Auto reboot and restore with IFW

Is it possible to have Terabyte's Image for Windows automatically reboot and restore an image, similar to how Macrium Reflect works? It would be nice to gave things done automatically and be able to bypass the boot menu, that way I can just select and image to restore from within Windows and walk away while it restores.

 

Nate,

Sure. The easiest way is with IFU but a script in IFL is faster. It's been some years since I set this up so the details are foggy but I think BootIt needs to be installed to direct the script to IFU or IFL. Do you have BIU installed?

 

Thanks Brian! Yes, BootItUEFI is installed.

 

OK, a IFU restore....

In BIU, Disk Imaging
Create your restore but stop on the last screen (make sure you select Write Changed Sectors only and Reboot when Completed) and click Show Command. Tick Save to File, OK.
add /uy as below
OK
I named mine...
res4parts.tbs
OK, Exit.
Restart

Mine is...

Code:

sub main()
 exec("C:\EFI\BOOTIT\IMAGEU.EFI /r /uy /d:{E90B41C7-402F-AC5A-CD98-C75C22480200} /f:{71080B8D-E263-72A9-5553-A15B9B73FFFF}@0x1:^"\TeraByte_TBI_Backups\IFW3\10_01^" /sp:0x1,0x2,0x3,0x4 /wco /rb:4", 1)
end sub

In BIU, if you click Run, res4parts.tbs, the restore will happen.

Now for the Windows script.
Download (if you haven't already) BootNowUEFI

https://www.terabyteunlimited.com/downloads-bootit-uefi/

I extracted it to the D: drive.

Make a script, I called it Win10-restore-IFU.cmd. You can put it anywhere. Mine is...

Code:

"D:\BOOTNOW\bootnowuefi\win\bootnowu64.exe" Win10/run=res4parts.tbs

Win10 is the Boot Item for my Windows 10 OS.

Right click Win10-restore-IFU.cmd and Run as administrator. Windows will reboot into IFU, the restore will happen, then a reboot and the new Win10 loads.

 

I forgot to mention you have to rename the image you want to restore...

10_01.TBI

After the restore completes you can rename 10_01.TBI back to its original name. The TBI can be a diff or a full.

When creating the restore line in IFU you will have to edit your image filename to 10_01 in the Save to File line.

 

Has anyone tried this?

 

People using TeraByte Unlimited imaging software don't need to be concerned with auto-restores. They are for enthusiasts. Keep using your boot media.

Auto-restores can also be done with IFL and IFW. With IFW, you don't have to have BootIt installed for the auto-restore.

 

I took a look at Image for Windows a while ago and automating with it (which is important to me) isn't no where near as good as Drive Snapshot for automating due to the way it identifies hard drives / partitions (ie w0@0x1 / w1@0x2 etc).

I can boot my Drive Snapshot fully automated Windows PE boot media on any ones computer (who has Windows installed) and it will automatically create or restore an image of the Windows partition regardless of where the partition is located or on what drive.

Is there even any command in Image for Windows to use the actual partition letter that Windows assigns as a source / destination?

 

I don't think I'll be able to use this method of auto-storing. It's not as automated as I'd like, given the fact that you have to rename and then un-rename images. Plus, I forgot that this method needs a uefi partition, which precludes me from having a rescue boot disc on the drive. I'd rather stick with Macrium. That sucks. I'm pretty sure I've been through this a couple times now, and I just keep forgetting why I never use this method.

I was hoping that IFW (and derivatives) could act as a kind or roll-back software; quick, easy, and automated restores. This doesn't function that way. IFW, at least for me, cannot even restore using the only changed sectors method. Oh well.

 

Nate,

My most recent image is always 10_01.TBI so I don't have to rename the image. But if you want to restore an old image then renaming is necessary. But for 99% of restores I just have to double click the batch file and the restore happens.

Not necessarily. Whether you have a GPT or a MBR disk, you can still have a rescue boot disk on the drive.

 

Gaddster,

Yes, it is possible. See pages 170, 183, 204, 205 in the IFW User Manual...

/d:?D:

I like Drive Snapshot too.

 

This is good and easy convenience info to know.

 

Thanks Brian.

Now this is a totally game changer and if it can be set up the same as I've got Drive Snapshot. This could be easily made into something like Rollback Rx (without the risk of destroying your OS).

On my day off I'm got to give this a massive test.

 

Gaddster,

I see what you are proposing. Please keep us informed of your progress.

 

I originally had the idea for Drive Snapshot but it also restores the full image before the differential image, so it is too time consuming like if I just installed a 200mb program Id have to restore the whole image (or both images).......However Macrium has an delta rapid restore option and so does Image for Windows.

So my idea is simply rebooting to a custom made PE and restoring say a Windows partition image using Image for Windows with those options enabled, so it would only restore what has changed like Rollback but not as fast but much safer.

 

I've been doing this with Macrium REFLECT since February 2015 when the RDR feature appeared. Soon after IFW enabled the same kind of DELTA (or difference) restore and it works as well.

For me, Rollback RX died at that time...

 

Gaddster,

You can do an IFW metadata restore without USB boot media or an IFW partition on the HD. It is initiated from Windows. But if Windows isn't bootable you would restore from a boot disk.

 

Nate,

I think it's because your SSD doesn't support DRAT.

 

I'm assuming something has to be installed somewhere on the hard drive for that to happen?

The way I've always done it for years is I'd go to a family members home etc, boot the usb stick, an image gets automatically restored or created and the computer turns off.......Nothing whatsoever gets installed / copied over onto the host machine.

 

It's even easier. Apart from IFW, nothing else is installed. Running a batch file leads to a TBWinRE WIM booting. I can provide more info later. I just watched the Wallabies beat South Africa for the second time in a week.

Your family could do this. Run the batch file. After you have it set up in advance.

https://www.terabyteunlimited.com/howto/tbwinre_tutorial/

 

Before starting the TBWinRE tutorial I suggest you make this change in IFW Settings. Put a tick in...

"Output Disk ID to Command Line"

This will make it easier you you. You really need GUIDs and Disk IDs, not drive letters.

Here is my rough summary. In Windows run through an IFW restore. On the Summary screen click "Save for TBWinPE".
Save as a .txt file. I called mine rest-bw.txt
In rest-bw.txt, delete this section
start "" "%\ProgramFiles%\TeraByte Drive Image Backup and Restore Suite\imagew.exe" /wait
My rest-bw.txt is now...

Code:

/r /uy /um /d:{E90B41C7-402F-AC5A-CD98-C75C22480200} /f:{71080B8D-E263-72A9-5553-A15B9B73FFFF}@0x1:"\TeraByte_TBI_Backups\IFW3\10_01" /sp:0x1,0x2,0x3,0x4 /wco /usemd /rb:4

I then created a batch file called test-bootwim.cmd (use your own paths)...

Code:

D:\TBWinRE_files\344pe\tbwinpe.exe /bootwim D:\TBWinRE_files\344pe\ISO\sources\boot.wim /run D:\TBWinRE_files\rest-bw.txt

Right click test-bootwim.cmd, Run as Admin. Click Restart when requested. That's it.

 

It looks scary. So instead of creating a restore on the first occasion, create a Validate or Backup text script. When you understand what's happening, create a restore text script.

 

Using this method, how would IFW know which image to restore. I wonder if it's possible to add a context menu entry using a modified version of

Code:

/r /uy /um /d:{E90B41C7-402F-AC5A-CD98-C75C22480200} /f:{71080B8D-E263-72A9-5553-A15B9B73FFFF}@0x1:"\TeraByte_TBI_Backups\IFW3\10_01" /sp:0x1,0x2,0x3,0x4 /wco /usemd /rb:4

to the tbi file you want to restore? Interesting...

 

Nate,

You can rename the image filename to 10_01.TBI. You don't like this. Or...

You can type some text in front of the image filename. I use brian so...

C_2021-09-15-0735_DIFF_2021-09-18-1800.TBI

becomes

brianC_2021-09-15-0735_DIFF_2021-09-18-1800.TBI

Then change the text file to...

Code:

/r /uy /um /d:{E90B41C7-402F-AC5A-CD98-C75C22480200} /f:{71080B8D-E263-72A9-5553-A15B9B73FFFF}@0x1:"\TeraByte_TBI_Backups\IFW3\brian*" /sp:0x1,0x2,0x3,0x4 /wco /usemd /rb:4

Note the *
brian*

When the restore has completed, remove brian from the image filename. The text file doesn't need further editing.

 

Okay thanks. It's worth a try. However, it still amazes me that terabyte does not have this capability, and least sans rigging and modification, whereas Drivesnapshot does. DS is less that 300k!