Drive Snapshot bootable media!

Brian, now that's what I'm talking about! I've been looking for a 'no-brainer' imaging solution (I'm currently checking-out 1CR). But if Drive Snapshot can be used as simply as you indicated above, I'm all ears.

Cruise

 

Cruise,

I can help you build an automated CD. But each CD will be specific to an individual computer as it requires a knowledge of the partition layout. So I suggest trying my first tutorial and when you are happy with the method get back to me and I'll inquire about your partitions.

It doesn't matter if your image backup is on an internal or an external HD.

 

Brian, please don't take this as disrespect (as I have nothing but respect for your knowledge and willingness to help others), but that 'white text on black' does scare me. Now if I could simply pop-in the CD and was good to go...

My laptop is running W7 x64 and I like to backup to both my internal hard drive and my external hard drive.

Btw, I thought you preferred IFW-IFD, how come the Drive Snapshot interest?

Cruise

 

Cruise,

I don't use DS anymore. Just trying to help those who are using DS. A few years ago Markymoo got me interested in automated DS restores. I wish he would return to this forum.

Don't let DOS frighten you. Nothing bad will happen. If you follow my first tutorial but don't press Y then the restore won't start. It is just a test. I need to know the drive letter assigned by NTFSDOS of the partition holding your image backup.

 

Well, there seems to be no interest in using the DS DOS CD. You guys must be frightened. I think you are missing out on a lot of computer fun by not playing with DOS commands. They are useful even with Win8 and I use batch files several times a day. Windows batch files aren't DOS but they are closely related.

 

Brian, good morning (at least in my part of the world),

I'm definitely interested and will follow-up this coming weekend. I was laid-off several weeks ago and have job interviews lined-up this week (hope you understand that's #1 on my plate)!

Cruise

 

Cruise,

It's miserable here. Rain, so archery has been cancelled.

Good luck with your interviews.

 

An improvement to the CD. The CD will no longer be specific to an individual computer. It will work on all computers no matter what is the partition layout as it finds the drive letter of the partition containing the DS image automatically.

 

Hi Brian,

I'm following this with interest because even though I'm 'sold' on IFW-IFD-IFL, I imagine you've done the very same with your fav image-backup.

Is it possible to further automate the restore process with a Yes or No as to whether or not to also restore the MBR/PBR?

TS

 

TS,

Yes, my auto restores from IFD, IFW are far more advanced than this DS CD. I don't even use a CD or flash drive for the restores. They are done from the HD.

Yes, that's easy.

 

As I suspected. Would you kindly share your automated IFW restore using an IFD CD? I prefer using a boot disk as you never know when the internal just won't boot (I've recently been there)!

It's been bloody hot here and we don't have AC, so I've got the fans going hoping to get some zzz's.

TS

 

TS,

Boot from an ordinary IFD CD (CUI or GUI) and run through the restore process. On the Options screen choose your Options including "Reboot when Completed". Press Show Command. Write down the Command Line. Exit IFD.

For example my test command line is...

image.exe /r /d:b0 /f:b1@0x1:"\Backup_all" /rb:4

Now make an IFD ISO. Open the ISO in PowerISO, Actions, Boot, Edit Boot Image File. Left drag tbos.str out of the PowerISO window onto your desktop. Open tbos.str in Notepad. On the IMAGE.EXE line, delete IMAGE.EXE and paste your above command line. Now add /uy after the /r so it looks like this...

image.exe /r /uy /d:b0 /f:b1@0x1:"\Backup_all" /rb:4

(/uy stops IFD from asking you questions during the restore)

Click File, Save on Notepad.

Left drag the new tbos.str back into PowerISO, click Yes to overwrite. File, Save, Yes on PowerISO.

Burn the ISO to a CD and it will do an auto restore. IFD is loaded into RAM so as soon as you see IFD restoring the image you can remove the CD. If you leave the CD in place it will continue to do restores after each restart. You don't want that.

 

Just a thought to make you feel more comfortable with your first CD. Add a /v switch like this...

image.exe /r /uy /d:b0 /f:b1@0x1:"\Backup_all" /v /rb:4

This makes IFD do a Validate before it restores the image. When the Validate is about 10% done and all looks OK you can abort out of IFD and nothing will be changed on your HD. I usually use both the /v and /vb switches when I'm restoring my main OS. When testing I don't use them at all.

 

Good morning Brian, looks like we are in store for another bloody hot day!

Thanks for sharing your IFD automation-enhancement with me, but would you please define each variable in those scripts?

Regards,
TS

 

What's the temperature there buddy?

How do you like IFW? Do you like it better than DS?

 

TS,

Rather than my rough definitions I suggest the IFD manual, page 86 onwards. It's under "Running Image for DOS from the Command Line". There are dozens of switches described but fortunately you only have to be familiar with 1%. I only use a couple.

 

Iron Man,

Looks like 20° C today, with rain again. Another computer day.

I've been using the TeraByte apps for 4 or 5 years and have given up using other imaging software other than in testing. DS is a great reliable app but if you want to get adventurous it is limited. It can't do partition or entire drive clones. It can't restore an image into a partition smaller than the source partition and this is a problem for those folks upgrading to a SSD.

 

40.0 C here!

Imho they are two of the very best. Whereas DS is smaller and more portable, IFW-IFD-IFL has the advantage of broader restoring flexibility (and costing less doesn't hurt either).

TS

 

Thanks (again) Brian...

 

For full backups I use... /hash /comp:14 /vb

For differential backups I use... /vb /mp

For restores I use... /v /vb /mp /rb:4

 

Brian,

You do realize that you are forcing me to RTFM...

TS

 

Yeah, I have to do that too. Especially with those switches.

But when you create images in IFW just ticking the boxes creates the switches. I think the only one I ever have to enter manually is /uy.

 

TS,

This is something you could consider at a later stage. You can make a TeraByte USB flash drive that boots to a menu like this. (sorry about the pasted formatting)

*** Restores on the Floor computer ***
WinXP all 9 partitions........... xp.tbs
WinXP Ghost 15.................. xpg.tbs
Windows 7 RTM diff............. rtmdiff.tbs
Windows 7 RTM WAIK.......... waik.tbs
Windows 7 SRP basic........... srp.tbs
Windows 7 SRP ghost.......... srpghost.tbs
Windows 7 Ghost 15........... w7g.tbs
Windows 7 Ghost Enterprise. enterpri.tbs
Windows 8 diff................... w8diff.tbs
Ubuntu 11.04 diff............... ub.tbs
Ubuntu 11.10 from 9150...... ub1110.tbs
Ubuntu 11.10 installed......... ub1110in.tbs

*** Others ***
OSDTool........................... tbosdt osdtool.tbs
Windows drive letters......... tbosdt setwindl.tbs
Default boot options........... tbosdt inistart.tbs
Restore registry................. tbosdt restoreg.tbs
TB Explorer........................ tbosdt tbexplo.tbs


So if I wanted to restore "WinXP all 9 partitions" I'd just type xp.tbs and press Enter.

 

Brian, have you created similar scripts for IFL (as you have for IFD)?

TS

 

Only to a limited extent. It isn't as easy as creating the scripts for IFD.

This is what I played with and it was fun...

http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/howto/howto-ifl-bootfile.htm

I'm not suggesting you try it as it's fairly specialized. I don't use it anymore.