Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

Strange, on my system a VHD is always created, but invisible as no drive letter is assigned.

 

Logs sent 12/August/2014

 

received with thanks.

 

Dear users,

Find beta 3.1 (build 406) here - download


The this version contain enhanced logging for mounting issues. (So those with mounting issues, please download this version then re-create your issues, then send us the logs again).

Build 406 also resolves the following user issues:

1. I started TM before plugging in my USB drive. TM did not "discover" the

drive until I accessed the drive using Windows Explorer first - then it

appeared in "Browse".


2. I chose the Drive letter (D as a backup location, after which TM gave

me the error message shown in the Beta Error.bmp screenshot. Why does TM see

the drives as "missing"? I assume TM only wants to put the backup in a

folder named "My Backups"?


3. Choose custom install directory not working

Users have noted that when trying to install AX64 into a directory other then the default (eg. D:\disk and backup tools\Time Machine), the installation still installs into C:\Program Files, leaving my chosen location empty.


4. The app doesn't backup to root folder of a volume.

5. Uninstallation doesn't work correct if ax64 is running


Remember this is a beta, so please backup your system with your alternative backup solution.

Best regards,

Waj

 

My wife got called in to work so being quite bored I took the plunge. Mixed bag! After making a flash drive boot I forgot to take it out. I attempted a test restore and the TM GUI comes up but there isn't any evidence of the baseline or first test snapshot, just an empty TM GUI and a notice that a/the data/file doesn't exist. Amazingly though (or at least I thought) there was the MS 5000 mouse's functioning cursor for the first time ever! I close the GUI and restore from Windows.
I do a few more tests but can't get the flash drive to boot. Then I add TM it to the boot menu. First attempt at a restore with it and I end up cursorless (again, as always with v1)! I Grab the laptop mouse and dongle and restore. Then it gets really weired.
I wanted to restore an incremental Macrium image I made before installing v2 but TM had hijacked the boot menu! Other than that first and one restore using the menu it would never boot into the menu. I'd even set the timing to 10 seconds. I finally restored to the first TM test snapshot, the menu was back and I restored back to v1 with Macrium.

 

Dear Ratchet,

Thanks for your feedback. Just need some clarification on what happened. Please see my questions below:


Mixed bag! After making a flash drive boot I forgot to take it out. I attempted a test restore and the TM GUI comes up but there isn't any evidence of the baseline or first test snapshot, just an empty TM GUI and a notice that a/the data/file doesn't exist.

--

So is this what happened, need to confirm:


1. installed AXv2

2. Created a test snapshot with axv2

3. Booted into a USB rescue media

4. AXv2 rescue media shows no backups in the UI, has a notice no file/data exists.

If yes, please send us the logs for this

-Click backup tools, about, export logs and then send to info@ax64.com

Send us a mail with what happened along with the logs.
--


Amazingly though (or at least I thought) there was the MS 5000 mouse's functioning cursor for the first time ever! I close thnle GUI and restore from Windows.


---

Rescue media GUI was working with mouse but since you couldn't restore from rescue media, you did so from Windows.

Was this a successful warm restore? If so, great!


---



I do a few more tests but can't get the flash drive to boot.

---

So it booted initially as per the scenario I summarized above, but subsequently it didn't boot anymore?

Again supply logs for this and explain in the mail.


---

Then I add TM it to the boot menu. First attempt at a restore with it and I end up cursorless (again, as always with v1)! I Grab the laptop mouse sand dongle and restore.


So, here as I understand - you installed the local boot environment via start up manager. You then commenced a restore. Am I following correctly ?

Did it restore okay?




Then it gets really weired.
I wanted to restore an incremental Macrium image I made before installing v2 but TM had hijacked the boot menu! Other than that first and one restore using the menu it would never boot into the menu. I'd even set the timing to 10 seconds. I finally restored to the first TM test snapshot, the menu was back and I restored back to v1 with Macrium.


So from my understanding, AXV2 boot menu wouldn't allow you to boot into the macrium recovery environment until you first restored the first test snap from axv2?

Thanks for the clarifictions

 

Dear Wajamus,
There are two issues I would like to raise regarding build 406.

1. 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 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 just return control to the Backup Browser and let the user decide whether to exit or do another restore?

2. The icon in the notification tray is a disaster. First of all, it is very nearly invisible. Could you please change its colour to black or brown or red or orange or yellow or green or cyan or violet or purple or pink or white or silver or gold—anything but the dark blue you use now? Secondly, when the mouse hovers over the icon, the popup just says 'Time Machine Beta'; it no longer describes what's going on or what last went on or even change form to indicate that there has been a backup failure.

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

(Windows XP Pro SP3 X86, TM 2.0.0.406 )

Norman

 

Hi Waj,

Just tried the latest beta and had the same avaiable disk problem as with the other beta's.

I backed up my C system drive (ssd) to drive D (hard drive) but as before the C drive was not avaiable for restore, but when I open a v1 image on my G drive (ssd) it restored to my C drive (ssd) with no problems, strange. windows 7 64 bit.

 

Hello Waj....Why not give us a radio button choice for the tray icon color. In my case black would be invisible without my changing a couple of things.

 

Hi guys, please try out the live chat at http://unbre4kab1e.w.pw

We have a developer on there now if you have any Qs.

It's a beta site so do note if it has inconsistencies or glitchy behaviour

 

Thank you Norman. This visual enhancement will definitely be in a future build. Appreciate these comments.

 

Your reading comprehension is excellent considering my explanations were probably not the greatest prose ever put to print. Only a few points need clarification. I could not get it to boot from the flash drive. It only rendered that very first reboot (blank GUI but with cursor functional) after installation because I forgot to take the drive out. I did adjust my motherboard to use the flash drive first but it didn't make any difference.
After the addition to the boot menu, the menu only appeared that very first time. I then selected AX and the GUI was there but no cursor until I used a USB laptop mouse. It did restore.
All starts (boots) continued to skip the boot menu so I couldn't select Macrium (or AX for that matter). Even trying F8 only produced the list of drives.
I then just restored the first test snapshot from the Windows GUI (Warm as all tests were since I wanted to test that function. v1 Hot restores always work) which brought me back in time before I entered AX into the boot menu and start up was normal again, i.e. menu initially!
All of this on x64 W7 SP1.
I am sorry, I haven't any logs since v2 was lost after the restore.
Thank you so much for the reply!

 

There is some sort of mix-up. Please see my post #8582.

Norman

 

Sounds like you got the ball rolling Norman and now it is continuing to roll

 

Kit1cat, the new build has new logging. Please send this info along with your logs to our support mail. Thanks

 

Saw your post Norman. Thanks. I was responding to you by mistake as your signature was at the bottom of rainwalker's post.

 

Thanks Ratchet. If you ever get the chance to try again please send logs.

 

Be careful, the latest Windows Update BSOD-ed my desktop (Win 7 x64). Tried it twice, and got the BSOD consistently.

How could I try it twice? Well, thanks to AX64 (v1)

So another thumb up for the software (sorry, haven't got the time to try those betas).

I'm not sure which update(s) was/were the culprit, since there was a bunch of them (haven't got the time to try it one by one either).
And interestingly, my other desktop (older, Win 7 x64) survived the updates.

My quick Google search found at least 2 others having that same BSOD (win32k.sys page_fault_in_nonpaged_area), so this isn't just my computer

 

Thanks for the heads up. I'll make a fresh snapshot before my updates arrive.

 

it's highly unlikely that BSOD is caused by win updates. May be some software on your system. May be even AX64 itself.

 

BSOD

http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsof...ling-kb2976897-kb2982791-and-kb2970228-248363

http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsof...-2982791-and-kb-2970228-windows-update-248476

 

So bizarre! For months I had issues with updates but for at the very least, the past six months I have not had a problem. x64 W7 SP1 and these updates installed perfectly. Perhaps the problem is W7 without the service pack.

 

Good. So when can I expect a reply to #8582?

Norman

 

Thanks for your help confirming & giving evidences for my personal deduction

If you hit a blue screen after installing this week's Black Tuesday trove, drop by the Microsoft Answers Forum and sound off."​

"Drop by" with what? My Mac?

Maybe. However, my desktop was running well before I tried the update, even with all its softwares and AX64

As I mentioned previously, I have another desktop (with older hardwares & more softwares inside) which is still alive after the update.
So probably it's software and/or hardware dependent.

Sorry, my computer is up-to-date up to the latest update before this update...