creating the media. Once the image
is mounted during the restoration, the driver can be installed onto the device by clicking
Synology Active Backup for Business Recovery Wizard > Load Drivers after opening WinPE.
Because the WinPE version suggested in this Guide contains a broader hardware compatibility,
this step is optional.

24
Create Recovery Media for a Linux Device

Install Drivers

You can directly install the drivers into the WinPE operating system. If you do this, the specific
drivers that you need will be ready in the operating system without manually loading them
upon booting the recovery media. You can refer to the article Add and Remove Drivers to an
offline Windows Image for more detailed commands regarding this installation.

// When installing a specific driver, you can add parameter /ForceUnsigned to allow
unsigned drivers.
Dism.exe /Image: "C:\winpe\mount" /Add-Driver /Driver:"path-to-driver/
driver-name.inf"

// When installing all the drivers in the folder, you can add parameter /ForceUnsigned
to allow unsigned drivers.
Dism.exe /Image:"C:\winpe\mount" /Add-Driver /Driver:"path-to-driver" /
Recurse

Configure Resolution

The default resolution of WinPE is 800x600. If you want to have higher resolution during
restoration, the graphics card's driver is required. Without this, the resolution you have
configured would be available only according to the extent supported by the WinPE.

To change the resolution, please add the file named "unattend.xml" under the directory C:\
winpe\mount\ with the following command:

<?xml version=“1.0” encoding=”utf-8”?>

<unattend xmlns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend”>
<settings pass=”windowsPE”>
<component name=”Microsoft-Windows-Setup”>
processorArchitecture=“amd64“
publicKeyToken= “31bf3855ad364e35“ language=“neutral”
versionScope=“nonSxS”
xmlns:wcm=“http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State”
xmlns:xsi= “http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance”>
<Display>
<ColorDepth>32</ColorDepth>
<HorizontalResolution>1024</HorizontalResolution>
<VerticalResolution>768</VerticalResolution>
<RefreshRate>60</RefreshRate>
<.Display>
<EnableNetwork>true</EnableNetwork>
<EnableFirewall>true</EnableFirewall>
</component>
</settings>
</unattend>

25
 Create Recovery Media for a Linux Device

Configure Language Settings

WinPE for Windows 10 does not support downloading SDK for a language other than English.

If you want to use other languages for the user interface, you must install the language packs
and fonts. You will also be required to configure the display language and the system locale.

If your architecture is amd64, configure the language settings through the file: WinPE_OCs.
We recommend you to first copy this file to C:\winpe for a smoother process and to avoid
accidental unexpected space error.

Access the WinPE_OCs file through the following path:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows

Preinstallation Environment\amd64\WinPE_OCs

To configure the language settings, please follow the formats for relevant commands shown
below:

// Install the Language packs for Traditional Chinese

Dism.exe /Image:"C:\winpe\mount" /Add-Package /PackagePath:"C:\winpe\
WinPE_OCs\zh-tw\lp.cab"

// Install the font

Dism.exe /Image:"C:\winpe\mount" /Add-Package /PackagePath:"C:\winpe\
WinPE_OCs\WinPE-FontSupport-ZH-TW.cab"

// Set the UI language to be Traditional Chinese

Dism.exe /Image:"C:\winpe\mount" /Set-UILang:zh-tw

// Set the regional language to be Traditional Chinese

Dism.exe /Image:"C:\winpe\mount" /Set-UserLocale:zh-tw

Add Certificate to WinPE Image

This section will guide you through adding root certificate to an WinPE image.

5. Mount the WinPE image to a temporary location on your computer with DISM. For example:

c:\path\to\mount

6. Import the offline registry hive to a temporary hive in your host registry.

reg load HKLM\OFFLINE c:\path\to\mount\Windows\System32\config\Software

26
Create Recovery Media for a Linux Device

7. Copy the root certificate key.

reg copy HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\

AuthRoot\Certificates HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\OFFLINE\Microsoft\
SystemCertificates\AuthRoot\Certificates /s /f

reg copy HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\CA\

Certificates HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\OFFLINE\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\CA\
Certificates /s /f

reg copy HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\ROOT\

Certificates HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\OFFLINE\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\
ROOT\Certificates /s /f

8. Remove the registry that you have loaded.

reg unload HKLM\OFFLINE

9. Now, the root certificate has been added to the WinPE image.

27
Create Recovery Media for a Linux Device

SYNOLOGY
INC.
9F, No. 1, Yuandong Rd.
Banqiao Dist., New Taipei City 220545
Taiwan
Tel: +886 2 2955 1814

SYNOLOGY
AMERICA CORP.
3535 Factoria Blvd SE, Suite #200,
Bellevue, WA 98006
USA
Tel: +1 425 818 1587

SYNOLOGY
UK LTD.
Unit 5 Danbury Court, Linford Wood,
Milton Keynes, MK14 6PL
United Kingdom
Tel.: +44 (0)1908048029

SYNOLOGY
FRANCE SARL
102 Terrasse Boieldieu (TOUR W)
92800 Puteaux
France
Tel: +33 147 176288

SYNOLOGY
GMBH
Grafenberger Allee 295
40237 Düsseldorf
Deutschland
Tel: +49 211 9666 9666

SYNOLOGY
SHANGHAI
200070, Room 201,
No. 511 Tianmu W. Rd.,

synology.com Jingan Dist., Shanghai,

China

SYNOLOGY
Synology may make changes to specifications and product descriptions at any time, without notice. Copyright
JAPAN CO., LTD.
© 2021 Synology Inc. All rights reserved. ® Synology and other names of Synology Products are proprietary 4F, No. 3-1-2, Higashikanda,
marks or registered trademarks of Synology Inc. Other products and company names mentioned herein are Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-0031
trademarks of their respective holders. Japan

28