Custom named scheme doesn't stick

Look at the name of the backup file and the directory. Unless you named every backup file the same name and store them all in the same directory, that will always let you differentiate.

Doesn't the backup filename come from the name of the backup job? Why would they name the backup filename after the backup scheme used? That would be like naming the backup file after the priority level setting.

Anyway, I'm using the Acronis Secure Zone. I went to "Browse for Backup" and looked into the SZ. I don't know how they're naming the backup files but it doesn't match anything that I specified. Their filename is "WindowsXP_(C)"; however, I named the backup job as "C Drive (WindowsXP)". When I go to Mount Image, the dialog lists:

WindowsXP_(C)
WindowsXP_(C) "Cyclic backup (full+differential)"

The filename is not what I selected for the backup name. The Comment field shown above comes from the Comments field in the backup definition (which happens to be the same as the backup type). I really don't see why the backup scheme would be part of the backup's filename and it looks like it isn't. Anyway, I'm not asking about the backup's filename. I'm asking why the GUI screens for ATI2012 don't show the backup scheme that I selected (a custom one that I named and selected) when I return to editing that backup definition.

I create a new backup job. I edit the "Backup Options" to define a new backup scheme. I save that backup scheme under a name. When I exit "Backup Options", that dialog shows the name of the backup scheme that I selected (my custom one with a name). It's there in that dialog or when I return to Backup Options until I finish editing the backup job. When I finish defining a new backup job, I'm back at the "Backup and recovery" panel. Then I click on the Edit button for the backup job to go back in. Instead of showing the backup scheme as my named one, it's back to showing "Custom". That means upon re-editing a backup job that I cannot be sure WHAT backup scheme was selected. I will have to re-select my named backup scheme to ensure that is the one that will get used.

This might not sound like much of a nuisance but consider when a user has lots of backup jobs defined and each one used a custom backup scheme but they were NAMED custom backup schemes. Which custom scheme was selected for backup job #1, #5, and #8? It just shows "Custom" instead of the named custom scheme you created and selected.

There must be a point for the user to use "Save As" to name a custom backup scheme. If so, why doesn't that select remain displayed when you revisit a backup job's definition?

VanguardLH,
As you are new to the 2012 version, I would suggest you spend some time with this link.
http://forum.acronis.com/forum/28705
The name assigned to the "backup file name" and the name assigned to the task are two different assignments. They may be identical or they may be different. The program will assign default names and the user has the option to change. As for myself, I never accept the default names.

Look at figure 8 inside the link. This figure shows where the backup file name is assigned and can be changed by the user. By default, this file name becomes all or part of the task name. Check the bottom of figure 18 for changing the task name.

You have a point about the select custom needs to be identified better on the main listing. You want to know which custom scheme was selected. Suggest you point this suggestion in the wish list "stickie".

Remember, 99% of the users (and MVP's) responding to your postings are not part of Acronis and are volunteers attempting to help other users. As the forum agreement you signed indicates, if you want official support during your first 30 days of purchase, you will need to fill out a support ticket. Help in how to get support found along left margin and in the stickies above.

I'm using the Acronis Secure Zone which, I believe, uses its own filename scheme. That's probably why nothing I specify in the definition of a backup job is used in naming the backup file in the ASZ hidden partition.

That still doesn't explain why the configuration parameters in a backup job don't stick.

If their tech support or development folks aren't here in the forums, why bother posting to a wishlist? Seems the equivalent of placating pedestrians wanting to cross the street with an unconnected Walk button. To me, a wishlist is the same as a RFE (Request for Enhancement) listing, not for where you report bugs. The problem with a stickie thread for a wishlist is that it gets ridiculously long so it'd be easy to miss something there. Plus, as you say, this is a user or peer community so a wishlist here really isn't the same as feedback mechanism to the company. I did find http://www.acronis.com/support/feedback.html so maybe that is better suited to reporting bugs. What I'm asking about really isn't a wishlist item but a defect in the product.

Thanks for your help.

Should you decide to purchase, there is a 30 day guarantee--providing you ask for a refund before 30 days.

It is imperative that the Secure Zone not be your only source of backups. If the disk becomes corrupt, fails or extensive bad sectors, bye bye to any backups stored within the zone.

The Wish list is monitored but the feedback is a good place to record your comments. Acronis will also some provide support to the trial user during the 30 day trial.

Acornis support does monitor the forum but does not respond to every post.

Perhaps I am not understanding correctly. I created and saved a custom scheme last nigh as shown on the right side picture. The custom saved scheme does show on the resulting task setup as shown on the picture on left.

I understand this has nothing to do with the Secure zone--just the normal backup tasks.

Now that you created a named custom backup scheme and in the Backup Options you select it for use in the current backup job you are defining, you see that named custom backup scheme listed in the backup job (your "Disk Backup" dialog window that you show). Yep, it's there right after you selected it in Backup Option. You see your named custom backup scheme shown in the "Backup scheme:" field.

Exit that backup job definition (the Disk Backup dialog) by clicking on the Save button. Your backup job should be defined to use your named custom backup scheme, right? Okay, click the Edit button next to the backup job shown in the "Backup and recovery" tab. That is, go back into the configuration for the backup job. Now what is listed in the "Backup scheme:" field? In my case, upon return to a backup job's configuration, "Backup scheme: Cyclic (full+differential)" has changed to "Backup scheme: Custom".

So when you revisit your back job's configuration, you can't tell WHICH custom backup scheme you selected. You could have more than one. You may have never created a named custom backup scheme and simply made changes to the settings. Hard to tell when the "Backup scheme:" no longer shows that you selected your named custom backup scheme.

I used to have a named custom backup scheme.  I made the changes to the Backup Options and then under the Backup Scheme tab I used the "Save As" button to save the custom backup scheme under a name of "Cyclic (full+differential)".  I could see it in the drop-down list.  Yet after awhile that saved scheme disappears.  Instead I see just the standard selections.  See the attached lostmyscheme.jpg picture.  That drop-down list used to have my named scheme of "Cyclic backup (full+differential)".  After a couple hours today, it's gone.  So now I have to recreate that saved scheme.  After ensuring all the tweaks in Backup Options are what I want, I click on the "Save As" button and name my saved custom scheme.  Then you see what is shown in the attached savedscheme.jpg picture.

A few hours from now when I edit a backup job and look at Backup Options, I fully expect that saved scheme to no longer appear in the drop-down list.  That's what has been happening for the last couple day.  I define it, I save it under a name, and later it disappears.

Now that I've selected my named backup scheme in Backup Options, I click the Save button and return to the Disk Backup dialog.  See the attached job_myscheme.jpg picture.  You see my saved scheme, the one I selected, is listed in the "Backup scheme:" field.  Looking good so far.  Click the Save button in the Disk Backup dialog to save your settings and close that dialog.  You're back to the "Backup and recovery" tab panel in the program.

In the "Backup and recovery" tab panel, click the Edit button for the backup job you just edited above.  Now look what is in the "Backup scheme:" field.  It shows "Custom" instead of "Cyclic backup (full+differential)".  See the attached job_lostmyscheme.jpg picture to see how the save backup scheme to which I gave a name is no longer listed but instead the generic Custom scheme is listed.

My named saved custom backup scheme did exist.  It was selected for use in a backup job.  It shows up in the backup job - until I save those changes and go back to edit that same backup job whereupon my named saved custom backup scheme is no longer listed and just Custom is shown.  After awhile longer, my named saved custom backup scheme disappears entirely.  It's no longer available in the drop-down list in Backup Options under the Backup Scheme tab.  Poof, gone.  I'm back to the standard selections shown in the lostmyscheme.jpg picture.

My initial results were the same as yours. When I reopened the task with custom-xx saved scheme--it read custom and not custm-xx. I will redo the test but later. I will update later.

Note that the settings (for whatever scheme was last selected) remain in place. When I exit (Save) the Backup Options after selecting a saved name custom backup scheme, and later when I revisit a backup job by editing it and going back into Backup Options, all the settings are still the same. However, since it reverted to the name of Custom, I have to review the settings to make sure they're still okay (and presume that I remember what settings were used for each saved named custom backup scheme. Thankfully, at the present, I only have 1 backup job. If I had a dozen backup jobs then seeing Custom wouldn't tell me which of my saved schemes had been used for a particular backup job.

I am having the exact same issue as VanguardLH. Also it does not seem to be doing what the scheme asks. It is doing full backups every night. I wanted it to do a differential with fulls every 7 diff's.

When can we expect a fix to this issue?

As a workaround, suggest you start a new task pointing to a new empty folder or subfolder. The illustration below will provide
a full plus 6 diff and then repeat itself. Change the keeping of 4 full sets of backups to a number of your choosing. This example works for me using all of the last releases.

I am evaluating ATI2013 and noticed the same issue as VanguardLH. That is, a saved custom Backup Scheme isn't retained in a backup process when I go back to edit the backup process. The notes I made while testing are below.

Has any progress been made on this issue? VanguardLH, did you try Acronis Support or find any other information on the issue?

NOTES:
ATI2013 doesn't remember a custom Backup Scheme name assigned to a backup process, even though the custom scheme has been created and saved, the settings are still correctly used, and the saved scheme can be selected again in the "Disk backup options" dialogue window, under the "Backup scheme" tab. The backup scheme is shown as "Custom" in the "Disk Backup" window, and "Custom scheme" in the drop down list on the "Backup scheme" tab in the "Disk Backup Options" window. This makes indentification of the correct scheme difficult, which can be a problem if I want to edit my custom scheme.

Keep in mid that the "Backup Scheme" you save, only contains the information found on the "Backup Scheme" tab. It does not save the other options selected in the remaining tabs while in the disk backup options. You can make the settings you select on the additional tabs "stick" by making them the "default", but you are not able to save mutliple versions of these settings. This feature has been suggested, and may be implemented in future products.
The issue with the "Custom" scheme name display is that Acronis does indeed remember which scheme was selected for each task, but doesn't display the scheme name, only the generic "Custom" notification. You can verifiy this by opening the "disk backup options" for your tasks, and you will see that the "Backup Scheme" you had selected for that task (based on the "Backup Scheme" tab settings) is in fact correctly saved. This too has been suggested as a change request and is being considered. You can edit the displayed "Backup Scheme" of a task, and save it as another new "Scheme", but you are right that you will not know which previously created "Backup Scheme" it was based upon to start with. With that knowledge, it is really not that difficult to work around in the current version. Since the saved "Backup Schemes" only contain the "Backup Scheme " tab settings, it is not too hard to take a look at the task scheme settings and make revisions. I use the custom "Backup Schemes" I previously created, as starting points for creating new tasks, with modifcations saved as a new "Backup Scheme" with a similar name as the task itself to help with identifying which "Backup Scheme" I used in the associated task.

James

Thanks for the reply James. I understand all that you said, and it is good to hear that some thought is being put into improving the functionality in this area.

My concern was along the lines that Acronis 2013 doesn't function in the same way that the vast majority of Windows applications do, which therefore not only makes the application less intuitive, but also makes me concerned that "if they can't get this right, what else are they getting wrong."

The vast majority of Windows applications retain a selected parameter in a dialogue window when either the Save or OK buttons are pressed. In Acronis 2013 this is not the case in either the "Configure disk backup process" dialogue, or on the "Backup scheme" tab of the "Disk Backup Options" dialogue, and therefore probably elsewhere.

Given the flexibility of the product, which some may see as complexity, and the huge User Guide, which most won't read from front to back, being consistent with standard Windows convertions should be very important for broad use of the product. I've used several different OEM versions of Acronis over the years, most recently Intel's migration tool, so I know that the core functionality works. But frankly, every time I consider using Acronis as my primary backup tool I quickly see things that, in the past, have made me leave it alone. (Not to mention the volume of bad comments on the forum.) I have looked at Acronis at least four times now, and am only looking again now because another product let me down badly.

As an example of the things that put me off. I scanned through most of the User Guide, watched the "Get Started" animations, and used the help file for settings as I set up some tests. I liked the look of the "Version chain scheme" animation, so read the description of it in the help file. It sounded good, describing monthly backups and six months retention, or more specifically eight backups retained. The help file does mention that the backup will be run when you do it manually, or per a schedule you use. What is not clear, given the help file description, is that you must set up a schedule with monthly execution to achieve the benefits described. If I used the "Version chain scheme" and set up a daily backup schedule, I would not get what was descibed at all. The fact that the parameters of the scheme can not be seen when it is selected make it just that much harder to understand what Acronis will do. In fact, I would have to run tests for months to be sure. The trial software only lasts 30 days, and I don't have time to waste doing that much testing. Nor do I want to go that long without a reliable backup system.

Therefore, I won't be using the "Version chain scheme", but will be setting up the same scheme manually by setting parameters. which is really a shame as the animation makes the configuration process look good, but it is full of holes.

BTW, the Daily backup which I set up yesterday, which was supposed to run at 2:11am this morning, didn't, even though I had he Advanced setting of "Wake up sleeping/hibernating computer" set. The computer was in sleep mode. The backup also hasn't run since I woke up the computer, even though I have the "Missed backup" parameter set run with a delay of 11 minutes. Maybe the computer is never considered idle, as I have the "Run the backup only when the computer is idle" parameter set. I'll turn that off now and see what happens . . . Well, the backup seemed like it was going to start, but it just went into "Queued" status, and says that it is calculating the "Time left:".

This is not looking good for a positive evaluation. :-(

PS: Without the good work of a few people in this forum I would have a very long list of concerns about Acronis. Thank you to all for the good efforts.

RoderickGI

There can be no question that 2012 or 2013 has an extensive learning curve--as many of its features are not easily located nor intuitive.

If you have some spare reading time, I would suggest that you look at these links below. i believe you will find them helpful.
Information about backup options and their features. Note the comments about each picture.
As you look at figures 11-full, 11-inc, 11-dif
Using the keep x number of backups works very well. I would avoid using the options based on number of elapsed days or the option based on consumed storage space.
http://forum.acronis.com/forum/28705
Hints on how to avoid the delay of a scan for backup options.

http://forum.acronis.com/forum/31895
Information about Restore & cloning methods.
http://forum.acronis.com/forum/29618

Good luck.

Roderick,

Thanks for your insightful comments.

As you know not all software works the way we would like, or on every system produced. The core backup and restore functionality of Acronis True Image to me has been "second to none" over many years. The program has changed (sometimes not always for the best) and has become more than just backup and restore. To be fair much has improved and support for newer hardware and OSes' is difficult to do in this complex of a product. The bell's and whistles are okay for some, but I use it mainly for reliable backup's and restores. I've tested probably most all the comparable products on the market over the years, and I still come back to Acronis. True Image 2012 gave me the worst experience of my life concerning backup software when it was first released. Thankfully I could still continue to use 2011. Not until the current version of 2012 came out did I go back and try 2012 again. That version seem to work well on my systems. 2012 works well for many of my clients PC's, as well. 2013 is built upon 2012, but with much improved (under the hood) changes. If you spend some time working with the software you will find the flexibilty of Acronis True Image product hard to beat. Sure, there are bugs (special features) that happen with some systems, but on most it works and works well, when using the basic features. I have 2013 running on 4 systems (1-XP SP3, 1-Vista, 1-Windows 7, and 1-Windows 8) and it is working well on all of them with just a few quirks that I have been able to work around. (There is always hope that the special features (bugs) are to be removed in upcoming releases.)

To really evaluate 2013, take a look at Grover's guide (Thanks, Grover) for creating backup tasks in 2012/2013 here: http://forum.acronis.com/forum/28705.

If you have any additional questions or comments, feel free to post them on the forums.

Feedback and suggestions for improvements and new feature requests about the Acronis products can be sent directly to Acronis here: http://www.acronis.com/support/feedback.html

You can get pre-sales support for the 2013 trial here: http://www.acronis.com/support/contact-us.html

Be sure to register your 2013 trial serial number in your online account to be able to receive support.
Once registered, you can also download a copy of a the bootable CD/DVD (Rescue Media) for the 2013 trial in ISO format.

James

Thanks Grover.

I had already looked at a lot of the material you have produced. (Thanks) It helped me understand why no sub-directory was being created for my backups, and why the file names came out the way they did. I also noted your advice to avoid the "Run the backup only when the computer is idle" setting, but only after I had my backup set up so I left it to see what happened. The backup is still sitting "Queued", not running, and I can't find any mention of Queue in the help file or User Guide. I guess I will have to cancel that backup and start again. I have to reset up my tests again anyway to fix the file naming.

I was going to use the elapsed number of days for my daily backups. Does it just not work, or is it unreliable? I can use the number of backups in a set for cleanup, but that means if I run extra backups manually I will get less than a month of history. I guess that won't happen too often though.

The implication of your suggestion though is what concerns me most: That there are parts of Acronis that just don't work, are unreliable, or just don't work as expected. A backup tool needs to work, as expected, every time, and not just if the moon is full or whatever. I shall read your links to see what I missed, or what else I can learn.

Okay, that backup in "Queued" status just ran successfully, about an hour after I changed the parameter. Strange.

Thanks James.

My conclusion is also that the core functionality, backup and restore, works very well. As I said, I have used various OEM versions, and have relied on the version included in Apricorn's Drivewire product extensively for a few years now. I suspect that you are right, and I just need to stick to the basic features of Acronis. Sometimes it is hard to know what are Basic Features though, and what are bells and whistles, when setting up a backup set.

Thanks for the info and sharing your story. I'll keep trying. :-)

RoderickGI,
You wrote:
"The implication of your suggestion though is what concerns me most: That there are parts of Acronis that just don't work, are unreliable, or just don't work as expected. A backup tool needs to work, as expected, every time, and not just if the moon is full or whatever. I shall read your links to see what I missed, or what else I can learn."

It is not necessarily that they do not work but they are not my preferred solution. The two which I mentioned to avoid is that both would end up involving consolidation which is tricky and time consuming. Getting rid of days which are too old or files which cause excess size means they would have to be merged into the backup. Whereas, the keeping of x number of backups is quick and straight forward with no consolidation.

Much of what I wrote is my preference and my recommendations based on what I have tested or use. I do not speak for Acronis so often my recommendations are not those of Acronis--such as I believe in un-installs rather than install over top of the old. There are advantages and disadvantages for both.
I won't edit a task. If it needs an edit. I stop using the task and create a new one. All new tasks point to an empty folder and I never use the same storage folder for multiple tasks. One folder or sub-folder per task.
If I restore a backup, I will recreate new tasks after the restore as the old tasks are out of sync with the number and names of backups. 'These are just my personal practices and not covered by any Acronis manual.

The guides that I have written are my recommendations. No one size fits all. Other options may work but I have no clue as to the expertise of the user so I try to recommend what works for me as a normal user.