Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

FWIW I've been using 1.4.1.24 on Win7 x64 for probably a couple of months, and haven't had a hot restore freeze yet. I've probably only done half a dozen restores in that time though, so it may not mean anything.

If you keep your old backup chain/baseline you could return to 1.3.0.7 AFAIK - I'm sure I've done that myself before.

 

On a positive note...
I kept getting an error message when I tried to update from v.36 to v.48 so I submitted a support ticket. Waj replied within minutes with the fix!
Thanks Waj!

 

Hi folks

Using the official website version .24 here. Win 7 Pro SP1 x86 basic disk. Hot restores, cold restores, putting it through the hoops as I get time. So far, speaking for myself, this is solid and continues to impress me. This time when I installed it, I placed the recovery ISO on a separate partition and used EasyBCD to add it to the BCD boot menu. For me, I did not want the recovery placed on the OS partition, so I can mess with the OS partition and still make sure I can boot into recovery mode, etc., without using boot CD or USB at this time though they are available if needed. I just wanted local type boot recovery for now, placed on separate partition than the OS.

I did make a mistake after a hot restore, it took only 30 seconds or so, but when it rebooted I neglected to remove my external drive and received the NTLDR is missing message because I have my laptop set to boot USB, CD/DVD, then HDD. So I saw what happened and pulled the external drive plug and no problems.

I look forward to the warm restore Beta soon to be released, but for me, current version is solid, even with all my "messing" around. Truly impressive, and I do hope they can get the issues others are having ironed out and fixed soon.

This software truly has a huge market, especially the fact that it is so easy to navigate and use, and so far for me rock solid. Hopefully the consistency across supported platforms will be much better than what some have experienced. Otherwise, this works, and it works quite well and handles matters quite well considering how we all often put software through the hoops so to speak, which is what should be done.

Just sharing my current tests and results. Have a good weekend

Jim

 

Hi Jim! You location of the AX64 ISO on a non-BOOT partition is fine as long as you're running either an UEFI BOOT (that uses an EFI SYSTEM partition to BOOT) or your system was built with a MicroSloth SYSTEM RESERVED PARTITION. But I believe if it was built as an MBR non-SRP system, the BCDstore used for the BOOT loader will be located on the same partition you'll be playing with... if the partition is scrogged, the BCDstore may be unusable which means BOOTing to AX64 won't work either.

 

Hi TRF

Thank you for that.

It is a basic MBR disk, NO SRP indeed. I wanted to test this kind of environment and once I boot from the AXTM recovery environment, once in it, I will sometimes maybe use a utility like BOOTice to format the OS partition, ran from a flash drive, then proceed to restore the image. The Explorer++ that comes with the boot recovery although a great file explorer, does not allow functions such as format, etc., although it is offered just does not operate most likely on purpose. The chkdsk feature works within it or ran from the command prompt window.

So yes, excellent reminder as sometimes I have been known to forget I did not boot from a UFD in tests like this, and may format then I would have no way to boot from local installed recovery, regardless of where I placed it due to the BCD being on the OS part. Then I have to reboot with the flash drive, etc.

So far, working like a charm here. It handles well what I have thrown at it so far. I do like the local recovery option for what I am doing with it at this time. I just did not want it to be placed on the OS part. Good progress since the Alpha days, I hope they are on time with the release of the Beta warm restore around May 12. That should take care of the hot restore issues some have been experiencing, I hope. Here the hot restores have been consistent, clean chkdsk, etc. The new warm restore will likely function like the older version of Real Copy 'fast rollback' which worked fine in my testing of it last year, and in my opinion, lessens the chance for disk corruption overall and should work on most machines if it is indeed similar to Real copy of last year.

Thanks Froggie Have a good day!

Jim

 

still running an older version 1.2 that had no issues for me before doing hot restores - just wanted to test cold restore and inserted the rescue disk. While it boots up fine and I am getting the AX environment, I cannot access the snapshots. These are stored on a networked drive. How would I handle this in an emergency? Doing my backups to the networked drive works fine, I can see them in snapshots in the gui and as mentioned hot restores also worked fine. Once I plug in an external drive with additional snapshots, they show up nicely in the recovery gui.

 

---
I have long abandoned backing up using AX64 to a network drive (NAS). Mind you it can be done if you use the precise input format that AX64 expects. I wrote to Isso a dozen times about simplifying the process - suggesting that AX64 allow NAS users store their NAS of choice on the USB stick or CD during the Create Recovery Media process, or be able to browse the network and select the backup location from the browser. That was easily a year ago - so goodbye to all my NAS backup locations - hello to walking around with a USB drive.
But as I mentioned - if you use the exact format for \\sever ... to locate the NAS it indeed will work. (I found using the IP address helped).

 

beethoven, are you on a Win7 system and are your AXTM Snapshots stored on a USB3 drive? Many backup programs, and AXTM is definitely one of them, cannot see USB 3 on a Win7 system when using the Recovery Environment. It is not their fault, Win 7 only has partial compatibility with USB 3; USB 3 became completely compatible with Win8. The hot restores work with AXTM because you are still "inside" of Win7 and not using the pre-boot recovery environment. In fact the ONLY backup program I have that can see usb3 on my Win7 system is Macrium; Macrium supplies its own drivers to make it work.

If you are not using Win7 combined with USB3 then I am afraid I do not know what is causing your issue. Good luck.
Acadia

 

A WinPE 3.0 problem. You add the USB 3.0 drivers when building the WinPE, or after booting with it. Or you use a WinPE 4.0/5.0, which have USB 3.0 drivers (although sometimes they work slowly in Windows 7 systems).

 

Interesting. I use the WinPE 3.1 for Macrium and Macrium is smart enough to know to add the drivers automatically, you can see it happening, I don't need to do a darn thing. Thanks for the education.
Acadia

 

sorry if I have been unclear - yes, I am using win 7. It's not a usb issue as it works fine for cold restores when I am using an external drive via usb. The issue is that I normally backup via a networked drive and this works fine for creating the backup and doing hot restores. However using the recovery cd, it seems there is no network shown. Grumpa seems to have had the same experience. When I have time I may fiddle with mapping the drive. I suppose I could also use the "indirect way" - renaming the AX folder and then transferring all the snapshots from the network drive onto the usb drive?

 

I logged in to report something very interesting about hot restores and noticed what the last few posts are about. Let me mention the fact that I can hot restore on a W7 SP1 PC with my backups on a USB 3 drive. I noticed Acadia's post. I was out of internal ports and wanted to mount the drive in the tower so I purchased a USB 3 slot card with two internal ports. Unless my mother board (and the card) are deceiving me I'm using USB 3.
Now to my point. I have never been able to see the cursor (Microsoft 5000 mouse obviously not functioning) during cold restores and had assumed that it was a USB issue, since if I attached a ps2 mouse it worked fine. So tonight, on a whim, I decide to try a Logitech cordless USB mouse and dang if if doesn't work fine. So I go through the test several more times with the MS mouse in the same port(s) I used for the Logitech but the mouse never functions. Is is possible that while building the AX boot environment some how it needs MS mouse drivers. The mouse works fine with both a Paragon PE and Linux CDs and W7's boot CD.

 

I have Win 7 64 bit and have never had an issue with my wireless mouse on either hot or cold restores (the receiver is plugged into a USB 2 port if that makes any dif).

 

Hi guys,

Internal testing of V2.0 beta seems to be pretty stable and should be released within the next 48 hours! Warm restore appears to be working smoothly along with automatic multi-partition monitoring.

I shall be releasing a change list and statement on the website shortly.


Thank you all for your patience!

Best Wishes,

Waj

 

cool, can't wait to test it

 

Greetings, Waj! Shall we test as a TRIAL or will you be issuing REG codes shortly? Thanks... looking forward to the ACID test

 

Can't wait to use it .. I like AX64 !

 

Hi

I have problem with this program. I used latest version and beta too.

I can't mount old image... After i change my platform from 775 to 1050.





Windows 8.1 update 1 x64 EN, all drives encrypted TrueCrypt, system too.



regards

 

I hope that you have included the NEW RPELIB that Vitaly fixed for the USB mouse issue(s).

 

Camis, that image is in the OLD format. The format changed with Build 996. If you want that image you'll need to restore with your Build 775, then install (without unISTALLing Build 775) a version newer than Build 996... right on top of the old version. Then use the newer version to re-do your baseline in the new format.

 

I'm an idiot! I meant to say "COLD" not hot restores!

 

And I said I had no problems with either cold or hot, soooooo

 

Soooooo, since I'm not the only one who'd reported mouse issues attempting COLD restores and since I had always blamed it on USB mice in general and since there are over 7,648 posts in this thread and since some folks are just going to go to the last few posts and since some of those folks are contemplating purchasing AX64 and since some of them may have merely read your reply, it was important that they understand it turned out to be a Microsoft mouse issue and not a universal USB issue and that since I've never had a failed HOT restore, which my careless post suggests, again, I felt it was important that I amend your quote in case they never read my edited post!

 

Looking forward to testing V2.0, Thanks Waj!