Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

Pete, just be very careful with this version. On a W7/W8.1.1 machine which I've had in the AXTM test envelope since late ALPHA, it has never failed a HOT restore from any version since v1 Build #996... until v2 Build #548. At that point I have come across a completely repeatable failure mode. After interacting with Waj and team, they say they have discovered a failure mode with multiple workarounds available... but none of those workarounds have appeared for testing yet.

Be warned, my friend... it is a BETA.

 

Can I assume that 528 is solid after its release?

 

Just want to point out a typo on your "AX64 Build 528 released and other news" page....

Dear AX64 users,

AX64 aims to deliver an ever more reliable backup solution without the clutter and complexity. We also aim to deliver the best support we can.

We the last build we released, we fell short on our pledge to deliver a great product. Some users have reported that the rescue environment fails to load properly. Build 528 fixes this critical issue. We sincerely apologise to all of the users affected.

You can download the new build here.

You can simply install this over the last build.

As a thank you gesture to all our users, we will be announcing a promotion very soon.

We’re really excited with the AX64. In the past month we’ve expanded our team with some awesome talent. This will help us to deliver even better support as well as new expertise that can bring AX64′s technology to the next level.

Again, we apologise to the user’s effected by the last build, especially to the users effected.



Best regards,

The AX64 Dev Team


With*

Affected*

Especially to the users effected...Tautology, not needed

 

twl845, Build #528, the OFFICIAL release works well as v2 is designed to work. It still has the old HOT restore HANG-type failure mode on some machines but the WARM restore works fine.

The BETA Build #548 implements a brand new HOT restore mode which is supposed to be flawless... although this appears not quite right yet, at least on my W7/8.1.1 test machine.

 

Rollback, I'm not to clear on hot and warm meanings....Is warm from boot and hot on a up and running system?

 

That's correct... with COLD being the RECOVERY MEDIA restore.

Edit: Hopefully clearer... WARM is a special BOOT mode, different from just have the normal RECOVERY MEDIA available in your BOOT menu... it's totally automatic.

 

In all v2 releases, WARM is the DEFAULT recovery operation when invoked under LIVE Windows. In the Build #548 BETA, the DEFAULT was made HOT for testing purposes.

 

CLEAN INSTALL of Build #548 on a sound system. Take a BASELINE image. Let system idle (as much as Windows can idle) for 12-hrs (basically overnight). Take Snap #1. Immediately revert to the BASELINE.

Following reversion, running image is damaged... on the surface it looked as though the REGISTRY had been affected. Did a HOT restore back to Snap #1 (didn't really believe this would work since restoration is based on DIFFERENCES between where I'm at and where I'm headed). Following reversion to Snap #1, much. much more REGISTRY damage as well as other stuff I haven't found yet.

This process/failure happens every time I attempt it, although the failures were slightly different in each case. With a return to a BASELINE that was flawed after restoration, there's no way another HOT restore can be successful at that point. Using COLD restore techniques, both the BASELINE and the snapshot were proven to be flawless at the imaging level so imaging wasn't the problem. The problem is in the new HOT restore process itself.

Haven't heard anything about their "discovered" workarounds" as of yet... just waiting for the next BETA. To continue the process of BETA testing, I continue to use Build #548's imaging capability, but all restores are done (if needed) using a v1.4.1.48b RECOVERY MEDIA (I trust it implicitly)... and, of course, Macrium is always in the wings.

 

Thanks Rollback for your explanations...I appreciate your posts on AX64, you clearly have a very detailed understanding of the product and are able to assist in a way that even noobs (like myself ) can comprehend.

 

Update on my BSOD trials and tribulations.

• Verified my drives were okay.
• Submitted my Minidump crash reports to the BSOD subforum at SevenForums.com
• Was guided to do a Windows Hotfix to address an apparent Windows system conflict having to do with Emsisoft Internet Security
• So far, this has allowed me to uninstall build 499, install 528, properly install the boot manager, backup, etc. A great relief.

Thank you to all who assisted with this issue, and to the AX64 team for your support.

 

Hi,
Is there an know incompatibility of Diskeeper 12 and TM V2 build 528 ?
Thanks.

 

MerleOne... I'm only guessing here but I see no BOOT TIME functions available in Diskeeper (at least in their web-based product description) so it looks like nothing's done outside of the AXTM tracking system which means it should be safe.

That said... Diskeeper is a defragger and a disk space manipulator which will cause AXTM snapshots to be much larger than they need be. Remember, AXTM is an IMAGER and records changes to the surface of the disk... it's not a file-oriented tool. Defraggers constantly rearrange the surface of the disk so if your protecting a DISKEEPERed volume, expect large snapshots.

...and without additional testing, the above comment may be bogus

 

When i go to do a restore i get this?Backup is on a external drive?

 

Thanks for your reply. I am a bit wary, because I had an incompatibility with System Mechanic Accelewrite, a driver that tries to avoid fragmentation when files are written. The incompatibility was actually with another product, Raxco Instant Rescue. Now both RIR and TM v2 work fine together.

 

Fellas, build 528. Just attempted to restore to a snap of yesterday afternoon. All seems to go well, except the PC doesn't reboot. Nothing seems to have changed.

1. Hot restore set. But not sure about what all the settings are. Can you explain? Snapshot attached.
2. 2 other snaps of progress and success...but what kind of success is it? No reboot...no changes.

 

So I just tried to reboot and do a warm restore. When rebooted, AX64 wasn't in the boot manager. This happened yesterday but Macrium was missing. Very confusing. Just added AX64 back into the boot, and rebooting now.

 

Chamlin... no idea why it won't reboot.

The options are what they say they are... if you CHECK "Restore MBR," your MASTER BOOT RECORD will be restored along with whatever snap you're working with. If you CHCEK "Full Image Recovery," it will recover from the baseline to your selected snap... although I've never done that in HOT mode. It's the same recovery as you'd do from an external recovery media.

 

Thanks, Froggie. I did a warm restore which worked. Will test the Hot again later.

1. When is it advisable to include the Restore MBR in a restore?
2. Under what conditions would you use Full Image Recovery?

 

New issue: My laptop has somehow disconnected itself from the home "work network". That means it can't connect to the external backup drive. In my effort to fix whatever got corrupted in the network credentialing, and I'm struggling to understand how to fix this, I need to make sure I can use AXTM or Macrium to restore the current, albeit, not networked laptop, in case I really mess things up.

What's the best way to do this? I tried disconnecting the external backup drive from the network, and connected it directly to the laptop but the laptop doesn't seem to recognize that it's there. Tried turning the external drive off and on. No love. Tried rebooting, with the drive on, doesn't show up.

Is there another way to to a temporary backup now, and be able tor restore back to later?

 

Can someone explain to me how to use this program as a snapshot program?I booted into time machine pre boot rescue(whatever its called)and restored a incremental backup that took 30 minutes to complete,wheres the restore in seconds like a snapshot program at?Am i doing something wrong?I have a full and incremental backup on an external drive.

 

How come the laptop didn't recognize an attached USB drive (you connected it using USB, right)?
Is its format recognizable by Windows?
About your credential problem, have you gone to Credential Manager in Control Panel, and try deleting your credential?

 

Thanks, Mxy. Re: USB drive, found that it was recognized in Disk Mgt. but with a default drive letter, E:, which caused a conflict since E: is already used in the network, so I changed the external, when hooked directly to the laptop to X and then it showed up. Who'd a thunk?!

Set up a new folder on the drive and doing a new baseline as I type.

Re: credential manager, since my response and question will take us further off AX64 territory, I'll PM you, transdimensionally.