Drive Snapshot bootable media!

As I always have several backup images, I would be more comfortable with #2 because it requires me to identify the image file. The only nuissance with the 2nd option is that I would first have to use an explorer to view my image folder on the USB drive in order to determine which image I want to restore.

So that begs for a 3rd option where you would fetch all of the sna files you find in my DS Backup-HP folder (names and dates) and present them in a menu (sorted by date, most current first) for my selection.

e.g.

And then I could walk away. Is that doable? If so, can you automatically recognize (and use) the hsh file associated with a selected diff image? Also (afaic) there's no need to confirm the overwriting of the C-partition with the selected image.

Cruise

 

Yes it does! - on my Dell (XP) PC the DS DOS Boot CD reports the following:

System & Apps (0x80:1) as D {Windows C-partition
Docs & Data (0x80:3) as E {Windows D-partition
USB Backup (0x81:1) as F {USB Hard Drive

And fwiw, the sna image files for my Dell are stored in USB Backup\DS Backup-Dell\

Cruise

 

Sorry Brian, but somehow I missed this question - here is what I get after entering that at the A: prompt...

SNDOS 1831 - specified image file >cruise.sna< does not exist (same response on both of my PCs).

Brian, let me know if you need anything else (but do have breakfast and a cup of jo first).

Cruise

PS. Just to let you know that I have to leave the house (for about 4-5 hours), but I'll be back here when I return.

 

Cruise,

You have to enter a valid file-name. Try...

snapshot test C_full.sna

 

Interesting,

The HDs aren't "reversed" in the Dell. What is the size of your external HD?

You need to rename these folders, USB Backup and DS Backup-Dell so they have 8 or less characters. Let me know the new names so I can finish editing autoexec.bat.

 

Yes, that can be done. Good idea.

The hsh file isn't used for a restore. But you can certainly restore a diff.

 

Later. We are concentrating on restoring an image to the same HD. There will be a different CD for restoring an image to a new empty HD. You don't need those options when restoring an image to the same HD. I'd restore hundreds of images to the same HD for just one restore to a new HD.

Edit... It can be done from the same CD but I'm going to leave the details until later.

 

Yes please ! Thanx.

 

He has already translated it and posted the translated version.

See his post #141 on page 6.

Best regards,

 

Thanks to you both ! Got it.

 

Hi Brian, I'm back, so please let me know if there's still something on my plate that you're waiting on...

Re your comments above, there are times when something has corrupted/infected the MBR, so I do think an option to restore it (as I've suggested) would be a valuable addition to the CD.

Cruise

 

Cruise,

I'm still waiting on you to run...

snapshot test C_full.sna


and also to let me know the names of the folders (8 characters or less). We can do it with the current folder names but it is cleaner to use 8 characters or less.

 

If I understand what you need, I'm ready to change the name of my external drive from USB Backup to USB_Back and my backup folders from DS Backup-HP and DS Backup-Dell to DS_HP and DS_Dell, respectively. Will that get it done, or do I still have run snapshot test C_full.sna?

Cruise

 

Those names are fine. So you will have...

USB_Back\DS_HP

USB_Back\DS_Dell

Yes. Just to make sure it works. You can press Alt-Ctrl-Del after it has been running for a minute if you want to abort. Aborting a Verify does no damage.

 

Brian, I just created C-full.sna today and put the USB drive away in the safe where it's kept, so I have to go get it. I'll do that, run your test and get back to you in about 15 minutes.

Cruise

 

You will need two CDs. Remember, the HP computer has the primary HD as HD2 (0x81) and the Dell has the primary HD as HD1 (0x80).

Here are the instructions for the HP computer...

Open the DS ISO in PowerISO, Actions, Boot, Edit Boot Image File. Left drag autoexec.bat out of the PowerISO window onto your desktop. Right click autoexec.bat and click Edit to open it in Notepad.
Starting with the line, "rem call UDMA.bat", delete this line and everything below it. The last remaining line will be, "call _unpack \level0\utils %ramdrv%\bin"
Below "call _unpack \level0\utils %ramdrv%\bin" paste the following

Code:

call NTFS.bat

set target=USB_Back\DS_HP\*.sna
for %%A in (D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) do if exist %%A:\%target% set drive=%%A: 
%drive%
CD USB_Back\DS_HP

echo.
set /p full=What is the full image filename?:
echo.
set /p diff=What is the diff image filename?:
echo.
  
snapshot restore hd2 auto %full% -y
snapshot restore hd2 auto %diff% -y
goto _end

:_abort
@echo AUTOEXEC: Aborted...
@echo.
@rem flow into "_end"
:_end

For autoexec.bat, click File, Save.
Left drag the new autoexec.bat back into PowerISO, click Yes to overwrite.



Still using PowerISO. Left drag config.sys out of the PowerISO window onto your desktop. Right click config.sys and click Edit to open it in Notepad.
Starting with the line,"menudefault=0,4 (default selection, timeout)", delete this line and everything below it. The last remaining line will be, "!stacks=0,0"
Below "!stacks=0,0" paste the following

Code:

menudefault=0,2  (default selection, timeout)
MENU
MENU
MENU 0 - don't search for USB drives (default)
MENU 1 - search for USB drives and CDROMS
MENU
MENU

rem device=\bin\himem.exe /noabove16 does not work for some
device=\bin\himem.exe 
rem device=\bin\fdcache.exe

rem possibly load USB hard drisk drivers
1?DEVICE=\BIN\USBASPI.SYS 
1?DEVICE=\BIN\USBCD.SYS /D:MSCDUSB
1?DEVICE=\BIN\DI1000DD.SYS

rem base driver for IDE/ATAPI CDROM's
rem DEVICE=\bin\CDROM.SYS /D:MSCDIDE

rem base driver for P-ATA and S-ATA CDROM's
DEVICE=\bin\UIDE.SYS /B /D:MSCDIDE /D:MSCDIDE2

shellhigh=\command.com /p /e:1024

For config.sys, click File, Save.
Left drag the new config.sys back into PowerISO, click Yes to overwrite. Click File, Save, Yes on PowerISO. Close PowerISO.


Burn the new ISO to a CD. Boot from the CD and it will ask you for the Full image name. Abort here and let me know what happened. Good luck.

 

Brian, sorry for the delay in getting back to you, but some family matters needed my attention.

I am having issues running that verify command. When I enter snapshot test C_full.sna it reports the very same thing I posted earlier for cruise.sna about the file not existing. I then tried snapshot test \usb_back\ds_hp\c_full.sna and again got the file does not exist statement. Finally I entered D: at the A: prompt, then did cd \ds_hp, going directly to the ds_hp directory, entered snapshot test c_full.sna and it ran! I don't understand what's going on, do we have a problem?

Cruise

PS. What is PowerISO?

 

Excellent. All that is built into the CD.

Instead of aborting when asked for the Full image name, press Enter. When asked for the Diff image name, press Enter. You will be told that the images can't be found and the prompt will be at the path representing your image store. Correct?

 

Brian, please re-read my (edited) post above!

 

You can install it on either computer. The trial version is fine for you.

http://www.poweriso.com/

No problems. You have to CD to the USB store folder before running the line. As you did.

 

Ok, I'll try doing that tomorrow.

But how come I wasn't able to run the verify when I entered the entire path?

It's 7:45 PM here and we are about to do (a rather late) dinner. Chat with you on the forum tomorrow...

Cruise

 

But I though it did run when you entered the snapshot line after CD ing to the correct folder.

 

Cruise,

See Message #146. It explains why you have to change the drive letter and change to the folder holding the image before you run the Test verify line.

Edit... Ah, I finally see what you are asking. You ran...

Doing it that way it needed to be...

snapshot test d:\usb_back\ds_hp\c_full.sna

It needed a drive letter.

 

Why are you guys sticking to DOS restore? As an exercise?

 

TonioRoffo,

Partly, but I think it leaves WinPE for dead if you want to do automated restores. Just boot from the CD (one of the CDs we are working on) and the restore happens. No input needed. No menus to click through. And DOS boots ten times faster than a WinPE.

Automated restores are one of my interests. I mainly do them from the HD so there is no boot disk involved but I thought I'd create an automated restore using a DS DOS CD.