FDSIR trial has hosed My Documents!

[pink emu]

At the suggestion of someone very experienced with FDSIR, I downloaded a trial of the PC version, did a plain vanilla default install, created a BACKUP area with only My Documents and *.tmp, configured as anchors. All fine with no errors. It rebooted out of the Copy/Update operation into the regular Windows ORIGINAL area. Later I rebooted on purpose into the BACKUP area, downloaded a software beta to play with it, fiddled around a bit, then tried to reboot back into my ORIGINAL location, and FD wouldn’t allow. Even though I let the Preboot delay pass without action, it rebooted me back into BACKUP.

I thought about this and realized that once installed, it couldn’t let the BACKUP area remain different than the ORIGINAL area, although it doesn’t discuss its policies in the User Manual (and yes, I have RTFM, several times). So I did another Copy/Install, which was much briefer, and noted it only changed files I had been using, such as the new download, browser cache, etc.

BUT, FD was still hi-jacking every boot attempt to the BACKUP area. I filed a support ticket with horizonsdata.com, and got a fast request for the default logs, which I sent yesterday, but so far no other response.

I uninstalled and reinstalled, completely. New install repeated the same hi-jacking and I also noticed the anchored My Documents folder was not accessible in the backup area. Didn't check it the first install but aaaarrrggh!

Finally, I did a second uninstall. When it unwound it did not restore the anchored My Documents folder, and THAT is a REAL disaster! This FDSIR trial has apparently hit me a HARD blow. The entire 2 GB My Documents folder that I had anchored, is GONE! :argh:

So far no further tech support response from HDS. I have scanned the C:\ disk free space from a data recovery application in another drive and can recognize many references to paths to My Documents but see no obvious way to reconstruct the folder yet. I’m going to try booting to the UBCD for Windows and look at the drives from outside Windows.

I’m not a newbie at all, but this is my first experience with this application. Do any of you folks experienced with this have any ideas or suggestions?

TIA

Pinky

[stapp]

Hello Pink Emu, in order that the more experienced members here can perhaps help you out, can you give a bit more information?

Which exact version of the software FDISR are you using?

What is your operating system?

Are you saying that when you were in backup, and wanted to get back into primary you did not make any choice from the preboot selection?

[ErikAlbert]

He is using FDISR PC Rescue, that I know for sure.

[ErikAlbert]

{QUOTE-> Later I rebooted on purpose into the BACKUP area, downloaded a software beta to play with it, fiddled around a bit, then tried to reboot back into my ORIGINAL location, and FD wouldn’t allow. Even though I let the Preboot delay pass without action, it rebooted me back into BACKUP.
<-QUOTE}
What you call the original location, is the Active Snapshot and the BACKUP area is the Rescue Snapshot. I know that FDISR PC Rescue calls it BACKUP, which is quite confusing, they better call it RESCUE.

What I don't understand is that you install a beta software in the Rescue Snapshot, which is wrong. You have to install this beta software in the Active Snapshot and when you want to get rid of the beta software, you have to copy/update from the Rescue Snapshot to the Active Snapshot and that will remove the beta software from the Active Snapshot.
Your Active Snapshot is your WORK snapshot for daily usage and your Rescue Snapshot is the one that will save you if you have problems in the Active Snapshot.

I'm not saying this is the cause of your problems, but you certainly don't use it right.

[ErikAlbert]

{QUOTE-> Even though I let the Preboot delay pass without action, it rebooted me back into BACKUP.
<-QUOTE}
That is logical, because when you reboot without using the F1 key in Pre-boot, you will boot in the current snapshot, which was at this moment the Rescue Snapshot (= BACKUP)

[ErikAlbert]

Pink emu,
I hope you have an image of your system BEFORE using FDISR PC Rescue.
1. Restore that image.
2. Install FDISR PC Rescue, which will create the Active Snapshot
3. Anchor the folder "My Documents".
4. Copy/update from Active Snapshot to Rescue Snapshot, to create the Rescue Snapshot.

The normal usage is :
1. Use your Active Snapshot for daily work and when your Active Snapshot is clean, copy/update from Active Snapshot to Rescue Snapshot at the end of the day, to keep your Rescue Snapshot up-to-date and clean.
2. Use your Rescue Snapshot to save your Active Snapshot, if your Active Snapshot is in trouble or needs to be cleaned.

[ErikAlbert]

{QUOTE->
I filed a support ticket with horizonsdata.com, and got a fast request for the default logs, which I sent yesterday, but so far no other response. <-QUOTE}
Don't depend too much on support of HDS. If you are not a company, just a plain user, you are placed at the end of the row for support.

[ErikAlbert]

{QUOTE-> .
Finally, I did a second uninstall. When it unwound it did not restore the anchored My Documents folder, and THAT is a REAL disaster! This FDSIR trial has apparently hit me a HARD blow. The entire 2 GB My Documents folder that I had anchored, is GONE! :argh:
<-QUOTE}
I have no explanation for this and I don't use FDISR PC Rescue either, I use the full FDISR. I can only assume that your fooling around with FDISR PC Rescue was the reason. Normally this shouldn't have happened.
I never used anchor either, because I separated my system from data.
1. System Partition [C:] = Windows + Applications + FDISR of course.
2. Data Partition [D:] = documents, spreadsheets, emails, email-address-book, ... anything I don't want to lose.
This way I don't need any anchoring and I can have separate backups/restores for system and data. I also have total freedom in my system partition without being worried of losing data.
It's also safer for your data than storing your data on the most attacked partition [C:] by malware.

[Acadia]

{QUOTE-> created a BACKUP area with only My Documents and *.tmp, configured as anchors.
Pinky <-QUOTE}

Why would you want to anchor your *.tmp files? Or did you add My Documents into the area that says, however it is worded, that they would NOT be copied. (*.tmp is already listed there as a default). If that is what you did, adding My Documents into the area that lists *.tmp, then that explains what happened; My Documents were never copied, you would have told the program not to copy them. (I don't remember the exact screens or wording since I am at a pc that does not have ISR on it).


Acadia

[ErikAlbert]

{QUOTE-> Why would you want to anchor your *.tmp files? Or did you add My Documents into the area that says, however it is worded, that they would NOT be copied. (*.tmp is already listed there as a default). If that is what you did, adding My Documents into the area that lists *.tmp, then that explains what happened; My Documents were never copied, you would have told the program not to copy them. (I don't remember the exact screens or wording since I am at a pc that does not have ISR on it).


Acadia <-QUOTE}
Acadia,
You might be right, on the other hand he is talking about anchors.
Maybe he did indeed add my documents in the area where *.tmp is mentioned and considered this as anchoring or he anchored wrongly.
Anything is possible with a first time user of FDISR PC Rescue.
From what I read in his original post, I can only conclude that he doesn't know how to use it. :)

[Peter2150]

Guys I think what happened is this.

Anchoring was set from working snapshot, there for My documents was attached to workng snapshot. Uninstall was done from backup snapshot, so it was kept and working snapshot was deleted, taking my documents with it. But from what I understand Pinky wasn't able to at all boot back to the workng snapshot.

Hopefully Todd will step in.

[Acadia]

Still don't understand why anyone would want to anchor their TMP files.

Acadia

[Osaban]

{QUOTE-> What you call the original location, is the Active Snapshot and the BACKUP area is the Rescue Snapshot. I know that FDISR PC Rescue calls it BACKUP, which is quite confusing, they better call it RESCUE.

What I don't understand is that you install a beta software in the Rescue Snapshot, which is wrong. You have to install this beta software in the Active Snapshot and when you want to get rid of the beta software, you have to copy/update from the Rescue Snapshot to the Active Snapshot and that will remove the beta software from the Active Snapshot.
Your Active Snapshot is your WORK snapshot for daily usage and your Rescue Snapshot is the one that will save you if you have problems in the Active Snapshot.

I'm not saying this is the cause of your problems, but you certainly don't use it right. <-QUOTE}

As far as my new experience with the Rescue version goes, the 2 snapshots are completely interchangeable: Whether you use the 'original' or the 'backup' for whatever test you are doing it's the same. Copying/updating from one to the other achieves the same results as long as one keeps track of what is happening chronologically speaking. If you are booted in the 'backup' snapshot, and activate the command to boot to rescue area, it will consider 'rescue' the original snapshot. There is absolute symmetry of operation between the two snapshots.

What happened to me earlier is that I completely misunderstood the concept of anchoring data, and after anchoring 'Documents', I deleted it in the backup snapshot to save space not realizing that in doing so it would disappear from the original too. Well ShadowProtect rectified my mistake within minutes.

[ErikAlbert]

{QUOTE-> As far as my new experience with the Rescue version goes, the 2 snapshots are completely interchangeable: Whether you use the 'original' or the 'backup' for whatever test you are doing it's the same. Copying/updating from one to the other achieves the same results as long as one keeps track of what is happening chronologically speaking. If you are booted in the 'backup' snapshot, and activate the command to boot to rescue area, it will consider 'rescue' the original snapshot. There is absolute symmetry of operation between the two snapshots.
<-QUOTE}
You are right about 2 snapshots are completely interchangeable in theory, but each snapshot has a specific purpose. I would never install a beta software in my Rescue Snapshot, like the OP did, that is not the purpose of a Rescue Snapshot.
Of course you can do whatever you want in both snapshots, but then you have to know exactly what you are doing and it will become more complicated, when both snapshots are losing their purpose.

{QUOTE-> .
What happened to me earlier is that I completely misunderstood the concept of anchoring data, and after anchoring 'Documents', I deleted it in the backup snapshot to save space not realizing that in doing so it would disappear from the original too. Well ShadowProtect rectified my mistake within minutes. <-QUOTE}
Suppose your system uses 10gb and My Documents (= data) uses 90gb.
If you don't anchor My Documents the size of both snapshots = 10gb+90gb = 100gb x 2 snapshots = 200gb in total
If you anchor my Documents the size of both snapshots = 10gb x 2 snapshots = 20gb + 90gb = 110gb in total.

The only thing you have to do is using the function "Data Anchoring" and tell FDISR to anchor "My Documents".
After that the complete folder My Documents won't be included in the snapshots anymore and that will reduce the size of your snapshots of course.
You don't have to remove "My Documents" in any snapshot, just anchor My Documents and do nothing else.

If you don't anchor, you have two sets of "My Documents" with a separate updating and that is also dangerous, when snapshots are losing their purpose.
If you anchor "My Documents", you have only one set of "My Documents" with only one updating and that makes it possible to update "My Documents" in each snapshot.

My standard recommendation is anchoring "My Documents", because data grows and grows until the size of your snapshots is too large and then you have to anchor anyway. Anchoring is a LONG TERM solution until your HDD is full.
My favorite solution is separating system from data and then you don't need anchoring anymore.

What happened to the OP has no other explanation, than a bug in FDISR PC Rescue, unless he deleted My Documents himself.

[pink emu]

Hi all,

Two things:

1. THANKS so much for the comments.
2. I recovered My Documents by using the Universal Boot CD for Windows and its recovery tools, and not waking up the installed Windows at all. Then I moved that folder off the system drive to the data drive and made a backup copy. Guess I have to get serious about installing a dynamic backup system, ‘cause THIS kind of crash recovery is a royal PITA.

I just discovered all your responses, so let me digest them, some other posts, my recovery notes and logs, and get back to you with a concise list of steps of how I got into this, to see if it can be duplicated with a dummy My Documents file to anchor. I think I can tell already from your posts at least one thing I did that may have caused the My Documents folder not to anchor, but don’t see why that would have DELETED it! According to the Help file, the default (no F1) reboot should return the user from Rescue to Original. I actually did it both ways. I pressed F1 and selected N and the response message was “You will be rebooted to Windows” which I assumed was to the ORIGINAL. All combinations of F1 and Y or N led back to the RESCUE partition (sandbox) (snapshot).

I’m making a list of questions to resolve. I can tell you there are some totally conflicting opinions about how to use this application out there, and I think the install instructions and new user info on the HDS site need to be revisited. I’m actually a retired University Lecturer in Computer Science, but it was my maiden voyage with FDISR. I’m trying to get up the nerve to try this again! ;)

Thanks again,

Pinky

[Osaban]

{QUOTE-> You are right about 2 snapshots are completely interchangeable in theory, but each snapshot has a specific purpose. I would never install a beta software in my Rescue Snapshot, like the OP did, that is not the purpose of a Rescue Snapshot.
Of course you can do whatever you want in both snapshots, but then you have to know exactly what you are doing and it will become more complicated, when both snapshots are losing their purpose.
<-QUOTE}

"Advanced users can also use the Rescue Area as a "sandbox" in which to test applications or other system changes. Simply boot to the BACKUP build and try the change. When done testing, boot back to the ORIGINAL build and refresh, with the Copy/Update command, to remove the changes made to the BACKUP build" From the FD-ISR Rescue product manual.

They actually advise to use the backup snapshot as a sandbox. What is not clear from the manual is the symmetry of operation of the 2 snapshots. I agree that one should develop a personal protocol to avoid mistakes and the tray icon should tell you constantly in which snapshot you are in (the only way to know is to open the gui).

Anchoring 'Documents' is clear to me now after my mistake, and in my situation it's very useful when I image my C drive (single partition) as the ShadowProtect image is not so huge (anchoring saves about 8 GB of image data).

I think the OP must have made a mistake somewhere, if it is a bug only time will tell.

[ErikAlbert]

{QUOTE->
I’m making a list of questions to resolve. I can tell you there are some totally conflicting opinions about how to use this application out there, and I think the install instructions and new user info on the HDS site need to be revisited. I’m actually a retired University Lecturer in Computer Science, but it was my maiden voyage with FDISR. I’m trying to get up the nerve to try this again! ;)
<-QUOTE}
There are no conflicting opinions and certainly NOT with FDISR PC Rescue.
Each snapshot has a very specific purpose and you can't change that purpose.
The Active Snapshot is your work snapshot and the Rescue Snapshot (BACKUP) is there to save you, if your Active Snapshot is in trouble or needs to be cleaned.

It's very important to keep your Rescue Snapshot MALWARE-FREE and you can only do this by cleaning your Active Snapshot BEFORE you do a copy/update from Active Snapshot to Rescue Snapshot.
You can't freeze your Active Snapshot either and that means you need a strong security in your Active Snapshot to keep it malware-free. Possible solutions are Returnil or DeepFreeze, if they are compatible with FDISR PC Rescue.

FDISR PC Rescue is too simple and you only have 2 snapshots to make Immediate System Recovery possible, so you have to be alot more carefull with these 2 snapshots, otherwise you won't have ISR anymore.

There might be another way of using these 2 snapshots independently from one another with a different kind of updating, but I have to think about this first, because I have no practical experience with FDISR PC Rescue.
I have at least a rough idea, how to do this in a much better way than the recommended standard way of using FDISR PC Rescue.

[wilbertnl]

Pinky,

Most forum members here have experience with a previous release of FD-ISR with more features than Horizondatasys (http://www.horizondatasys.com/) is offering.
From your message I would agree with Acadia that your actions seem to exclude your documents folders, as opposed to sharing them between original and backup.

Why your systems persists in booting into the backup snapshot remains unclear. I would like to know more about that.

[Peter2150]

{QUOTE-> There are no conflicting opinions and certainly NOT with FDISR PC Rescue.
Each snapshot has a very specific purpose and you can't change that purpose.
The Active Snapshot is your work snapshot and the Rescue Snapshot (BACKUP) is there to save you, if your Active Snapshot is in trouble or needs to be cleaned.

<-QUOTE}

Erik, this is your view of it, but necessarily factual. In fact you can use either snapshot as you like, it just doesn't matter. All that matters is you keep it straight in your own mind.

[Peter2150]

Hi Pinky

One of the things about FDISR, and this still applies to a degree with Rescue, is there are a lot of different ways to use it.

But you are right about one thing. You want an imaging solution to go with it. Saves a lot of pain on many fronts.

Pete

[ErikAlbert]

{QUOTE-> Erik, this is your view of it, but necessarily factual. In fact you can use either snapshot as you like, it just doesn't matter. All that matters is you keep it straight in your own mind. <-QUOTE}
Thanks for teaching me FDISR PC Rescue. ::)

[Peter2150]

{QUOTE-> Thanks for teaching me FDISR PC Rescue. ::) <-QUOTE}


It's no different then the original FDISR before they had archives, and using just two snapshots.

[ErikAlbert]

{QUOTE-> It's no different then the original FDISR before they had archives, and using just two snapshots. <-QUOTE}
Do you really think I'm not aware of this after using FDISR for 2 years ? Teach the OP, not me. :)

[Peter2150]

{QUOTE-> Do you really think I'm not aware of this after using FDISR for 2 years ? Teach the OP, not me. :) <-QUOTE}

Erik, you may know FDISR, but your posts are misleading. You state your usage as being fact for the program, ie, the only way it works. For example. {QUOTE-> You are right about 2 snapshots are completely interchangeable in theory, but each snapshot has a specific purpose. <-QUOTE}. This may be your opinion, but it simply isn't true.

Pete

[ErikAlbert]

{QUOTE-> Erik, you may know FDISR, but your posts are misleading. You state your usage as being fact for the program, ie, the only way it works. For example. . This may be your opinion, but it simply isn't true.

Pete <-QUOTE}
The OP is a first time user, so you don't start telling him that it doesn't matter which snapshot is the Active or Rescue one.

[Peter2150]

{QUOTE-> The OP is a first time user, so you don't start telling him that it doesn't matter which snapshot is the Active or Rescue one. <-QUOTE}

But the fact is it doesn't matter. He did nothing wrong in what he did.

[ErikAlbert]

{QUOTE-> But the fact is it doesn't matter. He did nothing wrong in what he did. <-QUOTE}
I quit this silly discussion.

[wilbertnl]

Here are a few screenshots of FD-ISR Rescue:

200907

200908

Pinky,

It's good practice to move your "My Documents" folder into a separate folder like C:\Data. (Right click on "My Documents" and click the move button).

[Osaban]

{QUOTE-> Guys I think what happened is this.

Anchoring was set from working snapshot, there for My documents was attached to workng snapshot. Uninstall was done from backup snapshot, so it was kept and working snapshot was deleted, taking my documents with it. But from what I understand Pinky wasn't able to at all boot back to the workng snapshot.

Hopefully Todd will step in. <-QUOTE}

I agree this is the most likely scenario as far as the disappearance of the 'My docs' folder. The product manual emphasizes to backup any folder that is anchored just to avoid any possible loss as in the OP situation. I've been using FD-ISR Rescue now for a month and switched snapshots at least 30-40 times without a glitch, it'd be nice to hear not only from Todd but also from the OP if the problem persists.

[wilbertnl]

Well, the OP was able to access the Documents folders and recover the "lost data" from a bootable CD, which means that these folders were not erased from the hard disk.

[Peter2150]

{QUOTE-> Well, the OP was able to access the Documents folders and recover the "lost data" from a bootable CD, which means that these folders were not erased from the hard disk. <-QUOTE}

You of course are right, which leaves it a bit of a mystery

[pink emu]

Hi guys,

Excuse long post. Learned, relearned a lot today. I take back what I said about manual crash recovery with Burrows UBCD for Windows. Reliable manual crash recovery isn’t a PITA it’s a huge relief. It bailed my sorry @$$ out of this mess! I’m a PITA to myself as I do similar mistakes for 30 years!

Current status with new install of FDISR Rescue:

1. First I moved My Documents to my data drive, also Outlook 2000 .pst file, made extra backup copies as well, so I can manually refresh the backups. My data is backed up all around until I install an imaging system. Don’t have to anchor anything, can access all through links or programs on both snapshots.

2. My system: self-built, Gigabyte board couple years old, 2 gigs ddr RAM, single-core AMD Athlon 64 3200+, 2.09 gig, running W2K_SP4, fully updated by Windows Update.

3. Before installing: I physically detached from my Internet cable modem, turned off OA AV+ firewall, turned off GesWall freeware application that I use to sandbox Opera 9.5 browser.

4. Reinstalled same download of FDISR Rescue, built a rescue area, and this firmly re-established my recollection of the sequence of things the last time around. I’ll describe the current install process, which is still problematic.

5. Install: Default, plain vanilla. No warnings, no errors. Rebooted from install to ORIGINAL with pop-up requesting to copy/install RESCUE area. Cancelled, verified My Documents shortcut and Outlook 2000 worked. Brought up FD Console & configured console icon to appear in System Tray always. Computed RESCUE area size of 4GB.

6. RESCUE area build: Used Copy/update on Management Console. Declined to designate folders/files to anchor in Anchoring Wizard. Build finished in about 30 minutes with no warnings or errors. Reboot after Copy/update was to ORIGINAL area. Verified that all links still worked. Computed area sizes again. That system drive is 20 GB. Original is 4 GB, Rescue is 4 GB, Freespace is 10 GB, My Programs is about 2 GB so that all fits.

7. RESCUE area boot: Booted to rescue area from Management Console. Completed without warnings or errors. System Tray icon reported boot to Rescue area. Verified that My Documents link and Outlook 2000 email program still work. DID NOT download anything to play around with. Tried to boot back to ORIGINAL according to Manual, which is to reboot and take no action when the Preboot shows.

8. NOW IT GOES WRONG: The Preboot animation showed. It was allowed to pass. The system booted to the Rescue area. All works correctly within the snapshot, but all reboot options (a) no action at Preboot, (b) F1 Y at Preboot, (c) F1 N at Preboot, ALL end in the Rescue area. I can’t get back to ORIGINAL.

I’m apparently functioning fine from here, but this NOT the way it should work. Any ideas?

More available on the very first bad installs and reinstalls if you wish. I sorted out the errors I made.

Pinky

[Peter2150]

Puzzled. Okay after business hours, I am going to image, and download the trial and see what gives.

Pete

[stapp]

In activity>view logs if you click on the blue plus sign it shows what you did.

Does it show that you booted to the rescue area etc?

[pink emu]

{QUOTE-> In activity>view logs if you click on the blue plus sign it shows what you did.

Does it show that you booted to the rescue area etc? <-QUOTE}


Yes. The log summarizes all the actions I took, with three blue crosses revealing verbose details of 1 rescue area copy action and 2 size computations. It then records "Swapped over to BACKUP (1)". Then it shows 4 preboot checks as I tried the 4 boot options to swap back to ORIGINAL that didn't work, ends without recording any errors or failures.

Pinky

[wilbertnl]

Like Peter, I downloaded and installed FD-ISR rescue from Horizondatasys.

I will try to repeat your sequence and see if I can reproduce your boot problem...

[pink emu]

More details on the very first try from my notes:

I installed and uninstalled twice. The first time I anchored My Documents correctly using the Anchor Wizard. But did NOT verify that My Documents were accessible from the Rescue snapshots. The same failure to reboot back to the Original snapshot occurred, and I tried all options (a) letting Preboot animation pass, (b) F1 Y, (c) F1 N. Then uninstalled (from the Rescue snapshot) and reinstalled.

On the second install I made a dumb mistake because I was getting frustrated. Instead of using the Anchor Wizard I went to the Options tab and entered My Documents into the excluded folder with *.tmp. Pretty moronic, but that’s what happens late at night when your mind is (not) absorbing a new procedure and terms. :wacko: On the other hand I don’t see how it could have damaged My Documents by ignoring them. Completed the rescue area build. This time I did check My Documents. Missing, of course, and by now, getting a bit panicked, I tried the reboots back, which still didn’t work. Uninstalled FD again, and when it unwound, My Documents folder was present but empty. So, in retrospect, the deletion must have occurred when I uninstalled from the first Rescue snapshot. If that happened its got to be a poorly designed uninstall. Anchored data is only mapped to the Rescue area. Surely the uninstall could ignore anchored data.

Postings and tech support help requests followed. Then I booted into my UBCD recovery CD and found everything had been deleted into free space but not overwritten, so the actually recovery was pretty easy, actually even getting a lot of the directory structure back. The tech support at HDS has not responded since I sent the requested logs on 6/20. :dry:

So we seem to have 2 possible issues, if anyone can reproduce them. (a) a faulty reboot back to Original snapshot, and (b) having anchored data deleted during uninstalls from the Rescue area. The first time I installed, I had unhooked by cable modem and exited the OA AV+ firewall, but the GesWall Free application was in use sandboxing by browser only. This present time I exited GesWall as well, and don't think I'm hosting anything else that could interfere. In any case, nothing warned either time.

Pinky

[pink emu]

{QUOTE-> Well, the OP was able to access the Documents folders and recover the "lost data" from a bootable CD, which means that these folders were not erased from the hard disk. <-QUOTE}

On the recovery with the bootable CD it was by only accessing the entire free space on the system drive that I located the missing items. They had been deleted, presumably during the very first uninstall from the Rescue snapshot, and fortunately not overwritten. So then it turned into deleted data recovery.

I much appreciate your interest in this!

Pinky

[ErikAlbert]

{QUOTE->
8. NOW IT GOES WRONG: The Preboot animation showed. It was allowed to pass. The system booted to the Rescue area. All works correctly within the snapshot, but all reboot options (a) no action at Preboot, (b) F1 Y at Preboot, (c) F1 N at Preboot, ALL end in the Rescue area. I can’t get back to ORIGINAL.
<-QUOTE}
Not getting back to ORIGINAL is indeed ABNORMAL, you must be able to boot in any snapshot, otherwise it doesn't make sense anymore. Maybe FDISR PC Rescue doesn't like your total system, I can hardly believe that this is a bug.

[wilbertnl]

Pinky, you are right.

Once you boot into the rescue snapshot, you are trapped and there is no way that you are able to boot into the original snapshot.

200916

And the boot screen only gives you the option to boot into the rescue area when you press F1.
FD-ISR does NOT boot into the original snapshot by default either.

This is not a bug, but a feature left out!
Todd, are you reading?

Did you select program only, when uninstalling?
That way both snapshots would remain and be accessible after reinstalling:

200917

Also uninstall/reinstall of the program only does not fix the problem. FD-ISR continues to boot into the rescue snapshot.
It seems that booting into the rescue snapshot is a one-way only road.

I also want to report that I didn't notice any issues with the anchored data.

[pink emu]

{QUOTE->

Pinky, you are right.

Once you boot into the rescue snapshot, you are trapped and there is no way that you are able to boot into the original snapshot.

And the boot screen only gives you the option to boot into the rescue area when you press F1. FD-ISR does NOT boot into the original snapshot by default either.

This is not a bug, but a feature left out! Todd, are you reading?

Did you select program only, when uninstalling? That way both snapshots would remain and be accessible after reinstalling:

Also uninstall/reinstall of the program only does not fix the problem. FD-ISR continues to boot into the rescue snapshot. It seems that booting into the rescue snapshot is a one-way only road.

I also want to report that I didn't notice any issues with the anchored data. <-QUOTE}

wilbertnl, SO GLAD you were able to reproduce this! No, I uninstalled everything. I see what you mean by "feature left out" but when it doesn't perform as the Manual says it sure feels like "bug" to the user! But uninstall/reinstall DOES leave one in the Original area right after installation. Its only after executing the first Copy/Install to create the Rescue area PLUS booting to it the first time, that you have entered the one way street.

Well, since I moved all my data and my Outlook .pst file to the data drive, I think I'll just uninstall this now and monitor the forum here. If the developer can get this fixed I'm available to beta test because I'm still interested. Is there anywhere the previous versions are available and supported? Was there a fork somewhere? I'm not familiar with the long term development history of FD. Any other suggestions for this Crash Recovery capability?

Thanks for all the very fast help guys! Waiting to hear whats next in this saga!

Pinky

[Osaban]

{QUOTE-> Pinky, you are right.

Once you boot into the rescue snapshot, you are trapped and there is no way that you are able to boot into the original snapshot.

<-QUOTE}

That's not the way I saw it when I first installed it: Depending where you are('original' snapshot or 'backup' snapshot) booting to the rescue area could be to the original from the backup or to the backup from the original. In other words there is no rescue area assigned by default, Original and backup are interchangeable. If one wants to return to the ORIGINAL from the BACKUP snapshot, one has to boot to the RESCUE area(in this case it is RESCUE area for the BACKUP snapshot).

[pandlouk]

{QUOTE-> That's not the way I saw it when I first installed it: Depending where you are('original' snapshot or 'backup' snapshot) booting to the rescue area could be to the original from the backup or to the backup from the original. In other words there is no rescue area assigned by default, Original and backup are interchangeable. If one wants to return to the ORIGINAL from the BACKUP snapshot, one has to boot to the RESCUE area(in this case it is RESCUE area for the BACKUP snapshot). <-QUOTE}
I confirm.

There are ORIGINAL and BACKUP snapshots. Booting to the rescue area simple means booting in the other snapshot.

[Peter2150]

Well I tried it and I don't confirm the finding. I do confirm that someone did screw up big time on the F1 stuff.

Okay. I am in Original, and I reboot and press F1. It asks me if I want to boot to rescue, and I say N. It boots back to Original. I reboot and again press F1 and this time when it asks me if I want to boot to Rescue, I say Y and it boots to Rescue.

Now coming back. Again in backup and rebooting it took a few to figure out answer the question if Rescue was Original. So when it asked me if I wanted to boot to Rescue and I said N, I was still in Backup. But when I rebooted and was asked if I wanted to boot to Rescue, I said Y, and indeed it booted into Original.

My overall impression of the product. Pathetic.

Pete

[wilbertnl]

{QUOTE-> Original and backup are interchangeable. <-QUOTE}
When I open the FD-ISR console it always shows "BACKUP" as snapshot indication. Like in the screenshot of post #40 (http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=1268673&postcount=40).
I never got any indication that I booted "Original". Even The Balloon didn't show that I switched to the other snapshot.

If this behavior is by design, then it's poor design.

[Osaban]

{QUOTE-> When I open the FD-ISR console it always shows "BACKUP" as snapshot indication. Like in the screenshot of post #40 (http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=1268673&postcount=40).
I never got any indication that I booted "Original". Even The Balloon didn't show that I switched to the other snapshot.

If this behavior is by design, then it's poor design. <-QUOTE}

I think that the names Original, Backup, Rescue Area, could be interpreted wrongly, one automatically associates Backup snapshot with Rescue area, whereas they should have made it clear that two identical OSs have been created in parallel and can be used alternatively.

May be redesigning the gui would help, but the program works as advertised. The tray icon should also show all the time in which snapshot you are in. If the console shows "BACKUP" then you are booted in the "BACKUP" snapshot, and from there if you want to go to the "ORIGINAL" you have to activate the command to boot into the "RESCUE AREA" (which is now the "ORIGINAL"), or press F1 - YES from the pre-boot screen.

[wilbertnl]

{QUOTE-> When I open the FD-ISR console it always shows "BACKUP" as snapshot indication. Like in the screenshot of post #40 (http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=1268673&postcount=40).
I never got any indication that I booted "Original". Even The Balloon didn't show that I switched to the other snapshot. <-QUOTE}
I take that back.
When I select "Rescue" in the menu of the console, or press F1 at boot, I do switch to the other snapshot. I even created a file C:\rescue.snapshot in one of the snapshots, to verify the difference.

It didn't seem that way before I reinstalled FD-ISR rescue...

[Peter2150]

{QUOTE-> I think that the names Original, Backup, Rescue Area, could be interpreted wrongly, one automatically associates Backup snapshot with Rescue area, whereas they should have made it clear that two identical OSs have been created in parallel and can be used alternatively.

May be redesigning the gui would help, but the program works as advertised. The tray icon should also show all the time in which snapshot you are in. If the console shows "BACKUP" then you are booted in the "BACKUP" snapshot, and from there if you want to go to the "ORIGINAL" you have to activate the command to boot into the "RESCUE AREA" (which is now the "ORIGINAL"), or press F1 - YES from the pre-boot screen. <-QUOTE}

Talk about freakin confusing. From a human engineering point of view it is a disaster.

[Osaban]

{QUOTE-> Talk about freakin confusing. From a human engineering point of view it is a disaster. <-QUOTE}

...And this is supposed to be a simplified version of the classic FDISR!

[wilbertnl]

The interface is confusing.
I understand the reaction of Pinky, and since Pinky has the skills to recover lost data, I think he has the qualifications to do a successful evaluation.

[ErikAlbert]

{QUOTE-> ...And this is supposed to be a simplified version of the classic FDISR! <-QUOTE}
I'm glad I have the classic FDISR, which is still more powerfull, than the new server version of FDISR PC Rescue and I'm not talking about the number of snapshots. All the features that make FDISR comfortable in usage are all gone in both versions. Only the archives make a difference between both and the price tag of course. :(

[Empath]

It's not a disaster, once you understand that the Rescue and Original are only names for the two snapshots. For all practical purposes, moving from one to the other always involves the same thing. If you're in Original, rebooting will take you to Original. If you're in Original and want to boot to Rescue, you do so through the user interface or the F1 key during boot. Once you are in Rescue, the only hint is the icon in the tray showing Rescue, and the user interface will tell you you're in Rescue.

If you want back into Original, you get back the same way you got to Rescue. You tell it to boot to "Rescue" either through the interface or the F1 key at boot. When you finish booting, you'll be in Original, and the icon in the tray will say you're in Original and the user interface will say you're in Original.

None of that is as difficult as it sounds. You just have to remember there's no distinction in how you get from one to the other. Booting to the other is always called "boot to rescue area".

[Osaban]

I think the program works very well, and in one month that I've had it there isn't one single issue that I can report. To test new configurations or software it is ideal, and it has already saved my system from a catastrophic installation of the new AntiExecutable.

The program console has a dreadful design, and the the wording used to describe the transition from one snapshot to the other could certainly do with some changes. I wonder how many people might have thought of a bug reaching the same conclusions as the OP.

[kennyboy]

Glad that the OP has sort of got it sorted. This cut-down version of FDISR does seem to be a little confusing, but hope it works out for the users.
Just consider myself sooooo lucky that I have the original program under lock and key.

[pink emu]

Hi all,

Well, I’ve done enough repetitions with your clarifications to see what this is about. As you experienced guys have said, I see the two snapshots are identical and equally functional for all purposes. I see Rescue Area does not mean BACKUP, it means “The other snapshot” whether ORIGINAL or BACKUP.

No matter where you are, F1 Y at the Preboot will always boot to the other snapshot, F1 N at the Preboot will always boot to one's current snapshot.

The ambiguity of the GUIs and the confusion of terminology, especially Rescue Area and BACKUP allowed (if not induced) me to initiate a sequence of actions at F1 that created the illusion of being in a blind alley, stuck in BACKUP

I appropriated wilbertnl’s idea and put a folder in each snapshot labeled respectively C:\ FD ORIGINAL and C:\ FD BACKUP. Every new user might be wise to do that, to be able to quickly verify where one actually is, until it all becomes automatic with practice.

I wish the Manual had been clearer and GUIs had been less ambiguous and more intuitive. I should have been able to learn all this in the Manual and the GUIs should have explained the results of Y and N better.

So My Documents are no longer hosed, thanks to UBCD4Windows, no thanks to FDISR. I've rearranged my drives and data so as to never need to anchor.

I think I can use this application safely now, for crash recovery in the context of beta testing other applications.

I appreciate your support with this more than I can say.

Pinky

[wilbertnl]

{QUOTE-> I appropriated wilbertnl’s idea and put a folder in each snapshot labeled respectively C:\ FD ORIGINAL and C:\ FD BACKUP. Every new user might be wise to do that, to be able to quickly verify where one actually is, until it all becomes automatic with practice. <-QUOTE}
This approach functions as long as you decide to NOT copy/update the rescue(?) snapshot. Because after any copy/update both snapshots are identical again.

If you decide to maintain two different installations in each snapshot, for evaluation purpose (I like to evaluate different security software in different snapshots, for example) or one for "production" and another for "games" or just in general two snapshot with "conflicting" configurations, you may waive the recovery function that is advertised.

[Peter2150]

Actually once booted, opening the gui, did correctly identify where you were. It was the concept of what to do at F1. Also the boot to snapshot function in the gui did work.

Pete

[pink emu]

{QUOTE-> This approach functions as long as you decide to NOT copy/update the rescue(?) snapshot. Because after any copy/update both snapshots are identical again.
<-QUOTE}

Thanks for reminding me. I'm going to start out using it for crash recovery while doing beta testing. Hopefully I'll get past the new user stage. I gather that the earlier versions so many of you seem pleased to own are no longer available. Why did FD evolve to what some experts seem to view as a dumbed-down version?

(later) Never mind, I read the early LeapFrog posts and I see what happened.

Pinky

[wilbertnl]

{QUOTE-> Why... <-QUOTE}
Maybe here (http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=1218400&postcount=1) is the explanation.