Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

MPSAN,

I doubt it has anything to do with AX64. It's likely a quirk of your BIOS and there is nothing you can do.

 

Thank You, Brian K...except...a while ago, Isso sent me an ISO of an XP 32bit boot disk he made. This was before I discovered that my PS/2 mouse would work. HIS disk did work with my mouse. I could not use his ISO as it did not have my ICH5 RAID drivers on it, but the mouse worked.

I am not going to spend any time on this, but thought someone had an answer. OH, there is another person on this forum who had the same issue and he was using a laptop.

 

MPSAN,

We see this with IFD too. Some computers work fine with USB mouse/keyboard and others don't. There are various "fixes" but I've not had any success.

 

Well, I can live with it 'til I look at Haswell/Z87, but I am a long way from convincing myself that Win 8.1 is worth getting all my software updated for...even drivers for my printers. However, this could be a VERY LONG thread!

 

I'm using a Z77 MB with Win8.1. All of my WinXP software works. My old laser printer works although HP doesn't have drivers for it. I like Win8.1.

 

It has been a while since I have followed this thread.
Is there a Windows 8.1 compatible version yet?

 

Hi Stigg,

The present v1.3.0.7 works beautifully with Windows 8.1.

However, one cannot make a Recovery Media in Windows 8.1 as Microsoft has removed two files from WinRE, which is no fault of Isso. Isso has been working on this.

However, one can make the Recovery Media in any computer/machine which has less than Windows 8.1

Best regards,

Mohamed

 

Thanks Mohamed.

 

Hi Stigg,

You are welcome!

Both AX64 and Macrium Reflect work beautifully with each other. They compliment each other.

After trying it for a month, and if you decide to buy the family license, then PM Isso, and he will give you the regular 25% discount coupon as a Wilders' member.

Best regards,

Mohamed

 

Thanks for the tip, Mohamed.

 

How AX 64 performes hot restore? Does it restore all files exactly in the same sectors as they were located during the backup, or AX64 restores files in free space by increasing the defragmentation of disk?

 

The file mapping will be the same as it was when the backup was taken. AX64 is a disk imaging tool, not a file backup tool... it deals in disk blocks only, not file specific information.

 

Hi guys,

I've opened up a a general discussion thread for AX64/Realcopy here. More casual topics regarding our software can be posted there.

Also, news specific to AX64, we're full steam ahead and making a lot of progress with the revamped restore mechanism to replace hot restore. Expect an update soon as well regarding a fix for create recovery media in Win 8.1. Sorry for the delay.

Cheers,

Waj

 

Hi Waj

Thanks for the update.

However, at the risk is sounding boring may I repeat that whilst a revamp of the restore mechanism will be welcome it does need to be at least as fast as the current 'hot' restore feature in AXTM. There is little point in having AX64 with such a function is the restore times are not streets ahead of other products.

Personally I would prefer (as oft said before), very fast hot restore times and would accept the occasional freeze, as per the current v1.3.7 beta...but that may just be me...

Regards


Baldrick

 

+1

Cheers
manolito

 

You... boring? Naaaaaaaah!

Balders, I'm not sure how they're gonna implement this change, but if you think about it, all they need is an unencumbered Windows OS (no extraneous tasks running but a usable Windows API... like either the WinRE they use on their RECOVERY MEDIA or something created via WinPE) and the knowledge that the FileSystem hasn't been tampered with since they last looked at it. The 2nd requirement they already know about in the backup module ("Improper shutdown...") and the 1st they can build.

The frozen restores seem to always be accompanied by some other activity going on when the LIVE restore is being performed (firewalls, security, etc.). A WinRE system can sure solve that problem.

So, if during a "new" HOT restore, AX64 BOOTs into its controlled WinRE environment, then checks to see if its tracking and file system haven't been modified since its last look (most likely since this new process would immediately follow a RESTORE request)... I see no reason why they couldn't use the HOT restore technique to "snap" the system back. They could actually do this from the RECOVERY MEDIA if the conditions allowed.

This is just me thinking out loud here. Regardless, the Team of Isso would never compromise the current design. If they ever did, how the heck would I get my Virtual VP of Marketing check... the income would completely dry up!

 

Hi Froggie

You are too kind...but I was referring to the subject as being potentially boring (as it has come up before)...but obviously need to polish my English...

Thanks for the explanation as to a possible approach for the 'revamp'...very interesting to say the least.

I do trust in Isso. However, at the end of the day it is his product and he will steer the course he feels is best to achieve what he wants to achieves...but it never hurts to try to make sure that feedback is current.

Regards



Baldrick

 

Perhaps users could list software that they either prevented from loading at startup or selected Automatic (Delayed Start) in services that resolved their issue, including what there "freeze" issue actually constituted.
Peter1250 theorized it might be security applications and indeed since I've enabled Malwarebytes Pro (Delayed Start) AX has been flawless. However, my description of freeze was different than Peter's. My being the Logitech USB keyboard and Microsoft USB mouse frozen after the desktop loaded, requiring forced shutdown and a Safe Mode reboot. Peter's would freeze before AX would attempt to boot.

 

I've had (2) freezes since ALPHA testing began... and this on all kinds of XP and W7 systems.

The first (v1.1.0.996 on W7x86... initial public release) froze at 97%, never to finish. When the system was reBOOTed, it had arrived at the snapshot it was restoring, no other problems.

The 2nd (v1.3.0.7 on W7x86) was about a week ago. It froze at 38% and when the system was force BOOTed it failed. I recovered using the RECOVERY MEDIA and all was fine.

I run simple systems, not very complicated, so do not not inhibit either my AV software (ESET Security) or MBAM, my active malware scanner. I have executed at least 75 HOT restores without problem.

 

Oh yes, this method would work, but it would be much slower than the current hot restore method. How long does it take on your machine to boot from the AX recovery media? Booting from the HDD would not be much faster than from a USB stick, I guess...


Cheers
manolito

 

Froggie, you are absolutely right in your thoughts regarding the hot restore. Unfortunately I can now see that the hot restore on live system will always be subject to intermittent failures, just because AX64 can always be preempted by other programs, or OS.

That's why the only 100% reliable solution is something based on a separate OS, i.e. WinPE. And exactly as you mentioned we'll use the same incremental (fast) restore that we use right now from live OS, so it will be very fast.

However as Manolito mentioned this will indeed require extra time - i.e. the time required to load the PE environment. But at this moment I don't see any other solution, sorry.

Isso

 

Hi Isso

This is what I was afraid of...AXTM potentially losing it key differentiator with the competition.

Therefore, would it be possible/realistic to incorporate both the current & the proposed new method and give the user the choice of which option they would like to us either by default or as a hot recovery time option. If that does not cause technical complication with producing a new version of AXTM, i.e., the coding for both options is not mutually exclusive then you would have the best of both worlds and so does your user/customer. They can use the method they want when they want... with the choice of hot restore speed OR reliability.

May just be a pipe dream (as I am not technical enough to know if this is feasible) but it would certainly allow you to keep AXTM's USP/differentiator for whom that is an important factor.

HTH?

Regards, and respect


Baldrick

 

Ive had a big panic to night folks,

My XP system had problems, so reinstalled the latest snapshot and boom Blue screen on the loading bar (v1.3.0.7 on x86).

I installed the snapshot before and all is good, so i tried a hot restore and it froze at 61 percent.

I then tried the latest snapshot again through PE and blue screen again until i put the snapshot before which works.

Im kinda Peed rite now, as all my data is backed up. I just cant understand where the failure lies in the latest snapshot. So im currently perfoming an auto backup for the next couple of hours.

 

Legacy, what happens when you MOUNT that bad snapshot... not RESTORE to it?

 

Froggie, could you clarify what you are referring to here please? Are you asking if he can MOUNT the snap as a virtual drive, or can he access the snapshot and its contents from within the AX64 browser? Either method should allow for the recovery of files created after the reverted to snap so I never understood the need to mount as a virtual drive.

Also, I would think that if you can do one you can do the other. Is this not correct?