Troubleshoot Win 7x64 crash, BSOD, MS updates, RxRollback & questions (PC hell ... )

[TipsEasy]

*Please mods, move this thread if it would be better somewhere else ..

Hi all, I am just recovering from a crash, blue screen nightmare .... aaaaahhhhh!! HP Pavilion dv4, win 7 x64, that I keep pretty updated. It's an older laptop but has worked hard and been reliable. I regularly create MS "rescue disks" and macrium backups, and have a large external drive for back ups, so I didn't lose to much data.

Had just done a couple of months worth of MS updates (I fell a bit behind ...) an all was good. My HitmanPro Alert is private beta, also been working very nicely for me.

I like "system restore" - when it works!! So, installed RxRollback, aaaannd ... blue screen, dang. PC hell commenced, as system restore wouldn't work, nor safe boot. The "rescue disks" were a joke. I dreaded an OS re-install, but finally installed a MS pc back-up from Nov 2015. And with Macriums rescue cd "mini-explorer", moved docs to the external drive.

So, my questions, and hopefully some considered thoughts: think there's a conflict with HitmanProA and RxRollback? Any suggestions for free recover programs? I did lose some data I'd rather recover if possible.

 

[LabZero]

If you have a full Macrium system image, you can use the Macrium boot CD and restore the image by following the path. I think a conflict RX Rollback/ Macrium WinPE.

 

[TipsEasy]

Thanks Klipsh, I had a sense there might be a conflict, but was thinking more between HPA & Rollback. I was also feeling a little paranoid/crazy, this close to Windows 10 release, that if they'd just drive me crazy enough I'd install 10!

 

[Ink]

Please mods, move this thread if it would be better somewhere else ..

Mod Edit Notes: Moved to Troubleshooting software.

 

[shmu26]

it is important to know that rollback is very finicky when combined with other restore solutions.
it definitely can interfere with windows restore point, in my experience.
But you can always do a macrium reflect system image restore, as Klipsh said.
You will lose your rollback snapshots, but you will save your system.

just thinking out loud, did you do any on-the-metal changes, like resizing partitions or messing with the MBR or anything like that?
You must uninstall rollback, and reboot, before making any on-the-metal changes to your system. This is because rollback sits in-between your windows installation and the physical hard disk. That is not an expert's definition, but you get the idea.

 

[TipsEasy]

Nice explanation, thanks! No, "on-the-metal changes", partition resizing or anything other than MS updates, Adobe creative cloud/suite updates, surfing ... the usual. But, I think I aught to have been more careful w/updates, as it seems those can be big changes to a system. The basic info from "data-recovery" lends some credence to this idea. No indication of maleware, or nasties.

I think I'll commit to learn full Macrium, and more restore points, and more "deliberate" updating. Cheers!

 

[shmu26]

Nice explanation, thanks! No, "on-the-metal changes", partition resizing or anything other than MS updates, Adobe creative cloud/suite updates, surfing ... the usual. But, I think I aught to have been more careful w/updates, as it seems those can be big changes to a system. The basic info from "data-recovery" lends some credence to this idea. No indication of maleware, or nasties.

I think I'll commit to learn full Macrium, and more restore points, and more "deliberate" updating. Cheers!

rollback is allergic to certain windows updates. you can never really know which ones for sure, but if they are really big ones, the chances are much greater that your system will crash.
So before a major windows update, you should uninstall rollback, and reboot (the reboot is essential because it is the only way to get rid of the driver)

one other caveat about rollback that you should know, if you have a SSD: it will prevent TRIM from working correctly, so over the long run, that could affect the performance of your SSD.
Solution: every once in a while, you should uninstall rollback, remember to REBOOT, and run TRIM.
then you can reinstall rollback.
It is an absolutely great program, despite the headaches.

 

[jamescv7]

Hitman Pro for rare/often scenario may provide problems that can result to BSOD. (localized systems only)

But for easy observation then the last application you install or execute will be the obvious culprit.

 

[TipsEasy]

This recent disaster confirms my sense of a gap in my backup/restore plan. I love the ease of system restore on my PC, but it failed during this crash. I browsed to them through Macrium's limitied explorer the 1 time I was able to boot inter "last good configuration", but was unable to get my pc to safe boot or use those restore points. Thus confirming my need for something like Rollback. My drive is SAMSUNG HM160HI ATA Device.
On Macriums' support forum, I just read this, further clarifying for me:

".. a Legacy/MBR-based system, unless Macrium takes FORENSIC images (all sectors on the Rollback protected partition... a large image), you will not be able to restore a working image to that system without re-initializing the systems with a STandard Windows MBR (not the one saved by Macrium) following the restoration. Even when you do that, the system will BOOT but Rollback will be neutered and all Rollback snapshots will be gone and unavailable."
​

I also just now read Umbra's MT Rollback RX guide, and probably my problems are more "user error" and installing programs without learning enough about them. Furthering my commitment to finding a reliable restore plan!

 

[shmu26]

This recent disaster confirms my sense of a gap in my backup/restore plan. I love the ease of system restore on my PC, but it failed during this crash. I browsed to them through Macrium's limitied explorer the 1 time I was able to boot inter "last good configuration", but was unable to get my pc to safe boot or use those restore points. Thus confirming my need for something like Rollback. My drive is SAMSUNG HM160HI ATA Device.
On Macriums' support forum, I just read this, further clarifying for me:

".. a Legacy/MBR-based system, unless Macrium takes FORENSIC images (all sectors on the Rollback protected partition... a large image), you will not be able to restore a working image to that system without re-initializing the systems with a STandard Windows MBR (not the one saved by Macrium) following the restoration. Even when you do that, the system will BOOT but Rollback will be neutered and all Rollback snapshots will be gone and unavailable."​

what you need to do in a situation like that is run the macrium reflect boot repair tool. It is on the recovery media of macrium reflect. It will fix your MBR and you will be able to boot (but rollback will be dead)

 

[hjlbx]

With SSD, it depends upon how much drive space is occupied.

For 10 % one just needs to TRIM SSD about every 6 months.

For 50 % one needs to TRIM SSD about every 2 - 3 months.

For more than 50 % TRIM SSD every few weeks to a month.

That's it.

I would do it right after Windows Update.

 

[JHomes]

So, my questions, and hopefully some considered thoughts: think there's a conflict with HitmanProA and RxRollback? Any suggestions for free recover programs? I did lose some data I'd rather recover if possible.

If you have a disk image you've taken with Rollback Rx installed, you can reset the Master Boot Record and it should work. It'll remove Rollback but you can always re-install it after. At least it'll get you running!

As for Rollback Rx and disk imagers, I was talking to one of their Sr. Techs and he said that when running a disk imager it's not going to capture the subconsole (the part of Rollback that loads before Windows). So that's why you're having issues. The workaround as far as I can tell is to reset your MBR after a re-imaging, or use their disk imager which captures the subconsole.

 

[TipsEasy]

Thanks all!

 

[FrFc1908]

Rollback Rx is an amazing concept , but problems can arrise like an unboottable system especially when a " major "windows upgrade comes rolling in ( win10 is notorious for replacing the recovery partition on your hdd / ssd ). also defragging your drive is a big no no when rbrx is installed. I prefer aomei one key recovery over rbrx or macrium