How to Use Time Machine (formerly AX64 Time Machine) — Step‑by‑Step Tutorial

How to Use Time Machine (formerly AX64 Time Machine) — Step‑by‑Step TutorialTime Machine (formerly AX64 Time Machine) is a Windows backup and disk-imaging tool designed to create full, incremental, and differential backups of disks, partitions, and files. This tutorial walks you through installing the program, configuring backup jobs, restoring data, scheduling automation, and tips for best practices and troubleshooting.

What you’ll need

• A Windows PC (Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11 recommended).
• Administrative privileges to install and run the software.
• A target storage location for backups: external drive, network share (SMB), or another internal disk.
• Time Machine installer (download from the official site or a trusted distributor).

Note: This guide covers the general workflow of Time Machine, but menu names or options may vary slightly by version.

Installation and first run

1. Download and run the installer:

   • Obtain the Time Machine installer (formerly AX64 Time Machine).
   • Right‑click the installer and choose “Run as administrator.”
   • Follow the on‑screen prompts to install.

2. Launch the application:

   • After installation, open Time Machine from the Start menu or desktop shortcut.
   • If prompted by User Account Control (UAC), accept to allow the app to run with administrative rights.

3. Initial setup wizard (if present):

   • Some versions present a setup wizard to create your first backup. Follow the wizard to pick the source (entire disk, partition, or files) and the destination (external drive, network share).
   • Name the backup job for later identification.

Understanding backup types

• Full backup: Captures everything selected (entire disk/partition/files) in one image file. Use this for first backups and periodically as a baseline.
• Differential backup: Backs up changes since the last full backup. Faster than full, larger than incremental over time.
• Incremental backup: Backs up only changes since the last backup (full or incremental). Smallest, fastest routine backups, but restores require chaining through increments.

Creating your first backup job

1. Open Time Machine and click “Create New Backup” (or similar).

2. Select the source:

   • Choose a full disk/partition to image or pick specific files/folders.
   • For system imaging, select the system/boot partition and any related partitions (EFI, recovery) to ensure a bootable restore.

3. Choose backup type:

   • Select Full + Incremental (common setup) or Full + Differential depending on your preference.

4. Select destination:

   • External USB/Thunderbolt drive (recommended for local backups).
   • Network share (SMB/NAS) — ensure credentials and permissions are set.
   • Local secondary internal drive.

5. Configure schedule:

   • Set frequency (daily, weekly, or hourly). For most users, daily incremental with weekly full backups is a balanced approach.
   • Set retention rules (keep last X backups or keep backups for Y days).

6. Advanced options:

   • Compression: enable to save space at the cost of CPU/time.
   • Encryption: enable a password to protect backup images (recommended if using portable media or network storage).
   • Exclusions: exclude temp folders, pagefile, hibernation file, or other large irrelevancies.
   • VSS (Volume Shadow Copy) should be enabled for consistent backups of open files and system state.

7. Save and run:

   • Save the job. Optionally run immediately to create the baseline full backup.

Verifying backups

• After a backup completes, verify integrity:
  • Use Time Machine’s “Verify” feature if available to check image consistency.
  • Mount the backup image (most versions allow browsing the image contents) and confirm that key files are present.
  • For bootable system images, consider testing on a spare machine or using virtual machine software to boot the image if supported.

Restoring data

1. Restore individual files/folders:

   • Open Time Machine, select the backup and browse or mount the image.
   • Copy files/folders back to their original location or a new one.

2. Restore a full disk/partition (system restore):

   • Use Time Machine’s “Restore” or “Recover” function and select the target disk to overwrite.
   • If restoring the system disk, you may need to boot from a recovery USB or the Time Machine rescue environment (if the product provides one).
   • Ensure the target disk is equal or larger in size than the original image.
   • For UEFI/GPT systems, restore EFI and recovery partitions if included.

3. Bare‑metal restore:

   • Create a bootable rescue USB (Time Machine usually offers a tool to create rescue media).
   • Boot the machine from the rescue USB, attach the backup storage, and follow the on‑screen restore wizard to write the image back to the internal disk.
   • Rebuild bootloader/UEFI entries if necessary.

Scheduling and automation

• Use the built‑in scheduler to run backups on a timetable.
• For advanced automation, use Windows Task Scheduler to run Time Machine command‑line tasks (if the app supports CLI). Example cron‑style setup:
  • Daily incremental at 2:00 AM, weekly full at Sunday 3:00 AM.
• Monitor backups:
  • Enable email or local notifications if available to receive success/failure alerts.
  • Periodically check the backup log for errors.

Best practices

• Keep at least one offsite copy (cloud or remote NAS) for disaster protection.
• Follow the 3-2-1 backup rule: 3 total copies, 2 different media types, 1 offsite.
• Use encryption for portable/offsite backups.
• Regularly test restores (at least quarterly) to ensure backups are usable.
• Keep the software updated to benefit from bug fixes and new features.
• Exclude temporary system files to save space; include recovery/EFI partitions for full system restores.

Troubleshooting common issues

• Backup fails with VSS errors:

  • Ensure Volume Shadow Copy service is running.
  • Run vssadmin list writers and fix any failing writers (may require restarting services or the machine).

• Destination out of space:

  • Delete old backups according to retention rules or increase storage.
  • Enable compression or change retention settings.

• Cannot access network share:

  • Confirm network credentials and permissions.
  • Test mounting the share in File Explorer with the same credentials.

• Restored system won’t boot:

  • Verify that EFI and system partitions were included.
  • Repair bootloader using Windows installation media (bootrec /fixboot, /rebuildbcd) or use Time Machine rescue tools.

Tips and advanced features

• Use encryption and a strong password for backups stored externally.
• For laptop users, schedule backups when on AC power to avoid interruptions.
• Use differential backups if you prefer faster restores (fewer files to chain) at the cost of more space.
• For very large systems, consider splitting image files across volumes if the destination has file-size limits (e.g., FAT32).
• Keep a bootable rescue USB in a safe place for emergency restores.

Conclusion

Time Machine (formerly AX64 Time Machine) is a versatile Windows imaging and backup tool suitable for personal and small business use. Proper setup includes selecting the right backup type, destination, schedule, and retention rules, then regularly verifying and testing restores. Follow the 3-2-1 rule, enable encryption for portable storage, and keep rescue media handy for system recovery.