Rollback RX v10.x (Home & Professional)

Discussion in 'backup, imaging & disk mgmt' started by Peter2150, Jun 10, 2015.

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  1. guest

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    v10.7 seems to allow users to temporarily disable its protection to allow image backup softs to work without issues (but you still lose the snapshots)
     

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  2. manolito

    manolito Registered Member

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    Yes, this is a very welcome shortcut to Uninstall - Reinstall. What this option basically does is uninstall Rollback to the current state disabling its low level driver. The difference to the normal Uninstall- Reinstall thing is that the Windows part of Rollback gets saved. If you later decide to reenable Rollback in the taskbar icon then there is no need to reactivate the software, and all your previous settings will be remembered.

    For hot image backups you now get two options:
    1. Disable the protection before making an image backup. You will loose all snapshots before taking the image backup, but there will be no need to restore the MBR after restoring the image backup.
    2. Make the backup without disabling the Rollback protection. You will not loose any snapshots until you need to restore the image backup. But after restoring the image backup you wll have to repair the MBR to be able to boot into Windows.

    Pick your poison...

    Cheers
    manolito
     
  3. guest

    guest Guest

    point 1 is the most welcomed
     
  4. pb1

    pb1 Registered Member

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    That also makes it safe to install ANY W.updates if i understand it correctly?
     
  5. guest

    guest Guest

    updates yes, upgrades, not so sure :D
     
  6. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    I want to thank @manolito for the exellent description of the new feature, BUT...
    ...there's a little more to this "driver" thing than meets the eye.

    For those thinking that System "maintenance" things can be done at this time (defrag, re-partition, TRIMming SSDs, etc.)... they all cannot. While Rollback is no longer managing its snapshot database (back to pure Windows operation at the CURRENT SYSTEM STATE), its non-TRIMming low-level disk driver is still in place and still not TRIMming Solid State Drives. If the System is reBOOTed at this time, the non-TRIMming driver will be replaced with the standard Windows low level disk driver and following the reBOOT, TRIM operations for SSDs will be enabled once again.

    Since the deactivated Rollback is remembering all its settings, partition size changes cannot occur during this deactivation period. I have not tested this function but since Rollback no longer has a snapshot database, normal disk defragging operations would probably be successful at this time as well.

    Since a System reSTART is required following the reActivation of this deactivated state of Rollback, at that time the non-TRIMming disk driver is put back in place and the snapshot database function is reActivated. For those asking about Windows updates/upgrades... there will be one major difference when doing them activated vs deactivated as far as Rollback is concerned. When doing them in the deactivated mode, unless you have an image of your System at this time (remember, snapshots are now gone... the Rollback baseline no longer exists), there will be nothing to go back to if the update/upgrade fails. That is not the case if these changes are made while Rollback is active.

    I can't think of anything else off the top of my head with this new feature... like Mab says, you need to pick your poison. And pls remember... this is Rollback RX after all, be careful :)
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2017
  7. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    To be fair... in relation to the above statement, I have not tested partition re-sizing in the above scenario. Rollback does know the partitions being "protected" (in its Settings), when it re-activates it may just start from scratch and pick up the partition properties from scratch as well... this really needs to be tested.
     
  8. pb1

    pb1 Registered Member

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    Please do...looking forward to that result.
     
  9. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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  10. Cutting_Edgetech

    Cutting_Edgetech Registered Member

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    I'm going to install a snapshot software with Shadow Protect 6. It takes way too long to roll back my computer with Shadow Protect. I have a prior license I purchased several years ago or Rollback RX. I'm not sure if it would be worth upgrading the license now that there is a free version. The advertisement on their website says the free version does not have some advanced features. Are there any advantages for the home user to purchase the Professional version other than removing the snapshot limit?
     
  11. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    CE, here's the COMPARISON MATRIX... the biggest issue appears to be multiple partition support, doesn't exist in the FREE version, and total lack of TRIM support for SSDs while Rollback is active (they don't tell you that in the comparison chart.. same for all versions of RBrx).

    Pls be aware (if you already don't know) that images taken on a LIVE Rollback protected partition will contain a bogus MBR which will cause restorations to fail without additional housekeeping actions being taken. Even after the housekeeping actions, Rollback will be neutered and will have to be uninstalled and reinstalled for proper operation. This issue is mitigated quite a bit in the recently released v10.7 for the Pro version which offers the ability to deActivate Rollback without uninstalling it. I'm not sure that feature has been moved over to the HOME (FREE) version as of yet, or whether they'll eventually move it there.

    Of course, any outstanding snapshots will be lost during the process.
     
    Last edited: May 29, 2017
  12. bgoodman4

    bgoodman4 Registered Member

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    A better solution for reasonably quick rollbacks IMO would be Macrium Reflect, rollbacks take on average about 2.5 min to complete and you don't have to worry about some of the nasty surprises that Rx can throw at you. Yes, its not a snapshot program perse but it functions almost like one without the shortcomings that true snapshot programs are prone to.
     
  13. Cutting_Edgetech

    Cutting_Edgetech Registered Member

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    I went ahead, and installed a trial of the pro version on Windows 10 X64. It caused my machine about 3 times longer to boot, and then the tray icons for my Security Applications took a very long time to load after the desktop loaded. It also caused a long delay in Windows shutting down. I think there must have been a conflict with Rollback Rx, and something I have installed on my machine.

    When I rolled back my machine with Shadow Protect I got a nice big surprise that Rollback Rx was still trying to load during boot, and my Computer would not boot. Rollback RX must have added itself to the MBR. I went ahead, and used my Windows Installation disk, and used format C: /fs:ntfs from a command prompt to do a full format of the disk. I then used Shadow Protect to restore my backup image, MBR, and hidden track. I guess you must have to uninstall Rollback Rx before you try rolling back your machine.
     
  14. bgoodman4

    bgoodman4 Registered Member

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    No, you should not have to uninstal Rx before rolling back your machine. Its not a bad idea but what would you do if you had a problem and needed to roll back but could not uninstal the program. Rx cause many and various issues, TRBF did a summary of most problems as a sticky at the top of this forum. As I said above, Macrium is a far better solution for ease of us and lack of conflicts along with quick reversals. As for Rx,,,,,,been there, done that, will not go there again,,,,ever.
     
  15. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    CE, when you "rolled back" your machine with Shadow Protect... if the images you used were taken while Rollback was on your System, what you experienced was what was described above in Paragraph #2 of Post 686... one of the many limitations of using Rollback RX and disk imaging tools of any kind (SP included).

    Recovery doesn't require formatting of the protected volume (save yourself some time), but it does require the restoration of an image taken BEFORE Rollback was installed (incl. the imaged MBR), or some sort of MBR recovery tool (BOOTice, FixMBR, etc.) to fix the Rollback infested existing MBR that you just restored (or left in place).

    @bgoodman4 mentions above the use of Macrium REFLECT as a possible imaging solution to your faster restores. It has almost all the capability of Shadow Protect (except its fast scheduled Incrementals <coming soon> and automatic consolidation <something similar exists but not quite like SP>) but contains a major feature SP does not... a fast difference restoration technology known as RAPID DELTA RESTORE. What this does is only restore the difference in allocated disk surface between the image on the disk you are restoring and the point in time of the selected image to restore. As you can see, this operation will be much faster than an entire disk restoration required by SP.

    In addition, a very recent release (v3.07) of another existing imaging product, "Image For Windows (IFW)," now contains the same difference image restoration technique as REFLECT uses. It's a bit more cryptic in its use in IFW but produces the same results as REFLECT.

    Although both of the above imaging solutions to snapshotting are not quite a fast as Rollback, when returning to a time point recently taken you're talking 1-2 minutes for the restoration max... that's a huge difference from full image restoration and just a tad longer than a Rollback solution. Many of us have abandoned Rollback as a snapshotting solution as soon as this new imaging difference solution appeared on the scene. This type of imaging solution provides for very reasonable snapshotting as well as the imaging solution required by most Systems to protect them from disaster scenarios... Rollback cannot provide any real disaster solution as it relates to a System hardware failure.
     
    Last edited: May 30, 2017
  16. Cutting_Edgetech

    Cutting_Edgetech Registered Member

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    The image I used for recovery with Shadow Protect was before I ever installed Rollback RX. I just didn't restore the MBR. Since I didn't know what all changes Rollback RX made to my disk I decided to do a full format, and then do a full image restore, including the MBR with all the hidden boot sector.

    The problem with Shadow Protect is the new recovery CD's suck! They take forever to get to the recovery environment. The older SP recovery disk got to the recovery environment 3-4 times faster than the recovery disk for SP 6. I have a 5'oclock shadow by the time the recovery environment finishes loading! lol Once I start restoring the image it only takes about 6-8 minutes on my machine. The problem is it takes that long, or longer just to get to the stage when you start the image restoration process.
     
  17. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    By SP 6 do you mean SPX. And yes the new recovery env really are slow. I still use 4.27 when I do any with SP. I don't install SP as that causes a conflict with MR. There have been major changes at Storage Craft, and most of the old team is gone
     
  18. khanyash

    khanyash Registered Member

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    There is Windows Updates available KB3150513
    Can I Turn-Off Rollback protection & install the update?
    Can I Turn-Off Rollback protection & install any/all Windows Updates?
    Win 10 64 Pro
     
  19. manolito

    manolito Registered Member

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    Yes you can...
    You just need to know that turning off the Rollback protection will delete all your snapshots. It is not different from uninstalling Rollback. It just makes it easier to reinstall Rollback after you did your Windows updates.

    Cheers
    manolito
     
  20. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    ...and, unless you image that System prior to your updating (and after DeACTIVATION), you'll have nothing recent to go back to following the update. With Windows 10 these days, that could be a real issue.

    As Manolito says, deACTIVATION is just easier but not any different, structurally, than unINSTALL/reINSTALL. It leaves the RBrx code in place, but wipes out the snapshot database and restructures it from scratch following the reACTIVATION and its required reBOOT process.
     
  21. khanyash

    khanyash Registered Member

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    Same for Windows Upgrades i.e Turn-Off Rollback protection & Windows Upgrades can be done too i.e Windows 10 Upgrades i.e those time-to-time Major Upgrade Builds?
     
  22. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    Yash, with Rollback deACTIVATED, it's as though it's not on your System any longer... feel free to do as you wish but understand there will be no Rollback protection for operations done during that period. And as mentioned earlier, if you wish to TRIM/Optimize your SSD while Rollback is deACTIVATED, you must reBOOT following your deACTIVATION to have TRIM functional once again.
     
  23. khanyash

    khanyash Registered Member

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    I turned off the protection & at 99% Rollback progress got a BSOD, something -
    page fault in non paged area
    shield.sys

    System was able to boot & Rollback protection is turned off.
     
  24. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    That's a System specific problem. You should revisit that anomaly with Horizon DataSys Support (it might be just the beginning :) )
     
  25. khanyash

    khanyash Registered Member

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    Anyway, Windows Updates went fine & Rollback protection enabled fine.

    Is there any Rollback USB utility to access snapshots on Rollback messed up system?
     
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