Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

Thanks manolito

Patrick

 

Patrick... I'd advise not using any version prior to Build 996... they're BETA and some have different archive formats than others as well as some earlier development problems.

 

Sorry that I need to bump this but it is probably already to far back for Isso or the frog to notice!

 

Ratchet, your return to snap#2 will be quick, indeed.

When you say DELETE Base#1 from the storage drive... if you delete it using Windows Explorer and not the AX64 TM Browser, you're in trouble... the backup string has just been destroyed.

If you delete Base#1 using the AX64 TM Browser, you will save very little space. Since each subsequent snapshot is an INCREMENTAL (only the differences between the previous snap and the one you just made), when you delete the BASELINE with the Browser, AX64 will "merge" your baseline with snap#2 creating a new Baseline that will be just as big as your original baseline AND snap#2... you can't have a tiny baseline... it's the original image of your partition.

Plus, I'm not sure you can delete your BASELINE even in the Browser (haven't done it yet) but with AX64's merging system it should be able to work.

EDIT: If the baseline deletion works during the merge procedure, you'll need a lot of blank storage to produce the merged file before the original baseline is actually deleted.

 

Latest build working nicely on both my XP 32 bit and Win 7 64 bit PCs.

Thanks Isso,,,, I hope you are relaxing a bit this weekend. You earned it.

 

Thank you Frog! At some point though, can you format the storage disk and start over again? Like perhaps every three months or so?

 

Hi Ratchet! No reformat is necessary.. we're dealing only with files, not partitions.

The easiest way to have AX64 TM start from scratch is to delete all your snaps, including the baseline, in the AXTM snap folder (via Windows Explorer) and take another snap. AXTM will see no BASELINE, let you know, and take one.

What I do, and it gives me some flexibility, is I rename the existing AXTM snap folder to "AXTM (<date of last snap>)" and create a new AXTM snap folder. The next time AXTM runs it will create a new BASELINE (since it found none in the standard "AXTM" folder). This way you can delete your dated AXTM folder at will or save it as a special backup set (BASELINE + snaps) for some future use. Some folks might wanna save multiple backup sets for some reason... this method makes it possible for now. Later AX64 TM will give you the ability to change backup folders which can accomplish the same thing.

No formatting required, just some minor file manipulation...

 

Thanks TheRollbackFrog

 

Thanks for posting that suggestion. It's a really easy way to do that. I just did it no sweat.

 

Ok, thanks again! I do envision mostly just using this like I used CTM on the ole XP machine. What I do now is weekly use W7's imaging app (which is incremental by default as you know) to a 500GB Toshiba USB 3 portable HD which I mounted in my tower, connected to an internal "3" port. I'm going to partition it, one being for the W7 images and one for AX64. I also weekly make a "new" image to a mounted 60GB SSD using Paragon. The images are around 20GBs and I probably could get three on the SSD but I just delete the two week old archive each week. With SSD (C) to the SSD backup drive, full backups are about four minutes and restores about five. Given that and the extra W7 backup, I'm set up pretty good and like I stated, intend to use AX mostly before installs, including MS Tuesdays. I still think I'll wait a bit before I start my subscription.

 

Now that's a good idea. Thanks.

 

Dear Mohamed,

Thank you! Please let me know if the hanging issue on your machines is solved in the latest version. Thank you

Isso

 

Good question - yes, please re-create the Recovery media as we made important fixes to it too.

Isso

 

michaelwileman,

Sorry about that problem. May I ask you to create a ticket by visiting www.ax64.com page and clicking the "Feedback & Support" button at the top left corner. Please attach the program logs to that ticket. You can get the logs by clicking on the top left corner of the program window, selecting About, then Collect logs. Also please state in the ticket which Antivirus program are you using. Thank you

Isso

 

bgoodman,

Thank you for the information. Yes, most likely XYExplorer isn't correctly handling the drag/drop events.

For merging when the user is idle - that was your excellent suggestion, thank you for it. We did rush it a little, but I think it may significantly improve the user experience, so it was worth it.

Isso

 

demoneye, and others experiencing problems - could you please file a ticket by using Feedback & Support button as per my post 2889

That will allow me to track the issues and inform you when they are solved. Thank you

Isso

 

Hi Isso

Just thinking that if this is required periodically due to changes/fixes/new releases then it might be an idea to indicate this via the GUI, i.e., instead of displaying 'Create Recovery Media...' on the button change that to 'RECREATE Recovery Media...' and also change the colour of the button to RED or a different colour. That would warn the user that they needed to undertake this and you could then just reset the normal button text/colour once AXTM detects that a successful Recovery Media creation event has taken place, etc.

Just a little usability suggestion...

Regards, and respect.



Baldrick

 

Hi Isso

It certainly has improved the user experience...as far as I am concerned.

 

William & TWL845... the "Open Other Backup" function in the AX64 TM Browser window, along with previously saved Backup sets will allow you to peruse old save sets and get missing files, if needed... I've done this many times.

As I mentioned, when Isso and the Team make selectable backup folders available, this feature becomes very useful with little to no work.

 

Thanks for that.

 

Okay, I updated to 1096 (from 1090) and got the same issue as when I went from 1.1 to 1090. What I get is "Error Opening File for Writing: C:\Program Files\AXTM\AXTMApp.exe". Then it asks me to abort, ignore, retry.

I think this is a Windows problem and not a AX64 problem(I'm using Windows 7 pro 64bit). I'm logged in as Administrator. I have compleet rights to AXTM folder. I tried running as administrator also. The only way I get to AX64 upgrade exe to run completely through is to move the current AXTMApp.exe program to some other location then re-run the install program.

Regardless, anyone know what causes this?

 

Hi WJ

May have been asked before but what security apps are you running on you system? Could one of those be conflicting with AXTM? I run WSA and found that it was impeding AXTM operations (not stopping them, though).

Regards



Balders

 

Baldrick

I should have mentioned that but I'm running Avast free AV and Malwarebytes. I shut down Malwarebytes but Avast has multiple protection shields. I suspended the File System Shield but nothing else. I don't see an easy way to shut all down temporarily. I'm also using Windows Firewall. I didn't change that at all.

 

Hi Function,

I'm really happy to hear about your positive experience. For license: it's lifetime for the major version that you've bought. I.e. at this moment we are at 1.2. So you can use 1.2, 1.3 etc till 1.9 for lifetime.
When new major version is out (2.0) you will have an opportunity to buy it at a discount (normally 50%). However you can perfectly continue to use your older 1.x version without upgrading.
Support is just for one year though - since the time of your purchase.

Isso

 

Hi WJ

I have no knowledge of Avast but is there any way/setting that would allow you to exclude AXTMApp.exe from Avira's checks/protection or have Avira 'trust' it? Malwarebytes has an 'Ignore List' where I think that you can define the relevant .exe so that the scanner & protection module will ignore what is defined.

I also run KIS and have set that .exe as 'trusted' and 'excluded' from KIS's checks.

Regards



Balders