How do I synchronise the backup database with the files actually in my backup?
Over the years ATIH seems to have acquired a very different view of the world to reality. Basically, it seems to have very little idea of what really is or isn't on my backup drive. There ought to be an easy way of correcting this (since the program seems so prone to developing its own world-view) but is there?
For example, today I noticed my 4TB backup drive was filling up. The main reason appears to be one folder with 18 backup files totally 1.5TB. This is on a backup configured to have two chains of 5 files.
So I try "validation". Takes ~25 minutes and is successful. But nothing changes.
So I try "consolidation" - a very annoying facility since it refuses to recognise the backup I selected to consolidate. Instead it displays everything it can think of. Some files going back nearly 2 years! (Needless to say, they don't exist.) [Aside: It's great that the utility insists you must choose at least two files to consolidate, but doesn't tell you how to do this!] I try selecting a chain - it fails, complaining that files don't exist. I can't get it to accept anything I choose.
So I read the help(!). It says I should always delete backups from within ATIH. (I confess to being guilty of regularly ignoring this, but have learnt that "validation" usually gets things working again...) Apparently you can do this by selecting "Restore" (who thought of that one, eh?)
I try the green button. Up pops a window (identifying the backup I'd like to "restore" this time...) but the "version" drop down list is empty. The window is useless.
I try the 'cog' menu option. A different window - with an error message about a missing file and that I should ensure something I can't possibly do, and a never-ending circling thing in the middle. Another useless window.
I try the double-icon "explore all backups" option. But I never could understand this one. I'd like to search for backups of a particular partition, but the search option appears to search for all files with a similar name!
I am starting to wonder whether I should trust this program with my valuable data when there are so many things that get it confused about. (Every so often it will create a new backup schedule in the list, with only the "restore" button, and claim that the one I created hasn't run yet!)
The only way out I have found to work is to start again. But that's not really the point of a backup utility, is it? I don't want to throw away backups just because ATIH has got confused again. And the chances are it will think they are still there anyway...
Any suggestions relating to any of the above would be most welcome.
And ATIH will automatically recreate this file with the correct data?
Is this likely to solve any of the other oddities above?
Yes the file will be recreated by the app. It should correct the issues you have listed.