Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

Empath,

Thank you for your comments and for purchasing AX64. You are right, I'll try to find time to write an article on comparison to Keriver.
When I was testing Keriver last time (it was a while ago) I really liked its simplicity and robustness. However it's incremental backups were quite slow. Maybe it has improved since then - I'll check.

By the way re checkdisk - you can run it just fine anytime you want from the live system (it will run in read-only mode though). The only case when you'd want to run it from separate USB system is when your file system has errors and you need to fix them. But that's a quite rare case.

Isso

 

Isso, that may make sense but it's far from good news for SD users. Most SD users transition from Normal to Shadow Mode and back to Normal Mode at least on a daily basis (and perhaps more frequently). So if I'm understanding you correctly we SD users can typically expect our incremental snapshots to take about as much time as our initial (baseline) snapshot. Is that correct?

Cruise

 

Cruise,

Basically if you start the PC in normal mode and shut it down in Shadow mode it will result in one long backup after next power up. I'm sorry, but I don't see any solution to that problem at this moment.

Isso

 

Isso, I understand that conflicts will happen, but surely this unexpected AX64 behavior contradicts any claim of compatibility between AX64 and SD!

Cruise

 

OK, OK guys, you convinced me - they are totally incompatible!

Isso

 

Isso, the last thing I want to do is upset you, but it is what it is.

Cruise

 

Cruise,

I'm absolutely not upset, and actually I think it might make sense to block AX64 from running with SD - as it might save me support time. Maybe I can later find a way to overcome that limitation, but now I'm really not in a position to take care of that issue, sorry.

Isso

 

Guys, I think we all need to step back and cut Isso a break in regards to the issue of longer snapshot/restore times by AX64 caused by external programs (which is to say no fault of AX64).

I think it's unfair that the onus is only on Isso to make AX64 compatible with other vendors programs. Why are the other vendors not being asked to make their product compatible with AX64?

I think one also needs to take into account that the issues are arising from other similar competing programs and the reality is that we as individuals need to decide which one we trust the most and stay with that. If we do choose to run 2 similar programs together then that is our choice and we shouldnt pressure the developer too much into providing a "fix" because as i said above, it's not fair.

There's nothing wrong with making the developer aware of the situation and with a little time and patience i'm certain that a solution will be forthcoming if one is in fact possible. I myself mentioned a longer backup/restore time when i tested RBrx with Ax64 back a while ago and i'd like to think that i havent harped on about it. I've accepted that limitation and i just work with it. If Isso finds a solution that's great, if not, i can live with it.

 

Hi Brian,

What is your definition of boot media. If it is CD/DVD/USB, then I hardly create a boot media.

However, I do create a boot menu with EasyBCD. I like this option more, as it saves me CDs/DVDs and/or constantly writing to USB.

With the release of new versions, I just replace the file for boot menu in the directory they reside, which is usually on "D"partition.

Best regards,

Mohamed

 

This comes from a non-tech viewpoint, but if I understand correctly this other statement about its workings

could it be possible to insert a command, reset "dirty shutdown" bit at shutdown?

I understand that the potential for misuse would be high, so maybe it's not such a great idea, but it looks like at Wilders at least SD has many fans

 

Isso already said he doesn't have the time to work on this at the moment, so as carfal said above, stick to SD or stick to AX64 or bare with the long backup times if you want to run both together.

Isso, as manolito said before, please try to keep this as simple as possible, many geek people, power users and enthusiasts enjoy simplicity over bells and whistles.

People should see AX64 as what it is, a great imaging program with snapshot-like functionality. It is not designed to protect your computer from malware and it is not intended to be a companion for your other imaging/snapshot/virtualization software.

 

Mohamed,

In AX64 there is a Create Recovery Media button. The options are USB stick, CD, IS0 file. Which one did you create? I assume the ISO file which you use with EasyBCD.

My concern is, what do you do if your HD0 fails? How do you restore your images to a new HD0?

 

Hi Brian,

I created both the .ISO and the USB under XP Pro. Unfortunately, none of them worked. However I created a USB under W7 x86 and it did work.

 

atomomega,

Nice work. I like to get the Recovery Media created early. I have a gut feeling that others don't.

 

Same here. I've seen quite a few comments about bugs with the recovery media here so I tend to think that at least most of AX64's users have, at least once, created the Recovery Media.

 

Its not so much (I think) that some users want to use the same drive for storage but rather they may feel that they have little choice in the matter. For example, I have an older laptop with a 160 gig drive. 75% of the drive is used so unless I either upgrade the drive to a much larger one, or every time I boot the PC I plug an external drive in first, I cannot use AX64. In this case Rx is preferable over AX64 as Rx does not have a problem with the space available for its snapshots.

BY the way Isso, did you mention the fact that Rx increases the boot time of a PC considerably. Thats been one of the drawbacks I have had to live with (and was willing to do so in the past but now with AX64 I am no longer willing to do, so by by Rx)

 

An excellent idea,,,,, or should I say another excellent idea from Panagiotis. THank you and I 2nd the notion.

 

There is a simple solution,,,,,a basic, default, average user mode, and an expert user mode for folks who would like more control. Seems to me this was talked about previously in this thread.

 

So is turning off AX64 (unchecking the hourly backup feature) before going into Shadow Mode not going to work? I would think it should since upon reboot the PC will be in the state it was before going into SM. Once the reboot is done the hourly snap feature could be re-activated manually. Perhaps I have missed something here ,,,, very probable actually.

 

Hi Isso, I just installed AX64 on a friends PC and would suggest that even though the program is very easy to use that some sort of "how to" manual be made available. The program is indeed very simple to use so the creation of this sort of resource (How to do a back up, how to do a restore, etc) should take very little effort to create. My friend is not very computer savvy and I had to walk him through the various functions/actions and I could tell that he was still a bit uncomfortable (especially with mounting snaps and recovering files). I know he would be happier with a detailed step by step instruction manual to follow until he becomes confident when using the program. He said to me that he was concerned what would happen in 6 months if he needs to do something. He did not think he would remember what I had shown him. MY reply was that he could simply phone me and I would walk him through whatever he needed done. Clearly not the best solution.

Perhaps a wiki page would be a good idea. This way you would not have to create the "manual", we could do it for you. I also think this sort of document would help boost sales. I could tell people to check out the wiki page and they would see how simple the program is to use and how effective it is etc, much better than me trying to explain the program to a bunch of folks of varying computer abilities.

 

Hello Isso,

To capture as many as possible adopters ASAP, manolito's suggestion to resist the avalance of wishes, options and added functionalities (of which I am guilty myself as well) and instead have a one-in-all (and continued stable) solution as a first priority does make perfect sense.

Nevertheless, just for future use, please add to your to-do list the proactive defense points along Panagiotis' lines (https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=2231894&postcount=1892) which were yet left uncommented.

In my opinion too, the enourmous work needed for you to ensure compatibility with numerous other snapshot, backup, imaging, restore, etc. software is futile, because the future of AX64TM anyhow seems to be to eradicate most of their functionality. Please concentrate on your own strengths, rather than trying to please all.

Best wishes,

defconnect

 

Hi Brian,

By HD0, I assume you mean complete hard disk failure, rather than the OS partition failure.

If you mean the above case, then it is very rare. In this case usually most imaging programs fail due to recovering to a different hard drive. I then usually make a recovery USB, from my other computer(s) for at least three imaging programs. And, then try to restore one of these images from these imaging programs to the new hard disk.

However, for hard disk OS partition failure, I have recovery of all my imaging programs as boot menu. I don't have to hunt for USB/CD/DVD, which usually contain obsolete recovery media on them. The recovery boot menu for all my imaging programs is always update with the releases of recent versions of the imaging programs.

Best regards,

Mohamed

 

Hi Brian,

One more thing. I never use ISO directly with EasyBCD. I extract the ISO, and use the complete directory with EasyBCD. When a new version of the imaging program is released, I make a new ISO, extract the ISO, and delete the old complete directory and replace it with the new extracted complete directory.

Best regards,

Mohamed

 

Hi Mohammed, please can you tell me how you manage to do that ?

At the moment, I simply choose to run the ISO directly from memory - I cannot see how to specify a file from a folder

Do you find this allows for a quicker boot into the recovery environment, or are there other reasons to do this ?

 

Mohamed,

It's not rare at all. 8% of HDs fail per year.

http://static.googleusercontent.com...arch.google.com/en//archive/disk_failures.pdf

I have to disagree again. I've restored images to a new HD on dozens of occasions. It's easy and I've never had a failure.