Image backup using Drive SnapShot?

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Who's trolling

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Have you already purchased Drive SnapShot or are you first evaluating it?
If you haven't bought it as yet, I would highly suggest you buy Rollback Rx instead.
Much more useful piece of software, it is the perfect uninstaller tool and it enables you to take even thousands of snapshots and quickly revert your system to some previous state (in a matter of seconds) should any problems occur.
Now it also integrates Keriver Image (since the 8.1 version) for proper drive imaging.... and it costs just a few euros more than Drive SnapShot.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Brian,

I was going to make a frontend but i improved MBRWhisky for now. I'm a fan of dos for certain things but i get alot faster backup and restore in Windows Recovery like BartPe so there is no contest. When i started out dos was an option but not now. It possible to make a mistake with the command line even if you careful so this MBRWhiskey lets you see just the one drive at once and it's already a plugin for BartPe. I could have a bootable cd/dvd with dos and bartpe on together and i could jump to dos to do the mbr, but making a BartPe and take off all network plugins it boots up pretty fast and i need to be in BartPe for the image anyways so i can do it all at once. I got BartPe running from my USB stick also which holds alot useful tools like Partition Magic. There's a mbrwizard for dos too. I don't have any need for MBRWork as there alot more options in MBRWizard. MBRWork is for Dos Dos 16Bit so it's not so safe running, (chance of malfunction) in 32bit Windows especially when you doing critical task writing to the MBR.

IFW has a powerful command line. Ideally to make it more automated and to avoid even going through the gui , i make do it from just 1 click so i have a menu autorun from BartPe startup with options and any MBR options intergrated. Press a button it images c with verify. Press another button it takes a differential. Press another button it restores to c etc. etc. It be better than running seperate batch files That be sweet.

@appster
Restoring the MBR takes 10 seconds, with a tool like MBRWhisky it made all the more easier. Hardly hassle is it. It no harder than clicking an extra option like 'backup all sectors' in your image software. If you have it automated to run after you restore then there's nothing to do. I mentioned numerous times that i use IFW in conjunction with MBR backup/restore and isn't needed with DS and you keep asking the same questions to answers i given without learning from it and then say its hassle. It started to sound like you trailing bait hoping for a bite despite everything thats been shared. If you not interested in it then just pass it by it not for you then. You surprise me you say that and then don't mind waiting long times booting UBCDWIN. Aint that hassle? You could try harder getting a BartPe working and start another thread.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Boy, you guys have really got this down to a science now. Thanks for the whiskey links to btw as well as adding another useful feature to the program.

I now routinely make images with DriveSnapshot and i gather from whats been discussed so far that DS already includes the MBR in it's backups. If i seem a little in doubt it's because so far i've limited myself to imaging AND restoring across partitions on a single Hard Drive without a single incident or issue with DS. AFAIK it's been worth every dime of the extra retail they marketed it for. Heck, it blows Paragon away when it comes to speed on my units, and i didn't think anything aside from a SP could come that close.

I don't bother with BartPE since i have other Utility CD's to run various programs & imaging apps from DOS if needed so i'll have to take a seat from any of those discussions with you guys but i do find them enlightening.

Many thanks for ramping up another new useful feature for it.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Copying the MBR is rarely needed. Quoting Dan Goodell...

If you are restoring an image to the same HD you already have a MBR. If you restore an image to a new HD, Acronis TI, Ghost 12 etc create a generic MBR for you. If the new HD is partitioned it will have a MBR as part of the partitioning process. There is no need to copy your MBR unless you are using a special MBR. Most people don't have a special MBR.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Backup 10G(6.4G Data) system partition to external 80gb USB drive - All Sectors including 3 Eaz-Fix Snapshots.


IFW 2.00 - Backup in XP

image size: 4.43GB
backup time: 4.02 mins
compression full
validate on - standard: 1.38 mins
total backup time: 5.40 mins

Boot BartPE and save MBR time: 3mins


IFW 2.00 - Backup in BartPe

image size: 4.43GB
backup time: 5:10 mins
compression full
validate on - standard: 2.02 mins
total backup time: 7:12

Restore image time: 4.35 mins


IFW 2.00 - Backup in BartPe

image size: 4.43GB
backup time: 5:10 mins
compression full
validate on - byte for byte: 4.06 mins
total backup time: 9.16 mins


IFW 2.00 - Backup in BartPe

image size: 9.99GB
backup time: 7.28 mins
compression off
validate off
total backup time: 7.28 mins


IFW 2.00 - Backup in BartPe

image size: 4.02GB
backup time: 5.12 mins
compression on
validate on - standard: 1.59 mins
page file ommitted
hibernation file ommitted
total backup time: 7.11 mins


Drive Snapshot - Backup in BartPe

image size: 4.22GB
backup time: 4.48 mins
compression on
validate on - test image: 2.28 mins
total backup time: 7.08 mins

Restore image time: 4.43 mins


Additional Tests - Backup in BartPe - Only used data sectors.


IFW 2.00 - Backup in BartPe

image size: 1.59GB
backup time: 2.40 mins
compression full
validate on - standard: 50 seconds
total backup time: 3.30 mins

Restore Image time: 1.58 mins

IFW 2.00 - Backup in BartPe

image size: 1.46GB
backup time: 1.57 mins
compression full
validate on - standard: 30 seconds
page file ommitted
hibernation file ommitted
total backup time: 2.27 mins

Drive Snapshot - Backup in BartPe

image size: 1.39GB
backup time: 1.56 mins
compression on
validate on - test image: 47 seconds
total backup time: 2.43 mins

Restore Image time: 1.43 mins


Little time saved backing up in XP with IFW opposed to backing up in BartPe for small partitions ie. 10gb as the time taken for both is under 10 mins. Benefit comes when backing up large partitions in XP ie. 50Gb+ - Big time saver and no downtime of windows. All Snapshots were back and working in every test. Dos is an option for small partitions but it took 2x longer as the tests above and without the verify time added. You notice IFW is only 4 seconds behind DS with all sectors and standard verify and beats it without pagefile imaged. IFW wins on the restore but the image size is fractionally bigger so less compression perhaps. Could it be DS is backing up without the pagefile by default. IFW byte for byte verify added on 2mins on top of standard verify.

I think you sorted out now Izettso.

appster, yeah i was strong there, apologies.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

it's just as i wondered, it states on DS site that PAGEFILE.SYS and HIBERFIL.SYS are not backed up automatically that means IFW beat DS in the same test.

IFW
image size: 1.46GB
backup time: 1.57 mins
compression full
validate on - standard: 30 seconds
page file ommitted
hibernation file ommitted
total backup time: 2.27 mins

DS
image size: 1.39GB
backup time: 1.56 mins
compression on
validate on - test image: 47 seconds
total backup time: 2.43 mins

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

So now we have a new speed champ.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

I really like IFW and it's being used in my computer daily. But it's not as fast as DS in my situation.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

I suspect that system components, especially hard drives (internal and external) and their interaces would affect performance somewhat differently when comparing disk-imaging programs.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

yes Brian and isn't even final version yet. if you take time to specify what folders to exclude to backup like Temp folders and run a cleaner then you can make your images abit faster and smaller.

i test different softwares at the same time and i have minimum programs in use and running in BartPE the test is equal as its the exact xp every time on disk. i defrag hard drive often. ideally to run drive at its optimum you shouldn't fill drive up over 70% of its size as performance goes down alot. so this can be a factor.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Mark,

I've just discovered the /uy switch for IFW ver 2. It shuts down IFW when the backup has completed. You don't need to click OK. Great if you use IFW on a scheduled basis.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

ok thanks. I like to keep open to see it done the verify ok but i could always look at the log instead. I wonder if there be any more new commands in final.

Here's a good free little partition manager for dos. http://www.cutepm.com/

well it so close you could put that down to the system performance at the time.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Thanks for sharing the PartManager, interesting little tool seems to serve it's purpose well enough.
I used to detest DOS in part because it seemed so far removed from central controls that were more instant and automated with a GUI, but as Windows would have it, it's not so intimidating as long as there are enough front ends for some of the more vital & useful DOS apps such as MBR editing and partition/imaging.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

I have been using DS for a while ,always restoring from Bartpe no problem except takes a bit long to start up bartpe .
I was wondering if i install linux ,would i be able to run DS ,restoring an image to xp ?
on this page: http://www.drivesnapshot.de/en/index.htm
it says :Compatible with all Windows file systems (FAT16, FAT32, NTFS)
Supports Linux EXT2/3/Reiser]

Thanks ,Lin

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

I am using OA ,it doesn't "remember" DS ,i only have to click ok twice and then DS makes the image,
Lin

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Hi Lin, you may have also noted that the same DS webpage states:

Yes, BartPE is slow to boot-up (UBCD4Win is even slower), but that's the one 'penalty' we have to pay in order to use DS' Windows GUI to restore a system partition (and for some of us, even to backup our system partition).

If bootup speed is more important to you than backup/restore speed you could opt for Acronis True Image which does use Linux to restore a Windows partition and boots much faster than BartPE ...as I reported here .

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Thank you for the reply

No thanks ,been there ,done that ,i can't even remove snapman.sys ,an Acronis snapshot api ,from autostart without bootfailure.the newer Ghost i consider also bloatware.
I can live with using Bartpe ,it is not that often i put an image back ,mostly i make differential images ,very fast

Lin

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

hey,
i cant remove snapman.sys without boot failure eiether.
guess it could be a common problem.
i just let it be thou since i cant be bothered to reinstall windows to get rid of it.
lodore

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Well ,i'm not bothered either ,i just used it as an example to illustrate the fact that many programs install a lot of things ,and leave traces ,that is why i like DS ,a small executable , and it works flawlessly.

Cheers ,Lin

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

drive snapshot sure seems an interesting program.
no install and only a 255kb file.
do i need to build a bartpe cd for restoring a system volume?
i will be trying drive snapshot on my test pc later on.
i didnt have much sucess building a bart pe last time i tryed.
i dont want to have to use dos and command line to restore a system partision.
lodore

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Yes

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

I own ATI, but since discovering DS that's what I now use (with BartPE).

DS is small, smple, reliable, efficient and fast ...did I leave anything out?

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Yup, not wanting to struggle with DS' DOS recovery floppy is why a lot of us here are using DS with BartPE.

Besides that, DS works a lot faster in a Win/BartPE environment than in DOS.