Backwards Compatibility

[pablo]

For a number of reasons, I can't update IFL beyond v2.79 and have it work with my system. I've saved old versions of IFL and IFW over the years from 2.60 through 2.79 and would like to use one of these older, simpler models...back before the days of compression, endless command line switches, incompatible Linux kernels, and other 'improvements' that I have no use for. I'm just a plain vanilla Terabyte kinda guy. My problem, though, is that I'm not sure if older versions of IFW / IFL would recognize drive images made with v2.79. I seem to remember updates that came with a warning that they would produce images that were not compatible with older versions of your software. Can you tell me which versions of IFL/IFW in the 2.60 to 2.79 range are dead ends; i.e., they're not backwards compatible.

Also, is it possible to have two different versions of IFW installed at the same time on C:\ ?

[TeraByte Support(TP)]

pablo wrote:
> For a number of reasons, I can't update IFL beyond v2.79 and have it work
> with my system. I've saved old versions of IFL and IFW over the years from
> 2.60 through 2.79 and would like to use one of these older, simpler
> models...back before the days of compression, endless command line
> switches, incompatible Linux kernels, and other 'improvements' that I have
> no use for. I'm just a plain vanilla Terabyte kinda guy. My problem,
> though, is that I'm not sure if older versions of IFW / IFL would recognize
> drive images made with v2.79. I seem to remember updates that came with a
> warning that they would produce images that were not compatible with older
> versions of your software. Can you tell me which versions of IFL/IFW in the
> 2.60 to 2.79 range are dead ends; i.e., they're not backwards compatible.
>
> Also, is it possible to have two different versions of IFW installed at the
> same time on C:\ ?

IFL versions 2.78 and 2.79 would both be able to restore an image created by any IFL version up to and including IFL 2.85. This would also apply to IFW and IFD. The IFL upgrade history contains the backwards compatiblity information, if you need to know about older versions.
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/upgrad ... -linux.htm

If you would like to look further into the IFL problems you're having with later versions of IFL, please email TeraByte support at support@terabyteunlimited.com, and include a report that you create while running from the current version of IFL (2.87) on that system. This KB article covers how to create a report. It will be a text file that you can attach to your email:
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/kb/article.php?id=585

[pablo]

According to your changelog, v2.72 is the first update with a warning: "Updated file version (restores will require version 2.72 or later unless the backwards compatible option is used)." Where is the "backwards compatible option" located, and does it exist on later versions?

Also, is it possible to have two different versions of IFW installed and working at the same time on C:\ ?

[TeraByte Support]

There was never a time that there wasn't compression. Although you've
always had the option to not use compression and still do.

You can use the latest version and still restore the old V2.x images. You
just can't create an image with the new version and use a version that is
too old to restore the new one (there is a backwards compatible option that
takes it back so it can be restored by older 2.x versions).

"pablo" wrote in message news:7328@public.image...

For a number of reasons, I can't update IFL beyond v2.79 and have it work
with my system. I've saved old versions of IFL and IFW over the years from
2.60 through 2.79 and would like to use one of these older, simpler
models...back before the days of compression, endless command line switches,
incompatible Linux kernels, and other 'improvements' that I have no use for.
I'm just a plain vanilla Terabyte kinda guy. My problem, though, is that I'm
not sure if older versions of IFW / IFL would recognize drive images made
with v2.79. I seem to remember updates that came with a warning that they
would produce images that were not compatible with older versions of your
software. Can you tell me which versions of IFL/IFW in the 2.60 to 2.79
range are dead ends; i.e., they're not backwards compatible.

Also, is it possible to have two different versions of IFW installed at the
same time on C:\ ?

[MarkA]

While looking for exactly type of info, I also have a backwards compatibility concern.

I'm using a Win 8.1 tablet (the Asus T100 Bay Trail offering), and using TBwinRE I made version 2.84 one of the options in the Win Recovery Environment.

In the mean time, IFW upgraded to version 2.87, and I did not upgrade the Recovery Environment, just the Windows program.

Imagine my surprise when I needed to restore a backup, and version 2.84 in the Recovery Environment told me that it could not read the most recent version 2.87 backup. If I had not been paranoid and also done a Windows Image backup, I would have been in a painful place.

I would also very much appreciate knowing:
- Where the backward compatibility switch is.
- A reference to which versions are compatible with what.

Thank you - Mark

[Brian K]

MarkA wrote:

> - Where the backward compatibility switch is.

Mark, it's the last option on the Backup Options screen.


> - A reference to which versions are compatible with what.

See http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/upgrad ... indows.htm

[MarkA]

Hi -

I'm looking at the Backup Options screen, and I don't see it.

[attachment=0]Capture.JPG[/attachment]

Please, please, do all that you can to avoid breaking compatibility going forward.

Thanks - Mark

[Brian K]

Mark, thanks for the screenshot. Weird. I have the option underneath Speed up...

Edit... see page 46 in IFW manual

[MarkA]

OK...I'll do my very best to stay calm.

I've been a user of (and recommended) multiple Terabyte products for a very, very long time - I don't expect to have to read the manual with every release. I guess I've been lucky in past decade or so, as I haven't always read the release notes either.

Page 46 of the manual basically says that backward compatibility may be broken with any release going forward:

"Backwards Compatible – Current versions of Image for Windows may use a TBI
format that is not compatible with prior versions.... "

Clearly between, as shown by the difference between the screenshot in the manual, and the screen shot of 2.87 I posted above, the compatibility button disappeared from the GUI in 2.87.

You broke my backup. You've said that this may happen arbitrarily with any future release. Running TBwinRE with every release isn't fun. I could have been subjected to a lot of additional pain had I not used Windows built-in system image as well as IFW (rebuild OS from scratch, reinstall IFW, restore recent backup). Your release quality check somehow lost the compatibility button in 2.87.

I have loved your products, but these are serious problems that challenge my faith in your ability to do the Right Things going forward.

Feel free to contact me if I can provide any further input.

- Mark

[TeraByte Support(PP)]

MarkA wrote:
> In the mean time, IFW upgraded to version 2.87, and I did not upgrade the
> Recovery Environment, just the Windows program.
It's recommended to update your boot media (including WinRE, if using it) when you update the program so you have the latest version available.

> Imagine my surprise when I needed to restore a backup, and version 2.84 in
> the Recovery Environment told me that it could not read the most recent
> version 2.87 backup. If I had not been paranoid and also done a Windows
> Image backup, I would have been in a painful place.
As long as the installed IFW is still accessible you can run the newer IFW .exe and use the newer version. For example, in WinREx64 you could open the Command Prompt and copy imagew64.exe from "D:\Program Files (x86)\TeraByte Unlimited\Image for Windows\V2\imagew64.exe" to "X:\Program Files\TeraByte Unlimited\Image for Windows\V2\imagew.exe" and then launch it (with D: being the installed Windows partition and X: being the TBWinRE RAM drive). In some cases, you can also get away with running it directly from the installed location. Another example would be if you copied the newer program versions onto a flash drive. Just browse to the flash drive and run IFW from there.

---

The "Backwards Compatible" option is not available in all cases (e.g. if the image being created is not supported by the older version of the program). I assume the source drive is GPT.