HDS lose registration & data after a BSOD

[Elvis]

Hello Forum,

I'm using HDS on multiple PCs, awesome tool! Unfortunately, after a sudden BSOD, Hard Disk Sentinel lost all historic data and the registration. Is there a way to recover everything to the previous state incl. the activation, but more important the already collected history data and my personal settings (also lost).

Thanks in advance!
Elvis

[hdsentinel]

Thanks for your message and kind words!

I'm afraid probably the BSOD caused that some recently updated data file(s) may be damaged/corrupted.

However, it is really weird if both the license and all details are lost, as generally this should not happen.

Did you use the option at Configuration -> Advanced options -> Change folder to store statistics and settings to specify a different folder (or even drive) to store the details?
If that folder (or drive) is not available after the BSOD, then Hard Disk Sentinel can't load the license and the status/statistics. I'd check this as it may confirm why things missing...

[romanshein]

1. "Configuration -> Advanced options -> Change folder"
- I don't see this option in 6.1. Was the option removed in since the time of your comment?
2. Is there a possibility of importing of historical data from another system? F.i., I moved some drives to another computer and willing to have historical data there.
3. Recently, I had a similar issue with losing historical data after a crash. I would suggest re-engineering HDS to use a proper database, allowing data to survive crashes gracefully.

[hdsentinel]

> 1. "Configuration -> Advanced options -> Change folder"
> - I don't see this option in 6.1. Was the option removed in since the time of your comment?

No, I can confirm no option removed.

This option is available in the Professional version only. If you do not see that, then probably you have Hard Disk Sentinel standard (not the Pro) version.


> 2. Is there a possibility of importing of historical data from another system?
> F.i., I moved some drives to another computer and willing to have historical data there.

No, I'm afraid it is not possible to import historical data from a completely different system.

Generally (for example if you plan a complete re-install) you can save all settings, statistics, registration/license details by Configuration -> Update -> Backup configuration to save all settings, statistics, registration and activation details to a single file.

After (re)installation of the software on a new system, this file can be load back by Configuration -> Update -> Restore configuration option.
This may be good if you prefer to keep existing statistics/logs for drives you want to use after re-install).

You may do this any time, to keep a backup of all data/settings/statistics etc.


> 3. Recently, I had a similar issue with losing historical data after a crash.

As I wrote previously, this should never happen of course. Hard Disk Sentinel designed to keep all details, so I wonder how it could happen, what may caused it.


> I would suggest re-engineering HDS to use a proper database, allowing data to survive crashes gracefully.

I can confirm that the current design works exactly to be safe: generally the details stored in different files, exactly to prevent troubles and better "survive" possible problems. For example if a single file may got somehow damaged/corrupted/deleted, then it should not affect anything else.
If everything would be stored in a single database (single file) then if that may be damaged/cleared somehow, then everything would be lost.

As always, I suggest to use Report menu -> Send test report to developer option. This may help and give ideas about what happened - and if there is anything to do.
Also if you have any ideas, thoughts how this could happen (so it is possible to reproduce) then of course additional protecion against similar could be added.

[Justin42]

Found this thread because I had the same problem, although I only lost my historical statistics and not my registration information. I've had other BSODs that I've never noticed losing data after so this must have been something special-- it must have thrown the BSOD at the instant it was updating the stats file. (Coming back after hibernation on my laptop, which is when I get BSODs maybe 1% of the time)

I have some backups that are a couple weeks old. I have recovered the Program Files (X86)\HD Sentinel folder.

A couple questions/suggestions:
I have seen the "Backup/Restore current configuration" option but had no idea it also backed up the statistics, it might be helpful to update that option to clarify that is a COMPLETE backup (not just the program configuration). Since the CFG file it creates isn't plain text it's hard to tell what's in it. I've never used that as I don't do much special with my config, but I know now to use it to back up my statistics.

Is there any way to make automated backups of the config?

Is the hdsentinel.sta file the storage of the statistics? Does it rely on other information/config files or is having that backup enough to ensure the stats are not lost? (I tried to just restore it and most of my stats are back, with an obvious gap since the backup was made, but the scrollbar seems confused when I go back too far and the farthest left value is also today!)

Would it be best to just go forward with the knowledge I have, ensure the config is stored somewhere that is backed up regularly, and then go forward with the new/wiped stats file? Or is it probably ok to just let it add to the "old"/restored STA file?

Thanks for your help and this invaluable program!

[hdsentinel]

Generally no status / details should be lost of course, but yes, in worst case, it is possible that Windows may not update the information properly due to the BSOD.

> I have seen the "Backup/Restore current configuration" option but had no idea it also backed up the statistics,

Yes, that option designed exactly to backup all status, statistics, settings, license etc.

This is explained in the Help:
https://www.hdsentinel.com/help/en/29_c_upd.html

It is possible to backup and restore current configuration. Backup saves the current configuration including all options and project configuration, the previous statistics, logs and registration details (registered user and activation file). This way after a complete re-install the user only requires to restore the previous configuration - the software will be automatically registered and all previous settings, statistics will operate as before. It is recommended to periodically backup configuration and statistics to removable media which can be used in case of a complete re-install.



> it might be helpful to update that option to clarify that is a COMPLETE backup (not just the program configuration).

Sorry, I do not understand: as it saves everything, I see nothing to update


> Is there any way to make automated backups of the config?

Currently no, but yes, this may be a good idea for a future version, thanks for the tip.



> Is the hdsentinel.sta file the storage of the statistics?

It is only part of the statistics.
Different files/folders (and even the registry) is used, exactly to be safe: exacly to prevent losing ALL possible status/statistics upon a such failure/BSOD or similar event when a file could not be updated.


If you prefer to periodically and automatically backup EVERYTHING, I suggest the following:

1) open Configuration -> Advanced Options page and with the Change folder to store statistics and settings button, select a new, empty folder.
Then Hard Disk Sentinel will save EVERYTHING (all settings, statitics, logs, etc...) to files under THAT specified folder only.

2) then you can any time backup that folder: manually or may create a scheduled backup project to do so.

This way you can then restore the contents of this folder (when Hard Disk Sentinel is not running of course) to have the last snapshot.