Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

Hi,

I want to ask if it is possible to install an application which cause some problems and when we try to restore old snapshot/image with AXTM v1 the problem still there ?!

My question because I have problems with boot time since I installed the new version of MBAM 2 and still I have that problem even after I restore with AXTM v1 (hot restore)

 

Hi guys,

I'd like to clarify the missing pagefile and boot defragmenters issue.

1. Pagefile and hiberfile: indeed AXTM deletes them, because they are unneeded. But that doesn't affect the consistency of the image. All of the other files remain exactly as there were.
2. Boot defrags: all boot defragmenters that use Native API (that's 90% of them, including UltimateDefrag) work well with AXTM. However PerfectDisk is using another method - a special driver that writes to the disk at very low level, bypassing the AXTM driver. This is a problem.

Hope this helps, and sorry for not being able to regularly visit Wilders. Hope I'll be able to do that later when I have more free time.

 

Hello Isso, long time no see,
Thanks for stepping by and offering your valuable feedback on this important issue.
Hope you will have the opportunity to drop by more often in future.
With kind regards, defconnect

 

Hi Isso

How are you doing? Good to hear from you, and for the explanation provided. I for one run PD and so cannot beta test at the moment despite the fact that I do not the Boot Defrag function in PD. So I am waiting for the next version when Waj says that there will be a warning that can be overridden, rather than a hard stop if PD is detected as installed. I cannot wait.

Regards, and respect


Baldrick

 

Hi Pete

Thank you for those details. Now I recall about FDISR you mentioned in that post and better understand what you were attempting to do and how. Your SP contact sounds like a good guy, and helpful and I can see now if just a file swap, the problem that chkdsk could not fix would have likely remained if handled in the manner you were thinking about. In regards to disk structure, perhaps it is the sector level where the problem file/folder occurred, that he is referring to. When I hear disk structure I think initially head, cylinder, sector, etc., that is why I mention he may have been thinking sector level where the corruption had occurred.

Thanks again for the explanation and I hope things are working good for you now.

Jim

 

Hi Isso!

I hope you are doing well. We all miss you my friend, and my best wishes to you in all you do.

Thank you for checking in with the Wilders gang.

Jim

 

I

I am doing the same sine long.

I had problems on an XP machine where boot CD of v1 was not working. I used to do same. Restore a basic clean image of XP( it used to take few min by Acronis boot CD) and then install AX64 and hot restore the last snapshot. No problems.

I have same problem on my windows 8 tablet that no way to boot from a CD and touch screen will not work if I boot from a USB or local preboot environment. So what I do. I just basically refresh or reset my tablet from boot menus even if system is unbootable. Install Time Machine and do a warm restore of last snapshot. No issues again.

It's a bit like FDISR.

 

Not sure if I understand you correctly: You say that all you could get into was the bios, but you could boot from the SP RE CD. Why didn't you skip the SP step and boot directly from the AX64 TM boot CD? It should have done a normal cold restore.

As I understand it the AX64 image creation process is no different from most current imagers. It also makes a VSS snapshot and does full or incremental images. The tracking file has nothing to do with creating images, it is only used for doing hot (or warm) restores. If you only make cold restores then AX64 is a 'true imaging program in the standard sense'. Maybe Froggie or Isso can clarify this point...


Cheers
manolito

 

In a nutshell... TM v2's COLD restore is currently non-existant, all restores appear to be done using the WARM algorithms. A real COLD restore would indeed return the system to a pre-PerfectDisk non-diddled environment. The other problem is that when PerfectDisk does it's diddling during its pre-BOOT optimization phase, that will most likely also mess up the next INCREMENTAL which will eventually mess up the next needed COLD restore, since that messed up snapshot will be used by the COLD restore algorithm.

Unless RAXCO works out a solution with AX64 LLC, I don't believe these 2-products will ever co-exist happily. They will work just fine if the BOOT optimization is never used, but how do you keep someone from doing that. You document the anomaly in your product description, or to make it easier for users to understand, you explicitly state that the 2-products cannot be installed together. I have tested PerfectDisk with both AXTM v1 and TM v2 and you can use all its features EXCEPT BOOT optimization

My suggestion... use a different imaging tool if you feel PD's BOOT optiization is that important to you (I sure don't)... or, use Ultimate Defrag for BOOT optimization if you feel the "about to be corrected" (offering a REAL COLD restore and some bug fixes) TM snapshot/imaging app is more important to you... there are options out there.

 

The user has to make the decision... Perfect Disk or TM, it's really that simple. I wonder how much those markets really cross, my guess... not many.

 

So, masters Peter & Froggie, would you consider TM a stable "go to" option as one's primary image backup providing one doesn't use PD or swears off PD boot optimization? (I have Macrium Reflect and would continue using it as a safety net.)

 

OK, so I am now officially confused. Lets forget about version 2 for a moment.

Are you guys saying that version 1 does not really do a full cold restore? That in some way its just a big incremental that takes upwards of an hour to complete whereas an incremental (hot restore) takes under 4 min? If so what is it an incremental of? The baseline and then everything else to the chosen snapshot? And, even if this is so, why is this a problem?

If we were happy with the system state at the time of the baseline, and we were happy with all changes since that baseline to snapshot X, what is the problem with restoring to the state as of snapshot X via whatever means available,,,,be it hot restore, some form of warm restore, or cold restore (real or otherwise).

The point is to get the system back to some specific state,,,,why should I care how we get to that state.

Or, is this only a problem for folks who are using PD and its like?

Keep in mind the target audience. Noobs,,,,,folks who do no imaging now because its too hard, confusing, time consuming, etc. These folks are not likely to be using boot time defragers or whatever low level apps you guys are talking about. Are these folks OK or is there something insidious lurking in the depths of AX64.

 

New user here, I was just about to buy Rollback RX when I decided to look for alternatives and stumbled across this, which is actually closer to what I was after! I was also pleased to find the beta when I was getting frustrated at only being able to backup one drive.

A few questions and comments if I may?

- I've just completed my first backup from my laptop to a network drive (hosted on an always-on NAS) and noticed that it's reporting a 28.3GB backup for a drive with 48.6GB used. Is this normal? I appreciate that the hiberfile and pagefile aren't backed up but they currently stand at just over 8GB, so there's still a 20GB deficit. The compression can't be that good can it? A cursory browse of the backup image looks good but still...

- This laptop (a Dell) has no less than 6 partitions in total, with only one, partition #3, being used by Windows. There doesn't seem to be any way to tell whether these have all been backed up or not? They don't show in the image browser and the log file isn't entirely clear. Is there any way to tell?

And a couple of beta related ones...

- I changed the destination directory from the default "My Backups" to the old "AXTM" and noticed that when the backup started a "My Backups" folder was created with a log file inside. I deleted the directory immediately and the backup continued without complaint. In hindsight I should've let the backup finish before taking any action but I'm assuming this is just a bug and I haven't deleted an important folder?

- The hourly schedule as it's currently implemented seems odd. I woke my laptop after a scheduled start time and after a while the next scheduled backup changed to reflect the next on-the-hour. But what happens if a backup is scheduled for, say 12:00 but the PC is turned on at 12:01, used for anywhere up to 58 minutes and then turned off again. It's easy to see this cycle repeating numerous times before a backup manages to run, especially on a pick up and put down device like a laptop. It surely makes more sense to run a missed backup as soon as the PC is started or woken, as this would give it the best opportunity of finishing before the PC is put back to sleep.

That's all for now! Thanks for this program, it seems to tick the majority of my backup boxes so I'm looking forward to buying the final product.

 

Congratulations MaximumFish, you have dodged a big bullet in the form of RollBack Rx. A search of this forum for Rx, and RollBack Rx will convince you that Rx can be extremely hazardous to your systems health.

I am sorry I cannot ans your questions re the TM beta as I am not an early adopter so I have not used/tested it (I am using version 1 quite happily at this time) but I am sure others will chime in shortly with the ans you seek.

 

OK, Barry... AXTM v1 it is!

Yes

Actually, for the purists among us, AXTM does not do a complete COLD restore. It does not restore the content of the PageFile and the SwapFile (as Isso stated), but as previously mentioned, this is not required following a system restart since their context are always reinitiated upon restart. Everything else is restored correctly.

And yes, it is an INCREMENTAL restore starting from the BASELINE and restoring each incremental snapshot up to the selected time point... and no, it's not a problem... if you want a FULL restore, you get it.

Absolutely nothing...

If you're not a purist and don't expect the two previously unneeded files to be there in context... AND don't need BOOT time defrag from Perfect Disk, I have found no problems in restoration as far as imaging is concerned.

These folks are just fine as are all the others who take heed to a WARNING that AXTM v1 (& TM v2) are not compatible with Perfect Disk.

But I must add that TM v2 in its current BETA state (and hopefully that will change) does not do what we call a FULL COLD restore properly... a restored BASELINE followed by all incrementals up to the selected time point. Whatever algorithm its currently using to do this operation, seems to be effective but I would question its use in relation to the need for a FULL COLD restore ("I think my system's integrity has been compromised and I just don't trust what's there at the moment."). It appears to be fine for use as a WARM restore tool. I haven't tested the HOT restore under TM v2 as of yet, but I assume it's the same as v1.

 

Personal opinion... GOOD CALL on the use of Rollback RX.

MF, Time Machine, as well as almost all other imagers, use a lossless form of data compression when they create their images... and Time Machine's compression isn't quite as good as some others but it is more than adequate when it comes to saving space. And yes, the compression can be that good.

Accept it as a given as far as the following partitions are concerned...

EFI System (the BOOT partition when using an active UEFI BOT system)
SRP (Microsoft SYSTEM RESERVED PARTITION if system is built from a blank unallocated SSD/HDD)
RECOVERY (usually built by an OEM to allow the user to return to store bought configuration)
Hidden (sometimes an additional hidden partition is there... don't know what its need would be)
Diagnostic (not Microsoft REPAIR but some sort of OEM diagnostic partition for checking things)

Time Machine is gathering all the above and any additional partitions you select during the installation. You cannot see their existence until you do a RESTORE operation, where the option to restore them or not is available to the user under the "Advanced Options" TAB.

Yes, it is a bug under the current BETA, BUT, you should report it via <info@ax64.com> to be sure it gets on their "list."

You are correct. This is the current iteration of their AUTOMATIC backup scheduling (the previous one was even more limited) and it still lacks a bit of flexibility at this time. That suggestion should be made along with the BUG report above.

 

Thanks again Froggie. I will e-mail this also to AX64 (I already e-mailed the inability to do a warm restore in Vista via mail). Good to know that it did work in the past, so it can be fixed. Having to insert an installation disc every time I want to roll back/forward really is a PITA.