Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

Yes, there are changes made several times a day and each of them may potentially break something. That's why the functionality of the program must be thoroughly tested before release.

Isso

 

twl845,
Since I would be taking the "AX Install" snapshot prior to ever installing AXTM, why would I need to rollback to the snapshot before "AX Install"? I have never had to do that for any installs in the past with RBRX. What am I missing?
sb

 

The AX Install snapshot will have the AX install in it. So if you want to go back to before you installed AX you will have to go to the snapshot before the AX install snapshot. Say that 3 times. But don't concern yourself too much, because when you test AX64 you will keep it.

 

I think you all are getting confused by what he's trying to do because of the snapshot's name. From how I read it, he's going to:

1. Install RBRX.
2. Make a snapshot named "AX Install" before installing the program.
3. Install AX64 Time Machine.

So, from how I read it, there are no traces of the program in the snapshot.

 

@twl845

The "AX Install" snapshot will NOT have the AX install in it since speedbump took the snapshot prior to installing AX in the 1st place.

@speedbump

You might want to name your snapshot differently. Perhaps call it "Before AX Install" or something alike. As can be seen, it might cause confusion

Edit: Zero3K beat me to it. Posted at about the same time.

 

I tried saying it 3 times but I kept getting interrupted by the fact that the "install AX" snapshot was taken before AXTM was ever installed. Installing AXTM was a 'thing that happened after the RBRX snapshot was taken'. RBRX snapshots allow you to go back to the state before 'things that happen after the snapshot is taken'. I know you are aware of this; I am not trying to tell you anything you don't know. I am just trying to understand why in this one case RBRX would not work as it usually does.

 

Thank you Zero3K and safeguy. You are right. (I posted my last reply before I read your responses). Thank you for restating my question in a clearer way!

 

It is wonderful to see how this thread has expanded, and to see how helpful everyone has been, and how it has helped Isso to fine tune AXTM.

Great work everyone Isso, you have done an incredible job with both support and timely fixes throughout this entire thread, along with excellent communication and it is a wonderful thing to see this quality unique software receive such careful attention and reach the release stage.

Congratulations Isso, to you, to your team and to all who have taken the time and made the effort to assist both you and each other during this phase.

As this continues to mature, and as time moves forward, I expect AXTM to become a well known name within the disk imaging/backup/snapshot software sector and it will be well deserved my friend.

Best wishes to you and to the future of AXTM.

Jim

 

Well, the next update will be in about a month, and the main fix will be GPT/EFI support. In the meantime I am pondering ideas how I can make AXTM my only backup solution (retiring Acronis).

My main problem is that AXTM only supports one partition at a time. I have learnt very early that it is a good idea to partition your HDD and keep the system and the data separate. My main computer usually has 4 partitions (WinXP, Data, Software and Video). Right now I use AXTM for the WinXP system drive, the other partitions are handled by Acronis.

It looks to me that the only feasible way to get rid of Acronis would be to give up partitioning of my HDD completely. Instead I would create three separate new folders on the system drive where the content of my Data, Software and Video partitions will go. Then I will mount these folders as drive letters using either Subst or Net Use.

I did some preliminary tests, and both methods work. For Subst it is a little annoying that you cannot give the substituted drive its own label, it always takes the name of the system drive. The only way to avoid this is to delete the label of the system drive.

For Net Use this restriction does not exist. But Net Use requires that sharing is enabled for the whole folder you want to mount. I am not a networking expert, so I could use some opinions if sharing my data folders will compromise my internet security. Will these shared folders be visible to anyone on the internet? I am behind a router with NAT, does this mean that I am still protected from spying eyes?

The other question is if AXTM plays well with these mounted folders. Are there any possible caveats?


Cheers
manolito

 

Manolito... the Vonuff vDrive will do what you want. It runs off the CONTEXT menu of a selected folder.

 

you should do:

1- Install RX (RX will automatically create its baseline called "baseline")
2- Install AXTM (then you create AX backup and called it "AX baseline", it will contain RX baseline)
3- do a snapshot with RX (called "AX installed")

At this point AXTM is included only into the 2nd snapshot of RX ("AX installed")

if you want AX be included into RX baseline, you have to update Rx's "baseline" via its console (Baseline Manager > Update Baseline); RX will merge all its snapshots into one called "Baseline"

 

Thanks very much Froggie,

this is a very nice utility, for some reason it did not turn up after an extensive Google session...

Basically it does what Subst does, but the user interface is very elegant, much nicer than the usual subst alternatives (Virtual Subst, Visual Subst, XSubst...). You can assign a label to the virtual drive, and this label is pertained during the current session. But unfortunately it does not survive a reboot. After rebooting the virtual drive has the name of the host drive again, I did not find a workaround for this behavior...

So it's back to my question if using "Net Use" and activating sharing will make me vulnerable from the internet.



Cheers
manolito

 

I'll give this another shot. RB wants you to create a new snapshot if you want to test a new app or something. This way you can revert to a prior snapshot if the new app doesn't work out. This way it's like it never happened. With this in mind, you do the following:
1. boot up
2. right click the RB icon in the sys tray and click create a snapshot. Name the snapshot "AX64 install" and create the snapshot.
3. If you open the RB app and click snapshots, you will see a green arrow pointing to the new snapshot, which means you are IN that snapshot.
4. Install AX64. Now you are running both RB and AX in the same snapshot.
5. Let's now assume for some reason you don't want to keep AX64.
6. You revert to the snapshot you were in BEFORE you created the snapshot to test AX64 and named "AX64 Install". Like it never happened.
It's that simple.

 

Jim,

Good to see you back! Thank you very much, I really appreciate your support

Isso

 

Hi manolito,

Sorry for creating troubles to you. Frankly I'm not aware of any better methods for mounting folders as drives. For network - make sure to enable access to shares only for your local PC account. Still IMHO it's not the best solution.

Hope we'll be able to add multiple partition backup feature soon to avoid these problems.

Isso

 

Please take a look at http://www.aboutus.org/Ax64.com and fix the issues it reports regarding the site along with editing the contact info, etc. in that page.

 

Hi again,

I have a question about uninstall : is it done nicely, not like Acronis, leaving no fillter drivers or any other active component ?

I once did an uninstall on Shadow Protect, a highly praised product, it totally messed up the VSS feature of my Vista PC, the only solution was to reinstall it again to recover a working VSS.

Does anyone has experiences to share about uninstall ? Isso of course you are welcome to comment.

Thanks.

 

Greetings once again, Manolito!

"Shares" on not that dangerous, as Isso says, but not perfectly elegant for what you want to do. When the share is set up, if it's made unique to your local account, no one can gain access to it without your specific account information (Windows LOGIN/PASSWORD). And, unless you have your router set up for outside access (which I believe you said you didn't), only your LAN participants (others on your local in home network) will ever see your "Shares" and even then they will need your account info for access.

The "Net Use" method should work just fine until Isso and the crew have multi-partition management available.

 

Morning MO!

To the best of my knowledge (after many INSTALL/unINSTALLs), the only "active" component installed by AXTM, other than the program itself, is a VOLUME level filter that is completely removed by the unINSTALL process. That same process completely removes all the program components as well.

AXTM is very uncomplicated, and very thorough, in both of the above processes... no leftovers that I've been able to detect.

 

Hi all

This is truly a fantastic product!

I have tried to wade though all pages on this thread seeking a solution to my concern.

I want to create a recovery disk, and the software asks me to insert my Windows installation disk and my widows' recovery is pre-loaded in the laptop, what can I use as a Windows installation disk?

marse

 

Maybe you did something wrong. You put a CD in your computer tray and click "Create Recovery Media". It just creates it on the CD.

 

This is true only under WinXP and Win7. If you are using Vista, it does ask for the Windows installation CD.



Cheers
manolito

 

Zero3K,

Thank you very much, will check it out.

Isso

 

MerleOne,

As Froggie mentioned there shouldn't be any problems with uninstalling. We never met any issues with uninstallation when testing the product, and I don't remember to get any related bug report from users either.

Isso

 

Marse,

I do remember you were having this issue back when the first alpha was released, and I wasn't able to resolve it since then, sorry. I'll be working on the recovery media creation module soon and I'll add a couple of more logs to see if we can detect the reason of the problem.

Isso