USB Recovery for a DW Blackjack E-RACK or P-RACK Server (Windows OS)

-----------------------------------

Affected Role: Administrator

Last Edit: September 30, 2025

-----------------------------------

USB System Recovery

In the rare instance where a DW Blackjack E-RACK or P-RACK server that is using a Windows OS experiences issues that cannot be resolved through normal troubleshooting means, a system recovery point can be applied. The DW Blackjack System can be configured to use a bootable USB drive that will allow the system administrator to factory default the DW Blackjack unit and clear any software corruption that may have been causing issues.

Example issues may include:

Windows OS does not boot properly
Important OS functions do not work properly
The computer contracted a computer virus

This article will outline how to apply a system recovery USB drive to a DW Blackjack E-RACK or P-RACK unit.

**NOTE: Performing a system recovery will completely reset the server and return its local system to its factory default settings. All data in the (C:) storage drive will be formatted during this process.

**NOTE: Please contact your Digital Watchdog representative for a misplaced or lost USB recovery drive. Be aware that the ISO version that is provided on the USB Recovery Drive is specific to your DW Blackjack model. Do not attempt to use the same ISO recovery version across different DW Blackjack models to avoid creating system issues. For example, it is ill advised to apply an ISO meant for a DW Blackjack E-RACK to a DW Blackjack P-RACK.

Supported/Affected Devices:

DW Blackjack E-RACK Series
DW Blackjack P-RACK Series

This article focuses primarily on running a USB recovery for a DW Blackjack E-RACK or P-RACK server model. For information on how to set up a RAID 5 configuration for a recovered DW Blackjack system, you may refer to the following DW Knowledge Base materials:

Before You Begin

The recovery process will completely reset the NVR and return the system to its factory default. If you are using static IP settings in a managed network, it is recommended to document your computer’s network settings. You can use this information when reintegrating the computer into the network.

IP Settings include:

IP Address
Subnet or Subnet Prefix Length
Gateway Address
Preferred DNS Address
Alternate DNS Address

Using USB Recovery on a DW Blackjack Server

Part 1: Setting Boot Priority

When recovering the operating system, the main partition (C:) that hosts the system files will essentially be defaulted. To make this happen, the DW Blackjack unit must first be told to set the USB drive as the boot device rather than the storage partition that is being repaired/recovered.

To set the Boot Priority for a USB Recovery Drive on a DW Blackjack unit:

Before beginning, power down the DW Blackjack unit.

Once the hardware has completely powered off, locate a vacant USB port in either the front panel or the rear panel of the DW Blackjack hardware.

Insert the USB Recovery Drive into the vacant USB port, then press the power button (at front of the unit) to power on the server. Keep the USB Recovery Drive connected to the DW Blackjack unit.

**NOTE: It is advisable to try and use a USB port located in the rear panel of the hardware, but is not a requirement. Consult your DW Blackjack unit’s User Manual for more information specific to your hardware.

As the unit is starting, follow the onscreen prompt and press the F11 key to invoke the Boot Menu of the unit.

Use the arrow keys to select the Recovery USB as the boot device, then press the Enter key.

When prompted, enter the DW Blackjack system’s Administrator Password.

DW Blackjack Default User – dwuser
DW Blackjack Default Password – Dw5pectrum

Part 2: Using the Recovery Wizard

After setting the USB Recovery Drive as the boot device, the DW Blackjack unit will load the Acronis True Image recovery program. Follow the directions below to set up the system recovery.

Allow the Acronis True Image program to load. Once the program has finished loading, select the “Recovery” tab to open the Recovery menu.

In the Recovery menu, click the “Browse for backup” button.

The Browse for Location window will display.

In the file directory, navigate and select “This PC”.

Select the USB Recovery Drive. The USB drive will appear as connected storage. In this instance (E-RACK), it appears as “BJER”.

Next, locate and select the first .TIB file. The file will begin with “…_full_b1s1_v1.tib”, then click the “OK” button.

The recovery image will show as the selected backup.

Click on the “Disk Recovery” tile. The .TIB file that was selected in the previous step will be selected as the backup image.

Click the “Next” button to proceed.

When selecting the Recovery Method, select to “Recover whole disks and partitions”, then click the “Next” button.

The Recovery Wizard will allow you to select which storage partitions to recover.

Select to recover all partitions in “Disk 1”. Click the “Next” button and allow the Recovery Wizard to finish analyzing the partitions that have been selected for recovery.

Next, select “Disk 1” as the destination for the recovery. The correct option for “Disk 1” should be the option that hosts the C: (Basic GPT) partition and that has the SMALLEST storage capacity among the DW Blackjack unit. You can inspect what contents (partitions) of the selected disk will be included with the information tool at the bottom of the Recovery Wizard window.

Click the “Next” button to confirm the disk selection. A confirmation window will display informing that the selected disk (Disk 1) already contains data. This purpose of this process is to repair and recover the selected systems. Click the “OK” button to confirm.

The Recovery Wizard will display a Summary of the settings for the system recovery program. Confirm the settings and click the “Proceed” button to begin the system recovery.

Allow the Acronis True Image program to complete the data recovery process.

Select to enable the setting “Restart the computer when the operation is completed”. The computer will automatically reboot once the recovery process has finished.

This process may take a few minutes. A confirmation pop-up will display once the recovery process has completed. You may allow the countdown to complete or click the “Restart” button if you so choose.

**CRITICAL: DO NOT remove the USB Recovery Drive or power off the DW Blackjack unit while the recovery process is running.

Part 3: System Recovery Completed

After the recovery process has completed and the system has restarted, the Windows Boot Manager will load.

Select “Windows 10” or allow the countdown to complete for the DW Blackjack E-RACK or P-RACK to load the computer’s operating system and desktop.

Allow the Windows OS to load.

The DW Blackjack unit has been recovered and defaulted. You may now safely eject (remove) the USB Recovery Drive from the DW Blackjack hardware.

You may proceed with reconfiguring the system settings and network configurations as though this were a first-time setup.

**NOTE: For RAID 5 configuration help, please refer to the articles in the Related Articles section above.

______________________________________________________________________________

For More Information or Technical Support

DW Technical Support: https://www.digital-watchdog.com/contact-tech-support/

DW Sales: sales@digital-watchdog.com | www.digital-watchdog.com

DW-BJER_BJP_USB_Recovery_12202021.pdf
2 MB Download