Emergency Disk - Download Win PE Components?

[garioch7]

@Froggie,

I have recreated my Hasleo Backup Suite Pro (HBSP) Emergency Disk after installing the new Version 5.8.1.1 Beta version.  The options were again available, so I checked download PE components.  Disk booted fine.

Am I correct in assuming that the winpe.iso file is the offline version you refer to in your Option 3?  If so, how long does it "persist."  Is it erased with each new version installation requiring the WIN PE Components to be downloaded for the newer HBS version?

This computer is not yet UEFI Secure Boot Certificate 2023-compliant, so I did not choose that option.  The information box contained limited information about whether selecting that option would allow the HBSP Emergency Disk to only boot on a computer that was already compliant.  I did not want to take a chance of not being able to boot my non-compliant computer.  Or, does it then just allow either ... ?

Sorry for all of the stupid questions.  I learn very slowly: one fact at a time. 

Thank you for all of your expert help, and that of @al3x and @admin.  I suspect this Topic will also assist others.

Have a great day.

Regards,
Phil

[Froggie]

If you only checked download  from Microsoft.com and not the use the off-line WinPE option, the resultant winpe.iso (located in Hasleo's "bin" folder)will be built from Microsoft's downloaded WinPE offering (after the download) not the offline WinPE option.

To use the offline winpe option you must have the previously mentioned OPE file resident (somewhere on your System) before you do the build.  This may be done by using Hasleo's OffLine WinPE download page HERE.  Once you have it present, then you can build the offline version of the recovery media.

The WinPE OffLine file (.OPE) is used during the build (just like it would use the downloaded Microsoft option or the WinRE option) and stored where Hasleo stores all the rest of its build results.  Since newly installed versions remove the legacy stored stuff, all new versions will require a build using that OPE file once again.  If you're producing new recovery media without changing the HBS installed media, then any new recovery media will be the same as the one 1st created after a new install.

One of the main reasons I use the OPE installation is because only 1-download is required and the result is stored on your System for Hasleo to use when building a fresh recovery media (using the OffLine option).  Currently Hasleo forces users to re-ADD their BOOT media when installing new versions.  If doing so, that process will build a new reference "winpe.iso" for the Hasleo "bin" folder.  That file will be the result of how you do the build... WinRE, downloaded WinPE or use offline WinPE.

As far as Certificate compliance is concerned, Hasleo is best at answering this question.  On your LIVE System, they talk of 2011 being removed and 2023 added.  If this is how 2023 is implemented then only the 2023 version of Hasleo will work after the installation and cert removal.  I have seen discussions when users have added the 2023 entry but not removed the 2011 entry... this should allow both to work under SECURE BOOT.  Personally, I never engaged SECURE BOOT.  The problems it created in the early days with both Windows and Linux (which I also use) were not worth worrying about the risk of running my Systems without SEURE BOOT.

[garioch7]

@Froggie,

Thank for your explanation. I will use the Hasleo Offline WinPE Downloader. Thank you for the link.

I think all of the information you have presented in this topic should be consolidated into a future Hasleo Backup Forum FAQ, which is being discussed elsewhere by the Forum Team.

Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and expertise.

Have a great day.

Regards,
Phil

[n8chavez]

Agreed. This should be stickied! (Stucked?) Well, pinned then.

Edit - Done

[garioch7]

@Froggie, @admin,

I have just successfully run the the WINPE Downloader, but not without upsetting my security programs.  Windows SmartScreen blocked it; ESET Smart Security Premium blocked it; and, Malwarebytes Standard Premium Security blocked it.  In all cases, I was able to override the blocks.

I am not sure if this has to do with the lack of a digitally-signed certificate, but this issue should be fixed, if we are include the Hasleo WinPE Downloader .OPE information in a future HBS Forum FAQ ... ?

It was all very smooth after I "convinced" my security products to "trust" the Hasleo WinPE downloader.

Thank you again, @Froggie.

I will wait to hear from @admin if it is safe for me to include the compatibility for 2023 Certificates on my currently non-2023-Certificate-compliant Dell XPS 8930 SE computer.

Have a great day.

Regards,
Phil

[admin]

Dear @garioch7,

The security alerts are primarily caused by the program lacking a digital code-signing certificate. The software itself is completely safe, so there's no need to worry.

Regarding your question about adding the 2023 certificate compatibility component to your Dell XPS 8930 SE. The answer is yes, it is safe to do so. In fact, we recommend that you use HBS version 5.8.1.1 Beta to create an emergency boot disk that explicitly supports UEFI 2023 certificates.

Have a nice day!

Best regards,

[garioch7]

@admin,

Thank you for informing me that I can include the 2023 Certificates in my non-compliant computer.  I will rebuild my HBS Emergency Disk this afternoon, with that selected.  It will give me an opportunity to see how the recommended use of the offline .OPE file works.  Thanks again to @Froggie for sharing that information.

I will report back later today.  Have a great day.

Regards,
Phil

[garioch7]

I successfully rebuilt my Emergency Disk for my desktop computer again this afternoon, but I did not get the option to use an Offline .OPE file, probably because I did not manually delete the winpe.iso file before I launched HBSP.  I will wait for the next version to try again to use the .OPE option.  This afternoon I was focused on getting my weekly imaging done, and ran into a few snags with my laptop so I got far behind schedule.

What I did notice is that even though I selected the 2023 Certificate option, which did succeed on my desktop, I was surprised to see a message in red stating the recovery image was compliant with 2023 Certificates.  Red is normally a sign of an error ...  Should the success message not be in green or blue?

Thanks again, @Froggie, for sharing your expertise with us all.

Have a great day.

Regards,
Phil

[Froggie]

I successfully rebuilt my Emergency Disk for my desktop computer again this afternoon, but I did not get the option to use an Offline .OPE file, probably because I did not manually delete the winpe.iso file before I launched HBSP.  I will wait for the next version to try again to use the .OPE option.  This afternoon I was focused on getting my weekly imaging done, and ran into a few snags with my laptop so I got far behind schedule.

Phil, you can just reinstall the version you are running (rather than wait for a new one) and get all the build options once again... FYI!