Raxco Instant Recovery - Comparisons

Discussion in 'FirstDefense-ISR Forum' started by Peter2150, Nov 4, 2014.

  1. beethoven

    beethoven Registered Member

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    I like that explanation - very clear :thumb:
     
  2. jelson

    jelson Registered Member

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    @ stapp, Pete, Acadia: thanks guys, that makes it much, much clearer... especially since the secondary, etc, snapshots are in some kind of hidden folder within the active partition. (I imagine that the hidden folder(s) would be seen if you were to boot into a Linux Live CD.)

    I've been tempted by IR for a good while. So, please let me know if I'm thinking about this right.

    I install IR and what's on C:\ is now my Primary Snapshot. (And of course, take a partition image with Drive Snapshot, etc. -- no System Reserved partition: partitioned the drive before I installed Windows 7). And then make an archive of it (call it the Mature system archive).

    Now I need to get a Secondary. I have some very early images where nothing much at all was installed in Win7 (image size ~ 8.5 GB). Would I select one of them, restore it and then install IR and then image and archive that? And then pull in the Mature archive so that then becomes my Secondary?

    Or would I need to go through a whittling down process instead. What's the best practice here? Thanks
     
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2014
  3. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    The best practice is... it depends. Two ways.

    First as you suggested, install IR, and make an Archive of your primary snapshot. Name it so you know what it is. THen restore your image, back to basics, and make both a secondary snapshot, and an archive which you can call secondary. Boot to the secondary, and restore the Mature system archive to the primary. Then boot back to the primary.

    The second option is just make both an archive of the primary and a secondary snapshot. Then boot to the secondary snapshot, trim it down, and finally take an archive of the secondary.

    Why do it the second way. Well you may want to leave a few things in the secondary, like some security software, a browser, and what ever else you might want. Also windows would be more current.

    Any way you have choices.

    Pete
     
  4. Acadia

    Acadia Registered Member

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    Whoa, reading these last couple of posts is making my brain ache. o_O But that is one of the truly neat things about IR, it is so $%#^&@* flexible!

    Acadia
     
  5. kakaka

    kakaka Registered Member

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    Does anyone have experience with IR and any whole disk encryption software together i.e. diskcryptor, pgp, bestcrypt VE, DCPP?
     
  6. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    I don't, and I would say use whole disk encryption software with care.

    Over the years here, I never seen a post of how whold disk encryption software helped them, but I've seen many cries for help for people who couldn't get into their disk drive
     
  7. Alexhousek

    Alexhousek Registered Member

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    You're telling me?! Gosh, I'd love to SEE IR in action! I'm having a hard time picturing this software and how it works. Being a visual learner, I'd love to see some type of video of exactly how it works....
     
  8. Acadia

    Acadia Registered Member

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    Heh, and Alexhousek, I've ONLY been using the program since June of 2004; I checked my old invoices because I had forgotten and was curious. Actually, what made my brain ache were those other programs and/or how they were being used with IR. The flexibility of IR makes it hard on some of us (me!) because other folks use it in different ways with different programs than I have on my system. But in the end, it all shows the power of this incredibly flexible program.

    Acadia
     
  9. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    Video would be impossible, but I will try and make a verbal video and for simplicity I will put each scenario in a separate thread. Just be a bit patient with me timewise

    Pete
     
  10. jelson

    jelson Registered Member

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    Thanks Pete
     
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2014
  11. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    Verbal Video #1

    The simplest scenario

    After installation of IR

    1. In the main menu select copy/update.
    2. Select the source which is the Primary Snapsho
    3. Select the destination which will be new snapshot.
    4. Give it a name of choice. I use Secondary, but this is optional
    5. Do the copy. This will take some time and will create the Secondary Snapshot.


    Then to get to the secondary snapshot

    a) if you are in windows, you open the gui. In the action menu you select boot to snapshot, select the Secondary snapshot, and okay it. The system will reboot and at start of boot you will just see an Instant Recovery logo, and the system will boot into the secondary snapshot.

    b) Just reboot and as boot up starts you will see the Instant Recovery logo plus a count timer bar. While the count down is taking place hit the F1 Key. This will bring up a menu where you can select the snapshot to boot into. That is it.

    The other purpose of the b) selection is that if something trashes the system and it won't boot, you can bring up the IR boot menu and boot to the other snapshot.



    So how do we use this.

    Well you are working merrily along, and it's time for Windows Updates, and you've seen how some people have problems. So here is what you do.

    1. In IR you select Copy/Update with Source being the Primary Snapshot and destination your Secondary Snapshot, and let it copy.
    2. You do the Windows Update.
    3. If it looks good and after a bit you have no problems then simply repeat step 1, to bring the Secondary Snapshot up to date
    4. If you are having a real problem with the update, and depending on circumstances go to the secondary snaptshot
    5. Here repeat step 1, except now the source is the Secondary snapshot, and Destination is the Primary Snapshot
    6. Now use the steps in how to get to the secondary snapshot. Only here you are going to the Primary snapshot.

    Let me know if this is clear.

    Pete
     
  12. Alexhousek

    Alexhousek Registered Member

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    Both the primary and the secondary reside on the C drive, but while in one the other is hidden? Is that correct? And, you can switch between them at will only by re-booting and choosing which one you want to boot into?

    Can you have more than just a primary and a secondary snapshot? Can you have multiple snapshots?

    In your example, you mention windows updates (which is one reason why I bought AX64--issues in the past with windows updates!); I assume your example could have also been you wanted to switch AV's (uninstall one and install a new one)? If you didn't like the new AV, you could somehow revert back to the secondary snapshot?

    I think I'm grasping this. But, my mind is kind of blown thinking about the possible scenarios and how many snapshots I could have?!!!!
     
  13. Acadia

    Acadia Registered Member

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    Yes it is a lot to grasp. When I started using the program in 2004 I simply did not believe all that I was hearing about this program. Within two weeks I purchased another license for my wife.

    Yes, you can have more than the Primary and Secondary. If your hard drive can handle the space requirements you can have up to 10 bootable Snapshots, it is like have 10 different computers. You can boot at will among the 10 Snapshots. You can have an infinite number of Archived Snapshots. You cannot boot into them but you can recover them on top of the bootable Snapshots, so now you could boot into one of them. Yes, when you are in ANY bootable Snapshot the other 9 would be hidden, you can only have one computer at a time. ;)

    Yes, when it comes to testing new AV's or any program, you can keep completely different configurations of your system on each Snapshot. Some people even have different Operating Systems in the Snapshots but I have never taken it that far.

    Acadia

    EDIT: Just to throw in some more brain aching stuff. Whenever you recover an Archived Snapshot on top of any bootable Snapshot, you have over written whatever was on the bootable. That bootable is now gone, replaced by the Archive, you still have that bootable but it is now a different configuration. You still have the Archive where ever you had been storing it, you now have two copies of it, one Archived, one bootable. You keep an Archive forever until you delete it. You can even have different AV's, different ANYTHING in the various bootables, they do not see each other so the different programs never fight with each other. Like I said above, some people even have different Operating Systems but they must be NTFS, the older FAT will not work in InstantRecovery.
     
    Last edited: Nov 26, 2014
  14. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    Acadia answered your question, about number of snapshots. And yes it is mind blowing what you can do with this program. And again one of the most amazing things is it's reliability.


    Pete

    PS If you kinda grasp the moving around aspect, I will later today, describe in more detail how I use IR.

    Pete
     
  15. marse.robert

    marse.robert Registered Member

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    Hi all

    Received an error message. 'There as been an error with the Preboot Screen' any help would be appreciated.'

    Marse
     
  16. Alexhousek

    Alexhousek Registered Member

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    Waiting with much anticipation.... ;)
     
  17. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    See post #86 above
     
  18. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    Three things to try

    1. Turn off preboot, and reboot, then turn it back on and see what happens.
    2. Uninstall leaving data, and reinstall and see what happens.
    3. If 1 and 2 don't work, contact tech support.

    Pete
     
  19. Alexhousek

    Alexhousek Registered Member

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    I'm confused. That post came before the post where you said "later today".... Oh well. It was still quite helpful.
     
  20. jelson

    jelson Registered Member

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    Quick question:

    Planning to install BootIt Bare Metal and use it for accessing imaging ISOs instead of Windows BCD.

    Install IR or BIBM first?
     
  21. twl845

    twl845 Registered Member

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    If you want Boot it on your initial IR snapshot, I would. I don't know what BIBM is, sorry.
     
  22. Lagavulin16

    Lagavulin16 Registered Member

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    Has anyone experienced any problems with the IR snapshots after defragging the hard drive? I'm only using the inbuilt W7 defragger... just want to play it safe before I give that a whirl.
     
  23. twl845

    twl845 Registered Member

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    I haven't. If you do a defrag, and then update the Primary snapshot, IR is only going to copy what's there.
     
  24. Lagavulin16

    Lagavulin16 Registered Member

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    @twl845

    Good deal and as I expected. Thanks for your advisement!
     
  25. Acadia

    Acadia Registered Member

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    IR is not a mirror imaging program, it is a folder and file copying program, therefore defragging has no affect on IR.

    Acadia
     
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