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Acronis creates large incrmental file on windows 7

Thread needs solution

Acronis 2012 on windows 7 home premium,
Custom backup with full back after 6 incremental .
Full backup size is about 25Gb, each incremental is about 22gb

This occurs behavior occurs on multiple pc's

Why are incremental files so large on windows 7? This was not the case under XP.
I can run the backup task manually backup to back (when I know little has changed) and get the same result.

Please do not reply with the party line answer of
De-fragmenting
full restore
etc.

I would think this is a common problem for which there is either an answer or known issue

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Which version of ATIH 2012 are you using (the build number)? The latest is 2012 build 7133. If you do not have that version installed, you should update to the latest version and repeat your testing of the incremental problem you are encountering. If you already have the latest version installed, you could try removing and re-installing it again, and re-testing .

I am using the latest build available. Not sure about build 7133
I am using Acronis 2012 w/plus pack

Please explain your reasoning for the solution 'you could try removing and re-installing it again, and re-testing '
why would you think a re-installation would result in any change of behavior??????????????
Especially when this situation occurs on multiple window pc's!!!!!!!!!!!

Is no one else having this problem?

tom colati wrote:

Please do not reply with the party line answer of
De-fragmenting
full restore
etc.

You're dismissive of our answers in some other threads, but there is a good reason for them. Defragmenting a disk prior to performing an Incremental backup often results in the Incremental size being almost as large as a full backup. Do you know for sure that your system is not defragging before your backups?

i am having the same problem. I defragged the disk and then turned defrag off. I backed up with the incremental setting and each incremental is about the same huge size: a bit less that 250G. This is not right and i've done this several times. Anyone have any ideas what to do?

Steve,

What are your backup settings?

Right click on the computer icon on your desktop, choose manage, storage, disk management. In the top menu, choose view, top, list disks. Is your disk MBR or GPT? Is the partition dynamic or basic?

Steve,

When you say you get a huge file everytime, what do you do: do you click on backup now button of a task that is set up as an incremental task? How many backup did you do this way? At least more thant 2? I am asking because depending on the backup settings, you could have an incremental task that creates 2 full backups first. If you are using reserve copy, these reserve backups are always full backups.

Hi Pat
Life has gotten in my way..
The answer to your question is yes. I set up as incremental task.
It is the default: Incremental scheme, Backup: Incremental, Create only incremental versions after the initial first version.
Currently I have the initial and 6 incrementals (my disk is now full!).

I am going to delete and do it again. At least I'll get current versions.

THanks.

Steve

One other thing to check is weather it is backing up sector by sector. If it is, the results will be huge. Also, if it is practical for you, keeping the OS on one partition (C:) and data on another makes it possible to back up OS only and that is going to be much smaller, usually less than 25 GB for a full backup of a 45 GB OS and maybe 5 for increments. That takes about 18 minutes for the full and 3 or 4 minutes per increment on my machines. (W7 x64 and 32 and previously XP x64 and 32, same times).

How would i tell if it is backing up sector by sector?
I don't think it is practical to split the disks.
It doesn't make sense that an incremental backup is always the same size. To me it looks like it is doing a full backup each time instead of incremental.