Drive Snap: Drive Snapshot Frontend

Unfortunately, DS can't do that. Aaron's suggestion would work but we shouldn't have to image a 500 GB HD just to get an image of a 30 MB partition.

 

Not sure I was clear before - let me try again.

Drive SNAPSHOT *WILL* backup my system restore partition....it's listed as HD1:2; 10gig

Unfortunately, this "front end" program DRIVE SNAP *DOES NOT* list this partition as one that can be backed up.

If I can't backup everything, or see my previously created backups, then there's not a lot of substance to this program.

 

roundtown is right; of course DriveSnap will backup any partition, even those without drive letter.

I created a bunch of batch files for my particular purposes that work just fine; I just couldn't afford waiting any time longer for the frontend to become available again.

 

Thanks Brian and another classic quote from you. The load time of it is very fast. Alot Bootable CD's have so many drivers to load to make it work with so much hardware. As the recovery is so small, it doesnt need CD-ROM drivers to load. Drive Snap recovery being small is an advantage, as all things being equal, if the recovery media is damaged has more chance of loading.

That problem and the other problem looks like it stems from your system config. are you running it with full admin rights?

Hello Shankle. Nice try but that is not for Drive Snap. The latest for try is at post 390 in this thread. Due to time sorting things out further i have managed to put alot of the updates i mentioned in the worklog afterall for this first full version and have concentrated making it a good restore for CD first and making it in time for Drive Snap Full version and more bug testing from v1.0 before release. Drive Snap first full version will be 1.1. 1.0 is a filler while i get things moving.

The schedule is working better than ever now and the fixes i mention in the log have gone in and more.

I would like to say yes but not strictly yet. All i say it be ready when it be ready and dont hold your breath too much yet. In the meantime i done a ton of bugtesting and improved the ASR. That might be a possibility later on though. The final filesize of Drive Snap with the ASR is now just approximately 450K. What i wrote in the help is abit off. Thanks for your interest again.

You made it quite clear . I say one word Drive Snap is 'Practical'. It is possible to restore images to drives without drive letters by restoring the partition structure or MBR first using those features in the restore. as soon as that the drive letter becomes available when you formatted it of course or restored image. can use this method to restore system images to new drives or no MBR from BartPe easy enough. A hidden partition is just 1 byte change in the MBR so a drive can be hidden or unhidden. There is also Disk Management Console easily run in Drive Snap to show graphical display of drives to work with no drive letters and of course you can use Drive Snapshot. You got a number of options but for using hidden constantly using Drive Snapshot might be easier for you.

I really suggest soon Drive Snap Automatic System Recovery that uses Drive Snapshot to restore and is a new strength for recovery of system partitions hidden or otherwise. It restores from DOS. A later version of DS ASR will be automatically restore DS images from PE recovery ie. BartPe. This is one way round the limitation of restoring RAID from DOS as well and restore faster. You can have choice to restore from DOS or PE in 1 version.

 

Full Version v1.1 details Due to extra updates making it in time for Drive Snap Full version and bug fixes from v1.0 before release, Drive Snap first full version will be 1.1. Details below.

Automatic System Recovery

This first version is improved further than planned. It now takes aspects of other versions and some new ones. Despite this version set to restore one image as default(- edit it can now) . It is possible to override it and change very quickly at the approximate last second so another image can be restored instead, plus the type of the restore and then the restore can carry on quickly on it's way. This gives power over the restore but still have the automation advantage.

There is power in simplicity. Instead of the planned holding down different keys to halt the restore to load extra options, just one key is held down (Left CTRL) to access the menu. This is simpler and does away with the need to remember multiple key functions.

Menu Options
Change the type of restore:
Restore image
Restore image + MBR
Restore image + MBR + Partition
Restore MBR of image only
Restore MBR of another image.
Show drives and partitions info
Restore a different image - loads a menu to restore another image from all existing images.
Delete,format,create partitions
Continue the Restore
Reboot

If you want to change and restore another sytem image or have the option to restore multiple system images. You have several options.

1. Highlight a different image and Create Recovery Solution for that other image and by doing so use another CD-R. The advantage you can automatically hands free restore more than one system image from each CD. A much safer recovery solution if one CD turns out to be bad and you can still have access to the menu to restore any image.

2. Same as option 1 but use a CD-RW instead so you can keep using the same CD-RW. Being highly dependant on one CD for restore, for one or more images is asking for trouble even if you have access to the menu to restore any image.. If you gone to the trouble of backing up all precious data then you can go to the trouble of making more than one recovery CD. Always make and keep a extra permanent system image recovery for safety. It common sense but just in case it needs saying. Don't be reliant on one piece of scratchable plastic for all your data.

3. The Automatic System Recovery CD is set to restore a certain specified image at the time of creation. It is possible to cheat and rename another image to the name of the image you selected at that ASR creation. This means the original filename has to be stored somewhere else, copied back each time or renamed which can lose some of the image identity. This is all very messy and chaotic even for two images because the one time you forget and spell disaster will be at the actual moment of panic when the system goes corrupt weeks,months after. This is fighting the system of Drive Snap that is making it easier for you. It all not worth it, all for the sake of another CD. CD's are cheap enough. (- edit see 4.)

4. In the meantime wait for a later release of Drive Snap that will possible to easily change to a different system image and back again but still use the same recovery solution. It's already done and ready in v1.1

Automatic System Recovery v1.1 Golden Rule

There is a simple golden rule to ensure Drive Snap ASR always continue to restore your system images with v1.1

Do not move the Drive Snap folder or it's files.

You can gladly move the backup images anywhere and to another drive different from Drive Snap as long as you tell Drive Snap there location. You could of course keep the images in the Drive Snap location if wished.

Manual way. You can moves the images manually somewhere else but you have to run Drive Snap and update it's 'Image Backup Location' to the new location and close it down so the location is saved, or you can do it alot easier all from within Drive Snap.

The easy way. If you need to move the images wherever, then get Drive Snap to move them. Select the browse dialog and specify the new home of the images. Once you click OK you be asked if you want to move the images to this new location, Click Yes. All the images together with the hash files will be moved and the new location updated, which you can then close down Drive Snap so the location is saved.

You have the freedom and convenience to move the images wherever and Drive Snap ASR still has the power to automatic restore or interrupt it to restore another image from that location. Selecting a different image or changing other options and continuing the restore takes a matter of seconds. It continues on automated.

The moral is simple. Always settle on a permenant Drive Snap location before deciding on creating a ASR CD.

 

Since then the ASR has been updated further for 1.1 with greater finesse. It's ASR reborn all good for CD.

You can easily switch system images from one to another and use the same ASR CD. Just double clicking a rightful system image switches to another system image if you have more, for the ASR CD to restore. Nuts!

You can also move Drive Snap as well as the images to another drive and the restore will continue to work. lol. You can move Drive Snap files to any other drive aslong as you move it to the specific folder 'Drive Snap'. ASR scans Drive Snap locations on all drives and is very quick. This works as a last resort if the ASR cant fnd Drive Snap in its original location and adds a few secs tiny delay for the restore if you need to move it. More nuts! This v1.1 ASR is a enhanced version for CD so don't pay attention to the 1.0 help or the golden rule so much. This is much better.

Edit oh forgot there's more. There is these options from Drive Snap in Windows that control the ASR CD in real time can be turned on or off.

Restore MBR
Restore MBR + Partition
Restore MBR only
Verify image before restore
Password protect image

There is now a data, ISO and schedule folder to keep everything tidier. Schedules all neatly together and ISO all together. The data folder runs all necessary tools from the data folder including MBRWiz.exe now and other necessary tools downloaded seperately to keep legal.

Thats all in 1.1 and finished done and spent a week of bug fixing, testing it on other pc's so far and it very tight now.

I need to point out for the schedule to work at all it needs the utility schtasks.exe in the windows\system32 folder. So check you have that first as i think it only comes with XP Professional and not XP Home but i not sure on this. It might be available on Home and a resources CD as well.

Drive Snapshot when it tests and encounters errors of the image if damaged enough it gives a errorlevel 100 and reports a large serious error. This error can happen if the image is damaged especially near to the beginning. If the image is very slightly damaged, it encounters crc error and try to repair the error but reports too big to correct but it doesn't report an error. It says the image is OK. It quite possible it has rebuilt it from the hash checksum. It not 100% clear from the readout given if it has or not. If the image is a few hundred bytes damaged then you can restore and find the Windows is ok. Now using Drive Snap 'test image before restore' with ASR if it encounters this tiny checksum error from damage to the image then it will abort the restore which is the safest.

EDIT: I need to do a drive comparision of undamaged and possible damaged image to know for sure.

Drive Snap hung if the hash file was damaged taking a differential. now fixed.

 

What makes it hidden is just a partition identiity byte at offset 1C2 in the partition table MBR. Using Maintenance Mode backups every sector of the drive and MBR is the first sector, so like Brian said a long winded way to just backup hidden drives. It would be shorter and handy to hide it with Drive Snap in Volumes and save that MBR and then unhide it and save that MBR. Then you have 2 MBR's 1 hidden and 1 not you can load switch. If the drive is NTFS it be 07. To make it hidden add 10 on to whatever number is there, so writing 17 to that location for NTFS would make it hidden or being careful and using a good disk editor such as HxD that can load disks under Extras menu. A simple batch file could be even written to run a DOS byte patcher to make it hidden on and off. Making a system drive hidden like that would prevent it from booting up but useful for non system drives. Hidden marketed OEM system partitions like what 'roundtown' has work by software boot loaders or a tiny first partition that load before the main system partition.

 

A Freeware version will be available in next few days as well as the long trial that is already out

 

Markymoo, can you please just clarify exactly which features will be excluded in the free version that are available in the trial. Thanks

 

Hello TVH. The difference is same as the trial but can't make differentials or use the options tab. It possible to be able to backup and restore with the easy creation of magic DS filename strings. The volumes is still available.

I provide the full version for very low cost with entitlement to all updates, improvements, bugfixes, excellent technical support all from the website. In all a bargain if it suits your needs.

I don't recommend Drive Snap for Vista yet as it has issues i need to sort out.

 

Thanks markymoo. I will consider purchasing as soon as Drive Snap is fully vista compatible. A least i can play around with the free version for now on my XP box. And i must say the frontend is fantastic. Backups and restores are a breeze

 

What does this mean? Will the frontend be incorporated into a form of PE? I hope so because I really prefer restoring that way as opposed to DOS, which would mean that I cannot use the frontend.

 

I was giving a general statement abut the full version and be able to give technical support. Well i make some good videos of it in action using it without the ASR is good but it like a 3 legged dog so to speak(bad analogy) but you get my point. adding the restore makes it complete and something else. a 5 legged dog lol. anyway i say no more as i let the software speak for itself and users make up there own mind get it from the website and videos fully and be able to make a better assesment as it all abit presumptious. lately i am in a period of flux until i get things sorted out properly and i can get back to updating. Thanks!

 

Yes it's a future development but be a while yet. You don't need to use the frontend in DOS. all the possible restore options needed are in the recovery CD and some sync with Drive Snap. If you want it bad please support sooner thanks. It the preferred method of course. Unless you got to be in a rush to use your PC straight after it goes down i believe DOS is fine and not so long at all unless you have giant drive which in that case you should make a smaller system partition 50Gb or less. Drive Snapshot or other image software just restore back the data not the entire drive as default. A huge C drive is going to waste anyway. A good method i usually use is to keep the C drive smaller and safer, is to original install Documents and Settings to D so all user accounts personal data is on another drive and i dont lose anything on C. i can quickly wipe C or restore an image to it in a flash without having to backup any personal data from C.

 

Didn't you mean to say My Documents folder?

 

@Aaron

No, You can just move 'My Documents' but that still keeps other personal data on C such as browser profiles, bookmarks, email. If the whole user accounts is off C then all pdata is saved automatically to another drive. If you had alot Programs on C there be alot personal data and to manually backup would take time and chance of missing something. Even if you taken an system image you have to sift through the mounted image to save the pdata.

http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/

http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/19/

eg. ProfilesDir="D:\Documents and Settings\"

 

Freeware version

Drive Snap now uses a data folder. Copy snapshot.exe and MBRWiz 2.0 to this subfolder.

 

Looks interesting markymoo on XP Pro as the freeware version.

This and the full should prove a big help. Researching malware as i do, one got away yesterday and stalled one my dual partitions and i simply pulled up DS in the other partition and restored it back. Running perfect as normal.

DS is a real Life-Preserver for any PC. And it's stupidly quick at whatever it does with the exception that verifying (if one uses it), is slower then the actual imaging itself. But who really needs to Verify Image with this, it always restores 100% so far for me so i can't complain about that feature.

Ready now to put DriveSnap thru some paces too.

Thanks EASTER

 

Hi markymoo,
A couple of questions.

I use Windows 2000, will the mbrwiz work for me?
There is no scheduler in this version. I noticed scheduler and options tabs in your video...are they to come later?

 

I have followed this thread with interest, even though I have not used image restore software before. I just look at the nightmare/problems people seem to have with various products,e.g Acronis in the Wilders sub-forum.

Earlier today I downloaded the Freeware version,but when I checked back later I noticed that markymoo's post had changed, so I downloaded again 7 hours later.

Please see attached screenshot for details of the files. I am wondering what has changed between these versions,both supposedly the freeware version.

 

@EASTER
very good. i know what you mean about the verify. Drive Snapshot is fast so adding the verify is no penalty and come to think of it the image hasn't failed a verify anyways. the newer freeware version uses just 1 image file to take backup so better so you can verify the whole image if need be instead of in parts.

Hello, It works fine in 2000 and 2003. The options and schedule are in the full version complete. The options and schedule are not in the freeware version. The schedule is not available in the trial.

@Tarnak
Hello, the one on the right is the oldest and was updated soon after with the one on the left but now there is a updated one which uses the same filename link Drive Snap Free. You will of caught the old one in the short time before i updated with the new one.

Hello roundtown it is now possible to select drive,partition numbers with Drive Snap so it would solve that issue . see following post.

 

New optimised free version, works in Vista fine, backup to one image file only as was meant to be and the restore now works. The download is updated.

There is big helpful improvements with Drive Snap regarding drives,partitions. I have addressed this now rather than later due to roundtown making a very valid point about backing up, restoring hidden drives which have no drive letters assigned. It is now possible to select hard drives and partitions by there numbers as well as by there letters. This means you can backup and restore to drives, partitions without drive letters or that can't be assigned, which includes hidden.
It also means that is possible to restore the partition structure and image to unallocated (unformatted) drive, partition in one automatic process. Usually if you try to restore an image to a drive that is new or has no partition structure beforehand it will not restore. Using Drive Snapshot as you probably know you first have to manually restore the partition structure and then the image. If Drive Snap encounters a unallocated drive or partition restoring an image it will restore the image just fine with no complaint.
This feature is available in 1.1. This is something the Automatic System Recovery takes care of already.

Not sure which number is which partition on your system? Simply glance the volume window which you can easily identify by the size which hard drive and partition number is which. This also lists hidden drives, and ones without drive letters. Existing useful option is able to assign a drive letter to a volume thats been formatted by using 'Mount Drive or Partition' under volumes.

Eg. To backup first partition on first hard drive you would select 'HD 0:0' under 'Select Partition' in the backup or restore window.

Eg. To backup second partition on first hard drive you would select 'HD 0:1' under 'Select Partition' in the backup or restore window.

I have removed the create and format partitions features from volumes for now as they need renovation. The MS Drive management console is still easy available within Drive Snap.

Drive Snap 1.1 is now Vista fixed and compatible including it's schedule.

Set the default system image for the ASR CD just by double clicking an image in the restore window. A CD icon appears next to any system image set to easily identify. Double click the same image to turn off ASR. The image selected setting is saved on reload. Very nice.

 

I make it clear that there is no official home for Drive Snap yet. In the meantime there is support at artco (pcxtreme) and anybody who signed up there welcome and is fine. Thanks.

 

Thanks markymoo for taking this project on.

I just tried the freeware one and everything went off without a hitch, limited as it might me, still was fast and stable and chalk up another one for this new combo.

EASTER

 

This looks like it would be good little add on, what ever happened to it?
None of the download links work, IE gives page not found and also the links freeze Firefox.
Might be a good idea to remove this thread if the program development has Fizzled out because at the moment it is misleading.