Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

just a quick question does ax64 uses inc or dec or raw backup method?

cheers

 

DemonEye... AXTM uses an INCREMENTAL method when creating its snapshots, and MERGES those snapshots (not the manual ones) every so often to eliminate large numbers of snaps.

 

Greetings, HermitGeek! As with all imaging programs, the "images" or snapshots in the case of AXTM are taken of a selected SOURCE partition (not disk) and placed on another selected DESTINATION partition (any but the SOURCE). As a result, on a SINGLE DISK system, the implementation requires at least a 2-partition internal hard drive OR an external disk partition (USB2/3, eSATA, etc.) to use as the DESTINATION. When AXTM is first run, the configuration setup WILL NOT allow you to select your "selected" SOURCE partition as your DESTINATION partition.

You can easily use the 2nd internal partition for saving the snaps of the 1st, but please realize this gives you NO PROTECTION against that internal hard drive's catastrophic failure, unless you back up those very snapshots on an external device. Some folks do just that 'cause an internal backup is usually much faster than an external USB-based backup.

 

Hi PCFAN! Yes, it is SAFE to use AXTM as far as SSDs and TRIM are concerned. All of its actions when doing "rollbacks" or restores under Windows are fully TRIM supported. This application DOES NOT work like Rollback RX and as such has none of its limitations.

My concern with Isso was early in the ALPHA/BETA process, there were some TRIM loose ends, none of which would hurt an SSD and its wear leveling requirements. At the time I was using an additional function to assist with this and recently just asked Isso if he thought that was still needed at all.

His comment... basically NO. All is well with SSDs and TRIM as he states.

 

First release, congratulations! I also like the new site. But you should mention somewhere that it is not working for GPT! Just as AXTM was out of beta I recommended it to friends and sent them the link to your site, but now I get disappointed responses because they found out after the fact that their system was not supported.

 

Isso,

Ah... I see. I guess one advantage of Rollback is that it is possible to use it on a "single disk ONLY" system without creating a second partition.

Can you give me some standard guidance for what percentage of space I should allocate between the source (Windows) and the backup partition for NORMAL usage users? 90% vs. 10%, 80% vs. 20%. For this second partition, is it possible to create it as HIDDEN so that windows will not see it and only AX64 can access this? This is important, as I have a number of such systems (such as laptops) that I plan to use AX64...

Please help, Isso.

 

does ax64 make auto merge with out user tell it to do

 

Hi HG! I don't speak for Isso, I'm just a very "engaged" user of both of these applications.

You are correct in that RBrx requires only the resident disk/partition to provide its protection, but what it doesn't provide is recovery from a catastrophic disk failure or viral affects from nasties that affect your MBR (Master Boot Record) or your RBrx baseline snapshot. When that happens on an RBrx-based system, you are toast without an image backup.

ATXM provides both the snapshot capability and the ability to return to a fully backed up system... sort of a combination of the above functions

Guidance is difficult, especially where different types of data are concerned. All imaging applications, AXTM included, usually try and use a LOSSLESS data compression scheme to try and keep the backup images as small as possible. If your protected partition contains lots of music, video and photos/images, these data types DO NOT compress very well so their resultant image backups will be pretty big.

That said, my experience has shown that in a typical system mix on my protected system partition (not a lot of uncompressible data), my BASELINE AXTM snapshot/image runs about 50-60% of my protected partition. Each additional snapshot during the ongoing process adds additional storage to that requirement. Over time the backup area will begin to exceed the protected area in size. This is not a by-product of AXTM alone, it is a by-product of any imaging/backup application that purports to be able to protect you against primary storage failure (and other catastrophic events) of your system... they all have this requirement in one form or another.

As far as a HIDDEN image-resident partition, only Isso and the AXTM team can answer that one... I'm sure they will.

 

At the moment it does in its initial release if you have the AUTOMATIC BACKUP function enabled (CheckBox available to the user). The exact scheme of AUTO MERGING hasn't been fully documented yet (we've all seen something and Isso has explained slight variations of what we've seen). This AUTO MERGING only occurs with AUTOMATIC backups, it doesn't affect MANUAL snapshots. The scheme is fixed at the moment but AX64 plans some changes in that area to allow users to tailor their own individual merging requirements.

In my own use of the product, if a snapshot (i.e., "point in time") is really that important to me, I do it manually to make sure it's there if I need it. I will continue to do this even later if a user defined merging scheme becomes available.

 

@rollbackfrog

when i want to "restore" , there is a box names "restore MBR" (something like that) , is it important to leave the box checked ? or i can uncheck it and ANY restore will work fine ?

 

The MBR, or "Master Boot Record" is the very 1st block on the HDD/SSD. It's a requirement that this block be "in tact" for a successful BOOT of the system. If it has been messed with (Virus, rootkit, etc.) your system WILL be compromised.

AXTM makes the option available just in case you're trying to restore from a badly infected system. It won't hurt to restore the block, but really isn't necessary unless you're dealing with a serious system infection problem. It's only ONE disk sector so it surely doesn't add any time to the operation.

 

Thread has gotten rather large so I cant seem to find it, but why was GPT support disabled? Sucks since my windows 8 install is gpt.

 

It seems like something important is missing from AXTM.
Is it possible to get AXTM to take a snapshot from the Recovery CD/USB?
I don't see how to do it.

Lets say I've been working for an hour (day?) since my last backup and reboot my PC, and then find that it won't boot.
With RollBackRX-type software I can quickly take a snapshot from the pre-boot env, then do a restore
to a previous working snapshot, and be able to mount the last snapshot and save my work.
With Macrium Reflect or TodoBackup I can boot from the recovery CD/USB and take a snapshot, then do a restore
to a previous working snapshot, and be able to mount the last snapshot and save my work.

With AXTM (1.1.0.996)I don't see a way to do that with the Recovery CD/USB.
So if I'm depending on AXTM alone, have I've lost everything since my last snapshot?

Bob

 

Currently you cannot.

Yes...

 

I don't believe Isso has explained yet.

 

Actually, he has. Please look at https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=2224770&postcount=1259.

 

Thanks Zero3K... I had missed that one (out of the 1000s )

 

Frog,

Would you know if AXTM just backs up the 1st sector (MBR), as you indicate above, or all 63 sectors of track 0? It seems to me that nasties could very easily plant themselves within other sectors of track 0, so AXTM should backup/restore the entire 1st track!

Cruise

 

That's a very good question Cruise (I'd like to know the answer to that as well)!

TS

 

I started getting this with build 996. It just so happens that my HD is also quite busy downloading a virtual machine from one of our ESX server so I wonder if the high disk activity may be the cause.

 

Hi Bob

You could uncheck the 'Automatic Hourly Backup' box and take manual snaps whenever you have made changes to your system. That way AXTM will preserve each one, so you can therefore restore any of them at any time!

TS

 

Cruise/Shadow... I don't know the answer to that, I'm sure Isso will enlighten.

BUT... the only way I can see use for any baddies within Track 0 is either through the MBR, the VBR or partition content... and all three are handled well by AXTM. To get to any bogus stuff created by baddies (TDSS, phony hidden partitions, etc.), you need to travel through either the MBR , the VBR (on the way to the BOOT partition) or the partition content itself.

For instance, Rollback uses some of it for MBR references (pure and modified) but it only has access through its sub-Console, via the MBR, or possibly through partition content executables. The same would exist for anything trying to use Track 0.

 

sdmod, got it, thank you!

Isso

 

Thank you Wendi, I just sent to you a PM with a link to the experimental version that I believe should fix the "improper shutdown" warning. Please let me know how it works for you.

Isso

 

guest,

Could you write an email to info@ax64.com so we look into it more closely? Thank you

Isso