Image backup using Drive SnapShot?

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

I have Drop To Dos i place on every reinstall so thats in place. Can't wait to take this to full circle and review then the resutlts

ManY Thanks

EASTER

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Thanks for that summary. Will keep it in mind. But, just to make sure, you did confirm that ShadowProtect can backup all snapshots from recovery CD along with sectgors 0-63 of mbr, is that right? I had tried this and it seemed to work but had not way to confirm it. This was done by checking include free space when creating image. Thanks.

Gary

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

A Word of Warning:

Wiping the first 63 sectors of your hard drive will wipe out your partition tables and sort out any troubled drives. If you have a extended partition this will be gone and gone for good not to mention the primary. So if you testing and you have a secondary partition of data of value then don't do this. I have 2 partitions on the same Raid 0 array so wiping those sectors will still keep the secondary partition.

There's another good use for MBRWizard and that is to Wipe the drive with zero's over every single sector. It will work with big drives. The only thing that get it back then is an electron microscope. Wiping out just the first 63 ensures you can still get your data back with a deep scan but won't matter if you use the drive for testing as in our case.

mbrwiz /Disk=0 /WipeDisk=1 (/Disk= being the disk you want to wipe)

Another good reason why wiping the first 63 sectors is a good idea is if you ever wanted to do some recovery from the new data you put down and you had a newly created extended partition, the recovery software can incorrectly recover the wrong size partition and data as there old boot managers, records in the extended MBR.

Brian,

I tried using there MBRWORK before i tried MBRWizard at the time i tried IFD. There's one problem using MBRWORK that you suggested. It's a 16Bit dos program. It's not for 32bit dos like MBRWizard so i suggest you use MBRWiz for BartPE. MBRWORK is fine for true dos and along with IFD. Terabyte have another useful MBR Utility which lets you press F9 on bootup and boot a hidden partition but i guess you already knew that.

Terabyte for everything well nearly but not quite...

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Hi guys,

Thanks to markymoo, Nexstar, and others, I've proven (to myself) that DS, in UBCD4Win environment, reliably backs up and restores my system partition with RB installed. Well, I'm getting a copy of the Paragon HDM v8.5's boot CD from my friend today and I will use it to backup & restore my system partition (with RB installed) to see how it compares to DS. Just to be safe, I will first image C: with DS as a fall-back.

I haven't read of anyone here using Paragon HDM to backup and restore a system partition with EAZ/RB installed, but there are so many threads on the subject, perhaps it's been attempted? Anyhow, I should have results sometime this eve...

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

I intend to do the same with FD-ISR and it's snapshots/archives soon. If this tiny GIANT successfully restores them 100% intact i do believe my friends we owe a huge bit of gratitude to this developer of the smallest imaging solution known to man which is completely stable as well as very fast.

I am deadly serious here.
DS completely blew my Paragon right off the map with it's restore speed! I couldn't believe my own eyes! But there was a perfectly working partition again even though it wasn't even the partition i had imaged from. I'm sold on it lock, stock, and barrel.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

It's 100% success backing up all snapshots with ShadowProtect if you use the SP recovery cd and include free space option and when you restore choose MBR restore and Disk Track Restore. Leave disk signature unticked. I tested this myself.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Thank you for the confirm. i am glad to hear that. I had tested that in 2.5 version but not in 3 but I am glad to hear that.

Gary

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Just carried out the same test on a 15GB partition with 3.2GB used.

Both SP and DS produced 2.1GB images. SP took 15mins and DS took 12mins. Mind you, the front end on the SP almost makes it worth the licence fee just for the recovery CD .

Both images restored ok with all snapshots intact.

Graham

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

This is true but I discovered yesterday that DS can create a partition from unallocated space and you can go ahead with the restore. You don't have to create the partition prior to using DS for the restore as I'd done in the past.

I restored an image to a partition only 3/4 the size of the original partition. DS handled the resizing. Impressive and fast.


PS Edit. Apologies to lucas1985. You were referring to DI XML and not to DS. I must learn to read.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Earlier I boasted here on this forum about success with Paragon raw imaging and EF:s snapshots restore...Yes, indeed I had success but also failures...The 3 last attempts ended up in failures, therefor I renewed my efforts with BartPe creation and DS/IFW...I guess that Paragon would be fine if you also combine with a BartPE MBR 0-63 sector backup/restore using mbrwiz or secinspect...

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

To be honest though, this is a bit of an optimum scenario sort of test as the disk hasn't been 'muddied' by previously deleted data which would not compress as well as if it were all zeros .

It also emphasises why this method is best applied to a partitioned drive with a relatively small system partition. At least then I know, in this case, that the the image is never going to be bigger than 15GB and, hopefully, a fair bit less.

Graham

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

It was only 10gb partition and 4gb of data. I didn't use compression as it was small and to do fast.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Yesterday, I backed up my system partition (with RB installed) using Paragon HDM v8.5 and then tried restoring it. It sort of worked, in that it did restore the partition, but without the RB subconsole (and RB wa not functional)!. Before doing that, I had created a DS snapshot (thank goodness!), so I restored that (from the UBCD4Win environment) and everything was again working.

Wondering about why Paragon failed to do the job, I decided to try it again, but this time wiping my system partition first (as I recalled once reading here that helps). So I did that and repeated everything using Paragon. Although I fail to understand why, this did indeed result in a completely successful restore!

Needless to say, between the two I'm much more confident in DS. Btw, Paragon took about 3 more minutes than DS to backup and restore my partition and Paragon's image was about 15% larger. In Paragon's favor, its boot CD booted up quickly, recognized my drives and was straight-forward to use.

Next weekend I plan to try Acronis TI v11 to see if it can do the job successfully and if so, how well it compares to DS.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

...hmm, interesting...maybe that explains why I had earlier success and then followed by failures...very much likely I did a wiping and then stopped doing that...

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Could be, although I just don't understand why that happened. But DS is working flawlessly for me (I've now performed 4 successful backups and restores with DS without any such problem, nor have I had to use any separate MBR restoration), so it's not worth pursuing Paragon any further!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I plan on trying Acronis TI v11 next weekend to see how it compares to DS.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

appster i thought you cottoned on , in essence it failed is because you backed up in windows with Paragon and it can't see the real beginning sectors of your partition, they are hidden and so it backs up the sectors but they are empty of eaz-fix code. The console is missing because that part is in the bootsector which you can't backup from within windows (except IFW) and so windows sees Eaz-Fix is not installed. It uses MS VSS technology like ShadowProtect which is still a great thing but wont backup Eaz-Fix protection and that why it fails.

...You have to backup with the Paragon Recovery CD to successfully backup all snapshots. Yes UBCDWin is windows but your outside the windows your backing up so it is successful.

If you actually tried to backup it in windows and backup the MBR outside of windows(UBCDWin) and restore it back after you restore the image as i discussed a few times then you have a fighting chance but this hasn't worked for DS or ShadowProtect. So try this way for TI 11 or you will get a fail for sure.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

@markymoo:
I only used Paragon Recovery CD...I don´t have the prog installed, when I backed up sys partition I did it with raw+ aux.files included.Nevertheless I ended up with failures...but, with the working DS/bartpe/ifw+mbrwiz/mbrutil/secinsp I consider this history, although interesting...

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

Sorry markymoo, but I don't understand the expression "cottoned on"... Btw, your assumption is incorrect - I know that 'EAZ/RB restores' should be performed outside of WinXP, and so I did use Paragon's Recovery CD for both my failed and successful attempts.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

@osip

I modified and inserted a new feature into MBRWhisky Added Save and Restore Head to filename of your choice of the entire 63 sectors. Fully Tested.



Download it here
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=30B062350123B981
MBR.exe MD5 Hash: 05eb2aa5b427d960eb809ee619cc8956

Copy it to same folder as mbrwiz.exe. Its renamed to mbr.exe so it wont overwrite your original mbrwhisky.exe. Can delete the original mbrwhisky.exe.Run this instead, it replaces it.

http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/MD5_Fingerprint/1119188460/1
Download MD5 Fingerprint 1.2


@appster
i thought you described from within windows when you said with RB installed, i had quickly misinterpreted - try it again but this time backup and restore MBR. cottoned on = to come to understand.

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

markeymoo, thanks for the interpretation - never heard "cottoned on" before!

While it's good to have your MBR tool in my arsenal, so far I haven't had to do anything extra (when using DS from UBCD4Win) to accurately restore my MBR.
My feelings are if some other disk-imaging program requires using an MBR 'tool' (in order to restore an EZ/RB modified MBR) then why bother with that imaging program (it's too much of a hassle)!

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

@appster - one example you could of saved 2 hours on a 500gig sector backup doing it in windows instead of downtime doing it at end of day from recovery when you could be at home - dont want to wait around leave the pc on all night when you could of already done it in already in windows. so time and money is one. stop trolling

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

@markymoo:

More than great!!...You take the price...

 

Re: Image backup using Drive SnapShop?

markymoo,

That is really nice. I've avoided MBRWiz in the past as I didn't feel comfortable with the command line switches. But MBRWhisky is more my style.

One question. When would you prefer using MBRWhisky (from Windows) over using MBRWork from DOS or MBRWiz from DOS? Assuming they are both safe and effective, is one "better"? Just interested in your thoughts.