Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

I think I get it now.

On the desktop, create a user account with the same name and password (none in your case) as the account used on the laptop. Or share the folder on the desktop to everyone with full privileges. When it comes to networking, things can get tricky. Since you obviously don't have a centralized domain controller, you need to create matching accounts between the machines or share to everyone with full rights.

This is quite off-topic of this thread, though.

 

Not really off-topic as its AX64 that is trying to connect to the external drive and is failing to do so. Its good that you have provided a solution.

Happy New Year all.

 

Thanks, MarcP. I'll give it a shot. And yes, my query, though essential to being able to use AX64, is peripheral. And thanks to bgoodman4 for seeing the positive in this.

 

For now, I just plugged the external drive directly into the laptop until I can sort out the network issue.

On my Windows 7 Pro desktop, my AX64 backups are axb and axd. But after my first two backups on my Windows 7 Pro Toshiba laptop, there are only axd files. Why might this be? (And yes, I'm celebrating New Year's here on Wilders.)

 

But, I am sure we were talking seconds for a hot restore on earlier versions of time machine? I did a hot restore using version 1.2.0.1120 yesterday which took about 20 sec's. Trying some of the later beta version in some cases hot restore was taking longer then a cold restore on my windows 7 64 bit system. A little bit concerned that on some system's the program seem's to be moving backwards?

 

I've experienced the same with the latest beta. Had to revert to 1.3.0.7.

 

I haven't tried any restoration with AX64 yet, but with some of these comments, I wouldn't be putting my trust in it as my main backup.

Do any of you guys rely on it solely?

 

I would never rely solely on one back up program, I use time machine as my main back up with EaseUS Todo backup. I have used version 1.2.0.1120 of time machine for several months with no major problems.

 

I never rely on one backup program no matter how much I love it. Even when I used my beloved FirstDefense-ISR I still had at least two other programs guarding me at all times. Thru the many years of using FDISR there was once or twice that I was glad that I had those other safety nets.

Acadia

 

I think that backup times depend on certain circumstances. The longer between backups, the longer it will take, or after a defrag, or a hard shut down, etc. If I make a backup an hour after the last one, it might take a minute. If it's a week since my last backup it will take longer.
That's with any version.

 

Chamlin, systems may be built WITH and WITHOUT the SRP (System Reserved Partition... sometimes known as the BOOT partition). If they both exist, you will get an AXB and AXD backup file. If no SRP exists on your system, you will only get an AXD file.

I build all my own systems and I never use a SRP. A lot of OEMs build systems with SRPs, some do not. Most home builds don't wind up with an SRP.

 

You may well be right, but the info for the program states ... Fast backup and restore - speed is comparable to snapshot programs. I don't think 12 min's for a hot restore is comparable with a snapshot program like rollback that takes seconds. I am sure I never had to wait for minute's the times I have had to hot restore with version 1.2.0.1120 in about 8 months of use.

 

Yes, my earlier versions were extremely fast, measured in seconds too. I prefer "seconds" to minutes, but I prefer stability more. If this is what it will take, then it will be okay. There's plenty of research that shows sitting in a chair without getting up is really not good for our well-being.

 

Ahhh. Thanks for solving my mystery!

 

RBrx is a different animal. Snapshots are on the C: drive of your computer, not on an external drive. Quicker but less safe.
Your 12 minute snapshot is a little long for AX64. 3 to 5 minutes is more typical at least for me.

 

And my system is new, with only 55GB on the drive at this point. I'm sure if I went back to 1.3.0.7 it would be much quicker. It was, at least.

I appreciate Waz, Isso, AxDev and the rest of the team and look forward to seeing what this all might look like when the next iterations come out in their new incarnations. And as in all things, we'll like, we'll not like, we'll like, we'll not like.

And I for one am very grateful that these guys actually listen to and care about our input. And for that matter, I'm grateful to all of you on these boards for your assistance throughout the year.

Peace,
Chamlin

 

The 12 min hot restore was chamlin's not mine, my hot restores are normally less then a couple minutes from a internal SSD drive using version 1.2.0.1120. I got some long restore time with version 1.3.0.7 plus local restore problems with the latest beta's.

 

especially when after a power cut, it messed all my MBR, refusing to boot, forcing me to format all my partitions...

 

At the risk of pointing out the obvious,,,,,,,

There are a number of factors that affect restore speed. As has been mentioned already one is the time between snapshots,,,,,,which in effect translates to the amount of change that has occurred to the drive since the reverted to snap. Also, and this is really the same as the above, if a lot has occurred on the drive between the current state and the most recent snap (so not going back, say, a week, in time) then the restore can/will take longer.

So, for example, lets say you did a manual snap and then loaded and tried out a few programs then decide to revert to the manual (which is the most recent snap), it will take longer to accomplish than if you took the manual snap, did nothing, and then rolled back to the snap.

Yes, this is obvious but comparing version to version without controlling for all other factors is an error that seems to be in play here. I suggest you do a comparison/test in which the only change is the version so you will know if its the version or something else.

FWIW I have seen no appreciable "moving backwards" of AX64 (I am running 1.3.0.7)

 

As I just suggested run a test. Revert to a previous version, do nothing else, create a snap, and then wait 10 min and revert. Note the time. Install program A, revert to manual snap, note the time.

Install the latest version and repeat the above 2 tests.

This is the only way you will know that you are not comparing apples to oranges.

 

Agreed. A controlled experiment, do the degree possible, limiting variables, would give each of us a truer reading.

 

Very good point, will give it ago later.

 

I would like to add the following to BG's observation...

We all know that any changes to the surface of the protected volume have to be dealt with between snapshots with AX64... after all it is a disk surface imaging tool not a file structure imaging tool. Some of the more common ones are application/data file interaction, application installation/de-installation, and the one with the most effect and least talked about is the process of defragmenting the volume (if not changed, the Windows DEFAULT setup will do this for you with HDDs).

One that has never really been spoken of in this thread is Windows automatic indexing of not only the file structure itself (for fast file searching), but file CONTENT indexing. This activity is also ON by default and Windows will do this stuff when your machine is less than active... all for the user's ability to find stuff on their system as fast as they can. I have found this activity to be very annoying on my system and to not necessarily have had the effect of fast information retrieval. Since my system file searches are minimal in numbers, and I've never used the CONTENT searching features, I have this turned off on my system.

As a result, my snaps and my HOT restores have been pretty predictable as far as times are concerned. The only time either has been "out of whack" has been following an external volume access of my protected volume (Active@ Boot Disk, Hiren's CD, MiniTool Partition Wizard... basically any external BOOTable environment that has tickled my protected volume) or a hard system shutdown due to some strange reason. All other activity has been as expected as far as times are concerned (based on known changes being made in my system by ME, of course).

There will always be changes being made by Windows even when doing nothing... its background services tickle access dates/times, modify dates/times all the time so file structure files that contain that info will be changed between snapshots.

Just don't ever think that system is quiet as far as activity is concerned... it never is.

 

That's another good point, must admit I turned indexing off on my machine a couple of months back, I was forever getting corrupted index files. Now use a stand alone program for file search. Another one to keep a eye on is the task scheduler, you would be surprised what some programs put in there.

 

Heed those words of wisdom

Like this, especially the last sentence