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The following are notes on how to backup and restore Pathpilot without the $25 + shipping USB stick.

RexManning's guide, here, [screenshot 1 and 2] was critical in helping me find Pathpilot Jesus. Tormach's official guide is here.

Understand that I'm not trying to screw Tormach out of $25 (no one reads this site anyhow), but I have bought more than TWO of these sticks, and lost them both. Also, your machine may be down RIGHT NOW, and you can't wait 2-5 days for delivery of a stick to get back up and running.

Anyhow. Tormach uses a surprisingly simple utility called R-Drive Image to create their USB sticks.

They then copy a factory-new install of Linux / Pathpilot onto that same USB stick. If you open their USB stick in any file explorer, you'll see one or two large .rdr files. That's the copy itself of Linux / Pathpilot.

When you buy the $25 usb stick and insert it into your machine, all it's doing is booting onto the USB stick and copying that factory-new copy over to your machine.

R-Drive currently costs $45 with a fully functional 30-day trial.

One fun thing you can do is use R-Drive to create an image of YOUR controller (your still up-and-running controller) to be used later in the event of an emergency.

Note that the 30-day trial will inevitably be a hiccup in your proceedings, HOWEVER, if you set your controller to the same day you installed R-Drive, you may be able to bypass that restriction. Example below.

Pro-tip. If the date-change method works, it will be crucial to write the install date on the USB stick with a Sharpie, so you'll remember it later.

If you have a heavily modified controller, like I do, it may be worthwhile to spend the $45 and have an image made of your machine *just how you like it*.

April 21 2024

• You install R-Drive on some computer and create a bootable USB stick.
• You move that USB stick to your controller, boot onto it, and use it to create an image of your WORKING controller.
• 30 day countdown begins.

October 31 2024

• The 30-day trial is long forgotten and completely elapsed. However,
• After drunken Halloween machining shenanigans, you find your controller no longer boots.
• Instead of spending $25 like a normal person, you use the USB stick you made six months ago.
• Upon attempting to restore your image, you're greeted with the Trial Period Over message.

Ten Seconds Later

• You reboot, this time into your BIOS, and set the system time to April 21 2024.
• You exit BIOS, boot back into R-Drive and try again.
• This may, or may not work.
   
• If it does, it'll restore your original image back to the machine.
• Be certain to change your date / time back to the current date / time via ADMIN TIME.
   
• If it doesn't, well I'm not a software cracker, so now you have to spend $45 on R-Drive.
• Or, submit to corporate greed and buy the $25 USB stick.
• But, with shipping, the grand total is suspiciously close to $45. Hrm.