RollBack...geez...they got me too...

Discussion in 'backup, imaging & disk mgmt' started by RickFromPhila, Apr 21, 2014.

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  1. RickFromPhila

    RickFromPhila Registered Member

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    Hi Folks...

    I put up this thread hoping that someone out there who has experienced a similar problem with Rollback Rx 10.2 can help me out. I'm sure from what I have been reading online I'm not the only one. But the solutions are hard to find.

    Basically all I keep getting from the folks at rollback are excuses and emails saying there's no guarantee that scavenger will work, etc. Which is obvious! I even tried asking them to develop a small utility (other than scavenger which never worked using any version), that will at least allow me to boot up to the subconsole and maybe restore a snapshot that way because right now, Windows Startup Repair Loop interferes with me getting to the subconsole because it is always booting into repair mode. I need to bootup in a way that bypasses startup repair loop, and to be able to use a utility via CD or USB, or a set of commands or something, that will let me access the subconsole. This should allow me to restore my system back using one of the seven snapshots that I have available.

    These folks seem to be more interested in selling their products than fixing it... Bug after bug update after update. Usually I have to wait about a week just to get a email back and that's usually from a sales person (according to their title), not a technician. Who he promised a tech would be contacting me but never did. And trust me I've been waiting for almost four and a half months.

    Listen...What do you folks think about this to try? I repair windows startup by using the windows dvd repair-install mode (which creates a c:\windows.old) directory... just to get the computer back up again, even though I still have 80 gigs of data missing. That should allow me to bootup and THEN try to run the windows version of rollback from the programs menu to open up a snapshot and restore my data (again because scavenger does not work)... or do you think that will delete the snapshots? I wouldn't like to think so since windows is only repairing it's operating system and hopefully not deleting my other drive data as in a regular repair operation.

    I am NOT too technical in matters like this so I am trying to keep it as simple as possible and hopefully not make things worse.

    With respect and appreciation for all the help and suggestions, please don't suggest for me to wipe my drive and start all over. I have lost over 80 gigs of work and personal data from the past 20 years and I made the mistake of giving my daughter my backup drive for college, trying to save myself some money, so I have no other data to restore from. I learned my lesson trusting rollback rx. That's why I let my laptop sit and collect dust for the past 4 months, because I was waiting for them to send me a solution. So much for gold support.

    I am posting this on the forum to get some badly needed help. This is really depressing and frustrating and the people at rollback rx basically left me out in the cold. Their lack of support for customers will eventually be their downfall anyway...because before my computer went down I use to read other folks having similar issues, both here and doing research, with no real help or solutions from them. I downloaded every software update that came out just to make sure my version would stay (rollback) bug free. It was just last version 10.2 that messed my system up.

    I put my faith in rollback as my backup software of choice, but the only thing that got "rolled-back" was my trust in them. Nearly every email I get from them (whenever I do), in response to my concerns always ends with the standard disclaimer of it's not our fault you installed rollback...try scavenger! Its all we got!

    Thanks for any help you folks can give me. Hopefully I can get some real solutions here. If I can get my system back up and running the first thing I would do is install AX64... and invest in a low-cost sector by sector hard drive duplicator. (Grin).

    Thanks a lot...

    HorizonDataSys trollers, apologists & defenders need not bother...enough of us have already been shafted by your "Gold Support" rod.

    ...*unless you have a solution*...
     
  2. aigle

    aigle Registered Member

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    I have not seen a single successful case of data recovery with rollbackrx. Your method wil most probably not work.

    if you want more details, ask Rollback frog, a user here.

    Rollbackrx is simply not suitable for a PC with important data over it. It,s good for a test PC to test different software. Also in my experience due the very nature of this software, if one version of it works for you, no need to update as any new version might bring new unknown bugs.

    lastly you need a reliable backup of your data on a separate disk if data is imp for you and in my experience two backups on two different media. I use one external drive plus one cloud storage. If either one gets corrupt, u can restore from second one.
     
  3. Masterblaster

    Masterblaster Registered Member

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    I agree that you should contact TheRollbackFrog.
    It is ironic that RRX sometimes makes HDD's unbootable when it's main mission is to save data.
    I used RRX for several years. Twice in that time, it corrupted my MBR to the point all I could do was reformat.
    The last time that happened was with W8.1 ans RRX 10+. As much as I loved that program when it worked, it just became too dangerous to use on my computer.
    I hope you find a solution better than what I went through.
     
  4. RickFromPhila

    RickFromPhila Registered Member

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    Thanks. I plan to use AX64....and a Startech sector by sector duplicator...if I ever get back up and running again.

    Horizon data systems left me sitting and waiting for 5 months now with no help but a watered down version of scavenger which hardly ever worked for anyone...while promising a tech or developer would get back to me.I should have known better. All of this because I tried to update to the newest update.

    By the way...does anyone know if chkdsk can be reversed...undo...etc...even if it is by another utility? In addition to the 80 gigs that are missing by rollback update...I also have a directory with a bunch of Found.000 files...that's in ADDITION to the missing files! I did not run this. It ran automatically after the rollback reboot crash while going into Windows startup repair mode. Nothing I could do because I was at the mercy of rollback update. Geez...
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2014
  5. Masterblaster

    Masterblaster Registered Member

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    Good luck with AX64. It was the perfect solution for me as well. Unfortunately, the company was sold and W8.1 broke it's compatibility for me which they could never resolve. Now their forum sees very few posts from the new owners. Progress seems to have stalled. My solution was a refund.
    If I were you, I would try it out before buying. If it works, it will be a good solution (don't expect the speed of RRX).
     
  6. RickFromPhila

    RickFromPhila Registered Member

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    Wow this is getting depressing by the day! Is there a better solution? I'm still using Windows 7 if I ever get my laptop up and running again, I don't plan to go to Windows 8. Does it still work OK with Windows 7? Or what about this program I've been reading on the form called First-Defense-ISR? Is that another old one or precursor to rollback rx?
     
  7. Masterblaster

    Masterblaster Registered Member

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    I would try AX64. It works for almost everyone. I think it's problem is with W8.1 (which also caused many problems with RRX).
    It's free to try.
    When you go to the AX64 web site, also look here for more recent builds that are not official. http://www.ax64.com/beta/
    Some users like certain betas better.
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2014
  8. Cruise

    Cruise Registered Member

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    @rick,

    I'm sorry to read of your Rx issues, but you really should have opened a new thread, or revisited another thread about Rx (as your post is OT).

    I'll just respond by saying that I too was 'burned' by Rx and HDS. For me, Rx was fantastic for the first several months of use, that is until the day it crashed my system! Fortunately I had a fairly recent image-backup of my system drive (something that I believe is absolutely necessary for any Rx user, if not every PC user).

    As others have indicated, The Rollback Frog is/was an Rx knowledge user ('expert') so he is your best and perhaps only bet for any possible recovery (which at best will likely be Rx's baseline snapshot).

    Good luck,
    Cruise
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2014
  9. RickFromPhila

    RickFromPhila Registered Member

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    Thanks...

    I assume OT means Out of Thread. My mistake. I'm subjected to using my daughter's small cell phone and my vision isn't great, in addition to any website being a lot smaller than it would be on my Laptop. First time posting a threat also! Rollback really rolled me back.
     
  10. bgoodman4

    bgoodman4 Registered Member

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    o_O??this is a new thread, take a look at the title,,,,its about RX.

    Rick, I have been using AX64 with great success with Win 7.

    Have you tried any dedicated data recovery services? They can be expensive but they may be able to recover some or most of your data.
     
  11. Cruise

    Cruise Registered Member

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    Wow, I apologize - guess I need new specs! :oops:

    In any case, I really don't believe that any recovery service can salvage what Rx has corrupted. Rick, do yourself a big favor and send a PM to TheRollbackFrog before doing anything else!

    Cruise
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2014
  12. MrBrian

    MrBrian Registered Member

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  13. RickFromPhila

    RickFromPhila Registered Member

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    Thanks guys. Meanwhile, while I'm STILL going through this rollback drama....do you think that this software I mentioned below would allow me to access ANY snapshot (OR RB BASELINE)...which would have a snapshot of my entire (good) hard drive so I can copy the data from this?

    http://www.recovermyfiles.com/

    *(or something better but just as simple)

    Scavenger does not work nor does it have proper utilities for copying an entire hard drive if a snapshot was successfully loaded. In other words I just want to be able to access a snapshot or previous baseline some kind of way, and then copy the entire snapshot directories to a working new hard drive. I know that won't make it bootable like an image would but if I could access a snapshot, it would at least not have so much damage as what chkdsk did to my current drive after the rollback crash. 80gigs lost and over 200 Found.000 folders!

    Can chkdsk be undone on win7 (undo...etc.?)

    Thanks

    by the way, my snapshots were password protected also, that's why I needed to get some kind of access to the subconsole....to restore and reboot from there. Scavenger does not prompt for a password. I don't know if that makes a difference or not why is not useful.
     
  14. Cruise

    Cruise Registered Member

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    )
    Not a chance, I'm sorry to say. I don't think any Windows-based file-recovery program can see Rx snapshots, all of which but the baseline are stored on Windows' unused space (so Windows itself isn't even aware of them)!

    Perhaps you've done this, but I would try a cold-boot with a WinPE and/or Linux (live) disk to see if you can recover any of your (baseline) files.

    Have you tried to contact TRF as I (and others) suggested?

    Cruise
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2014
  15. MrBrian

    MrBrian Registered Member

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  16. bgoodman4

    bgoodman4 Registered Member

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    Hi Rick,

    As noted above and previously (elsewhere) there is virtually no chance you will be able to get into an Rx snap and recover any data. Your best bet would be to manage to boot the system using one of the boot repair/replace apps and then copy as much data as you can to an external drive. I would suggest that you should not expect to be able to salvage all of your data as it sounds as if ckdisk did a number on it but hopefully most of your IMPORTANT data will be salvageable. If you want to have the best chance of recovering the maximum amount of data there are professional services that do this sort of work but they typically cost in the $1,000s of dollars and they offer no guarantees. I wish I could offer you better news but ,,,,,,,,,,
     
  17. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    I would think twice about using the professional services. Most of them are oriented around recovering either windows or mac files. Unfortunately with Rollback there are no windows files. Just clusters that have stuff in them and no way to identify that stuff as it wasn't put there as windows files.

    Pete
     
  18. bgoodman4

    bgoodman4 Registered Member

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    I am not suggesting that he can recover Rx files or any of the info contained in them, quite the opposite. I am suggesting that he may be able to recover the data files that exist in Windows. Rx does not put the entire drive in some mysterious Rx state, it just prevents certain areas of the drive from being overwritten (those areas where deleted or changed data exists, and maintains a log of these so that if a rollback is done the data is there to be read and it knows where it is.
     
  19. The Shadow

    The Shadow Registered Member

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    That's more or less correct for Rx's (locked) baseline snapshot, but all subsequent snapshots are stored in sectors that are 'unused' (by Windows) and are not in readable NTFS/FAT files/folders!!!

    I believe Cruise hit the nail on the head, in that the baseline snapshot will be the only recovery possible and I think Rick will have to resign himself to that. And as Cruise also suggested, I would definitely try using an outside boot disk (CD/DVD/USB) to try and access Rx's baseline data. Several years ago I did just that and was successful (then I abandoned Rx and started using Shadow Defender).

    TS
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2014
  20. bgoodman4

    bgoodman4 Registered Member

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    I don't understand what you guys are on about. A Rx snapshot is not the data itself. Its a record of the state of the drive (the hooks as I gather). The drive itself has not been altered moved or transformed in any way, nor has the data on it. An Rx snapshot is not an image that Rick would be able to access,,,,even though he wants to,,,, but he does not understand what a Rx snapshot is. Rx snaps are nothing more than notes as to whats where and when. Thats why the snapshots, including the baseline, are so very small. At most megabytes for a large gigabyte drive. When I was using Rx I was protecting (laughs at the idea) a 120 gig drive that was 75% full. The baseline snap was 4 or 5 megabytes. There is no way accessing the snapshot (even if that were possible) itself would tell me anything about the contents of the files it had recorded the location of.

    AS for recovering Rxs baseline this is not going to happen as its gone. All aspects of Rx are toast which is why the PC is not able to boot. The Rx boot file has been destroyed, the snapshots (all of them) are gone, and the Rx module is toast.

    The only hope is that the data, and thats the Window data (and its still there to some degree, the ckdsk may have trashed much of it), can be accessed somehow. Either by booting using a boot repair app of some sort, or by some data recovery service.

    Now I may be out to lunch on this but I am pretty sure I have a good idea how Rx works, and I am pretty sure I am correct. Of course I am open to being shown wrong and if I am I would sincerely appreciate being shown why.
     
  21. MrBrian

    MrBrian Registered Member

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    I don't understand why file carving would not work for some types of files, unless Rollback Rx encrypts the files.
     
  22. pandlouk

    pandlouk Registered Member

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    They do work. In 2007 I had used Ontrack Easyrecovery to get my data back from a similar situation. But their success depends a lot on how fragmented are the files to be restored. higher the fragmentation of a file less the probability of recovery when you instruct those apps to ignore the master file table of the ntfs.

    "Active@ Partition Recovery" is probably the best tool for RBRX disasters (it can actually find different versions of the MFT) and is more likely to recover fragmented files of RBRX snapshots.
    Panagiotis
     
  23. RickFromPhila

    RickFromPhila Registered Member

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    oh yeah, I didn't realize that was Windows based. I guess once I get up and running it may work for some other purpose. I sent Froggy a PM...I will be getting back to him later on this evening. Thanks
     
  24. RickFromPhila

    RickFromPhila Registered Member

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    Thanks buddy. Yeah I wish I could afford that but not right now. Chkdsk did do a real number on the drive just like it did with other people's pc's with rollback. More importantly is the 80 gigs that are missing that I got to recover. If I could even get to one snapshot OR the baseline that was taken before the crash I can copy from there...to a new drive.
     
  25. RickFromPhila

    RickFromPhila Registered Member

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    I have about 7 snapshots that are available including the baseline which is obviously the largest in gigabytes that was taken the same week (before the crash).

    So if you guys are saying that the subsequent snapshots are inaccessible, and only the good (Rollback) baseline is, then I'll be happy just to get the baseline that was taken before the snapshots that followed! If anybody can help me out with that it's better than nothing. :)

    It is at least better than the state my drive is in currently. 80 gigs gone...and over 200 Found.000 subfolders. Thanks for giving me any help on being able to access that bassline inside rollback.

    Take a look at this pic. *Note that my drive is listed as "D", because I used a version of Scavenger CD to bootup with (the problem is they won't open...load...etc - and I can't boot up because it only goes into windows startup repair mode...leaving me helpless).

    This version of scavenger, I believe is also not compatible with my version of Windows. My version of Windows is home premium windows 7 64 bit. Maybe that's another reason why the snapshots won't mount...I guess.

    The other drive letters are HP recovery I believe, but they are designed to put the computer back to factory condition which is what I do not want to do obviously, because I would lose everything:
     

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    Last edited: Apr 24, 2014
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