Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

Just noticed that the mount/unmount feature still does not work for me with beta 3.
I reported this problem at the beginning of the version 2 beta test

 

Done a couple default (warm) restores with no problems--and I was one who could not get more than one Hot restores in ver 1. So far, it's working as it should, but I haven't tried to do anything odd. Mount/unmount works form me.

 

I just installed v3 and so far so good. I DID have your mount/unmount issue a while ago and found that if I had too many backups in my chain...like I had at least 20...I had your issue. I started a new chain and all was good. I think I found this as I tried to mount the final backup and had your failure. I then went to the first backup and it DID mount. I did find a spot where it stopped working and said that there should be a warning if, in fact, there is a limit.

 

So far, testing with 32 bit XP PRO is OK.

I did have a "nit" of an issue when I created the rescue media, but had this in build 365 as well. I use CD-RW media and when it started to build it got to about 5% and TM quit. I did it again and all was OK. I thought this was a fluke, but just now had the same issue with 398. As I said it is no big deal but it does seem strange.

 

Thanks for the info Mpsan, but this was for a fresh install with only one backup. The mount/unmount feature has never worked on my system through all versions. It was posted a while back that this issue only affects a handful of users.

 

I second you, the same happens with me. Moreover, there is still a problem with starting the backup when the 2 system volume shadow copy services have not been started (Win7 Ent, SP1); attemps to make a backup end with an unexplained error. I've been drawing attention of the TM developers to this fact in direct emails since early builds of v1, yet it has not been successfully attended to. But not being able to run the program is quite a major issue which may put off many potential customers. And even as an amateur programmer I know that this requires just a few lines of coding, truly a minor effort...

 

I installed V3 and all went well. I created a rescue CD and it restored my multi-partition system disk from the second snapshot just fine. I have three points I'd like to raise, in decreasing importance.

1. When I tried to restore the system partition from within Windows (I work in XP and TM does not suppost the boot menu feature in XP), the restore ran to 70% and stopped: the machine did not freeze (the little bar kept oscillating), but neither did it progress beyond the 70%. A hard reset and booting from the rescue CD gave me my system back.

2. When doing a restore of a particular partition from the rescue CD, after the restore is complete, the Recovery Wizard closes (either by me or, if I wait long enough, by the program itself) and the system reboots. Thus, if I then want to restore another partition, I have to go through the entire process again of loading the PE and so on. Why cannot the program return control to the Backup Browser and let the user decide whether to exit or do another restore?

3. The notification tray icon is very nearly invisible. Could you please change its colour to black or brown or red or orange or yellow or green or light blue or violet or pink or white or silver or gold—anything but the dark blue you use now? Sometimes when the mouse hovers over the icon, the popup describes what's going on, sometimes it displays what last went on, sometimes it just says 'Time Machine Beta'; I very much prefer the first or the second, as appropriate.

Thank you for the opportunity to continue to evaluate your software.

(Windows XP Pro SP3 X86, TM 2.0.0.398 )

Norman

 

Selukwe, I am running windows 8.1 64 bit. If I 'mount' an image then check under device manager, "mounted VHD image"
is shown but no drive letter assigned to it. Therefore it does not show under windows explorer or any other file manager.
The Mounted VHD image has to be removed by uninstalling it from device manager. Again this was reported earlier in the beta program.

 

This was fixed for a number of users in beta 3, since you are still experiencing the issue please save and send your logs to us at info@ax64.com

Thanks!

new

 

OK, sorry this did not work for you!

 

Unfortunately, there is no "mounted VHD image" in my Device Manager, nor in the Disk Management extension (Win 7 Ent, SP1). Can't help it...

 

Well, what about this novel (well I suppose not exactly) idea? Since RB RX is considered to be so dangerous because of its' MBR use, why not just perfect (already so with me, x64 W7 SP1) AX 64 as a snapshot application? There has to be a potentially huge market for it and most of the people trialling these new betas are using other imaging software anyway.
I was a big time user of Commodo's Time Machine on an XP desktop and Vista laptop and I was aware of the MBR risks, but was about to purchase RB for this PC anyway. I cold feet, however, after reading this forum. Then thankfully, along came AX last summer. I can honestly state that all snapshots and most restores are so quick that I think I'm still using CTM.
I recall several posts in this thread suggesting "they" concentrate on perfecting the v1 features as opposed to adding more. So in that vein, the point is, just the "hot restore" aspect already makes this a great, marketable application!

 

My apologies selukwe, I failed to include the full details in my description.
You need to look under the disk drive section of device manager and then you should see the 'Mounted VHD Image'
If its there you need to right click and select uninstall to get rid of it.

 

is this a program a great grandpa can use like me ? something easy like shadow defender or is it for the great elite that hang on this forum?

 

I've done several warm restores and all go perfectly (less than 5 minutes I would say). I did one of the from the same as before from the boot menu option and it took about 40 minutes. Did the same restore series from within the warm option and it only took about 5 minutes. Is this normal and if so why would the boot menu option take so much longer than the warm? I figured both would be considered a warm restore. No need to go into great detail as I'm just curious.

 

Thanks Pete, Sorry for my ignorance, but for the boot menu setup I'm not seeing that as an option as in the advanced setup for the regular restore.

 

Thanks but I know how to install the Boot option (this is how I found it takes longer than the default warm restore from the GUI). I thought you were saying there was an advanced option to change how the boot option restores (i.e. from full image to incremental) to get it's speed up to what is done via the GUI. (And yes, 3 seconds isn't very long when waiting for boot.)

 

Gotcha. I never noticed it. Thanks! Worked like a charm. I can understand why the full would be default there. Makes some sense.

 

Nope. It's clean there. Only my physical disks are shown.

 

This program has been designed to be especially easy to use. It can be used by advanced users who chose to get into more esoteric areas but you need not worry about this side of the program.