Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

Brian,

Thank you very much! Looks like I'm missing something, I'll recheck the recovery media code and fix this issue.

Isso

 

Thanks, Baldrick, I was hoping that was the case. I have used RBRX previous versions for years and it has saved my bacon uncountable times. But version 10 has too many bugs for me and I look forward to installing AXTM, which, BTW, I plan to pay full price for.
sb

 

This looks a very interesting program indeed and im curious.
About 2 years ago i tried a similar program from comodo called time machine and it damn near destroyed my computer.

After that disastrous episode i have been very weary of trying these sort of programs ever again.

I currently rely on images stored on an external hard drive for recovery in case of disaster but it is a tedious exercise and it does get me out of trouble.

Ive been briefly looking through this thread and it looks a promising program.
I MIGHT give it a shot in time but in no rush at the moment.

Everything was fine with the comodo program until i uninstalled it and then the crap hit the fan and i was left with an unbootable computer and a near destroyed hard drive.MBR wrecked etc.

I certainly hope this program does not have the same problems.
Good luck with this and i sincerely hope it matures and becomes a great product.

Thanks.

 

Isso,

A confirmation test. I reinstalled BIBM to the other computer and created UFD boot media in AX64. As before, the media is not bootable. Same error message.

 

Amiga500... fear not.

The only thing AX64 Time Machine and Comodo Time Machine have in common is the last two words in their name, and the use of the word snapshot in their description.

The architecture of AXTM is nothing like Comodo Time Machine. CTM is invasive, AXTM is cooperative. CTM is incestuous, AXTM is benevolent. CTM is NOT an imaging program (provides no backup images for restoration), AXTM is. In fact, AXTM is primarily an imaging program that has learned to do snapshot imaging at a fairly high speed.

I was briefly a CTM user (until it destroyed two of my machine configurations) and then a longer term Rollback RX user (a much more mature CTM-type application). AXTM's approach to the need for both image restoration and the ability to move seemlessly amongst snapshots has trumped anything that Rollback RX has been able to provide for me.

So far I haven't looked back... except occasionally checking to see if GONZALO has provided an adequate explanation for Rollback's use of the neutered TRIM function.

 

CTM is not at all similar to AX64. CTM is very similar to RBRx (and some even considered it a RBRx 'knock-off'). CTM and RBRx are 'pure' snapshot programs. They both modify the standard Windows MBR (which can bring about serious system issues) and they both hide their snapshots, which I believe are bit-maps of locked disk sectors, on the C-partition such that Windows is not aware of them!

AX64 is a fast disk-imaging program, although not as fast in creating/restoring it's 'snapshots' (they are actually images) as CTM/RBRx, it is much faster than other disk-imaging programs. Unlike CTM/RBRx, AX64 does not modify the MBR, can store its images on volumes other than C: and they are completely visible to Windows. As a consequence, AX64 is a far safer program than CTM/RBRx.

TS
____

Oops, I see Froggie (Forggie, Fisso, whatever) beat me to it. And he is far more qualified than me on the subject.

 

Isso,

I looked at the UFD in a disk editor. LBA-0 is the same as a BIBM MBR. I wrote Win7 boot code to the UFD and now the UFD boots into the AX64 recovery environment.

 

The Shadow, Mr Vice President,

Thank you for your help! Interesting enough that your answers came at the same time, were very similar, and both perfectly answered the question.




Brian,

Thank you very much for finding out the cause of this problem. I'll fix this by using standard MBR code. This might be the reason for some of the recovery USB sticks failing to boot.

Isso

 

You would have to roll back to the snapshot before the snapshot you labeled AX Install and it would be like it never happened. Conversely that would work the other way around too. Install AX64 Time Machine and take a snapshot labeled RBRx. Then go through the same steps using AX64. You don't really need RBRx.

 

Please excuse my ignorance if I ask what does BIBM stand for?

 

1+

 

BootIt Bare Metal. It's my boot manager.

 

Thanks!

 

Another partition on same drive, my external HDD is broken

for info my last backup is around 85mb and took 1.30mn.

 

There is only one exception to this that I can see and thats if you are trying to protect a laptop that does not have a large enough 2nd partition to store the AX64 image and snaps and does not have access to an external hard drive on (at least) a fairly regular basis. In this situation AX64 could be used simply as an imaging program but its snapshot capability would be all but completely lost. The only + that Rx has going for it that I can see is the very small size of its snaps.

Given the potential problems that Rx can cause, and the very poor support from HDS, I would suggest that it would be a worthwhile investment to upgrade a small laptop drive with on that can handle the storage requirements of AX6x.

 

AMIGA500

Although there are naturally some issues with AX64, as with any new software, I have not had a single issue where it really counts - backing up and restoring my laptop.

The very first version of AX64 I used, an early beta, felt and worked better than any final version of CTM that I tried, and indeed better than many established imaging/snapshot programs. The only imaging software that has never given me an error is Keriver, but for some reason the latest version doesn't like my laptop. I was looking for a replacement and gave AX64 a go, and I can't see myself looking for anything else to replace it.

I understand that you are in no rush to try it, but this wipes the floor with CTM (just my personal opinion) in every way, most of all, stability. I hope that you give it a try at some stage. I can only see it getting better as it's developed.

 

It was my understanding that CTM (Comodo Time Machine) was just a very old version of RRX. I believe it was version 7.
That software destroyed 2 of my computers. Their forum is full of horror stories but people continue to install it. Comodo continues to promote this software even though they know it destroys the MBR of computers.
Unfortunately, people tend to not visit their forum until they have a problem.
I did my best to warn others in the CTM forum but they banned me (2X's).
Neither RRX nor AX64 should ever be compared to CTM (IMO).

 

Isso: When will a new version of it be available?

 

twl485, bgoodman4, mrfargoreed, Masterblaster,

Than you for your help answering the questions and for positive reviews!


Zero3K,

The major feature that we are planning to add in upcoming update is full GPT/EFI support. That should be ready in about a month from now, maybe a little bit sooner.

Isso

 

So, no new versions until GPT support is added? Not just one containing some bug fixes?

 

Most likely no, sorry. Release testing takes a lot of time, I can't do that very often.

Isso

 

Is it because there's a decent amount of code that's changing or what?

 

May be because Isso and his team are thorough and regression test more widely rather than just testing what they have fixed.

Anyway, why ask the question?

 

I think that's pretty obvious. I have never done any programming/coding myself but I'm sure that it takes a lot of time and effort to even take care of 'some bug fixes'.
So don't be anxious, Isso and his team are really working hard on this and the new version will be ready when it's ready.

 

Because I'm just curious.