Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

With any of these latter beta versions is there any reason to need to re-create recovery media? I guess what I mean is do any of the recent changes warrant new media?

 

Good question. Yes please re-create it, we made some changes to its components.

 

These are the snapshots almost 24hrs later.

 

Thank you Marc, this looks good to me. I forgot that we've changed the algorithm a little bit to work like this - 3 hourly backups, then backups with 6 hour interval (rather than 4) for the rest of the day, then daily, weekly, monthly etc. So the program works as expected.

Isso

 

3 hourly backups is so short, though. Doesn't cover a whole work day. Wouldn't it be better to keep a hourly back for the whole 6 hours interval before the next big merge?

 

I see your point, thank you. We will be adding more flexible scheduling in one of the upcoming releases, I'll make sure you can specify both the number of backups and the interval between them.

Isso

 

Do you not have .axb files as well? I do, in addition to the .axd files.

 

I don't. What I posted is all I get with the newest build.

 

.axb files are backups of the hidden system partition that exists only on some of the installations.

Isso

 

It's strange because I do have such hidden partition...

 

Isso. If i may make another request for consideration to add to your current list of features.

I would like the ability to select more than one snapshot at a time to delete.

I like taking my snapshots manually and often delete 2 or more snapshots at a time. Currently i have to revisit the browser to select the next individual snapshot i wish to delete. This is very fustrating.

Cheers

 

Marc, that system reserved partition - is it bootable (active)? And you are backing up drive C:, right?

 

That's right.

 

carfal,

Thank you. Sure we'll add it - it's a very useful feature and may save a lot of time. There is just one technical problem, that's why we didn't add it to the current version, but we'll solve it later.

Isso

 

Thank you, will look into it.

Isso

 

I can send you the logs if it offers any help. However, I won't be back at that machine until much later in the day so it may not be until end-of-day before I can provide the logs.

 

Thank you, yes please whenever you have time

 

very nice program, very fast at creating initial backup. latest version for the usb recovery media don't work anymore for me. i redid the creation of the usb recovery media with latest version. it will boot and load really fast from my usb then it gets to the part where its initializing network then thats it, my machine boots up normally to desktop. use to work with previous version.
windows 7 ultimate x64

 

Hi, sorry for that problem. Could you please zip and upload the contents of the USB drive somewhere and send the link to info@ax64.com? Also please let me know which AXTM version did work for you. Thank you

Isso

 

And you are now featured on betanews.com

http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/AX64-Time-Machine/1366300780/1#reviews

By the way, I sent you my logs by email.

 

Thank you, yes I noticed the program on betanews, but was quite disappointed with 1 star review from a person who hasn't even tried the program. Luckily someone else posted 5 star rating, so now it's at least break even

I received your logs - thank you, replied via email.

Isso

 

Greetings. Just installed v1.0.0.956 on Windows XP Asus Eeebox. First backup went fine, to a NAS drive - but - when I went to view the backup, it appeared I was looking instead at my local "C:" drive - no indication I was on the NAS. So I shut AX64 down, then restarted it, now I am unable to view the backup. Clicking the "View Backups" button has no response. Wait - just re-booted the PC. Now clicking "View Backups" opens the backup browser (I guess). It appears I am still viewing my local drive. So I click "Open Backup Folder", browse to my NAS/AXTM folder and select it. No response except constant hour glass (wait).
Any idea why this is happening? I've tried it several times all with the same result.
Thanks.
ps. in case it makes a difference, Acronis True Image is installed on this PC.

 

Hello Grumpa. If i may offer some layman assistance here.

This view IS the backed up snapshot. It looks like your looking at your normal C: drive but in fact it is your backed up snapshot. I guess it is confusing because no paths are shown that point to the back up path. Perhaps Isso can improve on this?

In regards to your network drive, I also have had mixed results when backing up to my WHS. I'm guessing you had to map the folder on your drive just like i did. This appears to be an unstable method of working with networks and i believe that Isso is changing this so that the actual network path can be selected directly during the setup stage. Hopefully this will result in a more predictable result. Sometimes it takes time for your router to setup an IP address and map the drive hence the hit and miss that you've reported in accessing the backup folder. For this reason I'm waiting for the improved implementation of network access before i give this another go.

I'm certain that Isso will give his expert opinion just as soon as he gets a chance.

 

Thanks much for the clarifications - but - it is quite confusing to know what you are looking at without a full path. Also, while looking at this view (the backup), I highlighted a file and went to delete it - AX64 then told me I was deleting the entire backup - at the file level, delete (or other file functions) should not be available if you can't execute them. You were right about me mapping to the AXTM folder, and right also about it being a bit quirky. Subsequent releases should address this.
I like what I am seeing and would like for it to succeed ... is this also the Forum for enhancement requests?
Thanks.

 

Grumpa, thank you for trying the program and for your comments. Carfal, thank you for helping me to answer the questions. Guys, every time somebody confuses the Browser contents with the real file system I'm just shocked, because it means that our killer feature isn't being used! Please give me some advice on how to make it clear to the user that this is the content of the drive in the past (and that content can instantly be switched between points in time by selecting the backups on the top left). Any suggestion is much appreciated. I've added Tip of the day dialog explaining it, but looks like it doesn't work. This feature is very important, because none of the competitors offers anything like it.

To do what Browser does with competitor programs one needs to mount one backup, browse to the desired folder, then if it's not what you need, dismount that one, mount another one, browse again etc. With Backup Browser you simply navigate to the desired folder, and keep clicking on the backups list. The content of that folder will instantly switch between points in time, so you can easily find what you need.

For hour glass when you open the folder - does it happen every time? If yes, could you wait for a couple of minutes and see if it works? That might be related to the network speed or availability.

Isso