What's it Going to Take to Restore Previous Versions from Shadow C

[NoelC]

Here's some of what's missing from Windows 8.1...

 

This is the Windows 8 "Windows 7 File Recovery" dialog.

 

 

-Noel

[HarryTri]

Yes, that's it but the restoral capability must exist somehow in Windows 8.1 too (if not then the system backup is useless, at least for the not-too-geek user). Maybe in the Recovery option in your first image?

Edited July 23, 2014 by HarryTri

[NoelC]

You can restore a System Image backup from the WinRE environment (e.g., if you boot from the Win 8.1 disc or a recovery drive).

 

There is no inherent file restoral capability (i.e., NO access to Windows 7 file backups, and only full restoral of a System Image backup made with 8.1), hence this thread. 

 

Fortunately I'm now happily using the Z-VSScopy tool for an occasional file restoral, and so far it's worked perfectly with the system image backups I've scheduled with wbadmin commands..

 

-Noel

[jaclaz]

Maybe useful, maybe not, there is a new thingy:

https://github.com/candera/shadowspawn

 

Thanks to Zimmy, which posted about it here:

http://reboot.pro/topic/19410-vss-to-capture-live-logical-disk/

http://reboot.pro/topic/19410-vss-to-capture-live-logical-disk/?p=187667

 

It is an evolution/spin-off from Hobocopy:

https://github.com/candera/hobocopy

http://reboot.pro/topic/7400-copy-locked-system-files-tis-now-possible/

 

jaclaz

[NoelC]

Thanks for sharing that.

 

I love seeing products that leverage the Volume Shadow Copy Service.  It's an amazing feature that operates at a high level of technical prowess and elegance not normally associated with Windows (which is probably why they are de-emphasizing / deprecating it).  I believe it conceptually (if not actually) came out of work originally done at Digital Equipment Corporation.

 

VSS would be a really great feature for Microsoft to embrace fully once again in Windows 9.

 

By the way, Thanks to a bit of help (I think it was from xpclient, but if I remembered wrongly I'm sorry) I have found a "hacked" version of vssadmin that provides to Windows 8 users the same level of utility the command of the same name provides to Windows Server users.

 

See:  http://flaming-grackles.tumblr.com/post/41091667883/some-notes-on-reinstating-shadow-copies-on-windows-8

 

Note that someone named Guillaume followed the instructions and provided a download link in the user comments at the bottom.

 

Compare the Microsoft-provided VSSAdmin command to the hacked one:

 

 

 

-Noel

Edited September 21, 2014 by NoelC

[jaclaz]

Actually - for the record - RFire posted it in this same thread (which doesn't mean that xpclient might not have suggested it to you as well):

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/170497-whats-it-going-to-take-to-restore-previous-versions-from-shadow-copies/#entry1082221

 

 

But, if we "migrated" to command line, isn't the Diskshadow.exe now included in 8/8.1?:

 

Server 2008:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc772172(WS.10).aspx

 

Windows 8, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc772172.aspx

 

 

jaclaz

Edited September 21, 2014 by jaclaz

[NoelC]

C:\TEMP>diskshadow -?

'diskshadow' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

 

-Noel
 

[jaclaz]

C:\TEMP>diskshadow -?

'diskshadow' is not recognized as an internal or external command,

operable program or batch file.

 

 

Maybe they got the wrong date and it was made on April 1st, 2012 :

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc772172.aspx

 

 

Published: April 17, 2012

Updated: April 17, 2012

Applies To: Windows 8, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012

DiskShadow.exe is a tool that exposes the functionality offered by the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS). By default, DiskShadow uses an interactive command interpreter similar to that of DiskRAID or DiskPart. DiskShadow also includes a scriptable mode.

 

 

And seemingly someone else:

https://kb.acronis.com/content/45472

believed that without really checking .

 

But it seems like (not really news when it comes to MS documentation) it cannot be found *anywhere* in Windows 8/8.1:

http://serverfault.com/questions/558190/can-diskshadow-be-installed-in-windows-8

 

 

jaclaz

[HarryTri]

Still there is the wbadmin command, right?

 

 

wbadmin 1.0 - Backup command-line tool
© Copyright 2012 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

ERROR - Command incomplete. See the list below.
For Help for this command, type WBADMIN <command> /?.

---- Commands Supported ----

START BACKUP              -- Runs a one-time backup.
STOP JOB                  -- Stops the currently running backup or recovery
                              operation.
GET VERSIONS              -- Lists details of backups that can be recovered
                              from a specified location.
GET ITEMS                 -- Lists items contained in a backup.
GET STATUS                -- Reports the status of the currently running
                              operation.

 

It may not have the same options with the vssadmin but it utilizes the VSS functionality. Noel, aren't you making your backups with it?

[Rfire]

Happy to report that the "Previous Versions" tab is now back in the Windows 10 Technical Preview. Of course, its alpha quality so this is subject to change before RTM, but hopefully it sticks. Anyone that likes this feature and is using Windows 10 please make sure to use the feedback app and goto file explorer and search for previous versions and click the "me too" button for the item praising the restoration of this feature in 10 to make sure Microsoft knows how much we missed this feature.

[NoelC]

Search is now impossible with the Feedback Tool.

 

-Noel