Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

Thanks, Acadia, taotoo. On the bright side, no data anchoring is less complex for me. And the link makes it clear ATI v.11 is not the best idea. I'll either upgrade to ATI 14 or switch to something like Macrium, which seems to be respected around here and appears to be fine with AX64.

Summary & Questions:
So in the event of a PC challenge, if I use my AX64 backup, I'll get my system back in integrity, but my data would be "old". So...does this make sense?

1. I've got my OS/programs on drive 1, general data on drive 2, recording audio on drive 3.

2. Use AX64 on each of those for my primary backup. What frequency is recommended?

3. Use Macrium on each of those as a backup backup. What frequency is recommended?

4. And have CrashPlan constantly backing up my data on drives 2 & 3, so that in the event of needing to utilize my AX64 or Macrium images, I can recover my most current data.

5. Are there more commonly agreed upon preferred alternative schemas?

Thanks, all,
Chamlin-in-training

 

2. I just use the built-in hourly backup. With my use I find it takes only 10s if backing up from SSD to HD, or about 25s if backing up from HD to HD. No noticeable interruption while the backup is ongoing either, though perhaps if you're doing audio editing or something there might be.

4. AX64 can only image one partition, so if you put your data on separate partitions as you suggest, then there should be no need to recover your data as it would be unaffected by a restore (I imagine Macrium might work differently depending on how you set it up).

 

Hourly. So is that what everyone is talking about when they later merge these down? Where's the best place to learn about how to best do this? Track down all of RollbackFrog's posts?

Not doing partitions. Actual separate hard drives. That's why I'm thinking I must do AX64 for each one and keep each in it's own folder. Yes? No?

 

Yes - the snapshots are later merged so that you don't end up with hundreds of them. If you use the hourly snapshot option, then AX64 will merge snapshots from time to time automatically. You can also merge them manually, but personally I've never felt the need to do so.

AFAIK AX64 can only backup one partition at a time (and that partition can obviously only be on one disk). So I don't believe it can backup multiple disks. Maybe it can do it if you set the source and destination, do a backup, then reset the destination and do another etc., but that would be jumping through hoops and presumably preclude the use of automatic backing up. Personally I would just continue to use crashplan or a local file backup for the data, but different people have different opinions.

 

Thanks, taotoo, also for the explanation about the merging. Automatic sounds good, with manual ones, I guess, for times when necessary.

Guys & gals,
1. Can AX64 only work on 1 drive? And if it can work on multiple drives, can each be set to automatically back up?

2. How are you handling backing up data drives (I have two data drives, one for general data, one for recording audio)?

Thanks,
Chamlin

 

Have you tried using YUMI? If not, then go to http://www.pendrivelinux.com/yumi-multiboot-usb-creator/ and download a freeware program caled YUMI (Your Universal Multiboot Installer) for Win XP/Vista/7 (don´t know about its compatibility with Win 8.x). It is a one small file standalone EXE that you can run directly, no installation or uninstallation. YUMI is the tool to create one or more (as a matter of fact, as many as you can accommodate on your USB disk) bootable programs, OSs, Anti-Viruses, etc. Though unbelievable to some, it really works... The other beauty of this solution is that you can at any time later add or change whatever other files on that bootable disk up to its free space; creating an AXTM folder and placing your backup file(s) there is a welcome and very practical option... A 64GB disk can accommodate many snapshots... And if it´s Patriot´s 4 chip XT Rage then double congrats - this is a very fast one.

Forget about exFAT here, YUMI will boot from either FAT32 or NTFS only. If you prefer NTFS, format your USB drive beforehand; else YUMI may format it for you in FAT32.

When booting from this disk YUMI will load its multiboot graphical menu. It has its own mouse drivers so your mouse will be available. Select ISO... and load AX_Recovery... That's it. This should work. Let us know how it went.

 

Thanks but I can't use FAT32 because the Patriot Supersonic Pulse USB3.0 is 64 GB and that file system isn't available for it. For large flash drives like this it's either xFAT or NTFS. I wasn't aware of YUMI so I'll go take a look and see what happens.

To add - this drive works fine with AX64 when storing images on it. It's just a problem when trying to install the recovery media there it destroys the formatting and requires that the drive be formatted again. I can take it back to the store since it's brand new but I have a feeling this may be something Isso can fix.

 

I believe as Kent pointed to you that new Flash Drives are seen to Windows as Fixed Drive rather than Removable Drive. Can you check to see if it is shows in your system as Fixed Drive or Removable Drive?

Best regards,

Mohamed

 

Isso,

THANK YOU ! This may be a savior for many people..... as long as they are smart enough to buy AX64 Time Machine.

Thank you again for a great program and Best Regards.

 

Try YUMI, it might work. If you need more guidance how to proceed, come back.

Also - I can't see a reason why you wouldn´t be able to format a 64GB disk in FAT32. FAT32 file size support tops out at 4GB minus one byte, and volume size tops out at 2TB. Though, of course, for AX backup this format would be unsuitable, as your baseline backup (single file) would obviously be much larger that 4GB...

 

Mine show as removable drives. This is in Win 8

 

And, why would you want to use a 64GB Flash Dirve, YUMI or not for a 260MB bootable AX64 Recovery Media. Why not have the AX64 Recovery Media as bootmenu? No need for USB Flash Drive, or CD or DVD. Just bootmenu.

Best regards,

Mohamed

 

Check out this thread, which Kent was trying to point it out to you:

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=355763&highlight=flash drive

Your problems might have to do with the above thread.

Best regards,

Mohamed

 

Well, it's a little project I'm working on about going back to Win7 from 8 and installing a SSD but keeping the old drive. So I wanted everything from Win 8 and recovery media on one flash drive with AX64's help. Just a little insurance but I didn't expect this little issue of AX64 changing the drive to a RAW format type.

I can format this 64GB flash drive as FAT32 but not with Window's built in tools. I wanted to stick with built in tools. As it turns out, formating [with EaseUS] the flash drive to FAT32 also makes no difference. AX64 kills it as well.

 

Still I am not sure what are trying to accomplish. If you put any Recovery Media on a Flash Drive, that Recovery Media will format the drive and put the Bootable Recovery Media Files on it. The Flash Drive will contain that and nothing else, which will be files of 260MB ~ 512MB. You can utilize the rest of the space to back up an image on it, but I wouldn't recommend it.

The best thing is to put the Recovery Media on BootMenu. If you really want to put it on a Flash Drive, then it is best to put it on a 1GB to 4GB Flash Drive. If you want to put more than one Recovery Media on a Flash Drive, then you should use 4GB Flash Drive with either YUMI or Easy2Boot.

To put Recovery Media on a 64GB is overkill. However, you can use the Flash Drive to make an image of Windows 8 and keep it on without having the Recovery Media on it. Keep the Recovery Media on the BootMenu of your Windows 7.

Best regards,

Mohamed

 

Mohamed,

Can you put AX64 in your EasyBCD Boot Menu?

 

Hi Brain,

Yes, you can. You can put any imaging program, virus program and partition program which has boot.wim (WinPE or WinRE) in the EasyBCD.

Best regards,

Mohamed

P.S. Here is my EasyBCD menu:

 

In the absence of replies from anyone else, I'll chip in again:

1. The page here suggests not (at least not without repeatedly resetting the source drive):

http://ax64.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/205116-step-2-configuration

2. I don't think this is critical. If you like crashplan then stick with it. If crashplan can also do a local file backup, then that might be worth doing too. Instead, you could do the local file backup with Syncback or one of the dozens of other similar programs. Personally I just use Win 7 file backup as I like the explorer integration and it also allows me to use previous versions while having system restore disabled. But that's getting off-topic...

 

What I'm trying to do is on one flash drive install the recovery media followed by a backup of my Win 8 system. Why wouldn't you recommend that? What's wrong with having data on a recovery media flash drive?

 

Dearest Manny,

1. Most probably you paid at least $50 for the USB Flash Drive, maybe more. For this money, you can pick up 1TB internal hard drive or 500GB USB Portable hard drive and keep your backup of your Win 8 system on it and much, much more.

2. I am not sure that you can from the same Recovery Media will be able to recover your image of Win 8 system. I might be wrong here.

Best regards,

Mohamed

 

It is possible to store your backup image(s) on the same USB recovery medium when such medium is created by e.g. YUMI program. But the recovery bootable medium itself has to be created from Win XP, Vista or 7. Next you can add or delete images to your liking and the disk's capacity. This works OK up to Win 7; haven´t tested it in Win 8.x, though.

 

Dear Selukwe,

Thanks for the above information. Backing the image is easy, however can the same image once AX64 Recovery Console is loaded can be retrieved from the same flash drive for image restore?

Best regards,

Mohamed

 

I haven´t really tested the restore this way yet, but the image can be viewed and is accessible, e.g. also for copying its files/folders to your PC´s internal drives.

 

Hi Selukwe,

Excellent information!

It means that the image can restored.

Best regards,

Mohamed

 

Hi Isso

Hope that you are well?

Just reporting in that I have just had my first failure when hot restoring with the latest beta. Up until now I had done some 15 hot restores which all worked perfectly and were executed very quickly but this evening one froze at 79% and I was forced to cold restore (which worked perfectly as always

Anyway, will keep testing but looking forward to the version with the 100% bullet proof restore function.

HTH?

Regards and respect


Baldrick