From 200GB reserved sections for FD-ISR

I saw an interesting question from EASTER " QUESTION: Importing, do we simply import the exported snapshot back to one of the other snaps as in copy/update to existing snapshot or make room for it individually."

Although I don't have my archives or snapshots on DVD or CD in an export function yet, when you do want to import them from the disk, do you have to have an empty snapshot space or does it import and self create a snapshot or what?

 

To answer your questions
1. I use PerfectDisk, because
- it's compatible with FDISR and I don't like to exclude files or folders in another defragger.
- the Windows Disk Defragmenter is mediocre, like any MS Applications that comes with Windows.

2. PowerShadow is something I already have, called frozen snapshot and a frozen snapshot allows me to install software that require a reboot. It's double and therefore ballast.

3. I also try new softwares, but only when I'm planning to use them or when the software fascinates me, which is very rare.
I skip most softwares by reading its features, its screenshots and/or asking the right questions, but without installing them.

 

A lot of good info surfaces when discussing FD-ISR features. I have another question.

From experience now i can load PowerShadow with FD-ISR already installed ahead of it of course.

I don't know if this is that much of any advantage but PS for me seems to offer yet another additional prevention against any unwarranted sneaking malware or even some program issue that i decide to drop because of it's conflict or other file\registry corruption. I know FREEZE in FD can suffice just peachy for doing that "but" i feel maybe i will save that other additional space required by the FREEZE feature in FD.

I did experience one slight glitch running PS then exiting shadow-mode with it that was easily overcome by a second reboot and then selecting START WINDOWS NORMALLY. The first time the PC didn't reach the boot-up screen but sat there blank. If it becomes any issue at all i would simply remove it but so far seems ok.

Keep in mind i test malware behavior vs. scanners and mostly is why i decided to also check if Power Shadow would work alright in combo.

I absolutely cannot believe the versatility of FD-ISR. It's everything and then some as been wowed about and is amazingly "fast" at Copy/Update Snapshot (and archives!) Dunno how they managed to pull this off but i obviously been asleep at the wheel by not going this route long before now.

Is it possible to transfer snapshots to say an alternate storage medium and wipe the disk, reinstall windows with FD-ISR again and actually use those same snapshots to bring everything back as before? If so, this stuff borders on legendary. I always needed something that i could turn to with ALL programs and settings "completely intact" after say a failed hard drive without having to hold my breath that an imaging image would revert everything as before.

I still intend to image and clone with PARAGON the physical drives but with FD-ISR i think that task just took on a whole new range of total confidence. Am i dreaming here?

 

Hey Easter:

Yes, Of course , common strategy here if req.
Usually used as "back-up to the back up" redundancy
IMHO, the one feature that is missing in FDISR is Boot Disc for reinstall of archived snapshots It would then be one of the greatest implementations of software seen.

Rather than use the strategy you enquired about above, cut out a few steps: use Fdisr to keep a couple of archives, configured how you want, off the main drive (another physical drive is prolly best) Use a 'good' imager/cloner that you have been exploring recently keep a recovery image set-up (one with boot disc: Acronis, Terabyte, ShadowProtect and prolly others I have no experience of, sorry I know nothing about Paragon softs other than they seem to be well regarded.)

Then : software bork: restore with FDISR preboot to another snapshot, or recover/restore image/clone and back to work
HW flameout: new HD: restore with image/clone and back to work.

Your method is of course the best for clean reinstall as long as you have 'clean' snapshot archived

You can always install a clean OS into an empty snapshot in FDISR and either keep it on disc or maybe better archive it and copy as needed. REMARKABLE.
Terabyte tools can do this also but a bit more user intensive ( more fun )

All of this requires some ground work and time to set-up but then just rolls along
Needs a bit of discipline to keep snapshots in FDSIR and images/Clones utd.

Now that he VSS issue with S-P is sorted, and grnxnhm assures us that Shadow Protect v3 will have an exhaustively tested Universal/Hardware independent Restore feature: apart from VMware, as far as recovery and imaging restore, that may well be game over then with FDISR and SP working together. At least for the forseeable future
(lol still need Terabyte for partiton management )

HTH

 

Thanks for the confirmation. I think i already read your results in another topic here someplace but wanted to be certain of it.

All i can add to all this is the word Awesome. They sure didn't suffix Instant System Recovery after the FD for nothing. It boggles the mind WHY something like this hasn't been discovered or invented for NTFS long before now but glad anyway it's alive and very well today. I cannot count the moments and sometimes days of complete frustrations while biting my lip if my imaging program would even recover the system intact or without errors.

This FD program puts a stamp of count-on-it! to the end-user and delivers! Simple & remarkable.

 

This old thread describes a test with Export/Import
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=133528&highlight=Export/Import
Keep in mind, I had no DVD's in those days, so I used CD's. My old computer couldn't write on DVD's, only on CD's.
After this test, I wasn't interested anymore in Import/Export.

 

Absolutely. You can even do it with a newly installed hard drive, although true mirror imaging programs are faster.

Todd Lear has to take all the credit for this program. I don't know how many other engineers or programmers that he had helping him, if any, but I believe that the idea for this thingie came out of his head.

Acadia

 

Thanks Acadia. That pretty much seals it for me for trust and confidence in having an extremely and for all practical purposes, a failsafe recovery apparatus that will offer 100% reliability in event of system or other surprise failure. A very high-level of confidence sorely lacking in microsoft O/S's in any version.

I already took the liberty to EXPORT complete snapshots to alternative drives that will serve as precautionary measures as well as archives. By the same token snapshots and archives are already formed & positioned to local disk also for everyday useage or as desired to boot into.

Right now being very new to this, as a first step, i've made a few snapshots then have been updating them on a very regular interval after first ensuring they been relatively cleared first of common entries in all the known collection points as to make for as clean as possible transfers after surfing or other offline duties.

My next thing to do will be to use an IMAGING program to clone/image the most occupied partitions for safekeeping.

Simply amazing!

 

Easter,
Just remember two things :
1. Copy/Update creates two IDENTICAL snapshots, you can NOT merge two snapshots.
2. The SOURCE snapshot decides what the DESTINATION will be.

The copy/update wizard shows only snapshots that are technically possible as a source or destination snapshots.
Examples :
It's not possible to use an active (green) snapshot as a destination snapshot, that's why the wizard will never show an active snapshot as a destination snapshot. So the wizards guide and control everything, only the user can choose a wrong source/destination snapshot.
If you try to create a 11th snapshot, which is impossible, FDISR will show you only a "new archive" as possible destination.

Before you execute the copy/update, you put both hands on your knees, far away from your keyboard, CHECK the source and the destination snapshot carefully and then you can execute the copy/update.
This method has been recommended by Peter. You don't have to use your knees, also your feet are a possible destination for your hands.

 

Thanks for that advice. I didn't really consider the 2 snapshot into 1 merger a likelihood but then with something very new like this with so many various possibilities, one might just be encouraged to try everything, and probably someone already has done this

You can be assured that I caught on to Copy/Update very quickly already and update from snapshot to snapshot or snapshot to archive but not apprised, or at least it's not sunk in yet, just how to go about updating a snapshot with an archive except to just do it. I take it that feature works the same as if you copied say secondary to primary while active in secondary for whatever reason.

I'm not lost yet, just cautiously optomistic that i won't do something reckless like you mentioned, besides FD probably would balk at that anyway wouldn't it, with an error or something to that effect.

 

FDISR won't bark, if you use the wrong source and/or destination snapshot/archive in a copy/update. That's why you have to pay attention to this. FDISR can be destructive also, if you do it wrong.
Of course when you use it smart, this won't be a problem either.

 

Somewheres in the recent past i can recall mention which now echoes more clearly for me, courtesy one of our membership here whom i first met at the then Lavasoft Forums when serving as Moderator/HiJackThis Specialist there for a time. He is named Dallen.
He was first to bring up the subject of FD-ISR to my attention back then right here at Wilder's but i was of little if any real interest toward it simply because i wasn't aware of it's importance at the time nor been told of it before. Besides, i was then already well along caught up in all the raves over HIPS being introduced after experiencing firsthand, nothing short of remarkable, exciting results with one of them, namely System Safety Monitor.

Looking back now, i can understand he had latched onto this program which is proven itself really vital to full PC confidence and of particularly special value for those who made their way to it.

Most of us have a tendency to rush ahead into the excitement of yet another new security method to protect our computer investments from disaster but little did i give attention at the time that he was trying to convey his complete satisfaction experienced with the recovery abilities of FD-ISR.

Now i see for myself what that was all about.

 

My first contact with rollback softwares was, when Spy1 introduced "ShadowUser" at SWI (I wasn't member of Wilders yet). His post got hardly attention at SWI, but I was attracted to it. The funny thing about rollback softwares is that they are HijackThis-killers, which is not good for Malware Forums, if everybody would use them.

Then I joined Wilders and read about FDISR and its possibilities. I bought a new computer and installed FDISR, after testing ATI.

It's only a pity, there isn't much choice in multiple snapshot softwares : FDISR or RBRx and choosing between them is easy.

 

Or use them both....

Very quick snapshots and snapshot restores with Rollback.
Quick Archival Restores with FD-ISR.

 

I'm not interested in such combination, it's against my principles. That's why I don't use PowerShadow either.
And as far as I remember your backup doesn't restore completely and that is also against my principles.

 

On the contrary here, and in spite of that single limitation that seems to detour your interest away from Power Shadow ErikAlbert, i found PS of some real benefit, at least when testing malwares or running standalones/portable software program which are becoming more commonplace now. Installing programs as you mention which demand a reboot is quite another story and as you point out prevents you from adding that choice to your strategy.

You could however actually benefit greatly IMO with Power Shadow, in a configuration whereas you might go on some Google search where the possibilities exist that some random website may be laden with an exploit to penetrate your browser & expose the system just enough to drop a malware or make some other undesireable change to your settings, launch an installer and set it into motion. But then security programs such as HIPS will immediately react and afford you time to stop any further interaction then just it's entry. That's not always the case mind you, but depending on your net travels it can and does happen and often with rapid succession once penetrated. That's where a simple reboot with Power Shadow comes in very handy to dismiss & remove those changes completely and i might add INSTANTLY! Theres no real delay with a Power Shadow reboot from my experience with it if time is of any imporatnce to making that type of recovery. Now then though, for any other legit software/programs install i would naturally keep your regular practice as you always trusted to complete an installation.

FD-ISR from what i seen so far carries the added benefit at least which doesn't slam the door shut on us users when a glitch surfaces to prevent fully booting to the GUI. I doubt seriously PS could compete with that in it's present form but it also doesn't interfere with allowing FD "or" Windows itself to pick up the progress of getting you back into Windows. Just requires another reboot then select START WINDOWS NORMALLY and that's taken care of without issue.

I know malware hunting is not for everyone or even normally practiced by most users (and for good reason), but PS combined with FD-ISR offors a safe way out of such a predicament and if should something would actually overwhelm it, then FD-ISR would be at the ready to restore easily your previous set up anyway.

 

Easter,
I'm not a spyware hunter, so PS might be a handy tool for you, but not for me. I'm not going to discuss this, because I don't even know how a malware looks like. I only want to get rid of malware.

Your description of PS sounds exactly like these three possible activities in FDISR :
- refreshing with a freeze storage OR
- refreshing with a rollback snapshot OR
- refreshing with a archived snapshot.
The only difference is that PS is faster, which is logical because it does only ONE thing and in a different way than FDISR. I don't even know how PS works and I never got a CLEAR explanation from the PS-users either.

FDISR is indeed slower because the copy/update is based on adding, removing and replacing objects until the destination snapshot/archive = source snapshot/archive and even that happens pretty fast in FDISR (seconds or few minutes).
All activities, where new snapshots/archives are involved, are much slower and the first freezing of a snapshot is the slowest activity. I know all that for a long time.
Some users consider this as a problem, I don't because FDISR is better than RBRx and PS together.
RBRx and PS are only faster, if users are blinded by "speed" and "less space" and don't see the rest, no problem for me. I judge my softwares on possibilities and features. Even a kid can judge softwares on speed and less space.
You have to see the total picture of FDISR and Image Backup, not just speed and less space.
FDISR + Image Backup (ShadowProtect,ATI,...) = total reliable RECOVERY solution, that WORKS EVERY TIME and that makes you feel invincible.

I've read posts at Wilders, where users are satisfied with the fact that their Image Backup software recovers only the baseline OR current RBRx-snapshot and not the other snapshots. I would EXPLODE if that would happen to me and I don't need their explanations or excuses either, because that would make me even more angry. That's not a solution that is bungling. Period.

 

No one will ever get an argument out of me over that statement with but one slight exception.
That combination not only makes for a "feel" of invincible, but for all practical purposes, you "ARE" invincible so far as any real threat to make your complete system/programs/settings unretrievable either off-line or even on-line for that matter. Of course that is provided that you do take the liberty of making enough off-line backups of your on-line system for safekeeping. I prefer metal over plastic and anything vital or or of cost as to do with programs i'm of the notion that sturdier is better, and more longstanding against corruption due to external elements and not just internal ones.

 

Hi Pete,

You will get back the snapshot that you archived and all of your Rollback snapshots will remain instact. FDISR (the new version 3.20) operates within Rollback on a partition level.

A Rollback snapshot, which operates from the MBR, will restore all of your unarchived FDISR snapshots, which were there when you took the Rollback snapshot.

You have to install Rollback with the multiboot option in all of your FDISR snapshots for this to work.

Silver

 

Hi Erik,

I am not sure what you mean by "principles".

The combination of Rollback, FDISR 3.20 and ATI have "efficiency" and "layered stability".

You are correct that on the very few times that you might have to do a bare metal restore, that you have to reinstall RollbackRx into one FDISR snapshot. That only takes a few minutes. In my opinion, this is more than compensated for by the amazing speed in taking a Rollback snapshot. Usually just a few seconds.

With the FDISR Archives, you have a layered backup approach where you can quickly get back to where ever you want to.

Silver

 

I'm an application analyst and I work in a computer department, but I do NOT work with computers at work, only at home. I have a PC at work, but I use it as a typewriter for my reports.
But I'm trained by our computer department and my boss and all these programmers work with principles. If I ignore these principles, I get a very friendly warning not to do this anymore.

For instance :
If I would suggest at work to use RBRx and the choosen Image Backup software wouldn't RESTORE completely, my boss would SHOUT "Are you crazy ?"
Another basic principle is : "Never mix system files with data files. Always separate them."

That users are doing this at Wilders, I don't care, but not me at work or at home on my computer.
I never expect that members listen to me. I only write posts to tell users how I think about certain issues.
After all everybody is writing posts to share his opinions and I learned alot at Wilders concerning internet and security, but I don't agree with everything they advice me to do.
Please don't take it personally, I just write posts.