Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

Hi Werderforever,

Thank you and I'm happy to hear that you haven't given up. Looking forward to the results of your test.

Isso

 

For two products - I think the idea makes a lot of sense. It might be a bit difficult from a technical point of view, because we'd want to have a common code base for both products, but they are quite different in operation. Anyway I'll discuss it with wajamus

Isso

 

Hi Balders,

Sorry for not being able to sort this problem out for you so far, and I really appreciate your great support! Hopefully when we release the new product it'll be properly doing its job for you.

Isso

 

Isso, do you think that it would help to try and disable any AV software just before a hot restore?

 

Hi Isso

Thanks. No problem, these are still relatively early days and the cold imaging is rock solid and quickish. I am happy to await the next release and the new, merged app.

Just take the time you need to get it right.

Regards, and respect


Balders

 

MPSAN, it may well do but first make sure that you have all the AXTM-related components excluded or white listed in in AV/IS. If you have and that is not helping then a disable the internet/disable the AV/IS may well be worth a try as a temporary solution until the next release when hopefully the issue will be fixed.

Regards


Balders

 

At one point I was having a problem with freezes and Isso spent a great deal of time trouble shooting the problem. Isso first suggested getting rid of SD but that did not solve the problem . After lots of testing Isso determined that AppGuard was occasionally interfering with the hot restore (20% of the time when it was set to the high protection level). Since I began changing the protection level to medium before doing a hot restore I have not had a single freeze (which of course may be a coincidence).

EDIT: Isso has high currency for a reason, the sort of support and dedication displayed by him is a major component of that. In my case as well I was offered a full refund without asking. I chose to decline and I am glad I did. It took a while but Isso eventually resolved the problem,,,,,you could not ask for more from a support dept/developer/chief cook and bottle washer! (good thing Isso has Froggie as virtual VP of Marketing or he would be doing that as well,,,,,talk about overload)

 

Dear Isso,

What has made the AX64 Time Machine so successful is the simplicity and the power behind it. Of course, your charm and marketing has added quite a bit to it. Lots of user have in past wanted to retain this simplicity.

Where as, other users has asked for more features.

Here is the suggestion for common code for both products, though I am no programmer. Keep AX64 Time Machine as simple as it is now and call it the same.

Then take the same code of AX64 and add more features requested by users, such as it can image more than one partition/disk. And, other features which RealCopy already has and call it RealCopy Time Machine. This second part of the coding will include features already developed for RealCopy.

I am not sure, but some thoughts for Wajamus and you.

Best regards,

Mohamed

 

Hi Pete

Interesting thoughts but from my experience (i) I rarely have more than 10 snapshots at any one time...due to automatic merging and the fact that I start a new chain each week, and (ii) because I test software...usually an initial quick install and run through, most of my restore, and I have not noted a pattern here...but will look out for this just in case you are on the right track...

Regards, Balders

 

Well, if I need to, it is easy to disable NIS 2013 on the fly before a restore. I usually just do cold restores, but the CD does not see my mouse (in XP) so I need to get my ps/2 mouse to hook up to my ps/2 port in order to do a cold restore. Not an issue, but just another step.

 

IMHO, A single app featuring the simplicity of AX64 properties that also includes advanced features that could be chosen by clicking options during installation might be easier to offer and less confusing for people to choose than two separate apps, and easier for the developers to manage. What do you think?

 

Dear Twilight,

The more complex the program, the more bloated the program, the more chances it is full of bugs. Acronis Home True Image is a prime example.

Best regards,

Mohamed

 

Good point!

 

Similar platforms here, with similar results here!

Cruise

 

Does this apply to 'Pro' versions?

How about an AXTM more or less as it is now but Win 8.1 compatible and with the bugs ironed out, and AXTM Pro that includes multi-partition support, bare-metal restore and the other extra features of RealCopy?

Would that type of design allow for a common code base without bloat?

Norman

 

This is a great idea, Mohamed. I support this. The magic of AX64 is his simplicity. Nothing bloated as True Image.

Isso, please let AX64 not die!

 

Hi Isso,

I have uninstalled Bitdefender Free and rebooted. After that I have made a hot Restore without problems.
I have tested this configuration three times with different snapshots. All is working fine.

Then I have thought, what would happen when I uninstall Bitdefender without rebooting?

I again have made three hot restores. The first two restores worked flawlessly. The third restore frozes at 46 Percent.

What was happen? The last restore was made with a snapshot which was some hours older and the chain was longer.
Perhaps it´s that what Peter has said in his Post 4982 (...my sense is the failures occur a) when I had a longer string of snapshots, and b) the further in time I am from the snapshots I am restoring.)

Another idea I had was to disable only the service of Bidefender (gzserv.exe), but it wasn´t possible with Windows Task Manager nor directly in Windows Service Management.

All tests with build 1120.

I hope, this can help you.
Werderforever

 

Hi Norman

That is an excellent idea giving the customer a choice as to functionality, and most probably using a common, modularised code base set that would be easier to maintain for the developers.

I like it, and it will be interesting to see what Isso & Waj make of the idea.

Regards


Balders

 

Hi Peter

Thanks for sharing. Interesting. I will have to try the same on my system and see whether I can replicate what you have found.

Regards,


Balders

 

Hi Guys,

It's good to see the speculation subsiding and folks are getting a little more positive about future plans. We're gong forward with development and Isso and I will be giving you information about development schedules/goals really soon (re: Win 8.1 compatibility, AX64, RCTM and the lot).

Regarding your suggestions of having two products is actually a great idea. The suggestion has had a significant impact on discussions and we're discussing this option currently.

One of our challenges was to produce a UI that was powerful and feature rich like Realcopy, but simple like AX64. To strike a balance in a single combined product might be difficult (but I wouldn't say impossible). To release two separate products and give you guys choice may be a good way to go.

If we can figure a way out to overcome the challenge of limited resources, this may very well be the way forward.


Regards,

Waj

 

This implies to me that you Sager laptop has some disk issues rather than a problem with backup software. When Chkdsk runs it's usually because some bit gets turned on telling it to do so. SMART isn't that smart so it could be that or when disks start failing they sometimes start to act up slowly and could do so for a long while. It's a PITA when that happens and incredibly hard to really diagnose until the darn thing just dies. My gut instinct - that's all it is - says disk issues.

Further up you said that too many snapshots may be a problem. I still can't understand the logic behind why too many snapshot files is problematic. Are you thinking that too many dependencies somehow get mangled up? I just haven't seen any evidence of this.

Thanks for turning the thread around. I was just about ready to give up on it not wanting to wast my time reading about speculations.

 

Dearest Norman,

This is what I had in my mind. You spoke my mind.

Shalom (Salam),

Mohamed