Roxio BackOnTrack Tips

Some Tips about Roxio's BackOnTrack Instant Restore

Even though the "User Data" folders are excluded from Instant Restore,any modifications happening in those are saved in the snapshots too.
This can be usefull when you want to retrieve a file that you deleted by mistake, but is also making the snapshots to grow bigger and bigger.
But with a simple script you can delete the User Data folders in your Roxio's BackOntrack snapshots.
By doing this you will free up a big part off the space occupied by the snapshots without having to remove any of them.

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Some notes
- These commands are localised for the English version of Windows. If you use another language they will not work until you localize the names of the folders for your language.
- You must replace the "Your_User_Account" with the name that you Use for your account.
- If you use multiple accounts you should add the same commands for each acount user name.
- If you use other "User Data" folders you can add/modify the commands to clean those too. Examples:

(A) if you have a "User Data" folder at "C:\Downloads"
add the following 2 commands to delete it from the snapshots:

For /R "C:\System Rollback Data\" %%I in (.) do rd /s /q "%%I\Target\Downloads"
For /R "C:\System Rollback Data\" %%I in (.) do rd /s /q "%%I\Attrib\Downloads"

(B) if you have a "User Data" folder at "C:\Custom\Downloads"
add the following 2 commands to delete it from the snapshots:

For /R "C:\System Rollback Data\" %%I in (.) do rd /s /q "%%I\Target\Custom\Downloads"
For /R "C:\System Rollback Data\" %%I in (.) do rd /s /q "%%I\Attrib\Custom\Downloads"

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Now just copy and modify to your needs the following lines in a "txt" file and change it's extention in "bat". When you run it, it will take care of those unwanted folders from your snapshots.

hope it helps,
Panagiotis

 

The second tip is to take a look at the folders and customise them a bit.

Folders that you want to be restored to their original settings change them to "System Data".
Those that you do not wish to be modified during the restore change them to "User Data".


Panagiotis

 

A note about Back On Track Performance.
related with the thread Rollback software suggestions please

The Overhead on the disk I/O operations caused by B.O.T. is 2-3% on all OSes (included windows 7 32bit).

What I wrote

was a false statement. (Sorry about the innocent lie, but I had my reasons.)
Anyway, those who want/are on windows 7 32bit should not be afraid that B.O.T. will impact on the performance of their pc.

Panagiotis

 

pandlouk, thanks for all this info, keep it coming. BOT may? be the next FD-ISR for me when I make the jump to Win7 or 8. I know BOT is not FD's equal, but you take whatever you can get.

Acadia

 

pandlouk,do you have any experience with BOT on dualboot systems?
Installed it on a Vista 64/win7 32 system......no BOT pre-boot screen on boot,just the windows bootloader.... when logged on in windows,I can save the Instant Recovery status,but NOT restore it,the program errors out when it's attempting to reboot.
Precautions made before BOT install:System restore disabled,AyRecovery and Shadow defender uninstalled + registry traces and file leftovers removed,and as surplus a fixmbr command with the Win 7 recoverycd to remove any possible trace of AyRecovery and give BOT a nice and clean mbr to settle itself in....

 

BOT preboot uses the windows bootloader. Did you install it first on 7 and then on Vista?

It can be done, but only if you use a boot loader that can hide/unhide partitions during boottime. The Recovery PE of Instant restore searches for the "System Rollback Data" folder and it will always display/restore the snapshots in the first partition where it finds it.

You can use bcdedit or easybcd to manually add the BOT preboot menu but unless you install a bootloader like GAG, BING, etc. and hide the first OS partition you will not be to restore the snapshots from your second OS.

Panagiotis

 

THX for the info,much appreciated!
So basicly,BOT doesn't support multiboot sytems natively,but people can trick it by using the steps you posted....
I have followed that road before,for creating a multiboot enviroment of independant NT and Linux operating systems,controlled by a central bootloader(in my case,Acronis OS Selector).......but I'm uncertain if I want to go through all that hassle again to get a (partially) succesful BOT installation.
I probably go back to a sector based solution,as all of them support multiboot systems right out of the box......

 

You are welcome.

What you mean with partially? Are you reffering to the preboot entry measing?
I'll explain why it happened.
During the installation on one OS BOT installed the preboot entry normally, and was zapped when you installed it on the other OS.
This happens when installed first on 7 and then on vista.
If you had jf installed first on Vista and then on 7 the preboot entry would have remained intact.

If you use a bootloader you will not encounter these problems.

All depends from your needs.
If you want the snapshots to be shared/common by both win OSes sector based solution is the way to go.
If you want the snapshots to be indipendent for each win OS and/or you want to add a Linux OS, BOT with a bootloader (e.g. GAG, THE GRAPHICAL BOOT MANAGER) is the sollution.

Panagiotis

 

THX for the clarification......will give BOT a new try shortly...but on my laptop this time...

 

Is there a workaround the bug that re-boots the computer after 24 hours? I keep mine on 6 days a week.

Thanks,

Ted

 

No such bug exists.
How did you come to the conclusion that the pc reboots after 24hours?

Panagiotis

 

On the roxio website, Under the product description of backOnTrack it states:

"This software conatains a security feature that automatically reboots the end uses pc after a period of 24 hour continual use

 

Actually, the misunderstanding was caused by the BS arguments presented from a member in this thread (that had never used the software even though he claimed that he had bought a license)...

The Roxio website is clear and is referring in the Windows PE enviroments of the "Disaster Recovery" and the "Instant Restore".

Panagiotis