Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

BG, the most common cause of a MERGE error (in my experience) is lack of space to create the TEMP file it uses for the MERGE. If your MERGE received an error before completion, the snap you're deleting AND the snap you're merging into have not been affected... only the TEMP snap being created during the MERGE is affected. In every case that I've seen, the MERGE error occurs and the TEMP file is deleted... all original snaps are still in place and in good shape.

Of course, if the MERGE failure is caused by some other weird problem (snap to be deleted is all screwed up, snap to be merged into is all screwed up... I've never seen either), possibly the result of the error would be different.

 

The number of snaps in each BRANCH are kept to a minimum when I am finished with that branch (just the ones that are important on my branch timeline... the baseline for sure, maybe updated, a special software installation if really important... I don't really keep the very dynamic ones created during the testing phases). When testing software, I may create a bunch but at the end of the effort, the branch is pared back to the baseline (or new baseline) that I want to be at, so there's never a lot of snaps in the way.

The restore points are well described (not too long) in AX64's snap description, and AX64 TM's BROWSER will always tell you where you're at with its cute li'l green arrow... even if there are multiple system (branch as well as different pieces of hardware) snap sets in that folder, it's very convenient.

Again my brief snap descriptions work well for me but Isso says the snap description can be pretty long if necessary.

 

David, you have to do that if you want the BRANCH to remain ONE timeline... if you restore into the middle of a timeline and begin a new flow process, you'll wind up creating another branch at your next snapshot.

 

Hi Isso,

I´m very enthusiastic about this feature!

Werderforever

 

Hi Isso,

it´s not possible to temporarily disable Bitdefender Free, because there are no options. I have searched in Bitdefender´s Forum, but nothing found regarding Bitdefender Free. So it´s necessary to uninstall, which is not a big problem, because it needs less then a minute. Rebooting is not needed for successful hot restore with AX64.

I can live with this and I´m sure, you will solve this like you habe announced in Post 5555 (...new restore method that will be 100% bullet-proof)

To Win 8.1: No BSOD with AX64. It´s running smooth.

Werderforever

 

Hi Isso

Further update, as promised. Hot restore seems to be 100% reliable so far...have done 5 so far, and given that over 5 in the past, even on Build 1145, 3 would most probably not have completed properly. Speed wise there is no comparison with before...much faster as far as I can tell, perhaps by as much as 30%-40% (but I may just be getting excited... ).

Also, the snaps are faster than previously whenever taken (obviously the bigger the snap the more time it takes but relatively speaking faster).

Lastly, even the base line snapshot (or image) seems to be a little faster...not much but noticeably (be interested to know if anyone else is seeing that...or perhaps I am still excited. ).

The only thing that has not gone away, although it has improved, is the spontaneous rebooting at backup preparation time...much better then previously but still happening. Interestingly, if I reinstall AXTM after an occurrence the next image seems to be successful and thereafter too...but then something changes and I have a further spontaneous reboot (which sets me wondering as to whether something on my system is corrupting either AXTM itself or a vital OS component that AXTM uses...so still some investigations for me to do on that going forward (amongst other things, Waj... ).

Have to say it again...great job re. this beta...hopefully should only get better and better from now on.

Regards, and respect


Baldrick

 

So I see that you like DC

Thanks for replying.
Yes, that was what I have been, and am still, pondering, whether it would take quite a lot of time & discipline to do the update management.

What is your take on this matter?
How long do you generally keep those 3 branches? Only for a short period of time, or almost indefinitely?
If you are keeping it for some time, how do you manage, for example, Windows updates?

Let's say I'm in branch 1, and then I find out that there are some updates from Ms. So do I need to: download & install it, save the state of branch 1, restore branch 2, do the same things, restore branch 3, do the same things?

I feel that this would be a little, well, "disruptive."
I mean, I am in this branch to do something, working on something, and then suddenly I see the "new updates" indicator. It's bad enough that I have to "hit the pause button" & let the update process start; but then to save the machine state, and go to other branches, and then, finally, go back to what I wanted to do in the first place...

Not to mention other apps, browsers & its plugins, extensions, Java, et al.

On the other hand, if I don't do the update for other branches right away, I might forget to do it, and make the update accumulate (which will make the update process longer, and likewise the imaging & restoring).

I understand that for your specific setup, maybe you don't have to take too much care for your "honeypot" branch.
However, may I have your thoughts on what is the best way to have 2 or more branches, and yet keep all of them maintained?

I'm sorry for the barrage of questions

 

mxyzptlk, Froggie,

Very interesting discussion! I have one question though - is there any program that can apply Windows updates to all backup branches at once? I just don't quite understand how it can work.

In my extreme example one branch can be updated from Windows 7 to Windows 8, so how is this supposed to be updated? Thank you

Isso

 

Well, I just did a cold restore from the rescue CD I made with 1.3.0.7. Only issue was I needed my PS/2 mouse.

What happened was that I was having a few issues with NIS 2014, TI, and MalwareBytes freezing my 32 bit XP system. So, as a suggestion I ran SFC /SCANNOW. Well, I was sure glad I did a backup with AX64 AND Image for Windows first. That command will put back your original Windows files but there will be no end to the settings that got changed...my video was 800 x 600 and there was no way to fix it as it removed my video drivers. Therefore I had to TEST a cold restore with AX64 and it worked!!

 

Eureka! MPSAN

Those sudden and heartwrenching disruptive quirks just like that you experienced is what makes it a relief that we now have a big bonus in AX64 TM. I'm all too familiar with those XP drawbacks when absolutely having to run windows SFC and watching all my time and effort run straight down the drain, forcing another 6 weeks of remodifying everything again.

I'm an avid windows customizer which requires remaking if you will the dog ugly grey/blue stock MS gui not to mention a ton of useful automated addons that make a computer far less time consuming to work with.

Glad it turned out to your satisfaction. Long Live AX64!

Regards EASTER

 

Thanks for the reply,,,,The snap sizes were 81 gig (the baseline) and 6.5 gig (the 2nd snap). There is over 400 gig of free space on the backup drive and 120 gig free on the protected drive. Where would the temp snap be created? Would this not be enough space regardless?

 

Yes, I may as well reinstall XP from scratch if I did not have AX64...something I have thought of to decrapify my system now, but I will just live with it! MS says to upgrade to 8.1...sure, not on this system!

 

I'm a rebel where concerns MS lame recommendations and it's always paid off for me short & long term. They never been the end all of intelligence but they at least know how to put together for market a basic framework for US, the end user AND software developers to build on. Current case in point, AX64 Time Machine!!

Regards EASTER

 

I finally took the plunge to update to 1.3.0.7 from 1120. Of course, I made a backup with 1120 before I did the update.

It did it's automatic reboot and my machine booted just fine. I then saved another backup point which went amazingly fast. Then, I deleted a couple older backup points and even that was much faster.

All I can say is "Wow!" Great software and great update! Love it!


P.S. I know that both of these topics have been covered before, but this thread is getting huge. The topics are defrag and system restore. Since installing AX64, I have not done a defrag of my C drive and I have turned off System Restore. Is this what most of you do as well?

 

Ok thanks - I can see that it can lead to problems.

What I did was to create a timeline, then when back to a point in it and created a branch at that point by creating fresh snapshots. I am not sure then if you can go from the end of branch A to the end of branch B.

I believe there was talk earlier of viewing the snapshots as a tree.

 

I'm just wondering, is mounting the snapshot and then running "chkdsk D:" (if D is the mounted snapshot) a proper way to test the snapshot?

After getting AX64 I've started turning off system restore, however it sometimes re-enables itself, do you or perhaps anyone else know why this is?

 

Update on the failed delete from within the AX64 browser.

I decided to try to delete the same snap that failed the first time. I had started a new chain so I went to Open Other Backups and selected the appropriate chain. When the dates populated I tried deleting the snap and got a message "Cannot Enumerate Images".

Should I be able to delete a snap from an old chain or is this something AX64 cannot do? Does this point to a problem with the chain in question?

 

I thought that running chkdsk on the mounted volume could perhaps find issues with it or something like that and then you know it's a bad snap, but I wasn't sure hence why I asked.

I don't really like restoring a snapshot right after I've taken it, mostly because I'm often doing other things at the same time and don't want to reboot unless I really really need to.

It would be nice if one could right-click the snapshots in the browser and click "Check Health" or something like that, however I have no idea how it would check the health.

Myeeh I'll just trust AX64 and not worry about it, worst case situation I have to re-install Windows or restore an earlier snapshot, I mostly use AX64 for the convenience rather than security, I don't really care if I lose the data on my C: drive since I keep all my important data on my external drive and also back that data up.

 

Hi Isso,

I have made some tests with 1.37, all with uninstalled Bitdefender Free before restoring (but without reboot).

1.) I want to go back from 8.1 to Windows 8. Frozen at 21%. I have then restored with Recovery Media from Macrium Reflect, because I had my Recovery Media of AX64 not found.

Now 2 Tests in Windows 8.

2.) Blue Screen during restore "Bad pool header".
Then successfully restored with AX64 Recovery Media ( I have found it)
3.) Frozen at 88%. Again restored with AX64 Media.

Perhaps uninstalling of Bitdefender is not enough and I have to reboot after uninstalling and b e f o r e doing a hot restore.

I will try that in the next days.

Werderforever

 

Sorry, Acadia... I've got my hammer out

The reason you're not sure how to do t his is 'cause YOU CAN'T. Once you go back to any baseline and make any changes, you are in a brand new timeline. The minute you snap those changes, you have your 1st incremental in the brand new BRANCH.

After reading the above, hopefully you do

 

Boss, there is no single update mechanism. The best you can do is to update each BRANCH separately (same for any kind of updates, Mxyzptlk), then eliminate previous non-shared baselines so you wind up with one branch baseline once again.

Other than using a restore mechanism, the amount of work would be the same if you're multi-booting the same number of OS/Branches... there's no panacea here, just a way to manage multi-boot environments via an imaging mechanism.

I'm just playing here, folks... don't get too excited.

 

Ahhhhhh. Obviously I've got much learning ahead. I hope I did not mess anyone up with my misinformation.

I've deleted the incorrect post, hope that I did not hurt anyone.

Acadia