Image For Windows

Discussion in 'backup, imaging & disk mgmt' started by Stigg, Apr 15, 2014.

  1. oliverjia

    oliverjia Registered Member

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    Tried to make a full backup of a freshly installed Winodws 8.1 update1 on my laptop today using Acornis and IFL.
    Acronis finished in less than a minute with the "high" compression level; IFL v2.90 took 3min 20 seconds with "enhanced size A" option.
    I remember IFL was pretty fast in imaging, only a bit slower than Acronis, but not by such a huge difference.
    Anyone else noticed the same issue?
     
  2. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    oliverjia,

    Out of interest, what was the file size of each image?

    The fastest IFW/IFL backup is Enhanced Speed - A. Not Enhanced Size - A.

    Compression can make a huge difference to imaging speed. For example, using IFW in Max compression might make the image 1% smaller but might take ten times longer. A waste of time.
     
  3. Hadron

    Hadron Registered Member

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    Enhanced Speed - A works quick for me in comparison to Default.
     
  4. oliverjia

    oliverjia Registered Member

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    Dear Brian,

    Thanks for your input.
    The size of the images are ~ 9GB, with the Acronis image being a bit smaller. I was aware of the differences it makes when selecting different compression level: in the past I found the enhanced size-A to be a good balance between image size and imaging time. Normally for an image size of ~9GB, it will be done within 4 min on that machine, using previous version of IFL (v2.89, for example). Anyway it's still pretty fast to take 6 min, I was just curious if anyone else experienced any slow down with the latest IFL.
    Acronis took about 2min to finish.


     
  5. mantra

    mantra Registered Member

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    hi
    do you use acronis linux or winpe?
    may i know the version of acronis?
    thanks
     
  6. oliverjia

    oliverjia Registered Member

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    I used the Acronis PE plugin and Win8.1SE(http://theoven.org/index.php?topic=774.0), the version of acronis is v2014 build 6673.

     
  7. Hadron

    Hadron Registered Member

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    As you guys told me, this program "Just Works".
     
  8. oliverjia

    oliverjia Registered Member

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    LOL, talking about reliability, no other imaging apps can beat IFW/IFL.


     
  9. coffeetime

    coffeetime Registered Member

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    Are the Backup (Changes Only) incre or diff? Don't see any options. Only settings I changed were Aligned 1MiB in Geometry and Use VSS when available -since PHYLock wasn't locking or maybe did lock once when waiting out 10 minute timer.

    Ran full backup, CCleaner and Backup(Changes Only). It took a minute and a half longer than a full backup with only 2MB of changes from cleaner:
    incre_or_diff_cc_2.25MB.JPG

    x86 without vali:
    x86wov.JPG

    x64 without validate:
    x64wov.JPG

    x64 with validate:
    x64wv.JPG

    Running trial if that makes any difference? SSD drives to SSD backups IFW faster than AX64. Ax64 was around 5-10 min's, incre 10-40 sec's....but not reliable
     
  10. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    According to the documentation, they are changes "since the last backup"... which makes them incrementals.
     
  11. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    It's a differential backup if the base backup is a full image, otherwise you would consider it an incremental. There is no difference when selecting the type (both are changes only) -- it's just backing up the changes between the base image and what's current.
     
  12. coffeetime

    coffeetime Registered Member

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    Ok thanks guys. And is it also normal for incrementals (Changes Only) to take longer to backup than Full Backups? Other than that, so far so good. IFW on my buy list :D
     
  13. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    My experience has shown that IFW takes at least as long for CHANGES ONLY backups. mainly because it uses no file structure tracking mechanism or does it compare file structure allocation tables to determine usage. I believe it just uses a simple data compare on the actively used disk blocks to determine change.
     
  14. coffeetime

    coffeetime Registered Member

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    Backup(Full) is always giving me full backup, in same save location or outside of it.

    Backup(Changes Only) can't proceed without "Select existing backup file to use" which always gives incrementals. That's why I'm curious if it's actually incrementals or differentials? So I can manually delete some/all except last prior diffs without breaking the chain?

    Or just scrap incre/diff and make faster full backups, at the of expense drive space.
    Restore is pretty fast too, similar speed/time duration as making a full backup with validation + 30 sec's to 1 min.

    Makes sense thanks!
     
  15. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    coffeetime,

    As MudCrab mentioned, it depends on which file you choose when you "Select existing backup file to use". If you select the full backup you get a differential backup. If you select any "Changes only backup" you get an incremental. I always select the full backup so all my "Changes only backups" are differentials.

    When you create your full backup do you select "Speed up Changes Only backup" in Backup Options? This creates a Hash file which more than halves the subsequent "Changes Only" backup times. If you want to use incrementals you should create a Hash file with every "Changes Only" backup as well. Differentials only need the Hash from the full backup.
     
  16. beethoven

    beethoven Registered Member

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    Brian, is thee a specific reason you prefer differentials to incrementals? Did you have any bad experience with incrementals or think they are less reliable?
     
  17. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    beethoven,

    No, I haven't had any personal bad experiences with incrementals.

    But a quote from the IFW userguide...

    In my computer I have lots of backup space so keeping many backups isn't a problem. With IFW, the time to create a differential is much the same as the time to create an incremental. At least in my computer. But time isn't an issue if you are backing up using batch files because you don't see IFW working.

    So it's personal. I just like the idea of only having two files needed for a restore.
     
  18. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    You can completely automate IFW if you like. This is how I've set up my son's computer as he's not disciplined enough to make IFW decisions.

    The first batch file is the only one you need to run manually, once only. IFW will then run for years without manual input. This batch file moves any .TBI files into a new folder, time and date stamped. Then it creates a full image.

    Thereafter, daily differentials are created. When the latest differential exceeds a certain file size (say 10 to 20% of the full image file size) the first batch file is run again which moves all .TBI files into a new folder and creates a full image. Differentials start again.

    When any .TBI file is older than 90 days (or your choice of days) it is deleted automatically.

    In addition, there are scripts which will auto restore any image created in the last few weeks. These need to be run manually.
     
  19. moontan

    moontan Registered Member

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    my SSD has only 42 GB of used space out of 128 GB.
    it only takes me 7-8 minutes to make a full disk image so i don't even bother with incremental/differential.

    but of course, someone who has 100-200 GB of data to image or more might beneficiate from incremental/differential imaging.
     
  20. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    I ignore time issues as I don't see IFW working. The advantage in "Changes only" backups is that they are small and you can keep a lot of them if you have the space. When there is a problem it is usually the most recent backup that is restored. But occasionally I've had to restore a backup that was several weeks old. And once, a backup that was a few months old. I like having lots of backups.
     
  21. Hadron

    Hadron Registered Member

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    Where can I get that script from Brian?
     
  22. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Hadron,

    The scripts vary depending on your Windows partition ID, disk signatures, backup folder path, how many differentials you like to keep, when to create a new full backup, etc. If you PM me with those details I can get you started.
     
  23. Hadron

    Hadron Registered Member

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    Hi Brian.

    What's an easy way to find Windows partition ID and disk signatures?
     
  24. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Hadron,

    Run IFW, select Backup (Full), Next, on your C: drive line will be text. The number in ( ) is the Partition ID.
    At the end of the HD line there is an 8 character alpha-numeric number in ( ). It is the Disk Signature.

    There will be a Disk Signature for your OS drive and another for your backup drive. There will be another Partition ID for your backup partition on the backup drive.

    The reason for using Disk Signatures (Disk ID)...

    Sometimes plugging a USB HD in changes the Windows drive numbers. HD0 becomes HD1 and your old w0 is no longer w0. Using Disk Signatures gets around this issue.
     
  25. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    ALWAYS label your drives. I have 3 drives on my systems. C: drives are labeled Primary, my second hardrive is F: labeled secondary, and my third drive G: is labeled Tertiary. Using different rescue media on different machines, drive letters are very prone to changing.

    Pete
     
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