Win10PE SE is another good light boot media option to add Snapshot to for restoration purposes. I'll stick with TBLauncher. It's working well.
@Brian K These scripts are still running well. There are a lot of script variations in this thread, but this is what I am currently using. I'm using this single script on three of my older computers on a schedule. Code: @echo off CD /d %~dp0 if not defined RunTask set RunTask=1 & start "Snapshot" /min %SystemRoot%\system32\cmd.exe /c "%0" & goto :EOF snapshot64.exe HD1:* "D:\System_Backup\Drive_Snapshot\$disk.sna" -L0 --UseVSS -W CD /d D:\System_Backup\Drive_Snapshot MD Backup MOVE *.sna Backup MOVE *.hsh Backup IF EXIST Entire-5 (RD Entire-5 /s /q) IF EXIST Entire-4 (REN Entire-4 Entire-5) IF EXIST Entire-3 (REN Entire-3 Entire-4) IF EXIST Entire-2 (REN Entire-2 Entire-3) IF EXIST Entire-1 (REN Entire-1 Entire-2) REN Backup Entire-1 On my newest computer, I am running a combination of Full and Differential scripts on a schedule. Full Code: @echo off CD /d %~dp0 if not defined RunTask set RunTask=1 & start "Snapshot" /min %SystemRoot%\system32\cmd.exe /c "%0" & goto :EOF snapshot64.exe HD1:* "D:\System_Backup\Drive_Snapshot\$disk.sna" -L0 --UseVSS -W CD /d D:\System_Backup\Drive_Snapshot MD Backup MOVE *.sna Backup MOVE *.hsh Backup IF EXIST Entire-3 (RD Entire-3 /s /q) IF EXIST Entire-2 (REN Entire-2 Entire-3) IF EXIST Entire-1 (REN Entire-1 Entire-2) REN Backup Entire-1 Differential Code: @echo off CD /d %~dp0 if not defined RunTask set RunTask=1 & start "Snapshot" /min %SystemRoot%\system32\cmd.exe /c "%0" & goto :EOF set hh=%time:~0,2% if "%time:~0,1%"==" " set hh=0%hh:~1,1% set timestamp=%time:~0,8% if @%timestamp:~0,1% == @ set timestamp=0%timestamp:~1,7% set timestamp=%timestamp::=% echo.Timestamp :: %timestamp% snapshot64.exe HD1:* "D:\System_Backup\Drive_Snapshot\Entire-1\$disk-diff-%timestamp%-%random%.sna" -h"D:\System_Backup\Drive_Snapshot\Entire-1\$disk.hsh" -L0 --UseVSS -W
Has anyone else noticed that the executables have more than doubled in size with the release of version 1.50?
Hi, Brian. I love this small backup utility, and have never had a failure with it. But when I see big changes like this, I become wary. I'll be keen to see if it is still as good as previous versions have been for years.
I did a 4 partition backup and the last partition was small. So maybe the zero time applied to that partition.
Changelog: V1.50 - August 2022: Drive Snapshot 1.50 Changes to support recent operating systems: Server 2022 and Windows 11 Support of backups to a SFTP server Extended free update period from 2 years to 5 years
I tested it, and seems to be working OK. I can't really notice any difference in the application. After years of the file sizes staying relatively static, I guess those changes above caused them to more than double in size.
Drive Snapshot is a very reliable and very small image backup application. There is only one shortcoming with it. And that is, it doesn't provide boot media. If it did that, I think it would be a very popular program. This is my solution. Thanks @Brian K If you are also a TeraByte Image For Windows user, then this is the best solution, in my opinion. Just add it to TBLauncher. I use Method 2. Method 2 can be tweaked and configured without recreating the build. Program files can be updated simply by copying the files to the UFD (recreating the build isn't necessary). Program files can optionally be updated automatically when a new build is created. I think Brian might use a different method to me.
Nice one. On the suggestion of @Peter2150 a few short years ago i added it to a very reliable Sergei Stelec PE Boot Disc and it works to pinpoint perfection. I think before that i had added it to a Win10 PE shared by him that was also reliable. Wherever it's places it restores and backups just peachy. I also have IFW around someplace so good know some of the options available in TBI Launcher is available as well. Pete was bolder than myself in wiping an entire drive to zero out then restoring with precision went just fine. Not just DS but with whatever collection of imagers he experimented with. I believe he was happiest with certain imagers giving him record restore times. Which is not bad idea on this end but only on advanced NvMe style SSD's which definitely will outperform some of the older mechanicals i still use.
I still rely very heavily on Strelec's PE and it's the quickest loading PE of the one's i use. Now for some older 8.1 metal drives that's a huge plus. Seeing as the USB Ports are standard 2.0 type. I sometimes switch so often between rigs that i dare say i wouldn't try to, but i do need to familiarize myself more on those techniques to use EasyBCD to set boot options (like @Brian K and Froggie) for one or more of the imagers. It would definitely be of some benefit but until regrouping to bring onboard at least a couple of NEW laptop sets with higher end specs, i'm quite tickled that the PE's on hand are sufficient. Especially Strelec's) Although i have a newcomer in Aomei Backupper which works excellent on a separate stick alone. I mention that because i never know when these older rigs hardware may decide to exhaust themselves suddenly. And not just a metal HD but other inner electronic parts. Already have one such where the keyboard is dead and using Windows virtual keyboard to sign in then maneuver with a mouse.
I've booted Sergei Strelec's WinPE a few times, but haven't used it for much. He's been a bit quiet on the releases this year.
Sorry things like that always get in the way of people's lives. I did manage to download and burn the January 2022 release to UFD and it's such an extremely useful PE.
I didn't know about that until you mentioned it. Maybe it'll return, or maybe someone will pick it up and continue with it. Or maybe there is an alternative. Could Medicat USB be a suitable replacement?
DS will run from an Active@ Boot Disk (UFD) which is free. https://www.lsoft.net/bootdisk/index.html#download You can uninstall Active@ after you have the UFD.
Put snapshot64.exe in the User_Files folder. There is an Explorer app and you can navigate to snapshot64.exe and double click it. Even easier is to create ds.cmd and put it in the BootDisk_Scripts folder. Then DS will auto start. Code: CD /d %~dp0 CD \User_Files start snapshot64.exe If the Active@ build doesn't create these two folders, it should, you can create the folders yourself on the UFD.
Don't know never tried before but it is said that Gandalf's WinPEs are good, I've never tried either though. As always take it with a grain of salt.
All these PE ISOs are mostly based on ChrisR's Win10XPE project. You can simply create your own Win10XPE which has a Windows Explorer just like the regular desktop in Windows 10. Simply copy the ISO content to a USB stick formatted with FAT32. Place Snapshot64.exe on the USB drive and boot from it. You'll be able to run Drive Snapshot or any other portable app there.
