Hadron, me too. I make manual alterations in my backup folder which could be difficult with a protected folder. ProtectIt seems more suitable when using IFW in Simple Mode.
puff-m-d, I use PHYLock but when I used VSS I used the same settings as you described. I also had Use VSS When Available which you probably have too. Your Settings are fine except for the "typo" in Geometry. (Align...1MiB Boundaries) Your ifw.ini is fine. When you create a TBWinRE/PE your settings will be applied.
Hello @Brian K, Here is a summary of what I have done: In "Settings", "General" tab, I added "Use Directory Data in Metadata Hash", and both "Automatic Scaling Restrictions" and "Automatic Boot Partition Update" was checked by default (plus the other defaults). In "Settings", "Geometry" tab, I have added "Align Partitions on 1MiB Boundaries" and "Align MBR for BIOS Auto Mode" was checked by default. In "Settings", "PHYLock/VSS" tab, I added "Disable Usage" in "PHYLock Settings" (plus the defaults). I added "Create Sector Hash Files", "Create Metadata Hash Files", and "Encrypt Data" to the "Backup Options" (plus the defaults). I added "Metadata Based Restore" to the "Restore Options" (plus the defaults). I manually added "Priority=4" to the global section of the ifw.ini file. After applying the above settings, my ifw.ini file looks like this: To the best of my knowledge, IFW is now set to go. I would appreciate a confirmation on your end that I am now set up correctly (including the few settings/options that I set to my preference. As always, thanks a lot for your help !
Hello @Brian K, Sorry about that , I was in the process of redoing my post to reflect that typo (along with a few grammar mistakes when you was posting your reply... I used to use PHYLock also but I think I remember at some point in the past on the TeraByte Forums that it was advised to use VSS when using the metadata and hash settings/options, so I switched to using VSS. VSS also seems to be faster and more reliable than PHYLock.
That's correct. I stopped doing metadata backups/restores because it only saved me a minute. My images are small. So I began using PHYLock again as it is an old favourite. But with metadata you should use VSS.
Hello @Brian K, Thanks a lot for your help as your are indeed a valuable asset to the Wilders community !
Hi Kent When you have it running correctly, take a look at the script by Pandlouk in the sticky section. I use them and basically they allow me to just double click a desktop icon Then the scripts run a full and follow with incrementals, the number of which you set. After that they run another full. After the set number of fulls they start start to automatically delete and clean up. Pete
Hello, Thanks @Peter2150. Good suggestion. I will do that. I am doing a lot of testing at the moment with a lot of different software combinations as I am planning a clean install of the Windows 10 Spring Creators Update once it is released. I hope to have my setup of IFW locked down the way I want it by then.
Kent, Out of interest. A Legacy or UEFI Win10 install? Do you plan to dual boot Win10 so you have your current Win10 and a fresh test Win10?
Hello @Brian K, It is UEFI. I do not plan to dual boot. I have been testing a lot of software including many security apps of which some can leave behind remnants. I want to start a fresh install with whatever I decide to be my default programs. I also have had some issues with my system in which Dell has had to remote in several times. These issues are solved now (Dell had released a buggy BIOS update twice and they had to pull them but not before my system had been updated). Lots of odds and ends were also left over since these remote sessions. I just feel more comfortable doing a fresh install at this time (even though I usually do a fresh install when a major Windows version comes out). I have the process fairly streamlined and can have the fresh install usually up and running within two hours.
I just encountered a BIG negative for IFW. I don't know why this is happening, but when I restore an earlier image of a working system drive not everything appears to be restored according to the image. There are things on the desktop that existed on my system before reimaging that were not there in the image being restored. I would have expected the earlier image to completely rewrite the partition, per instructions. But that didn't happen. It make me wonder what else is not being restored properly. Any idea why this is?
What things? How did you restore (settings for restore)? Can you post a screenshot of what should not be there? Panagiotis
It's nothing major just a shortcut to an app that I have installed before I reimaged and a txt file that I update daily that I update daily with reminders in it. Neither file exist in the image I restored. When I restore I use IFW in a WinPE, using automatic mode.
The only thing that, I can think of, something like this can happen, is if you use metadata when restoring. Do you use metadata during the backups? If yes, then the automatic mode will probably use metadata when restoring since it gathers the info and the settings to use from the selected image. Panagiotis
That's the thing though, I do not. I hope I can figure this out. Needless to say, this is the first time I've ever doubted IFW.
Now you got me curious. Can you post the ifw.ini settings and the settings when you backup? Also mount the image as a virtual drive and check the "desktop directory" to see if the shortcut and the txt exist in the image. I would also contact terabyte support... if it is a bug is a serious one... Panagiotis
Code: [Options] GlobalGeoAlign2K=1 PHYLockUseReg=0x0 [PHYLock_Options] VSSComponentMode=0 UseFilesToNotSnapshot=0 UseFilesToNotBackup=0 PHYLockDisable=1 PHYLockIfNoLock=1 PHYLockMemory=0 UseVSS=1
Nate, I see that too because I have 2 "Desktops". I have nothing in C:\Users\Brian\Desktop but I do have Desktop icons. Open "This PC", right click the Desktop icon, Properties, Location tab. What is the path? I see D:\Users\Brian\Desktop. My desktop files aren't in the C: drive. Right click the Uplay shortcut, Properties. What is in the Target field? Right click todo.txt, Properties. What is the Location?
Everything is as I expected it would be. "C:\Program Files (x86)\Ubisoft\Ubisoft Game Launcher\Uplay.exe" C:\Users\n8chavez\Desktop t This whole thing concerns me a great deal.
Nate, thanks. I misunderstood. Is this correct? Those 2 files were not present when you restored the image but they were present when the image was created? In your ifw.log do you have "Warning: Data excluded from files based on list in Registry."
@n8chavez Contact TerrabyteUnlimited support.This is a critical bug. @Brian K Is the opposite, the files are not included in the image but were present before restoring the backup... and after the backup was restored they remain present... Panagiotis
Now I'm more confused. Is this correct? You restored an image and the restored OS looks just like it should? All files are present in the C: drive. You can't see certain files in TBIMount. Can you see those files in TBIView? I've seen an explanation for the way TBIMount and TBIView present data differently and I'm still looking for the reference. Can you try searching the Z: drive for todo.txt. It could be under a different path.
What n8 is saying is that things that ARE NOT in the image he restored, but were on the DeskTop at the time of restoration, remained on the DeskTop following the restoration (if I read him correctly)... that should NEVER happen. As we all know, there should never be a "blended" restoration using imaging... if there was, it's a BIG BUG. @n8chavez - was the text file actually on the desktop itself or just a ShortCut to the file was there?
