EAZ-fix/Rollback RX and disk imaging

I just tried it with Drivesnapshot. 30gb partition took 35mins to raw image but the restore took a full 2.5 hours! All snapshots deleted appeared in eaz-fix but of the 10 snapshots deleted, only 3 were recoverable, the rest had "NT detect failed" error upon loading them. The two undeleted snapshots were fine.

 

The restore of my drivesnapshot image took 12 minutes for a 15 GB partition.

It looks like it's not possible to image from bootfloppy, you are only able to restore from bootfloppy. I wonder if the result would be different when I image from another Windows installation, for example Bart-PE or a second partition with a maintenance installation of win2000 or winXP.
Last night I played with a different feature: I was able to create an image by remote command of psexec.
The command is documented.
Also the differential backup looks neat.
I remember another forum member doing successful tests with drivesnapshot.

 

I think there's a problem with udma support for my laptop as when I select that option on the floppy boot disk it issued an error and hung. I ended up using a bart pe boot cd that already had Drive snapshot on it (unable to make images though, only restore).

 

Here is some interesting info:
Rollback RX and drivesnapshot

 

Since this thread became very quiet. Is somebody able to summarize this thread after 279 posts ?
Which image backup softwares restore RollbackRx snapshots completely in a normal way ?
Which image backup softwares restore EazFix snapshots completely in a normal way ?

 

Since you consider this software being inferior, why do you ask?

 

Hi,

I have Rollback RX and I am asking myself the same question than Erik, what are the backups softwares that can easylly and rapidly backup my c: drive (including Rollback and his snapshots)

Thanks,
Atomas31

 

That was the main purpose of this thread. Which image backup softwares go together with RollbackRx or EazFix, so that other users can make their choice. I don't see any clear answers either just like you.
Maybe the image backup software of $100 is the answer.

 

Not inferior, just different and not my choice.

 

If you are refering to HDS Clone/Ayghost, for me like a majority here that software never worked on my system...

And I sure would appreciate a resume of what image backup (and the configuration) works with Rollback Rx (and his snapshots)!!!

 

If you reread my message #120 and your own message #121 your question will be answered.

In regards the $100 image backup software, that also works

Incidentally, I doubt that anyone posting here has paid anything for the software, let alone $100.

John.

 

Let's hope, that "RollbackRx + ATI" gives the same results as "EazFix + ATI".
BTW are you using "EazFix + ATI" on a daily base now, since your test ?

 

Yes - The only difference in using Trueimage now, I always backup, and restore from the rescue CD, instead of from within Windows.

I have stopped using EAZ-Clone as I prefer TI.

John.

 

If posters in this thread took time and effort to test their disk imaging software with a eazFix/Rollback RX snapshot structure, and their test results are different than your results on your system. What value does our conclusion have for you?

Regarding disk imaging software with snapshot suport:
Here is a statement of eazSolution: http://kb.eazsolutions.com/article.php?id=096
Here is a statement of Aynue Technology: http://www.k62.net/Products_ay.php

Nobody in this thread denied that this issue is a difficult one.
Only you are able to figure out what will work on your system.
To help you with that some posters shared details of their test procedures.

Just don't expect statements with warranties here.

 

Received an email this week from Terabyte saying that Imageall now supports raw imaging.

 

Using Eaz-Fix and the build from Nov 30,latest,I can hereby confirm a sucessful restore of an ATI image together with Eazfix with all snapshots included and unharmed!

My disk is divided in 2 partitions C+D,also I have external USB 2.0 drive in FAT 32 to which I store images.Booted in ATI rec. disk and imaged the whole disk 1(C+D) to USB drive,took about 25min with an image size on ~7GB,the image was by ATI aut. divided to 1.tib(3.99GB) resp 2.tib(3.0GB).
Eazfix had in the moment for the image baseline+3 snapshots.After imaging I booted up and uninstalled System Mechanic for test and made further 2 snapshots....Then, booted to ATI rec.disk and restored with whole disk ticked+MBR track 0 included...Restored in 19 minutes...
Booted up normally without any problems and not only that, came out in Eazfix current(i.e the situation after imaging) with baseline +5 snapshots and with Sys Mech uninstalled!Tested EF snapshot functionality by restoring to snapshot no 3 in where Sys Mech was installed...rebooted and no problems,sys mech back on my system...

So,if this works for me (XP pro sp2),it should work for you...

 

Yes,that was needed to continue with "next"...A failure?Not to me...I had all options left with baseline and all snapshots available...If somehow all snapshots would be corrupted or containing failures (highly unlikely)there is always a possibilty to uninstall eazfix and return to a prior Eazfix ATI image...As long as you have at least the majority of the snapshots OK I can´t see any need for that...

 

Sorry, but I have to agree with Peter on this, not with you.
The major purpose of imaging is to restore an exact specific image taken at a certain time.
This way, ATI is completely missing it!...
Just imagine that, at some point, you had got some file system structure error in important personal files included in some snapshot, and wanted to go back to a clean situation. You could be permanently stuck with it and definitely lose your data, trying either to restore images via ATI or to go back to some EazFix snapshot!

Roger

 

Here is a turn in the test results that I like to understand better,
So before ATI image you had Baseline+3 snapshots. After restoring the ATI image you have Baseline+5 snapshots available.
And also: before image, System Mechanic was installed and after restore, it retained uninstalled?
Do I read that correct? Would you not expect to see System Mechanic installed again after restore?

That makes me think that the eazFix/Rollback RX tables were not overwritten during the restore.
If I was testing I would simulate a bare metal situation:
Uninstall eazFix/Rollback RX, format disk, write disk with zero's, restore an image with plain Windows, that kind of actions.
Or better:swap harddisks!

Anyway, good to hear that it works for you.

 

Yes,you got it right...After imaging I uninstalled SysMech and made 2 additional snapshots,restored the image and was thrown in Eazfix´s latest made current snapshot made just before image restore...I expected to get in to the baseline+3 snapshots with SysMech... Then tested the snapshots and restored to EazFix no3 snapshot in where SysMech was untouched...And there I finally was in the same state as I was when I did the image...

That must surely be the case,meaning the subconsole (encrypted?) with all it´s snapshots had to be totally disregarded...A magical mystery,but for sure true...

 

That would be considered a successful restore.
It sounds to me that you are excited about a unexpected result.

 

You bet I am...I agree to that an image restore generally always must be expected...Only in this case I admit excitement over the result...Considering to test the restore once again...
Also, made an additional image with Paragon DB rec CD in the very same state as with TI,but hav´nt tested that scenario yet...

And finally:what would the consequences be if I prior to the ATI restore had deleted the additonal snapshots and restored Eazfix to snapshot 3 with SysMech...Would the Image restore then "fit" in or would it nevertheless be the same... LOL

 

Indeed, it did NOT really restore anything, it is not really a mystery but it is how NTFS works....
With the NTFS file system, all data structures are maintained, even when you delete files, it is just a matter of showing them or not (just a switch in the internal structure).
So, without really deleting the NTFS partition with special tools (like delpart or similar as Wilbert suggested), the ATI restore only repositions internal 'switches' to mark files as active or deleted...
In fact, as the content of the latest updates were in shapshots, within Eaz-Fix own's structure (empty sectors to native Windows system from NTFS), they remained untouched as well as all the previous snapshots, when you restored ATI image.
That is why ATI restores previously tested (with content deletion before, I think) showed that it would revert either to the baseline or to the latest snapshot (I believe it only depends on how the NTFS structure is read, from Windows only gets the baseline, from the Linux ATI CD, only the latest snapshot state, in both cases NOT restoring the sectors with EazFiz/RollbackRx structures that are invisible for a non-sector based imaging tool).

Roger