Image For Windows

I tried DS with Win11 today. UEFI system. I made an image of the C:\ drive and initiated a restore from Windows. The restore environment looks similar to what you see with chkdsk but it can't be DOS. Text on a black screen.
After the restore, the computer restarted and I watched the rotating dots for several minutes before I aborted by pressing the power button. The computer was restarted, chkdsk ran and then Automatic Repair followed by Diagnosing your PC. Then a message about Couldn't Repair. I got into Safe Mode and on the next reboot, Win11 booted.

I ran the restore again from Windows and saw the same sequence of issues.

A WinPE was booted and a standard DS restore was performed. No problems. Win11 loaded normally.
A few years ago I tested DS restores from Windows and noted occasional failures. I don't think it's a reliable environment.

 

Thanks for testing Brian. Yes I also notice it's not a DOS at all.
I did a similar test like yours using Windows 7 x86, no issues at all on my side, BIOS + MBR disk.

 

Looking for the mechanism DS restarts the machine and starts restore process I found a file in:

Code:

C:\Windows\System32\snapnative.exe

Then googled it and found this right here in these forums:

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager]
"BootExecute"=hex(7):73,00,6e,00,61,00,70,00,6e,00,61,00,74,00,69,00,76,00,65,\
  00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,00,00,61,00,75,00,74,00,6f,00,63,00,68,00,65,00,\
  63,00,6b,00,20,00,61,00,75,00,74,00,6f,00,63,00,68,00,6b,00,20,00,2a,00,00,\
  00,00,00

And yes it's still there. New DS versions are still writing the same code.

Is Terabyte Unlimited able to do something similar for IFW?

 

After two failed restores in a row, I've lost interest in that environment.

 

Thks, interesting..
If we forget the 'restore from Windows', would you say that DS is reliable ?!

 

myk1,

All imaging apps are reliable. It's very rare that I see issues. But I really like DS even though I only use it for tests. Unfortunately the documentation is sparse. That would be my main criticism.

DS lends itself to automation. I recall you can do automated restores. Restores without using the GUI. I'm sure it's in my notes somewhere.

 

Thanks...Another issue is that it seems that there is only one programmer...(how old is he ?!!)

 

I haven't because I need it unless any other solution is found. Terabyte Unlimited might be able to develop and overcome and fix such issue.

 

I have always found (especially with the latest version of Drive Snapshot) that on Windows 7 you'll get a "Windows didn't shutdown properly" 30 seconds countdown message and chkdsk will scan C: after restoring the image using Drive Snapshot in Windows (the chkdsk scan also happens in Windows 8 and 10).

That environment used to restore the images is dirty / leaves something behind and I've seen the above results on other peoples computers, whilst using the automated PE for making / restoring images works perfectly (and is faster).

 

Alright, I trust in your experience @Gaddster and @Brian K , then the the WinPE is the way to go. It works perfectly because the main OS (Windows) never boots up the machine.

Hopefully Terabyte's devs might have a look at MR to make something similar for making/restoring images made from within Windows.

 

To the majority of users of imaging software. Don't be concerned if you don't understand automated backups/restores. They are fun but not essential. Do your restores using boot media. Remember, if you have an issue where you can't get into Windows, you must use boot media for the restore.

 

That attitude right there is my point. Automated restores ARE essential. That's what I've been trying to tell you for so long, and what you've refused to understand. That has what Terabytes has refused to understand. At a certain point your software is solid enough to where the only thing left to do is add features, or else there's no point in buying recent versions. Fully automated restores (think Reflect) matter to some of us, as evident by what this thread has morphed into.

 

My definition of fully automated is not using the GUI or boot media.

 

If you can tell the software from within Windows to restore an image, and it reboots into whatever in needs to, restores the image, and then reboots back into a normal Windows environment, all without anything but initial interaction or instructions, that is my (and most people's) definition of fully automated restores. Since terabyte cannot do this, again without instruction or intervention) it needs to be added.

 

Mine is using the GUI but not using boot media and/or scripts. Fully automated restarts, for both backup and restore of system images.

 

Well, I've provided three different methods of doing a no GUI, no boot media restore. With TeraByte Unlimited software. There are a few more TeraByte methods of using GUI without boot media. And then several GUI plus boot media.

It can be done with DS too. No GUI, no boot media.

 

I wonder what is this .@0 file for, made by IFL but not by IFW.

 

Mr.X,

The .@0 is a metadata hash file. In IFL and IFW, check if "Use Metadata Hash Files" is ticked in Backup Options.

 

Yes it's checked on both programs. IFL creates it, IFW don't. Gonna try again tomorrow.

 

IFW is able to "see" hidden partitions
MR is not

Hence IFW can perform backup/restore operations saving it's files within hidden partitions

 

An interesting revelation there, Mr.X.

 

Did you check that too?
I'm not sure now. I can't recall what edition I used, the Free one or a paid one.

 

I'm not sure.
But I can say this much.
My Recovery partition is hidden, and Reflect backs that up.

 

From IFW history of changes

I did a quick test rebuilding it, all went just fine.
Also I did a restore operation from differential. All good.

At anyone reading this I think IFW, with this last release, became a serious rival to Macrium Reflect.

Terabyte Unlimited = serious great software company

 

Is this it?