bootable media for Drive Snapshot

Seer,

Do you have any shortcuts to finding snapshot64.exe if it is deeply nested in a sub-folder. Or do you do multiple CDs.

 

Hi Brian.
I use it like this - a small and old (512MB) bootable Win10 UFD, open command prompt. I then use a keyboard to navigate to X:\portable\snapshot which is where I keep the executable - and run it from there.

 

Hi Seer,

Thanks. So you have snapshot64.exe in the .wim of the UFD? How do you do that?
I created a portable\snapshot folder on my UFD but it isn't seen in the X: drive. In my case it is in the I: drive. (multiple partitions on that computer)

Am I misunderstanding where you have the portable\snapshot folder?

 

'X' was just a placeholder drive letter, as drive letters change (as someone noted in the thread earlier) after booting from UFD. The 'portable\snapshot' is actually on D drive in my case (another physical SSD). I think D gets chenged to F in my case after booting from UFD.
This is practical as I only have to update executable in this folder when each new DS version is released. Nothing is kept on UFD except the boot system.
Very simple and adequate for my needs.

 

Brian,

I think I can see where the misunderstanding lies. This system here is very static regarding drives/partitions - 1 system SSD (256GB) in one partition (backed up manually) and 1 data SSD (2TB) also in 1 partition (not backed up). Only one OS on this PC - Win10. I know you have multiple partitions, OSes and whatnot so what's practical for me may not be for you.
But generally, you don't have to have executable located on the UFD. As a matter of fact it's better that you' don't. You just keep it on another partition/drive (other than the one that's going to be restored at some point - i.e. on a data partition or some other static partition) where you usually keep DS and use it for hot backups because you only have to update it once with each new version. You can always call it from command prompt, you just need to take care of drive letters after booting from UFD.

 

Seer,

That's fine. The DS executable can be "anywhere" and be accessible from a command prompt. For those who don't like using a command prompt...


Put snapshot64.exe in the root of the Win10 UFD or in a partition
Boot from your Win 10 UFD
Next
On the Install now window, click Repair your computer
Troubleshoot
System Image Recovery
Windows 10
If you have a Re-image Your Computer Window, click Cancel
Select a system image
Next
Advanced
Install a Driver
Drag the Add Drivers window to the very top left corner of your monitor and then click OK
click This PC
(drive letters may be different from booted Win 10 )
Navigate to snapshot64 (extensions aren't shown). Right click snapshot64 (the Application, file extensions aren't shown) and choose Open.
click Cancel on the "Open" window
click Cancel on the "Add Drivers" window
Drag the "Re-image your Computer" window to the bottom of your monitor so the Drive Snapshot window is in full view

Drive Snapshot is ready to use.

 

To use a command prompt in my test computer to run DS from a Win10 UFD...

Boot Win10 UFD
Next
On the Windows Setup screen, Shift F10
I see a command windows with X:\Sources>
(X: is the boot partition)
I enter
diskpart
list vol
My partitions and their assigned drive letters are seen. But not X: (which is a virtual partition in my computer)
The DATA partition contains DS. Its drive letter is F: (drive letter in Win10 is D: )
exit
Now I see X:\Sources>
F:
Now I see F:\>
dir
I see the directories and files in DATA
I start CD and DIR sequence to find DS. It helps if snapshot64.exe is in the root of DATA

 

Right.
I'm a DOS guy so for me using keytboard is a natural thing.
If the system is static (and partitions don't change often), one can also create a simple batch file to run DS.
And here's a simple tutorial for a full command line restore.
No need for filexplorers and such.

 

Yes, DS is very amenable to being run from command lines. Backup/restore. MBR/UEFI. Manual/automatic.