Drive Snapshot bootable media!

[TonioRoffo]

Agreed. This would be a bit harder on a WinPE environment.

The only loss in time could be from your DOS limitations. Restores will (probably?) be lots slower than from a windows environment.

If it's only 'rolling back' you can also use the drive snapshot method where a restore is done at the point you would normally see a chkdsk.

[Cruise]

Good morning Brian,

I just downloaded PowerISO. I'm about to install it and continue with 'this exercise'. As I attempt to follow your instructions I may not be responsive here (unless I need some help). So I'll be back when I'm back. Please stay tuned...

Cruise

[Cruise]

Brian, I followed your instructions, created the boot-CD and booted it on my HP laptop. It boots up, pauses (as usual) at the 0/1 option and then defaults to the 0 option, goes on to mount everything, and then says:

CHDIR failed for USB_Back\DS_HP

What is the Full File Name?: __

Over,
Cruise

[Brian K]

Cruise,

I can reproduce this. When you copied my autoexec.bat changes you didn't get this full line...

for %%A in (D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) do if exist %%A:\%target% set drive=%%A:

It finishes with A:
It is a single line if you maximize the Notepad window.

Check your autoexec.bat

You are so close now.

[Cruise]

Brian,

That's likely as I don't see the entire line in your original quote! - I'll check that and be back with you in about 15 minutes.

Cruise

[Cruise]

Brian, checking the autoexec.bat, it seems to be correct. here it is in its entirety (the line in question is a single line in the actual file):

@echo off

set bootdrv=A
\bin\bootdrv
if errorlevel 2 set bootdrv=C

set path=%BOOTDRV%:\;%BOOTDRV%:\bin;%BOOTDRV%:\utils

:- CDROM drive at W:
set CDS=
if exist MSCDIDE set CDS=/d:MSCDIDE,w
if exist MSCDIDE2 set CDS=/d:MSCDIDE2,w
if exist MSCDUSB set CDS=%CDS% /d:MSCDUSB,w
if not \%CDS% == \ bin\shsucdx %CDS% /q
set CDS=

:- load language specific settings

if exist LANGUAGE.BAT call LANGUAGE.BAT


if exist XMSXXXX0 goto _xmsok
echo.
echo AUTOEXEC: No XMS manager installed (himem.sys)
goto _abort
:_xmsok


rem The ramdisk drive
set ramdrv=q:
xmsdsk 8192 %ramdrv% /y /t
if errorlevel 1 goto _ramok
rem xmsdsk returns errorlevel 0 for error
goto _abort
:_ramok

md %ramdrv%\temp
set temp=%ramdrv%\temp
set tmp=%ramdrv%\temp

copy \command.com %ramdrv%\command.com
if not exist %ramdrv%\command.com goto _abort
set comspec=%ramdrv%\command.com

copy snapshot.exe %ramdrv%\.

md %ramdrv%\bin
copy \bin\unuharc.exe %ramdrv%\bin
copy \bin\_unpack.bat %ramdrv%\bin

set path=%ramdrv%\;%ramdrv%\bin;%path%

call _unpack \level0\utils %ramdrv%\bin

call NTFS.bat

set target=USB_Back\DS_HP\*.sna
for %%A in (D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) do if exist %%A:\%target% set drive=%%A:
%drive%
CD USB_Back\DS_HP

echo.
set /p full=What is the full image filename?:
echo.
set /p diff=What is the diff image filename?:
echo.

snapshot restore hd2 auto %full% -y
snapshot restore hd2 auto %diff% -y
goto _end

:_abort
@echo AUTOEXEC: Aborted...
@echo.
@rem flow into "_end"
:_end

[Brian K]

Cruise,

I have your folder structure setup in a test computer and a virtual machine. Your CD isn't finding a drive letter from...

set target=USB_Back\DS_HP\*.sna
for %%A in (D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) do if exist %%A:\%target% set drive=%%A:
%drive%
CD USB_Back\DS_HP

As you point out the autoexec.bat is OK. Run the CD again. Press Enter when it asks you for both filenames and you will finish at the A: prompt.

Type the USB HD drive letter and then

CD USB_Back\DS_HP
DIR

Can you see your backups?

[Cruise]

Originally Posted by Brian K

Cruise,

I have your folder structure setup in a test computer and a virtual machine. Your CD isn't finding a drive letter from...

set target=USB_Back\DS_HP\*.sna
for %%A in (D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) do if exist %%A:\%target% set drive=%%A:
%drive%
CD USB_Back\DS_HP

As you point out the autoexec.bat is OK. Run the CD again. Press Enter when it asks you for both filenames and you will finish at the A: prompt.

Type the USB HD drive letter and then

CD USB_Back\DS_HP
DIR

Can you see your backups?

My USB HD drive letter is D, so I entered D: and then
D: \> CD \USB_Back\DS_HP\ ...and I again get the "CHDIR failed, etc".

but when I do...
D: \> CD \DS_HP\ ...it changes to the correct dir. and I see my backup!

[Brian K]

In Windows, have a look at your USB HD. Are the backups in

USB_Back\DS_HP or DS_HP


Edit... is USB_Back a folder or the name of your USB HD?

[Cruise]

Originally Posted by Brian K

In Windows, have a look at your USB HD. Are the backups in

USB_Back\DS_HP or DS_HP


Edit... is USB_Back a folder or the name of your USB HD?

USB_Back is not a folder, it is the name of my USB HD.

In Windows Explorer, I open my USB_Back HD [I:]

In DS' DOS, my USB HD is D: and the directory inside with my sna files is DS_HP

Cruise

[Brian K]

Ah, all OK now. I misunderstood USB_Back. Sorry.

I left out a DIR line before. So the new code is...

set target=ds_hp\*.sna
for %%A in (D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) do if exist %%A:\%target% set drive=%%A: 
%drive%
CD ds_hp
echo.
dir

echo.
set /p full=What is the full image filename?:
echo.
set /p diff=What is the diff image filename?:
echo.

This should be it. Good luck again.

Edit... If you enter the filenames it will immediately start a restore. If you just press Enter it will finish at D:\ds_hp

[Cruise]

Originally Posted by Brian K

Ah, all OK now. I misunderstood USB_Back. Sorry.

I left out a DIR line before. So the new code is...

set target=ds_hp\*.sna
for %%A in (D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) do if exist %%A:\%target% set drive=%%A: 
%drive%
CD ds_hp
echo.
dir

echo.
set /p full=What is the full image filename?:
echo.
set /p diff=What is the diff image filename?:
echo.

This should be it. Good luck again.

I presume this is just to replace the similar lines inside of autoexec.bat, and the before and after lines stay intact?

[Brian K]

Correct.

[Brian K]

I left the 0 1 choice in the code but reduced the timeout to 2 seconds. (it was 4 seconds). I considered removing the code but for the sake of 2 seconds I left it in.

[Cruise]

Brian, before I insert this autoexec.bat into the iso and burn another CD please confirm the latest file in its entirety. I now have it as...

@echo off

set bootdrv=A
\bin\bootdrv
if errorlevel 2 set bootdrv=C

set path=%BOOTDRV%:\;%BOOTDRV%:\bin;%BOOTDRV%:\utils

:- CDROM drive at W:
set CDS=
if exist MSCDIDE set CDS=/d:MSCDIDE,w
if exist MSCDIDE2 set CDS=/d:MSCDIDE2,w
if exist MSCDUSB set CDS=%CDS% /d:MSCDUSB,w
if not \%CDS% == \ bin\shsucdx %CDS% /q
set CDS=

:- load language specific settings

if exist LANGUAGE.BAT call LANGUAGE.BAT


if exist XMSXXXX0 goto _xmsok
echo.
echo AUTOEXEC: No XMS manager installed (himem.sys)
goto _abort
:_xmsok


rem The ramdisk drive
set ramdrv=q:
xmsdsk 8192 %ramdrv% /y /t
if errorlevel 1 goto _ramok
rem xmsdsk returns errorlevel 0 for error
goto _abort
:_ramok

md %ramdrv%\temp
set temp=%ramdrv%\temp
set tmp=%ramdrv%\temp

copy \command.com %ramdrv%\command.com
if not exist %ramdrv%\command.com goto _abort
set comspec=%ramdrv%\command.com

copy snapshot.exe %ramdrv%\.

md %ramdrv%\bin
copy \bin\unuharc.exe %ramdrv%\bin
copy \bin\_unpack.bat %ramdrv%\bin

set path=%ramdrv%\;%ramdrv%\bin;%path%

call _unpack \level0\utils %ramdrv%\bin

call NTFS.bat

set target=ds_hp\*.sna
for %%A in (D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) do if exist %%A:\%target% set drive=%%A:
%drive%
CD ds_hp
echo.
dir

echo.
set /p full=What is the full image filename?:
echo.
set /p diff=What is the diff image filename?:
echo.

snapshot restore hd2 auto %full% -y
snapshot restore hd2 auto %diff% -y
goto _end

:_abort
@echo AUTOEXEC: Aborted...
@echo.
@rem flow into "_end"
:_end

Also, how am I supposed to respond to the filename questions (full vs diff)?

[Brian K]

I assume you are just updating the most recent ISO. You don't have to use the ISO you downloaded anymore.

[Brian K]

Originally Posted by Cruise

Brian, before I insert this autoexec.bat into the iso and burn another CD please confirm the latest file in its entirety. I now have it as...

Also, how am I supposed to respond to the filename questions (full vs diff)?

Cruise, it looks fine.

If you enter the filenames it will immediately start a restore. If you just press Enter it will finish at D:\ds_hp. At this stage just press Enter.

[Cruise]

Ok Brian, that correction seems to have done the trick. Now it displays my DS_HP folder with the backup files! It then prompts me for the filename(s).

Cruise

PS. I should also have said "thank you"!

[Brian K]

Excellent.

Do you plan on restoring an image in the near future?

[Brian K]

I'll be out for a few hours. We still have to create a CD for the Dell and address the Partition Structure issue.

Do you have a CD-RW for our tests?

[Cruise]

Originally Posted by Brian K

Do you plan on restoring an image in the near future?

Before attempting any restores I'm planning on making a backup with IFW tomorrow (as I now have trial versions of DS and IFW). Having current image backups from both of those I'll be more comfortable doing restores!

Cruise

[Cruise]

Originally Posted by Brian K

Do you have a CD-RW for our tests?

No, but CD-Rs are pretty cheap, so no problem there.

[Brian K]

Originally Posted by Cruise

Before attempting any restores I'm planning on making a backup with IFW tomorrow (as I now have trial versions of DS and IFW). Having current image backups from both of those I'll be more comfortable doing restores!

I couldn't agree more.

No, but CD-Rs are pretty cheap, so no problem there.

Here are the changes for the Dell.

set target=DS_Dell\*.sna
for %%A in (D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) do if exist %%A:\%target% set drive=%%A:
%drive%
CD DS_Dell
echo.
dir

echo.
set /p full=What is the full image filename?:
echo.
set /p diff=What is the diff image filename?:
echo.

snapshot restore hd1 auto %full% -y
snapshot restore hd1 auto %diff% -y
goto _end

I've changed the store folder and the HD number.

[Cruise]

Thanks a lot Brian, if I wind-up buying DS it will be because of you making their DOS recovery disk more user-friendly. From everything I have read on this forum, it seems that DS & the 'Terabyte-trio' are the most respected programs of their kind.

Cruise

[Brian K]

Despite all the hard work we've put in, I wouldn't suggest you buy DS. The TeraByte products have much more to offer and are licensed for 3 computers.