New Drive Snapshot build released.

True enough-however it's also nice to discover what else it performs right out of the box-default way. With DS the only setting I ever tinkered with in all these years is changing the Default backup size. To my taste way too tiny and I don't need a bunch of .SNA series files so I set that at 350,000 since now I do 1 TeraByte Backups and like those to conform like Macrium, one single backup image. Also I do HSH files with DS for Differentials that might come later.

Still a greenback when it comes to image technology and even some settings but it gets the job done which to me means a perfect restore with no hiccups or stumbles along the way

 

Ok. Thank you.

How do i do a commandline restore?
Please guide me, because this is way over my head.

 

The last DS command line restore I did was ten years ago so I'm rusty with DS. If you can post a test command line I'll let you know if it looks OK.


Edit.... From my old notes.

To create an image...

snapshot C: "E:\My Documents\WinXP.sna" -R -L0 -o -T

-o is don't create a Hash file
-L0 is not split image
-R empty the Recycle Bin
-T test
-Go show GUI progress
-Y yes to a question



To restore an image from WinPE...

F:
CD \BackupImages\SnapShot
if not exist WinXP.sna exit
snapshot WinXP.sna -T -Go
snapshot WinXP.sna HD1:2 -Go -Y
wpeutil shutdown

 

I can see the command on the site of the program and think i understand how change the commandline so it fits my setup. But i do not know what to do with it, or how.

 

OK. Let's go for safety by doing backups from a batch file. Which OS do you have? MBR or UEFI mode. Which partition do you want to backup? The C:\ drive I assume? What is the full path to your intended backup folder?

Restores will come later when you feel comfortable with using batch files.

 

I am only interested in doing restores.

Restores of C: and i have Drive snapshot and its backupfolder on D:.
W10 UEFI.

 

Thanks again @Brian K for pulling up your notes on DS commands.

 

You need to learn backups first. As you didn't mention the full path to your backup folder let's assume it is...

D:\DS_backups

Create a New Text Document (Notepad) and paste this into the document...

Code:

snapshot64.exe C: "D:\DS_backups\win10.sna" -R -L0 -o -Go

Rename the Text Document to backup.cmd. The txt file extension will be deleted. To edit a batch file you right click and click Edit.

Create this folder...

D:\batch_files

Move snapshot64.exe and backup.cmd to this folder.

Double click backup.cmd in D:\batch_files. The backup will run. You can click Abort at any time if you don't want to complete creating the backup. This allows you to run the batch file several times without waiting for the backup to complete. All OK so far?

 

Brian K.
I have decided that i will skip this whole thing and go back to RBRX instead.

But thank you very much for your interest and time, much appreciated.

 

OK. For those following this method you need to look in DS to record the HD and PartNo of the C: drive. In a UEFI system it is likely to be HD1:4.

Look in WinPE to see if the drive letter of the partition containing the image is D: (it might not be).

The restore batch file would be...

Code:

snapshot64.exe D:\DS_backups\win10.sna HD1:4 -Go
wpeutil reboot

I would put restore.cmd in D:\batch_files along with the other batch file. In WinPE you would browse to restore.cmd and double click it. You are then asked to click OK if everything looks fine.

 

To do a multi-partition backup...

Code:

snapshot64.exe HD1:1+HD1:2+HD1:3+HD1:4 "D:\DS_backups\$DISK.sna" -R -L0 -o -Go

I was unable to create a batch file for a multi-partition restore but in the DS GUI choose "Restore complete Disk from Images".

If your system is UEFI you should have at least one multi-partition backup (or disk image). You will need these 4 partition images if the HD fails and has to be replaced.

 

Brian K,

You bet yer shiny buttons some us are following

Thanks to the OP for raising enough interest for you to tap into your archives for the rest of us on DS commands and structure.

As I had mentioned to @Peter2150 last week, I used to make and keep many of the notes in this DS thread but they ended up swept from finding them, so it was square one once again per these lines of useful batch code.

Thanks a ton for sharing again

 

I already got that. Thanks. And it works like a dream, smooth as silk, not issues, cups, nada, just picture perfect with simple access.

The batch files method is just one more slice of pie to add into the mix of variety with DS.

Macrium is already there with instant everything, but DS can stumble users. I never understood why the developer didn't just fashion a PE for those customers to be able to USB or DVD disc access for all the DS options instead of having to fish their way to get to the DS or DS64 executable offline/offwindows GUI.

 

I would love a link Peter!

Thanks

 

I found a Drive Snapshot BOOT disk on the net, built on a very basic WinPE that boots directly into Drive Snapshot (no support applications of any kind). The application is built into the WIM used by the BOOT disk so if you wanted to keep it up to date, you would have to edit the WIM file.

Since this isn't the most efficient way to manage DS' BOOT environment, it's probably best just to include the appropriate EXEs on any WinPE that gives you Explorer access.

Current version on the WIM is v1.44...

 

It looks like we want more automation of the restore. How about this? Boot the USB WinPE and walk away. The restore runs without user intervention, the computer reboots when the restore has completed and the restored Windows loads. When you return from your beer you are looking at the OS desktop.

Use Active@ Boot Disk 13 Demo to create the UFD WinPE...

http://www.lsoft.net/bootdisk.aspx#download

When creating the UFD put restore.cmd in Startup Scripts and put snapshot64.exe in User's Files. Set Time to Autostart=1 Second.

My restore.cmd is below but you will need to determine your correct drive letters, path to the exe and the C: drive HD and PartNo.

Code:

I:
set DSapp=User_Files\snapshot64.exe
%DSapp% "D:\ShareB\DS_backup\win10.sna" HD5:4 -Go -Y
set DSapp=
wpeutil reboot

Any questions?

 

Sure. I have one. A big one.

How often have you tested this and come away with 100% success rate.

And not doubting the essence of, or your results coz DS is a pretty simple Imager after all once your ABC's are all in place. Love the batch cmd approach BTW, and especially placed on a boot disk for automation. Nice twist.

 

Do you mean tested DS? Only one failure (a few years ago) when restoring an entire drive image of a UEFI system to a new blank HD. But DS has corrected that issue. All OK now.

Do you mean batch files? They always work if you have the correct lines.

 

The one thing that prevents me from using DS is the inability to image multiple partitions at once and keep them appropriately named. For those of us that dual-boot it's a must. Having four image file instead of one makes things messy quickly.

 

Why does that not surprise me. DS is always been rock solid on this end as in batting 1000. Continues still to this day which is saying something. With box/desktop PC units it was a breeze because of multi-HDD and it was nothing to go into one and Restore the other, but laptops with only a single Disk turned attention (for me anyway) more to Macrium and Reflect's PE Boot USB to do restores.

That being the case in the course of time DS still served as secondary backups but the Restores were where the metal gets put to the fire so to speak and minus DS offering or even providing it's very own USB ISO to perform them, until now, it was wait and see if something cropped up that could fill the gap.

Really appreciate all the extra efforts you guys bring out in regards to DS because, maybe it's not the fastest for sure, but it is long been super dependable and reliable and worth the small change to have it available IMO.

 

If you have a GPT disk you can copy the UFD partition to the disk. Then boot the partition from the BIOS Boot Menu and the auto restore will happen. A flash drive is no longer needed.

 

You Specialists in this category are making EASTER work double-duty tonight. It is been a very long time since modifying a WIM file to add proggys such as DS and if that succeeds might just as well build a new local Boot Disk chalked with some goodies. I went thru my decaying ISO authoring inventory and it's not looking so well. UFD-StartUp scripts etc. Been awhile getting the feet wet with those but now am determined to put something together that fits without having to call out you guys for help all the time

But it sure is appreciated nonetheless.

 

I've finally sorted out batch files for DS Entire Drive backup/restore for a UEFI Win10 system.

Backup batch file is...

Code:

snapshot64.exe HD1:* D:\DS_backup\$DISK -Go -R -o -L0

DS creates an image file for each partition.

Restore batch file is...

Code:

D:\User_Files\snapshot64.exe --EntireDisk C:\DS_backup\C.sna HD1

With the restore, there is no Windows OS as HD1 was an empty, blank HD. The C: drive letter is assigned to the partition on HD2 containing the backup images. D:\ is the UFD. C.sna is one of the images and you don't have to reference the remaining images. The partition structure and all partitions from HD1 were restored. Win10 booted as expected.

DS doesn't use HD0 nomenclature. The first HD is HD1.

 

Do you have this iso with the DS version update please ?