Rollback Rx question

I copied and pasted your post #41 to wordpad and saved it for reference if I need a refresher at a later date. That post set me straight. Thanks!

 

Does Rollback Rx work OK with Dynamic disks?

 

Interesting question, I have no idea but look forward to someone providing the ans. If its not forthcoming here you might want to post this question over on the Horizon Datasys Rx forum.

EDIT: I did a search over on the Rx forum and only found one thread where dynamic disks are mentioned. I think this may help ans your question, the thread can be found here http://horizondatasys-forum.com/rollback-rx/1856-unable-install-rollback-rx-9-1-vmware.html

 

Dear BG,

I fully agree with your above statement and your are absolutely correct. My apologies for not being careful with my wordings.

Quite a while back, there was a great confusion with imaging the hard drive while Rollback Rx was installed. I wrote a piece about it and dear Froggie (TheRollbackFrog) commented on it. Here is it again and at the bottom of it are the comments of Froggie. If need be I can reference the relevant thread:

Within Windows (HOT Imaging):

1. Any imaging program will capture the current snapshot of Rollback Rx and after restoring the image, Rollback Rx has to be re-installed. Basically, any imaging program will capture the current status of the computer when imaging was done. This will result in a regular image.

2. If one needs to capture all snapshots and Rollback Rx is to remain intact, then one needs to use IFW for imaging, with PHYLock.sys and registry tweak. Imaging has to be done on all sectors basis, thus resulting in a very large image of IFW and consuming a lot of time.


Outside Windows (COLD Imaging):

1. Any imaging program can be used to capture all snapshots and Rollback Rx is to remain intact, provided this imaging is done on all sectors basis. Again, this image done by any imaging program will be result in a very large image and will consume a lot of time.

2. Any imaging program can be used to do imaging, on a non sector basis. This is a very dangerous situation, as it will capture only the baseline snapshot of Rollback Rx, which can be two months old. This will not only result in a small image, but back to two months old image. After restore the image, Rollback Rx has to be re-installed.

Froggie (TheRollbackFrog) Comments:

KOR, great summary! I would add one thing...

In step #1, under Within Windows, I would state that following an image restoration, Rollback would have to be unInstalled (a little slower than normal unInstallation) then reInstalled for successful continued operation. This should insure no further complications with the active Rollback-enabled system.

 

On the Rollback Rx website they offer a full trial version, but how long does the trial version last? 2 days? 30 days?

And if you uninstall Rollback Rx, does it uninstall cleanly or does it mess up the PC?

 

What's the main difference between these 2?

http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Back-Up-and-Recovery/RollBack-Rx-Standard.shtml

http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Hard-Disk-Utils/RollBack-Rx-Professional.shtml

And why are they so old? Have they stopped working on them? It says August and November 2010.

 

Mozart,

You may want to try the Rollback Rx “little brother”, called DRIVE VACCINE.

The main differences between these two is whereas Rollback Rx can take up to 60,000 snapshots of your system for future restore, Drive Vaccine only takes ONE.

Don't bee fooled by this, however. Even when DV only takes one snapshot of your system [DV names it BASELINE], you can update this Baseline anytime you want from MS Windows itself. Let's say, you download software to your computer and save it to a folder on your desktop, if you don't update DV Baseline right after your downloads end, you'll lose them when you reboot but, if you update DV Baseline right after your download, those files will stay on your PC even after your reboot.

There are lots of things this software can do, really. I'm just mentioning the one I came up with from the top of my head.

I even went ahead and, after several days evaluating Shadow Defender, Deep Freeze, Rollback Rx and Drive Vaccine, I decided to purchase two licenses of Drive Vaccine [U.S. $39/each] cause I think it's better suited for my needs.

You can learn a little more about it from this link:

http://www.horizondatasys.com/231846.ihtml


Regards

 

Anyone paid for multiple RollBack Rx licenses and would consider selling me a license for cheap?

 

Hi KOR, I remember the post so no need to reference it but it does not mean that strictly speaking what was said is correct. This lack of clarity in the use of the terminology has led many to misunderstand what is happening when they make an image with Rx installed. It would be a good thing if the terminology could be tightened up. Hopefully this discussion has served to some extent to help in this endeavour and I thank you for your contribution to the discussion.

 

Interesting, I didn't take notice of Drive Vaccine when I was on the site. So basically it is a one-snap shot version of Rollback RX.

The details on the site said files can be saved using a virtual drive (Much like Returnil's virtual drive) I'm assuming.

Could you elaborate further on updating a new baseline through MS windows? Or is that the same as the virtual drive?

 

If you PM dear Jacob, the administrator of Horizon forum, he might send you a link for about $26 for Rollback Rx.

However, here are couple of things to consider.

1. To be eligible for future major releases, for example v10 from v9, you have to either buy the new v10 when it comes out, or buy the yearly maintenance at a cost of $14 per year to be eligible for upgrade.

2. The new v10 was supposed to be out by now. They are holding off on it until the new v8 of Windows is out, and then they will release the new v10.

Best regards,

KOR!

P.S. One has to buy or not to buy the yearly maintenance at the time of purchase of Rollback Rx. The yearly maintenance cannot be bought later.

 

Dear BG,

You are right about the clarity!

This was done to show the difference between; Outside Windows (Cold) NORMAL imaging and Inside Windows (Hot) NORMAL imaging. In both case NO SNAPSHOTS are captured, but under the Outside Windows (Cold) NORMAL imaging, the image which is produced is based on the baseline snapshot. Again, the baseline snapshot is not there.

The above was done to show the differences between two COLD and HOT; NORMAL imaging while Rollback Rx is installed. Show the differences in two images, and how dangerous it is to make a NORMAL Outside Windows Cold image. To show the Outside Windows Cold NORMAL image captures the data based on baseline image, even though the baseline image is not there versus the Inside Windows Hot NORMAL image capture the data based on current image, even thought the current image is not there.

Best regards,

KOR!

P.S. Regarding clarity, I can always claim that Arabic is my mother tongue and not English. Or being almost 60 years old, I can always claim senility. Old age has it's benefits. LOL

 

LOL

Understood KOR, thanks for the clarification.

 

LOL

Understood KOR, thanks for the clarification.

LOL

EDIT:

I have heard this a number of times and it is quite the puzzle for me. Do you have any understanding of how and why this would be the case? Is the baseline not a snapshot but something else which we simply are referring to as a snapshot? Why would a normal cold image not capture the current state of the drive?

 

Hi BG,

The way I understand when Rollback Rx is installed, it creates a baseline snapshot, it basically puts a fence (markers) around the operating system outside the Windows. Let us call this baseline snapshot, as snapshot A. Any new data which is now written is written outside the snapshot A, until we take snapshot B. A new fence (marker) is now created as snapshot B.

Now, any new data which is written, is written outside both the snapshots A and B, until we take snapshot C. So forth and forth.

Basically, the imaging programs sees only the data written in snapshot A (baseline snapshot), when Rollback Rx was installed. And, doesn't see any data within the other snapshots as the imaging is being done outside the Windows, keeping in mind that Rollback Rx works outside the windows to keep it markers (fences). In Normal COLD the imaging programs don't see any other snapshots.

Therefore, the imaging is done only for this data and no other data in any other snapshots,

Best regards,

KOR!

P.S. This is only taking a stab to explain a very difficult situation!

 

Sorry can't remember if I asked this already, but does Rollback 9.1, which I assume is the latest version, work OK with Windows 7 and Dynamic drives? I have C: and D: and E: and H: and they are all Dynamic partitions. Will Rollback work OK with those?

 

What's the link please?

 

You need to register first at the Horizon forum.

http://horizondatasys-forum.com/horizon-datasys/

Best regards,

KOR!

 

If I understand you correctly the imaging programs during a cold image, regardless if its an all sector image or not, can only see whats inside the baseline markers, which of course would be the space on the drive that Rx is protecting from being overwritten.

Have I got it right?

 

On a sector to sector COLD imaging and not normal COLD imaging, any imaging program captures all the data within all the snapshot, this includes all the snapshots and Rollback Rx itself.

Thus, all the snapshots are there intact, including Rollback Rx in working condition. Basically, in sector to sector COLD imaging, the imaging program sits on top of Rollback Rx, where as in normal COLD imaging, it images beneath Rollback Rx. In these both situations, it is done Outside Windows.

In sector to sector HOT imaging, only IFW due to PHYLOCK.sys and not VSS.sys. And, also PHYLOCK.sys being above SHIELD.sys in the UpperFilters, it again sits on top of the Rollback Rx, so it captures all the images intact and Rollback Rx.

Even though the imaging is done Inside Windows, IFW sits on top of Rollback Rx, and acts like it is doing Outside Windows sector to sector COLD imaging. Thus, all the snapshots are there intact, including Rollback Rx in working condition.

Where as in normal HOT and COLD imaging, the Rollback Rx on restoration is not in working order. It has to be uninstalled and then reinstalled.

Basically, it is the mysteries of Rollback Rx and IFW. Both excellent programs and both compliment each other.

Best regards,

KOR!

 

Got it, thank you very much KOR

Bottom line, if you want to image from within Windows (hot) and capture and restore all snaps and a functional Rx you must use IFW along with the appropriate (minor?) tweaks. I put "minor?" in so folks would not simply grab a copy of IFW and create an image

If you are willing to image from outside Windows (cold) any program capable of a full sector by sector imaging will do the job.

If you image from outside Windows (cold) and do not do a sector by sector image you will capture only the baseline state, which is the state of the PC at the time Rx was installed . If you restore that image you will lose all data on the drive that existed from any time after the installation of Rx.

Good stuff to know, much appreciated KOR, thanks for helping expand my/our knowledge and understanding of Rx (and some of its mysteries).

 

Always willing to throw a teeny tiny monkey wrench into the mix...

The "minor" tweak mentioned by BG and KOR is only required if RBrx is installed AFTER IFW is installed. If you already have RBrx running on your system, the installation of IFW will place its UpperFilter (special driver) ABOVE the RBrx service code and will HOT image the snapshots correctly.

This is caused by the simple fact that Windoze will place newly installed UpperFilters at the top of its service list. If you think about this, though... if IFW's UpperFilter is placed correctly, then you uninstall RBrx to do some maintenance, as soon as you reinstall RBrx, IFW's UpperFilter will now be out of place for a successful RAW RBrx snapshot image... the tweak mentioned by BG and KOR will have to be "redone" for IFW to be successful.

This li'l ditty is not really thought about by most when they uninstall/reinstall RBrx... but it really only applies to IFW users who are HOT imaging all their snapshots.

 

Dear Froggie and GB,

Thank you both for making the life easier for the Rollback Rx users. Always enjoyed both posts and in the process learned a lot too!

Kind regards,

KOR!

 

I think I'm losing touch with reality. LOL

 

Thank you Froggie, much appreciated. That bit of info is pretty darn important.

Now, I think, we know the whole story. At least I hope we do.