New Drive Snapshot build released.

Discussion in 'backup, imaging & disk mgmt' started by Aaron Here, Dec 10, 2010.

  1. spm

    spm Registered Member

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    You all seem to be misunderstanding something important: "$DISK" is a substitution variable in DS's file naming. It is NOT (part of) a literal name of a backup image file. It has always been that when you backup multiple partitions at once, you can specify a name such as "machinename-$DISK.sna" - then DS will auto-create base filenames of "machinename-C.sna", "machinename-HD1.sna", "machinename-HD2.sna", etc., for each of the actual partitions you have selected to image. If a partition has an assigned drive letter it will use that letter as the $DISK substitution, otherwise it will use the HDn naming convention.

    Now, when you perform a whole disk restore, you can tell DS to use the same "machinename-$DISK.sna" file spec. DS won't look for an image backup file of that exact name, rather it will enable it to automatically select the correct backup image (i.e, "machinename-C.sna", "machinename-HD1.sna", etc.) for each partition it restores.

    PS: Also, DS is able to split image backups into multiple chunks of the size you specify. Then it will create a base 'chunk' with the extension .sna, with further chunks as .sn1, .sn2, .sn3, etc. as needed, depending on the total size of the image. If you are backing up to a drive formatted as FATxx, you would tell DS to use a 4GB maximum chunk size.
     
  2. paulderdash

    paulderdash Registered Member

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    Thanks for that clarification @spm. This corresponds to my what my understanding was.
    If you can confirm, could you also elucidate whether 'Restore complete Disk from Images' would now work to warm restore from an external USB drive (hopefully yes :) ), or would I need to restore by booting from a created DOS drive (what would be the required command?), or via (Macrium) Win PE disk>File Explorer>snapshot64.exe as suggested earlier?
    Thanks @Peter2150 for inviting the DS developers to comment here.
     
  3. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    For those who don't have a Macrium disk you can use your Win8 or Win10 DVD or UFD. The Win7 method is only slightly different.

    Boot a Win8 or Win10 DVD or UFD
    click Next on the Windows Setup window
    On the following window with the "Install Now" button, click Repair your computer
    Troubleshoot
    Advanced options
    System Image Recovery
    Windows 10 (or Windows 8 )
    click Cancel on the Re-image your Computer window
    dot in Select a system image (it should already be there)
    Next
    Advanced
    Install a Driver
    Drag the Add Drivers window to the very top left corner of your monitor and then click OK
    You can remove the Win10 DVD or UFD if you desire. For example, if you need the USB port for the following step
    plug in a USB flash drive containing snapshot64.exe (or snapshot.exe). You can also use snapshot64.exe stored in a HD partition
    double click "This PC"
    (drive letters may be different from booted Windows)
    Navigate to snapshot64.exe on the flash drive or HD partition. Don't double click snapshot64. Right click snapshot64 (the Application, file extensions aren't shown) and click Open
    click Cancel on the "Open" window
    click Cancel on the "Add Drivers" window
    Drag the "Re-image your Computer" window to the bottom right of your monitor so the Snapshot window is in full view
    Don't Cancel the "Re-image your Computer" window or DS will disappear

    Drive Snapshot is ready to use.
     
  4. EASTER

    EASTER Registered Member

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    Totally Awesome!

    Thanks :)
     
  5. pandlouk

    pandlouk Registered Member

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    Paul do not get confused with AX64. Drivesnapshot restore during restart is a cold restore, the only difference is that it uses a native app to perform the restore instead of dos or the WinPE enviroment.
    DS has this ability since 2010 with version 1.40 and is very stable (only once I had a problem with it in 2010, but they fixed it with an update).
    Since v1.44 supports full disk restoration you should be able to perform it during the restart.

    Panagiotis
     
  6. paulderdash

    paulderdash Registered Member

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    OK - I don't really understand the terms cold / warm / hot restore.
    But I am still confused. I am looking through the restore instructions here: http://www.drivesnapshot.de/en/rest0.htm and it still states on page 2 1/2: 'It's not possible to restore a system drive while it's in use, you have to restore it from DOS. This is similar to tools like FORMAT or CHKDSK /F.' which takes one back to this: http://www.drivesnapshot.de/en/restdos.htm.
    I have tried the 'Restore complete Disk from Images', fill in my password, select E:\Drive Snapshot\Backup_C.sna and indeed it populates C: and HD1, 2, 3 and 5 in the upper window, select the system drive as destination ... Next, 'Restoring complete disk to system disk is not supported. Please choose a different destination disk'.
    This I can understand as it is in use and takes me back to my earlier statement that 'I need to restore by booting from a created DOS drive (what would be the required command i.e. first or second?), or via (Macrium) Win PE disk>File Explorer>snapshot64.exe as suggested earlier? i.e. Peter's method: You can boot to macrium PE, and once it's up, open File Explorer(button on bottom) In File explorer navigate to snapshot64.exe and just double click.
    Edit: I assume this is the boot disk Win PE not the boot menu version, I don't see File Explorer there ...
    Again, apologies if I'm being so slow. Guess I just need step-by-step instructions to restore entire system drive with snapshot64.exe (on system drive), most likely using Macrium Win PE boot disk.
     
    Last edited: Apr 29, 2016
  7. paulderdash

    paulderdash Registered Member

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    Thanks Brian. I don't have a Win 8.1 DVD/UFD unfortunately.
     
  8. pandlouk

    pandlouk Registered Member

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    Cold restore = partition unmounted & restore
    AX64's Hot restore = partition mounted & restore specific sectors based on the AX64's tracking file
    AX64's warm restore = partition mounted & restore specific sectors based on the AX64's tracking file but from a WinPE or from Native app

    Doesn't it offer you a schedule like this? http://www.drivesnapshot.de/en/restboot.htm

    You can restore from windows recovery environment too. But depending on the OS you can use either DS 32bit or DS 64bit versions.
    Just place the SNAPSHOT.EXE OR SNAPSHOT64.EXE in your c:\ .Then during boot go to the recovery enviroment and there select the command prompt and type
    c:\snapshot.exe (or c:\snapshot64.exe if you are using win64)
    and press "enter"
    Now you proceed with the restoration the same way as you would do from your OS enviroment

    Panagiotis
     
    Last edited: Apr 29, 2016
  9. paulderdash

    paulderdash Registered Member

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    No - I haven't seen this ... that's what I'd like to see!
    Maybe it is because I am not using installed version via setup.exe, but using snapshot64.exe from my c:\my portable applications folder?
    But then maybe that schedule only happens when restoring a partition, but if restoring the whole disk it doesn't, with the message 'Restoring complete disk to system disk is not supported.'?
    Edit: It seems one needs the installed version is required to create a DOS boot disk, one can't do it via snapshot64.exe.
     
  10. pandlouk

    pandlouk Registered Member

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    Can you try with the snapshot.exe (32bit version)? I do not remember if windows native api supports 64bit apps.

    Panagiotis
     
  11. paulderdash

    paulderdash Registered Member

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    OK. Finally figured out how to restore complete (multi-partition) drive by navigating to snapshot64.exe via Macrium PE boot menu (found the Macrium PE Explorer button).
    'Restore complete Disk from Images' worked as expected - selecting e:\drive snapshot\backup_c.sna, and all other drive partitions were also selected, except I didn't take the final 'Next' step to actually initiate the restore. Still hesitant to do that :)
    Guess I should have got to this point a lot sooner, as @Peter2150 posted this solution at the outset.
    Thanks all for your patience and help.
    Would be nice if a whole system disk restore could also work like this: http://www.drivesnapshot.de/en/restboot.htm, but maybe there would be missing drivers as mentioned here.
    Maybe the 32-bit version would work like that.
     
    Last edited: Apr 29, 2016
  12. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    I am using the 64 bit version with the native api. Works great.
     
  13. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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  14. paulderdash

    paulderdash Registered Member

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    Would still be nice if this http://www.drivesnapshot.de/en/restboot.htm could work for a full in-place system disk restore, rather than having to use Win PE or other means, but maybe it is not technically possible for DS.
     
  15. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    There's no technical reason that I can think of that if you can restore the OS volume, the one that just supplied the needed, in RAM, NT Native API used for the actual restoration operation, that you can't restore other unLOCKed volumes at the same time. All the reDiscovery is performed at the next system restart.

    I sure could be wrong, though... :doubt:
     
  16. paulderdash

    paulderdash Registered Member

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    Interesting.
    Currently, if one tries a full system disk restore, one just gets a 'Restoring complete disk to system disk is not supported.' pop-up ...
    Maybe the DS developer will still make an appearance.
     
  17. pandlouk

    pandlouk Registered Member

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    Thanks for checking Pete.
     
  18. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    Got this info back from the developer. He gave me permission to copy his email here.

     
  19. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    I have to say, that with my simple disk setup, ie one partition that is bootable in win 7 DS has become my no. 2 imaging program behind Macrium Of the full image/restores programs it is now the fastest kid on the block. Also downright simple.
     
  20. EASTER

    EASTER Registered Member

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    Good News indeed!
     
  21. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Paul,

    I can't think of a reason why I would need to do this. Start an Entire Drive restore from Windows. What scenario did you have in mind?
     
  22. paulderdash

    paulderdash Registered Member

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    Just to restore an entire drive back to an earlier snapshot from within DS, without having to go through Macrium PE, DOS boot disk or install disk ...
    I prefer to do whole disk backup and restore (with recovery environment partitions, etc., I have C: and four other such partitions on my ThinkPad SSD drive) rather than individual partition backup and restores.
    Am I missing something?
     
  23. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Paul,

    You have 5 partitions on HD0 and only 1 partition changes so whenever you feel you need to restore an image you just need to restore one partition. You can do that from an Entire Drive image using the method Pete described.
     
  24. paulderdash

    paulderdash Registered Member

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    OK - it makes sense that only C: partition changes and it is only that partition that needs to be restored. But still best to have entire drive image as you mentioned here.
    Just to be sure can you point to the post by Pete that you mean, as he has made more than one suggestion above?
     
  25. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Creating Entire Drive images is sensible but you only need to restore an Entire Drive image if you are restoring to a new HD after your old HD has failed.

    Pete's post #832
     
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