IFW Hot Backup of RollBack System Saves Baseline Snapshot?

Discussion in 'backup, imaging & disk mgmt' started by The Shadow, Jun 17, 2012.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2011
    Posts:
    4,954
    Location:
    The Pond - USA
    Yes. When Last to install = RBrx, either PHYLOCK or VSS may be used and the resultant image will be the CURRENT SYSTEM STATE (w/neutered RBrx and no snapshots). During this scenario, RBrx is in charge all the way.

    As a result of the above scenario, it matters not what the state of IFW's "Backup Unused Sectors" option is... you will always get the CURRENT SYSTEM STATE (remember, RBrx is in charge) and either just the USED sectors (Current System State) or the rest of the "apparently" unused disk space as well (as RBrx sees it) depending on the option set.
     
  2. aladdin

    aladdin Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2006
    Posts:
    2,986
    Location:
    Oman
    Dear Froggie,

    Thank you for confirming the above.

    Best regards,

    KOR!
     
  3. aladdin

    aladdin Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2006
    Posts:
    2,986
    Location:
    Oman
    Dear TS,

    You have already confirmed in other threads that you have already purchased the complete package of TeraByte IFW with BM.

    The UpperFilters is not some rocket science. If you want to do hot normal (non-sector based) imaging then your UpperFilters registry key should look like below:

    And, If you want to do hot full disk - unused sectors (sector based) imaging then your UpperFilters registry key should look like below:

    Keep in mind that the above can be done only with IFW and no other imaging program like Drive Snapshot can accomplish this.

    I am sure that you are computer savvy enough to understand the above and edit the registry key without much hassle.

    Best regards,

    KOR!
     
  4. aladdin

    aladdin Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2006
    Posts:
    2,986
    Location:
    Oman
  5. The Shadow

    The Shadow Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2012
    Posts:
    814
    Location:
    USA
    I am appreciative for all the responses I've received to my RollBack system backup problem (using IFW), so thanks to all, but a special thanks goes to Scott W who 'hit the nail on the head' without confusing me any further than I was already!

    He is absolutely correct in summarizing what I was attempting to achieve - the ability to make a hot image backup (from within Windows) of my current system with RollBack Rx active. I never had any interest in saving my RollBack snapshots in the backup.

    By reading several older threads I had gathered that a normal hot backup would work to backup my current RollBack system (less snapshots). I was (and am) willing to accept the necessity to uninstall-reinstall RollBack upon restoring that image. But as I reported, my first attempt at a normal hot IFW backup of my RollBack system wound up saving my baseline snapshot which left me in a state of confusion.

    I might add that Scott is also right in that I am not a techie, nor do I wish to become one. I am someone who learns how to use a program as it was intended for the end-user. The bottom-line is that I found Scott's VSS solution understandable and easily implemented within IFW's backup selection process. So yesterday I did exactly what he prescribed and made another normal hot backup of my RollBack system but this time enabling VSS instead of PHYLock. I then restored this new IFW image and Scott was right - that produced my current system! Of course I had to uninstall RollBack and then reinstall it, which I did, and all is well.

    Thanks again Scott! :thumb: :thumb:

    TS
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2012
  6. Scott W

    Scott W Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2008
    Posts:
    659
    Location:
    USA
    Hey TS, glad I could be of help, after all that's what the forums should be about. I just happened to have 'tripped' over that very same situation when testing IFW. As a longtime Drive Snapshot user, I am by no means very IFW-literate. So should you have other IFW questions they would best be directed at Brian K, or The Rollback Frog, both of whom are definitely much more IFW-literate than me!

    Scott
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2012
  7. twl845

    twl845 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 12, 2005
    Posts:
    4,186
    Location:
    USA
  8. The Shadow

    The Shadow Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2012
    Posts:
    814
    Location:
    USA
    Hi TRF,

    Your 2nd item (above) addresses my issue and desire (I'm not at all interested in backing up my RollBack snapshots). Additionally, it confirms what Scott W told me previously (in post #14). Your confirmation about using VSS is very reassuring in that it instills more confidence that my future normal hot backups will be as successful as the backup and restore I finally realized by following Scott's suggestion.

    Thank you!

    TS
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2012
  9. Function

    Function Registered Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2012
    Posts:
    76
    Location:
    UK
    Sorry for asking but what is IFW/IFS.

    I have googled around and can't seem to find what this imaging software is called.

    Does anyone have the full name or a link to the website?


    Also I have recently uninstalled rollback RX and re-installed it to update it. Will this cause a system lock in the future as stated by a earlier post.
     
  10. crofttk

    crofttk Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 15, 2004
    Posts:
    1,979
    Location:
    Eastern PA, USA
  11. bgoodman4

    bgoodman4 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2009
    Posts:
    3,237
    I do this monthly and have done so for at least 3 years (thus at least 36 times) and have not had a system lock. In truth, in comparison to just about any other program you may care to name, Rx is a very trouble free program as evidenced by the number (not many) of folks that appear on this and the Horizon Data Systems forum seeking help. The majority of threads b egun that deal with Rx are asking for clarification about some use of Rx.

    Is Rx absolutely trouble free? Certainly not. However if its used correctly it will generally work like a dream.

    This of course is my opinion, which is based on my personal experience and observations.
     
  12. twl845

    twl845 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 12, 2005
    Posts:
    4,186
    Location:
    USA
    +1 Thanks to you for calming my fears to install RB last year. It's the best investment I've made for snapshot control. :D
     
  13. 2YsUR

    2YsUR Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2012
    Posts:
    61
    What "system lock" are you referring to?
     
  14. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2011
    Posts:
    4,954
    Location:
    The Pond - USA
    2YsUR... I believe he was referring to that condition when some folks unINSTALL and reINSTALL RBrx, the ACTIVATION fails and they have to get it reset by HDS support.
     
  15. Scott W

    Scott W Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2008
    Posts:
    659
    Location:
    USA
    I think that Function is somewhat confused about the posts discussing a normal hot-backup of an RB partition using IFW and the potential problem in using IFW's Phylock driver.
     
  16. Wendi

    Wendi Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2008
    Posts:
    643
    Location:
    USA
    Hi Scott,

    I was very impressed with the benefits of Rollback Rx which you outlined (to me) in another thread, so I just read this thread and have a question. Seeing that I use Drive Snapshot (as I see you do), would I have to use VSS with Drive Snapshot in order to do a normal backup of Rollback Rx system while running Windows?

    Wendi
     
  17. Scott W

    Scott W Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2008
    Posts:
    659
    Location:
    USA
    Hello again Wendi,

    As a Drive Snapshot user running a normal hot backup of a RB-System volume, either DS' system-snapshot driver or Windows' driver (VSS) would work to achieve the proper backup results.

    The image-restore issue experienced by The Shadow in this thread came about because:

    1. He installed Image For Windows (IFW) after he had installed Rollback Rx (RB).

    2. He used IFW's default system-snapshot driver, Phylock, which for his situation was inappropriate. The Rollback Frog explains that very well here and here (along with The Shadow's reply).

    But as you are a Drive Snapshot user none of the above would affect you, so don't concern yourself with it. ;)

    Scott
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2012
  18. aladdin

    aladdin Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2006
    Posts:
    2,986
    Location:
    Oman
    When I was trying Rollback Rx for two months on three computers and then asked for an refund, I never had problem doing HOT NORMAL REGULAR IMAGING WITHIN WINDOWS WITH IFW.

    I used IFW's default system-snapshot driver, Phylock and upon restoration of that image it always contained the "CURRENT SNAPSHOT" of Rollback Rx.

    The Rollback Frog explains that very well here

    Best regards,

    KOR!
     
  19. aladdin

    aladdin Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2006
    Posts:
    2,986
    Location:
    Oman
    Hi twl845,

    You are most welcome!

    Best regards,

    KOR!
     
  20. The Shadow

    The Shadow Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2012
    Posts:
    814
    Location:
    USA
    KOR,

    Could it be that the reason you never encountered the restore problem I experienced (baseline snapshot restored instead of current system) was because IFW was already installed before you installed RollBack? According to the The Rollback Frog's explanation that would account for your success in using IFW's PHYLock to make a normal hot image of your current system.

    I'm also curious as to what issues prompted you to request a refund for your RollBack Rx purchases? RollBack has been running 'smooth as silk' for me!

    TS
     
  21. 2YsUR

    2YsUR Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2012
    Posts:
    61
    How do you create that single post link ("here") - TIA
     
  22. The Shadow

    The Shadow Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2012
    Posts:
    814
    Location:
    USA
    This is OT, but what the heck. I don't know the way Scott does it, but the way I do it is by inserting the following statement into the appropriate place inside the sentance.

    {url=single-post link}here{/url} ....replacing { } with [ ]

    To get a single-post link click on the post # you want to reference and then copy the link. For example, clicking on your post #46 delivers a single-post link of "http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=2074807&postcount=46"

    So you would copy and paste that link (without the quotes) into the above statement, as follows:

    {url=http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=2074807&postcount=46}here{/url}.

    ....and by using [ ] brackets instead of { } the above statement simply becomes here.

    TS
     
    Last edited: Jun 20, 2012
  23. 2YsUR

    2YsUR Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2012
    Posts:
    61
    Thanks, it just never dawned on me to click on the post# to get the single post url.:cool: 2 ys U r
     
    Last edited: Jun 20, 2012
  24. aladdin

    aladdin Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2006
    Posts:
    2,986
    Location:
    Oman
    Either you don't understand IFW's PHYLock or you are being very, very unfair to IFW's PHYLock.

    Because of IFW's PHYLock, you can do HOT NORMAL NON-SECTOR BASED imaging and HOT NORMAL SECTOR BASED imaging. You cannot do this with any other imaging program, let it be Drive Snapshot.

    And, for this reason Froggie (The Rollback Frog) has a booklet out called, "RBRX luvs IFW".

    Best regards,
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.