Drive Snapshot bootable media!

Agreed. This would be a bit harder on a WinPE environment.

The only loss in time could be from your DOS limitations. Restores will (probably?) be lots slower than from a windows environment.

If it's only 'rolling back' you can also use the drive snapshot method where a restore is done at the point you would normally see a chkdsk.

 

Good morning Brian,

I just downloaded PowerISO. I'm about to install it and continue with 'this exercise'. As I attempt to follow your instructions I may not be responsive here (unless I need some help). So I'll be back when I'm back. Please stay tuned...

Cruise

 

Brian, I followed your instructions, created the boot-CD and booted it on my HP laptop. It boots up, pauses (as usual) at the 0/1 option and then defaults to the 0 option, goes on to mount everything, and then says:

CHDIR failed for USB_Back\DS_HP

What is the Full File Name?: __

Over,
Cruise

 

Cruise,

I can reproduce this. When you copied my autoexec.bat changes you didn't get this full line...

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:

It finishes with A:
It is a single line if you maximize the Notepad window.

Check your autoexec.bat

You are so close now.

 

Brian,

That's likely as I don't see the entire line in your original quote! - I'll check that and be back with you in about 15 minutes.

Cruise

 

Brian, checking the autoexec.bat, it seems to be correct. here it is in its entirety (the line in question is a single line in the actual file):

@echo off

set bootdrv=A
\bin\bootdrv
if errorlevel 2 set bootdrv=C

set path=%BOOTDRV%:\;%BOOTDRV%:\bin;%BOOTDRV%:\utils

:- CDROM drive at W:
set CDS=
if exist MSCDIDE set CDS=/d:MSCDIDE,w
if exist MSCDIDE2 set CDS=/d:MSCDIDE2,w
if exist MSCDUSB set CDS=%CDS% /d:MSCDUSB,w
if not \%CDS% == \ bin\shsucdx %CDS% /q
set CDS=

:- load language specific settings

if exist LANGUAGE.BAT call LANGUAGE.BAT


if exist XMSXXXX0 goto _xmsok
echo.
echo AUTOEXEC: No XMS manager installed (himem.sys)
goto _abort
:_xmsok


rem The ramdisk drive
set ramdrv=q:
xmsdsk 8192 %ramdrv% /y /t
if errorlevel 1 goto _ramok
rem xmsdsk returns errorlevel 0 for error
goto _abort
:_ramok

md %ramdrv%\temp
set temp=%ramdrv%\temp
set tmp=%ramdrv%\temp

copy \command.com %ramdrv%\command.com
if not exist %ramdrv%\command.com goto _abort
set comspec=%ramdrv%\command.com

copy snapshot.exe %ramdrv%\.

md %ramdrv%\bin
copy \bin\unuharc.exe %ramdrv%\bin
copy \bin\_unpack.bat %ramdrv%\bin

set path=%ramdrv%\;%ramdrv%\bin;%path%

call _unpack \level0\utils %ramdrv%\bin

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

 

Cruise,

I have your folder structure setup in a test computer and a virtual machine. Your CD isn't finding a drive letter from...

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

As you point out the autoexec.bat is OK. Run the CD again. Press Enter when it asks you for both filenames and you will finish at the A: prompt.

Type the USB HD drive letter and then

CD USB_Back\DS_HP
DIR

Can you see your backups?

 

My USB HD drive letter is D, so I entered D: and then
D: \> CD \USB_Back\DS_HP\ ...and I again get the "CHDIR failed, etc".

but when I do...
D: \> CD \DS_HP\ ...it changes to the correct dir. and I see my backup!

 

In Windows, have a look at your USB HD. Are the backups in

USB_Back\DS_HP or DS_HP


Edit... is USB_Back a folder or the name of your USB HD?

 

USB_Back is not a folder, it is the name of my USB HD.

In Windows Explorer, I open my USB_Back HD [I:]

In DS' DOS, my USB HD is D: and the directory inside with my sna files is DS_HP

Cruise

 

Ah, all OK now. I misunderstood USB_Back. Sorry.

I left out a DIR line before. So the new code is...

Code:

set target=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 ds_hp
echo.
dir

echo.
set /p full=What is the full image filename?:
echo.
set /p diff=What is the diff image filename?:
echo.

This should be it. Good luck again.

Edit... If you enter the filenames it will immediately start a restore. If you just press Enter it will finish at D:\ds_hp

 

I presume this is just to replace the similar lines inside of autoexec.bat, and the before and after lines stay intact?

 

Correct.

 

I left the 0 1 choice in the code but reduced the timeout to 2 seconds. (it was 4 seconds). I considered removing the code but for the sake of 2 seconds I left it in.

 

Brian, before I insert this autoexec.bat into the iso and burn another CD please confirm the latest file in its entirety. I now have it as...

Also, how am I supposed to respond to the filename questions (full vs diff)?

 

I assume you are just updating the most recent ISO. You don't have to use the ISO you downloaded anymore.

 

Cruise, it looks fine.

If you enter the filenames it will immediately start a restore. If you just press Enter it will finish at D:\ds_hp. At this stage just press Enter.

 

Ok Brian, that correction seems to have done the trick. Now it displays my DS_HP folder with the backup files! It then prompts me for the filename(s).

Cruise

PS. I should also have said "thank you"!

 

Excellent.

Do you plan on restoring an image in the near future?

 

I'll be out for a few hours. We still have to create a CD for the Dell and address the Partition Structure issue.

Do you have a CD-RW for our tests?

 

Before attempting any restores I'm planning on making a backup with IFW tomorrow (as I now have trial versions of DS and IFW). Having current image backups from both of those I'll be more comfortable doing restores!

Cruise

 

No, but CD-Rs are pretty cheap, so no problem there.

 

I couldn't agree more.

Here are the changes for the Dell.

Code:

set target=DS_Dell\*.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 DS_Dell
echo.
dir

echo.
set /p full=What is the full image filename?:
echo.
set /p diff=What is the diff image filename?:
echo.

snapshot restore hd1 auto %full% -y
snapshot restore hd1 auto %diff% -y
goto _end

I've changed the store folder and the HD number.

 

Thanks a lot Brian, if I wind-up buying DS it will be because of you making their DOS recovery disk more user-friendly. From everything I have read on this forum, it seems that DS & the 'Terabyte-trio' are the most respected programs of their kind.

Cruise

 

Despite all the hard work we've put in, I wouldn't suggest you buy DS. The TeraByte products have much more to offer and are licensed for 3 computers.