Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

Thanks Isso, I don`t recall seeing that email - but I have just sent you the msinfo output just now.

It`s very odd, as although I`ve got WSA running NOW, I didn`t at the time, and no other systemwide security either apart from LnS.

It`s more than just not opening the browser though...with the other problems, it`s certainly a weird one as everyone else is just fine apparently.

 

Fad, thank you. I replied via email

Isso

 

It would be mind boggling to go through all 800 posts so I'm requesting an answer and I thank you! W7 SP1 with a 120gb SSD. Creation of a Paragon image writing to a 60gb SSD takes just over four minutes. Restore has never taken longer than around six and one half minutes. I have used Comodo Time Machine on an XP desktop and a Vista laptop for years without issue and love the convenience. I was actually going to purchase Rb RX the next time it went 50% off but fortunately discovered on this forum about the lack of TRIM before the sale. All of which leads to this question, ballpark, how long would a restore take on my system with this product? I would purchase it in a flash (no pun intended) if it is indeed similar to CTM/Rb and is compatible with image software. Thank you!

 

Hi ratchet

The best thing to do is to download a copy of the latest beta and benchmark it yourself...that is the only way that you are going to be sure.

It is an excellent, no invasive product and I am currently running it with both ATI & RB Rx installed as well (as I am hoping to tbe able to replace both, i.e., one app to take images & fast snapshots/increments, etc.).

I have also uninstalled/reinstalled it a few times and that has appeared to go cleanly, i.e., no unexpected or unwanted side effects.

So give it a whirl and see see for yourself.

Regards, Balders

 

Ratchet, it's definitely not as fast as CTM/RBrx as far as returning to snapshots is concerned, but it will easily rival Paragon for a full disk restore, and it does what Paragon can't... it can return to any snapshot when the RESTORE is done under Windows (not a broken, unBOOTable system) and can bounce between snaps just like RBrx or CTM, albeit, slightly slower. The SSD > SSD snaps will be fast, and snap to snap restore from SSD > SSD will also be darn fast.

You should give the BETA a try... it is close to production quality at this point.

 

ratchet,

Thank you for your interest. Backup-wise AXTM works like most imaging apps, i.e. it first creates a full backup (this will take approximately the same time as Paragon). Afterwards it creates incremental backups, which normally take 20 sec to 1 min. Restore however is much faster than any imaging program - it will in most cases take 10 to 40 sec depending on the disk speed and size of the changed data.

I have a very fast system with two SSDs and Core i7 2600K - on this machine the backups and restores normally take only 3 to 10 sec.
On the slowest test machines with HDDs, external USB2 drives and Celeron or Pentium CPUs same operations take about a minute.

Isso

 

Balders, Froggie, you were so fast, thank you for helping me answering questions!

Isso

 

Baldrick, TRF and Isso, thank you for the responses. Sounds like a great and convenient program!

 

Awwwwwww... I guess we're just AXTM fanbois

Basically, Isso... it appears to be a great product, and as such, you and your team as well as the product itself should have the street noise to go along with it.

Balders and I... well, we're just the noisy type

 

Completely agree...but me, noisy?

Ribbitt, Ribbitt...

 

Ratchet, I would like to add one important note to what Isso says above (and if I'm wrong, he'll sure let me know about it ).

Although he's spot on with the application's description above, one important thing is left out, especially as the application is compared to ISRs like CTM and Rollback RX. Rollback's use of its sub-Console at BOOT time (if undamaged by any virus/Root/Bootkit) will allow you to go to a previous snapshot very quickly if recovering from an unBOOTable or broken system (assuming the snap's integrity is good). AXTM can only do this with a fully functional system/OS. If the system is unBOOTable, AXTM requires the use of its RECOVERY media to do a full RESTORE to the snapshot of interest... typically taking the same amount of time as any other decent imaging tool using incremental images for restoration purposes.

With a functioning OS, AXTM allows you to leap between snapshots just like Rollback RX, albeit just a teeny bit slower. With a non-functioning OS or unBOOTable system, a standard full/incremental image restoration is required.

Having said all that, I find the product excellent for what it's designed for... a complete imaging backup system combined with the ability to create (and return to, if necessary) arbitrary points along a single (or multiple) timelines. This is an excellent hybrid product.

 

Could not have described it better myself.

Isso, you may want to ask Froggie to write your marketing blurb, as and when...

 

Hehe, Froggie, I offer you a position of Senior Vice President Public Relations in our company

Thanks a lot guys, much appreciated. I'm especially thankful to you Baldrick for still recommending the program despite of it performing slower than usual on your system.

By the way, I would love to see anyone posting their backup and restore times. Just trying to understand what are the average values that the people see. Please mention also the source and destination disk types and CPU. Thank you!

Isso

 

No problem Isso. I am convinced that the issue is specifically with my PC and not with the underlying concept of AX64 TM or the execution of the app.

Hopefully I can find out what the issue is...as I think that I am seeing some slow ups elsewhere that have nothing to do with your app...and I am wondering if it is in fact the C: drive itself as the transfer speeds per channel seem to fluctuate...when I believe that they should be more consistent/stable.

I will keep digging.

Regards


Balders

 

SSD to SSD, ~3.5 gig of system data, Quad core cpu @ 3.45Ghz..

Approximately 30 seconds to do a full snapshot
About 45 seconds to restore fully back to the loaded desktop after ~200meg of changes...
about 7 seconds to snapshot those changes, so I find it all quite speedy.

This is why I like AX - I have Macrium (paid - just for the boot menu facility) for full backups but it`s a PIA and the UI is illogical to me....

AX does what I`ve always wanted Macrium to do....and very simply. I would probably use both simultaneously.

 

A couple of questions which probably have been answered somewhere in the preceding already.

Is PC activity at all affected during the snapshot creation phase?

Is it possible to access the program during reboot (assuming a functioning system) or must the recovery media be present for this to happen? With Rx its possible to access the Rx sub-console by pressing the Home key during a portion of the boot sequence.

Also, could I trouble you for a recap of the frequency of auto snaps that can be set as well as the available consolidation of snaps and base settings configurations. That is, how many snaps are created before they begin to be consolidated and is it possible to modify the size of the backup set.

 

bgoodman,

The snapshot creation is exactly the same operation as taking an incremental image with any imaging program. I.e. it implies copying the changed sectors to the target location (and compressing them on the fly), which results in disk and CPU activity. That may slow down the current operations for the backup period. For AXTM that period is quite short, so it's not a problem in my opinion.

For accessing the program during reboot - AXTm works in a different manner. You run the restore right from the main loaded OS, without rebooting. After the restore is completed the machine reboots automatically and starts up at the time point that you've selected.
If your disk fails, or OS is unbootable, you will need to use recovery media.

For automatic backup and consolidation: right now there is only a single fixed setting of backups taken each hour. The backups are automatically consolidated as follows: 3 last hourly backups are kept, then 4-hour backups for the last day, daily backups for last week, weekly backups for last month, monthly backups for last year, and yearly backups onwards.

Isso

PS: on the bottom of our webpage (ax64.com) you can find two short demo videos - for backup and restore operations. Just have a look to see how the program works.

 

Isso, any ETA on when you expect the recovery iso builder to discover Intel RST drivers on systems (beta2 maybe? Sorry to seem impatient, but that's a critical issue for me (and I'm sure some others)!

Cruise

 

I've tried this program again since the initial test I did with build .800. It certainly runs much quicker on creation of the very first back-up, and restores are quick too. I still, however, get that blue screen prior to Windows loading after invoking a restore. I'd love to know where to get those dump files from to send you. Apart from that, it works, including the restore so slightly puzzled what's happening during the boot process after a restore.

 

Cruise,

Sorry for delaying it, we are having some troubles (non-technical) with further development of PE generator module, but I think we'll solve them in upcoming month and will release an update then. The problem itself I've spotted - indeed the drivers aren't copied, so this should not be difficult to solve.

Isso

 

Tony, sorry about the problem, actually you are the first person to report BSOD, I'm really wondering what the problem is. Please send the dumps to info@ax64.com and please mention the AXTM version in the letter. Thank you very much!

Isso

 

Thank you for the ans to my questions, I have one supplementary one. What happens if the recovery medias storage capacity is reached before all of the scheduled consolidations occur? I have been using RollBack Rx on my convertible laptop/tablet because external media is not always available. I have a new laptop/tablet PC that has 100 gigs of space set aside for ongoing Rx like protection (I purchased a 500 gig drive specifically with using AX64 to replace Rx in mind). I intend/hope to use AX64 for this purpose but am concerned about running out of room. I suppose I can start fresh with a new base image ((((or perhaps manually eliminate a number of monthly snaps,,, which would you suggest would be best?)))) every few months or so as nec but would prefer not to have to do this if I can avoid it. I would continue (of course) to image weekly to external media as well just in case something happens to render the internal drive inoperable.

 

Another user experience:

win 7x64 SP1

AX64TM works with no problem with Paragon B&R 2013 free.


Cant' wait to purchase the final version: when will you release it?


Happy Easter!

 

Well been testing for a bit now and so far no issues. I will be sure to give you a heads up if I do run into anything.

 

A few final (I think) questions. I would merely want to make a few manual snapshots, probably never keep more than two (as I tend to forget why I made one a day or two ago, if you get my drift?) and easily delete them so as to only keep a few.
Relative to image software compatibility, are you saying if I had a Paragon archive or W7 Backup archive dated xx/xx/xx (the day before my latest AX64 snapshot) and I restored to the latest AX64 snapshot, the image archives would be there and with Paragon or W7 Backup, I could access there locations, e.g. an external HD?
Last but not least, if I image when there are some snapshots from AX64 available, and I restore that image, would the snapshots still be there and would AX64 still be functional? This last question has more to do with not having to remove AX64 before utilizing image software, as opposed to necessarily needing the snapshots since for convenience, if one needed to do a restore, they'd probably use AX first anyway. Thank you!