Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

Terry, please send to me (info@ax64.com) the logs by clicking on the top left corner of the program and selecting "About..", then "Collect logs"

Thank you

 

Isso... after seeing Terry's snapshot folder, can you tell us what an AXB file is (I've never seen one since I started the ALPHA testing... I feel cheated).

 

Hi Isso

I think both...if the user selects for it to be shown in the sys tray then it is there reagrdless of whether open or not. If opened, then if minimised from open it goes to the taskbar. But if closed from the task bar, i.e., right click & close, then the task bar entry should disappear but the sys tray icon should remain.

Just my thoughts...for what they are worth.

 

Hi Isso

OK, thanks. Will experiment to see what effect different settings have on incremental backup speed.

Regards, Balders

 

If I do not know the files that have changed between snapshots, now I have to scout for them manually.

In order to conveniently show the changes as detected by ax64 in backup browser, I would like to propose something along these lines:
1) default view in backup browser: automatically show the difference between last and preceeding backup (in colour),
- red coloured file in preceeding backup view if that file has disappeared in the latest backup
- green coloured file in latest backup view if that file was not present in preceeding backup (and thus new in latest backup)
- orange (blue is already used for NTFS-compressed files) coloured file if that same file changed (any property) between the preceeding and latest backup
2) user-selectable view in backup browser: generates and shows all differences in one window using the same colour-coding system as above by selecting any two backup moments in time.

This simple option would also make ax64 an analysis tool showing what is going on on our systems over time.
Do you think this could be useful?

 

Hi Isso

Just sent u the logs that u requested. Post 775/776

Terry

 

DefConnect... the problem is that AXTM is not a file backup tool... it backs up used disk blocks and knows not what they belong to. I'm thinking it would be darn difficult to identify, at the snapshot level, exactly what files in the Windows file structure those blocks belong to.

 

Hi Isso

Minor point re. the Backup Browser. When I change the View, from what appears to be the default; Detail, to say List. When I close the browser and then reopen it the Detail view is presented rather than the view that was being used at the time of closure.

Is that a feature or a minor GUI bug? A small point that i thought I would raise whilst I noticed it.

Apart from that at present the Beta seems to be going OK here...except for the marked difference in the length of time the incremental snapshots take...sometimes a little longer than I would have expected...but will keep looking into this.

Another suggestion is to give the option to the user of either displaying how long ago the initial image and subsequant increment that are displayed occurred or the date & time of the backup & increments. I know that this is displayed at the top of the window and the pop up window in the bottom right hand corner of the main panel when one clicks on the backup entry but doing that can be annoying. Hence the suggestion to give the user the preference of what he/she sees re. the actual backup/increment label.

Regards, Balders

 

Terry, I just replied via email.

 

Froggie, Terry is just using a super version of AX64

The reason is the small hidden system partition that some of the Win 7 and 8 systems create. AXB files are the images of such partitions - those are backed up and restored with the main partition automatically.

Isso

 

Now I REALLY feel cheated...

Ahhhh... I see. I always throw those partitions out, that's why I never get the AXB I guess.

Now I have an even bigger question (not necessarily yours)... why is the super secret hidden system partition even changing from snap to snap? Inquiring minds...

 

defconnect,

That's a very neat idea, that we thought about a lot while testing the browser. It's quite possible to implement, although will require some time (most of the work is actually there).
We didn't proceed in that direction, because I see the program as a simple backup rather than an analysis tool.
But maybe later we'll add it as a part of the advanced functions. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Isso

 

Balders,

We'll make the browser to remember the last used view mode, also I'll think about relative/absolute time option for backup display. Thenk you for suggestions.

 

I didn't check what is exactly changing there, but most likely the NTFS/VSS metadata.

 

Hi Isso

Thanks for the reply, and your comment about collapsing non related folders.

I was pleased to hear that you will look into adding a feature to allow Users to set the Save Folder. I feel that this solution would be tidier when multiple O.S.'s are used.

Also, today, when testing, because I made a mistake in the Name of the Backup, I wanted to Rename it - any plans to add this?

Nedwob

 

Wondering if it might not be a good idea to start a separate thread for AXTM ideas & suggestions that are not critical to the well being/completion of the beta?

That way we can keep this thread focussed on the important and record, for Isso & his developers, a list of 'would be nice' suggestions for consideration once the beta is complete and we have all opened our wallets and bought the commercial version...

Just a little Sunday thought.

 

Here you can submit your software for beta testing. http://fileforum.betanews.com/
http://fileforum.betanews.com/addprogram

 

Baldrick, thank you, it's a very good idea, also because this thread became extremely large. I'm thinking of opening a new one as soon as the production version is released.


Isso

 

Thank you very much sukarof! We are making some cosmetic changes right now, and I'll post the program there as soon as we are done.

Isso

 

Hi Isso

No problem. Just advise when and where it is...as I have a few ideas/suggestions to submit...when it appropriate.

Regards


Balders

 

Isso... (1) last question...

You mentioned earlier that you capture the VBR (Volume Boot Record) in your snapshots. Is the VBR captured in every snap or only when it changes from snap to snap?

Thanks much in advance...

 

Froggie, it's captured only if it changes - just like the rest of the partition.

Isso

 

Folks, I've updated the program to version 899. Mostly UI changes have been made, and a couple of minor fixes.

Isso

 

I`m still having "strange errors" after testing the latest build - is there any documentation which can tell me ALL of the dependencies AX absolutely needs to function correctly ?

 

Fad, the error that happens on your machine is a failure to start a process. That's the very basic function of a OS and needs no dependencies.

I'm thinking that the reason might be some security software blocking AXTM from launching the Backup Browser. That's why i've asked you in the email from Mar 21st to send to me the output of msinfo32 utility so I install the same list of software on the test machine and check compatibility.

As for other dependencies - I could mention VSS maybe, nothing else comes to my mind. The program really needs nothing but a properly working OS.

Isso