Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

My "Nom de Guerre" is getting bantered around in this thread a bit... as such, I must jump right in.

When I refer to potential unreliability as it relates to AX64... it comes from two sources. The first is my personal experience with the product, which having generally been quite good, has had its issues along the way when using both HOT restores and WARM restores. In discussing these issues with the TM Development Team, they have also determined, through their own testing, that "issues" do exist with both the HOT and WARM restore methods, and the only way to eliminate them will most likely require a redesign of the restoration operation. Sure, many users have had good luck in using this application, but I must point out that it truly has been LUCK, especially in the factual realization that design issues do exist.

Their suggestion for a possible redesign points to a re-writing of the restoration process to run at a pre-BOOT point in the Windows loading process known as Native App. This point in the process has basic access to most of the storage devices on the system and appx.(25) documented "Native Mode" API (Application Programmimg Interface) calls to do the job... there are actually about (250) API calls available at this point but MicroSloth has chosen not to document them for public use in order to protect their right to change them at will. At this point in the process, Windows has yet to be started and absolutely nothing is running yet... a very safe time to be reconstructing File Systems. This is the same place in the BOOTing process that "ChkDsk" and many BOOT time defrag processes run. Programming at this level of the OS is a bit more difficult than normal programming languages using standard assemblers/compilers but it is very doable.

If the AX64 Devs take this approach, I wish them all the best... it probably will be the only way to provide for a "guaranteed" trouble-free result.

 

I hope this is not off of the subject, but I am curious if this method would cure the Rollback MBR problems?

 

Mr Frog, this is new for me (or maybe I missed it?), and I'm really frightened now

 

It's most likely new to most users as Developers tend not to make public statements about discovered design flaws. This information was garnered privately.

Now don't get too scared. The flaws deal with certain system configurations... if you, like me, have very few problems with the app, you're probably in pretty good shape. Your statements have said you are in this category so I wouldn't feel too uneasy about all this........ YET

 

So as long as it has been working, and I don't make too many changes (how many is too many?) to my configurations, then I'd be ok ... for now.
Do I get this correctly?

(background echo: for now... now... now...)
(Are we in a thriller movie?)

 

YES... (YES... Yes... yes... yes)

...and as far as when there are too many changes, I don't have the details of the design "flaws" but since they primarily exist in the HOT and WARM restore areas, if you start seeing an inordinate amount of those types of failures, your system has probably reached the critical point of "changes." At this point, COLD restorations should be more than adequate, albeit a bit slow in comparison.

...and remember, these "deficiencies" have been in the product since Day #1 so it sounds like you're in pretty good shape as far as your system configuration is concerned. I also use a very uncomplicated system configuration (I don't have 12 different invasive Anti-virus/malware/rootkit/hack/adware/EXEnot applications running) and have had very little trouble with AX64... you should be good to go unless they break something while they're trying to fix something (which seems to happen a lot). Just pick the version that works best for you and meets your immediate requirements and stay there until you hear of some great success/breakthrough here in the thread... and even then be careful when testing

 

Hey guys,

We shall be releasing a public beta this week. No exact date, but aiming for the 29 May.

Thanks for your patience everyone. To those testing ax64 private beta, please send through as much info as possible regarding any issues you encounter.

Thanks!

 

Good to hear waj and thanks for the update.

 

Hi,I have just installed the trial version of AX64 Time Machine.
I have tried to do a first back up but it keeps stalling around 20% the most it got to was 27%.
Also when trying to re-boot it would not do so and i had to do it manually and then it took a
very long time to bootup which never happened before installing AX64.
I have only just refomatted and had very few programs installed which where running perfect,
so i thought i would protect things by installing AX64 Time Machine.
As anyone else had these problems and any ideas as to why i cannot backup to Ax64.

Regards Baca

 

What version did you install?

 

Hi twl845, I installed AX64 Time Machine Version 2.0.
I have uninstalled and reinstalled but still i cannot get it to make a 1st backup, it keeps stopping around the 20% to 25%.
In the status bar it still shows it as backing up c: but no further progress appears to be happening.

 

Baca, kindly send us an e-mail to info@ax64.com. We will send you a private build that solves your problem.

 

Thanks wajamus, Will send you a email.
Regards Baca.

 

Hi guys!

We're pleased to release a public beta for V2 AX64 Time Machine. A notable new feature is the fast file search function in the backup browser. You can now search for your individual files quickly and restore them from within the backup browser, the function can be found in the top right hand corner.

This is Build 624 and includes a tremendous amount of fixes and improvements:

Bug: Backup of Volume is not working after format
Bug: Merge Error C0FFFFF code 0
Feature: Provide an export feature that will export the backup to VHD
Feature: search function in backup browser
Bug: Applications dont flush to disk during VSS
Bug: Unable to backup error "C100000A code 0"
Bug: No Bare Metal restore or backup of EFI volumes
Bug: Have no source volumes
Bug: Numerious restore failures
Bug: Backup fails midway (Frozen)
Bug: Next volumes failed to process: volume D: Cannot enumerate images
Bug: Merge error Recovery partition
Bug: Cannot save backup C1000000 Code 6
Bug: Deleted a volume and recreated to then did an incremental. Should be full.
Bug: Unable to restore a GPT volume over an MBR
Feature: Allow users to restore to smaller volumes
Bug: Cannot save backup parameters
Bug: It seems there is a bug when changing between images fast. The app crashes
Bug: MSR Partition - Merge Error C0FFFFF code 0
Bug: Mount issues on some systems related to disk signature and group policy
Bug: When bitmap is invalid and warm restore started a message box is shown, after it is closed an empty restore window remains
Bug: TMcmd.exe /cmd=list Not Working
Bug: Merge error code c1000104 code 87
Bug on Restore: Error = 0xC1000000 WinError = 0x6, bSimpleRestore=TRUE
Bug: Fix Memory and Handle leaks, heap corruption resulting in occasional app crashing
Bug: Cannot enumerate the images - related to case of "My Backups" folder
Bug: Bitmap invalid issue
Bug: Not responding/Crash app when search within backup images
Bug: Same volume is processed
Bug: error 0xc00000023 after random backup stop
BUG: Fast Restore from WinPE does Full Restore
Bug: MBR Bare Metal Restore will not work if Boot partition is the same as system volume
Bug: [Ticket #900] received merge error after windows unexpected shutdown
Bug: Issue Backup stuck on preparing for 4 minutes
Bug: Backup/Merge/Restore operations hung
Bug: Shutdown or Restart while merge/backup can corrupt backups
Bug: Disk errors are not handled correctly. Please show explicitly that the disk contains bad sector
Bug: Restore failed error: -99968


Known issues to be fixed:

Bug: The volume descriptions do not match while restore
Bug: Not all volumes are always being backed up
Bug: Issues setting network folder location
Bug: AXCMD has no progress of backup
Bug: Make AX64 backup to volume GUID and not drive letter
Bug: Remove the line from the backup window as per picture
Bug: Multi-partition restore doesn't work
Random Bug: Crash on UI thread


The beta will expire in 10 weeks.


You can download the bet here.

Before installing, please remember to uninstall ax64, restart, then install this version.

As this is a beta please use at your own risk and remember to backup your system!

Thanks!


For all bug reporting and feedback, please send your logs and information to: info@ax64.com

To save logs, right click on systray (time machine icon) and click on create logs.

Have a great weekend,

Wajamus

 

Hi Waj

That is great news...am looking forward to trying this...but quick question; have you done anything to make AXTM usable on tablets? Have tried it on mine recently and whilst it installs OK it will not recognise the disk and so will not take a backup...or should I say that the backup starts but immediately finishes with nothing backed up.

Am hoping that you can sort this as I think that AXTM will be great for the tablet market given how simple and light it is.

Hoping to hear from you on this.

Regards, Baldrick

 

Hi Baldrick,

We're definitely looking at making it compatible with tablets. Thanks for your push for this.

Hey Pete, we're removed hot restore for warm. Hot restore is removed due to its inherent flaws. So from your report - I'm assuming your restore went okay, but the system froze during a backup? This is the first report since the private beta that a user's system froze during a backup. It may not necessarily be related to AX64 - but of course it helps a ton if you send us your logs so we can investigate the problem in detail. We're ironing out the bugs as fast we can as you can see.

Thanks guys,

Waj

 

No thank you Pete for supporting AX64 all this time. We're really proud of the latest build, private testers haven't reported many bugs and we think this is the best version yet. It's a pity we couldn't grab those logs to see if your crash was related to tm or not.

 

I own a registered v.2. I am thinking of trying this beta. At what point will I be required to pay for another license?

 

LOL, how a freezing during AX64 backup not related to AX64? If Macrium Reflect could work properly on Peter's system, while AX64 could not on the same system, then clearly it's a AX64 problem. I don't think you really need the log file to confirm that.

This is the most typical "control" experiment we do all the time in scientific research.

 

so far for me this new build is not perfect but is much better than many of the previous ones. i also had it lock up during a restore. i then went ahead and shut it down restarted and tried one more time and this time it finished.

 

Hi,
Could you specify which build you are referring to ?
Thanks.

 

The new beta seems to be working ok on my Windows 7 system. Installed , backed up and restored my main drive with no problems. My only gripe is the speed of the warm restore, nearly 3 mins with a couple of small changes and this is backing up a small SSD drive to another SSD drive. Not a problem if using the program as a image program, but not so good as a Rollback replacement.

"The beta will expire in 10 weeks." my copy is saying it's a trial version with only 5 day left?