"Rollback RX" luvs "Image For Windows" - REDUX

Discussion in 'backup, imaging & disk mgmt' started by TheRollbackFrog, Apr 26, 2015.

  1. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    I'm not a RX user but bootfile has nothing to do with RX. Bootfile is a method of getting into TBWinRE/PE from Windows. You can just view IFW GUI in the TBWinRE/PE or you can have it set to auto run a restore.

    Edit.... Search those tutorials for "bootfile" and "boot file".

    Edit... I'd check with TheRollbackFrog to make sure bootfile doesn't conflict with RX. Bootfile temporarily changes the MBR.

    Edit... It's the other way around. RX prevents bootfile from working.
     
    Last edited: May 27, 2015
  2. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    BIBM and Rollback RX are incompatible due to the fact that BIBM must use the MBR to do its thing... and, as Brian said, the BootFile method also requires MBR twiddling which may be dangerous to the health of Rollback, I can't answer that definitively until I understand the twiddling involved (how and when it's done).
     
    Last edited: May 27, 2015
  3. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    It should be pretty easy to get to a WinPE-based IFW ISO or IFL ISO, if installed into your BCD store (via EasyBCD2), for a one time execution (via Windows BAT job) but if you want the IFW ISO to automatically start an imaging operation after such an entry point, I'm at a loss for that one... Brian?

    The .BAT job can be setup to run a "bcdedit /bootsequence" command which will temporarily change (1-time only) the DEFAULT BCD BOOT order, followed by a System RESTART command. The argument for the "bootsequence" command above is the identifier of the item in your BCD store that you want started once (see HERE for command use).
     
    Last edited: May 27, 2015
  4. TheBear

    TheBear Registered Member

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    It sounds too complicated to me at this point.

    Bottom line: Are you saying that IFW will NOT automatically reboot into the pre os environment when I try a restore from within windows 8.1?
    If so, not a big problem. I just did not want to try it and mess up my system drive. I have created a IFW winpe boot disk and that boots fine.

    So, on another note. you indicated the IFW settings were "soft". Does that mean I should wait to try a cold restore of a backup until I have the final settings from you? I am eager to try a (cold) restore of my system disk with rollback rx pro installed.

    regards
     
  5. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    Well... "complicated" is in the eyes of the beholder :D
    That's correct... not on a Rollback-protected system. As Brian said, other means are available but the system must be Rollback free.
    COLD restores require no real special settings... they should work just fine. If the image you're restoring was done HOT, though, there may be issues without the proper setup beforehand when the image was made. If the image was done COLD ("All unused sectors"), all should be fine.
     
  6. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    Bear, if you want to successfully COLD restore an IFW HOT image, you need to do the following...

    1. Be sure the Windows REGISTRY settings are as specified in this POST... or insure that IFW was installed AFTER Rollback (an unInstall/reBOOT/reInstall of IFW will guarantee that if you're not sure).

    2. In the "Settings/General" section of the first offered IFW window, be sure that the "Automatic PhyLock RAM mode select" option is unCHECKed. In the "Settings/PhyLock/VSS" section, be sure that the Phylock setting "Disable usage" option is unChecked and that Vss settings "Use VSS when available" option is also unCecked... this will force the use of PhyLock no matter what.

    3. When you reach the "Backup Options" window, be sure that the "Backup unused sectors" option is checked (along with the others offered).

    That should be all you need to do to obtain a usable HOT image for COLD restoration.
     
  7. TheBear

    TheBear Registered Member

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    thanks, Froggie.

    now one further question. If a create a cold backup with Macrium Reflect 6 of my rollback rx PC, will I successfully be able to do a cold restore and have rollback rx intact?

    And if I understand correctly, while doing a hot full backup of my rollback rx system with IFW, I can continue to use the PC while the backup is happening. Right?
     
  8. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    You must use the "Make an exact copy of the partition(s)" option located under "Advanced Options"... normally that option is set to "Intelligent Sector Copy."
    Right...
     
  9. TheBear

    TheBear Registered Member

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    Thanks again for all your help.

    Successful hot backup and cold restore with IFW. Yeh!

    I can start using rollback rx again and not worry about totally unbootable PC with no fallback scenario.

    It will be interesting to see if HDS newest Drive Cloner RX will cut any time off the procedure when it is released.
     
  10. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    You won't have to image the entire partition... the new "special snapshot mode" only images the part of the partition in use by your Current System State of Windows and any snapshot storage outside of that space. The image time is like imaging a standard partition... if you don't have a ton of snapshot storage that is. There will be only FULL partition images... no DIFFs or INCs.

    The wrinkle so far... you can only image the protected partitions, and that image cannot be used to restore a whole disk upon failure. If your HDD goes belly-up, you'll need to have a standard whole disk image and the special Rollback partition image as well to recover your system w/Rollback and snapshots.
     
  11. bgoodman4

    bgoodman4 Registered Member

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    "complicated" is in the eyes of the beholder? It seems to me that regardless life with Rx is quite a bit more complex than life without Rx.
     
  12. TheBear

    TheBear Registered Member

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    Perhaps you have some experience with this error.
    I am trying to install rollback rx 10.3 on another windows 8.1 pc. After installation, the pc starts up. No Rollback pre-os screen. Then the error message after logging into windows is "Open Protect System Failed Error
    Server execution failed 0x800800005" Any Idea.
     
  13. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    I've seen it but we should carry this further Rollback stuff on in the following THREAD...
     
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