Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

Another big reason is that Rollback modifies the MBR, AX64 does not...

 

Folks,

Could you please do a simple test: reboot your machine and hit F8 to enter Advanced menu, then select "Repair Your Computer" (I assume you have Win 7 or newer OS). Press Enter, start a timer and stop it as soon as you see the options window.
This test will determine the load time of Windows Recovery Environment. AX64 will take approximately the same time, or a few seconds more if the backup is on the network drive.

I tested on my dual OS laptop and for Win 7 it's only 11 sec, while for Win 8.1 it's 13 sec (I have a pretty fast CPU and SSD though). So my 30-40 sec is a quite conservative number.

Isso

 

Hi Isso

Did as you requested and can advise that I got to the boot menu in circa 15 secs (Win7 64bit)...so that part is OK but then came the problem.

I was unable to select a boot option or even escape from the menu so as to use the default option...because my USB keyboard & mouse were not recognised...I presume that because it was too early in the boot cycle?

I will try again shortly but if I cannot select from the menu, just because I use USB devices then this really is a no no for me.

Sadly


Baldrick

 

OK, I understand your concern now. I expect Isso will comment. Hopefully, given that AX64 pickup these things now and Isso is at the helm, I would
hope/expect that these drivers would be picked up as well. Of course only Isso knows what he has in mind so his comment will be nec.

 

I think I am correct with the following comment -----

Isso has mentioned that once you hit the restore button everything will proceed automatically so you would not need to select anything, it will just happen. I understood his request as a means to provide an indication of how much time will be added using the new, proposed, method. In your case it was 15 seconds.

 

Baldrick, have you tried another usb socket? I need to switch my keyboard to use the boot menu, but then need to switch it back again to work in windows sleep mode.

bgoodman4, I think Isso wanted the time from the advanced menu to the option screen, not the time to boot into the advanced menu.

I would have tried it, but have no option to repair computer in the advanced menu.

 

Hi BG

You may well be correct...I hope that you are...because if the additional time for the new hot restore is 15 seconds (for my PC) then that certainly makes the approach more palatable.

Regards


Baldrick

 

Hi Kit1cat

Yup, tried all the USB sockets...I use wireless keyboard & mouse and have tried switching the receiver but to no avail...so far. Will test a little further when I have the time.

Regards


Baldrick

 

I don't get the 'Repair Your Computer' option unfortunately*, but am happy to hear that the process is quick. Bring it on!

*edit: Google suggests that's because I don't have a boot partition.

 

Checking this a bit further I too do not get the "Repair your Computer" option so the approach is a dead duck for me.

Could there be something wrong with my Windows installation, given that I had RB Rx installed previously and I am wondering if it tampered with the Recovery Media environment.

BG/Froggie, I suspect that you may have something to say about this?

Cheers, Baldrick

 

I think Windows doesn't create a boot partition if you install it to an already-partitioned disk, which is what I did and I assume is why I don't get the Repair option. However I have no idea if in this scenario Windows is meant to put the necessary files on the C parition or not - if so maybe there is another cause of the missing Repair option.

 

Yes it can.

I don't have a separate partition and I have the Repair option.

 

Hi Brian

I just have a C: drive but no Repair Option as far as I can tell so I suspect that RB Rx's install must have 'corrupted' something. Looks like I will have to investigate how I 'uncorrupt' this corruption. Which I presume should be possible...hopefully.

Regards, Baldrick

 

Baldrick,

Your winre.wim might have been renamed to winre.dat by Rollback. I gather you have Win7 64-bit.

Can you download the free TBOSDT from...

http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/tbosdt.htm#download

...unzip and in the win folder right click tbosdtw.exe and Run as Administrator.

cd \
cd recovery
cd .....to the random named folder
dir

What is the file extension of your winre?

Questions?

Edit.... A Windows Admin Command Prompt won't find your winre.wim in that folder.

 

Hi Brian

Many thanks for the info. Have checked and I can see a Winre.wim in C:\Recovery\53b7fb2f-75b3-11df-b13a-b3a0212236be, and no winre.dat.

So am a bit baffled to say the least. Think I shall have to reboot and try the F8 key again.

Regards


Baldrick

 

That's partly good news. Try this. At a Windows Admin Command Prompt type...

reagentc /enable

.....You should see "Operation successful". Now see if Repair works.

 

I must apologise as i have not read the entire thread.

Will there be a free version available at some point in the future?

Thanks,.

 

Hi Brian

Thanks very much. Will now try F8 again on a reboot and see if I get the Repair Option.

Regards, Baldrick

 

Got 11-12 seconds here on Windows 8.1, however I had to type "bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy legacy" in elevated CMD otherwise F8 wouldn't do anything for me, but I guess it was just a test in speed rather than a necessary step for the new restore?

I decided to try the recovery media again and still my mouse and keyboard won't work, they go dark when it says "Windows is starting" or something like that, you know when the flag shows? Any idea what could be the issue and perhaps a solution? I remember that the CD didn't give me this issue.

 

Realcopy that's out doesn't have fast restore enabled at all. Only full restores currently. But the environment realcopy performs its recovery in is in native application, like chkdsk. Totally different from AX64 and WinPE recovery.

 

Yeah. If Windows 7 64-bit is installed on a raw drive (not partitioned), it will create a type 27, hidden, active, boot partition where it places the boot and BitLocker files, then it will create the Windows partition with the remainder of the disk space. If I recall correctly, it will labeled System in Windows' Disk Management console.

Unlike the overwhelming majority of users, I had used WinPE to partition my SSD before I installed Windows 7 64-bit, so I only have a single partition and, thus, don't get a Repair Option.

And I've been wondering recently how I should go about creating a RE partition. From what I've read, Windows expects this hidden partition to be at the beginning of the drive. If not, then supposedly Windows will have problems with certain disk management functions, like creating dynamic disks.

• Have considered wiping the SSD and doing a clean install to allow Windows to recreate the hidden partition and then restoring the OS partition with ShadowProtect.
• Or using WinPE-based partition manager to move my OS partition out and then create the hidden partition... if I can figure out all the necessary details.
• Also been wondering if I could use EasyBCD or BootIt BareMetal to accomplish the task.

Main thing is I want to be able to boot up several different recovery environments from the boot menu and be able to let AX64 do it's magic as well.

 

jelson,

Are you sure? A type 27h partition is a Windows RE partition. The last time I checked the SRP was 7h, NTFS. It is not a hidden partition although you can't see it in Windows Explorer as it doesn't have a drive letter. You can give it a drive letter and access the files.

I have a single partition Win7 and I do have the Repair option.

From Dan Goodell...

 

Hi Jelson,

In Windows 7, you have F8 (which is legacy boot loader). In Windows 8 and 8.1, you don't have F8 (due to metro boot loader). In Windows 8 and 8.1, it is called the Advanced Startup Option at boot menu, which is similar to F8 in Windows 7.

If you want the legacy boot loader meaning F8, then use the following command:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator
bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy legacy

If you want to go back to the Windows 8/8.1 boot loader meaning the Metro boot loader, then use the following command:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator
bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy standard

Best regards,

Mohamed

P.S. I wouldn't go back to the legacy boot loader, but that is my choice, as the Advanced Startup Option has much, much more than the vanilla F8.

 

Hi jelson,

With EasyBCD, you will be able to to boot up several different recovery environments from the boot menu, by creating proper entries in the BCD Store.

It is very easy, I have already posted these instructions 3 or 4 times, in this thread.

Best regards,

Mohamed