Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

I know.

Are you sure? One does not need the BCD system for a Boot Menu. Macrium, for example, does it just fine in XP. But that does not mean TM can. Hence the 'Are you sure?'.

Norman

 

I did not say that WinXP does not support boot menus. It just uses a different technology than Vista and upwards. Here is a nice explanation:
http://diddy.boot-land.net/bcdedit/files/bcd.htm

Taken from this page:

Obviously Macrium also supports the old NTLDR method while AX64 v1 and TM v2 only support the BCD store.

Cheers
manolito

 

Was that really what they said?

 

In summary...

WARM restore, COLD restore, AXTM, TM... ahhhhhhhhh! In a nutshell with caveats...

AXTM (AX64 Time Machine) is version #1 ONLY. It has no WARM restore, only HOT via the LIVE Windows interface and COLD via CD/DVD, UFD and LOCAL BOOT in its final released version (v1.4.1.24). LOCAL BOOT did exist in some BETAs both before and after the final release.

TM (Time Machine) is version #2 ONLY and is still in initial BETA release (v2.0.0.315). The current BETA release has NO COLD RESTORE... this is an anomaly with this version only, it will be fixed. It is capable of HOT restores like v1 and WARM restores via the LIVE Windows system, CD/DVD, UFD and LOCAL BOOT. The WARM restore via the LIVE Windows system is nothing more than a special preparation of the LOCAL BOOT media which is then executed to perform the actual WARM restore. This method also has an anomaly where it uses the LOCAL BOOT media to accomplish the WARM restore then eliminates it on its way back into the LIVE Windows system. As a result, if you had installed the LOCAL BOOT media manually, it will be gone following this type of operation. Of course you can always put it back by reinstalling it via the Backup Tools/Rescue Media Builder/Startup Manager facility.

The infamous PETE's WARM RESTORE is nothing more than avoiding the execution of WARM restore out of the LIVE Windows system (with the LOCAL BOOT removal bug) and instead, going directly to the LOCAL BOOT media (via reBOOT) and manually doing your own WARM restore. This method eliminates some of the automatic directives issued from the LIVE Windows WARM restore but they can easily be done manually (what snapshot to return to and automatically starting the process). But BE AWARE, the intention of the developers is to REMOVE (or possibly make optional) this DEFAULT WARM restore accidental capability of the CD/DVD/UFD/LOCAL BOOT media in the ongoing v2 BETA cycle and hopefully fix this accidental LOCAL BOOT media removal bug. I guess what I'm saying is don't count on this LOCAL BOOT media "feature" (bug?) in the final TM v2 release... only COLD restore will be defaulted here.

Windows XP - the ongoing support for this OS is dwindling so existing users should not count on all features being implemented, possibly nothing beyond AXTM v1. The LOCAL BOOT feature is not being implemented under XP at the moment due to the fact that it's using a BOOT manager facility that didn't even come about until VISTA appeared on the scene, and support for VISTA itself is dwindling from MicroSloth at an alarming rate. It was also discovered recently that M$ has been "undersupporting" even W7 as far as security releases are concerned (this is scary) and W7 is still well within its official support period. All the effort seems to be going into W8.1. And as a final reminder, all future Windows 8 updates (as of now) for Windows are only being supplied to W8.1 and beyond... if you're running W8, you are S--t Outta Luck.

 

"Hi Norman,
That's good that it seems most of the essential ax64 functionality is working for you aside from the local pe install.
We apologise if this is not fixed in the next build. We're quite busy with resolving the major issues some of our users are having. Such as the inability to do a warm restore at all.
Thanks Norman and do let me know how everything goes with your testing.
Best regards,
Nathan"

Norman

 

I am pretty sure that Peter had first talked about this BEFORE the release of the V2 beta. Perhaps he can correct me if I am wrong.

 

He did... HERE.

 

I could have sworn that you had done something that was between a cold restore and a hot restore (A RESTORE FROM WITHIN THE PRE-BOOT ENVIRONMENT BUT NOT USING RECOVERY MEDIA) and thus labeled warm with version 1. Guess I am losing my memory faster that I had thought.

PS: Seems to me it was because a hot restore had frozen and you manually shut the PC down. You then rebooted but somehow opened the AX64 browser prior to boot completion (without using recovery media), and then initiated the hot restore.

Have I lost it completely? If so my apologies for wasting the bandwidth. I seem to be doing that more often these days.

PPS: perhaps I am confused and the restore I am thinking of was done from safe mode and perhaps it was not done by Peter. This should increase the likelihood of a successful hot restore since only the min nec to run Windows would be running. No security software to mess the hot restore up etc.

 

That was not prior to the V2 beta release, that was today.

 

Clearly I am confused on this,,,,,did it turn out to be a full cold restore or was it quick like a hot restore? I would suspect it was a full cold restore so I do not know where I got the idea it was quick.

Cruise, if your still there (you may have given up on AX64/TM at this point) could you please try a few hot restores from within safe mode? You would be a good test candidate since your system seems to not like regular hot restores.

 

Sheesh, for a program that started out incredibly simple and easy to use, this sure is getting complicated and weird.

Acadia

 

Hi Barry! It's easy to get confused as many posters don't mention which version they're chatting about or use TM or AXTM in the wrong context.

Clearly, anyone using a v1 Recovery Media (of any type) will not get anything other than a COLD or FULL restore... and using a v2 RECOVERY MEDIA (of any type) at this point in time only gives you whatever the new WARM restore is.

I have used v1 recovery media successfully to restore to v2 snapshots just to insure I get a COLD restore, but something I haven't done (but I think would be interesting) is use a v2 recovery media (with its WARM restore defaults), following any HOT restore failure (v1 or v2), to see if that failure can be WARM restored to. I haven't had a HOT restore failure in so long I really haven't had a chance to test such a scenario... probably worth a try for Cruise or anyone having that type of frequent failure. My guess would be it would look a lot like a COLD restore because the failed HOT restore would leave the protected volume in such a nasty state.

 

Ok, now that we (at last) have some definitions, I see that I incorrectly construed the ability to launch an AX64 Restore via the current version's Local Boot Menu as a Warm Restore. Now that Professor Frog has given us some definitions I understand that booting into AX64 via the local boot menu is still a Cold boot (and Cold Restore) - using the local menu instead of an external disk to boot into AX64.

Also, according to Professor Frog, it seems that the version that BG is using (AX64 1307) doesn't offer the local boot menu, so that may be why he and I 'were not on the same page'. So with my new-found knowledge of 'Warm Restore' and understanding that it doesn't exist in AX64, I now understand why performing a restore by launching AX64 via the current version's local boot menu takes so long to complete - it's just another avenue for initiating a Cold Restore.

The bottom line is that Hot Restores are unreliable on my system and that renders AX64 worthless (as a snapshot program) for me.

Cruise

 

Remember, Acadia... we're still in BETA mode which means all kinds of weird scenarios, funny happenings, Dev Team errors, Pete and Barry and others uncovering all kinds of weird stuff... HELL, it's the real WILD WEST out here!

 

Hi Cruise! Based on your musings, all your current experience has been with v1 (AX64 Time Machine), you've apparently never used v2 (Time Machine) to experience what the WARM restore is all about. My experience says it's the same as HOT restore (under either version) with about 45-sec added to the restore time in order to get the system BOOTed into its WARM restore PE recovery system. If you're still looking for a snapshot application, I think v2 is something you should try just to get a feel for where this product is headed. The current BETA has some anomalies but for testing purposes you should be able to get a good feel for the new WARM restore.

 

I've sent an email regarding getting a beta key but have yet to receive a response. Please do that soon. Thanks.

 

Professor Frog,

V2 'sounds' like it's worth trying - I have a couple of initial questions though (more questions will likely follow):

- Where do I download v2?
- Will my v1 key work with v2, or what?

Cruise

 

Hello,

There are several of us that have not received ours yet either. Why do some have theirs days ago and others do not? I went ahead and sent my request early to give them time but since some of our trials are getting ready to expire as early as today and tomorrow, this issue needs to be addressed soon...

 

Here...

Nope. The above BETA has a 30-day TRIAL period. If you want to try it, feel free to install (after a COMPLETE unINSTALL of v1 and reBOOT), then using <info@ax64.com> ask for a BETA key for use with continued testing.

Move slowly as most of the v2 DEFAULTs have changed as far as backup folders/partitions/etc. are concerned, and the UI is a bit different.

Fell free to ask questions... there are tons of folks here who can answer most of them.

 

Please try doing a V1 hot restore from safe mode. I think it might work like a dream on your system since anything likely to be interfering with AX64 will not be running. If successful it will add a bit of time to the process,,,,the time to get to safe mode,,,but thats seconds and at worst a min or so, of added time to the hot restore process.