Removal of old Backups
My hard disk is filling up with backups.
I need to delete some of the old files but cannot find how to do this.
I could use Windows Explorer but understand this does not show in Acronis backup list.
Please advise how this may be done
Enchantech - That only works for Non-stop backups ... from the link you posted "Clean up (available for nonstop backup only) - opens the Cleanup dialog box where you can delete the backup versions you no longer need."
Peter - you have discovered one of the functions that has been removed from the 2015 version. There is no way to remove old backup versions from a task without destroying the task ... staggering, but it's true. It seems that you must peer into the future and determine how much space your backup task will require and then configure the task accordingly, because you can't remove old version from it and if you read through the threads you will find that it's a cardinal sin to edit the settings of a task. Makes me wonder why they even have an option to edit task settings, pretty much a guaranteed way to break a task.
For your entertainment, I have attached a screenshot of the process of removing versions from an existing task in ATI 2014. Even then it's not at all intuitive, you have to start the file recover process, select the version that you want to remove and then right click on it.
Daniel,
Funny, I do not see the reference to non stop backups. The Delete description indicates that a single backup file can be selected for deletion, you are saying that is not the case?
Enchantech,
I have attached a screenshot of the link you posted and circled the reference in red ... have a peek
Daniel,
I see your reference. We are on different pages here. I provided the link to specifically reference the Delete option which is what the OP had asked for. I believe only the Clean Up option applies to Non Stop Backup, the remaining options are available for standard backups. I recognize that all options may not be available in all circumstances however, the delete option should be available when individual backup files are selected.
The picture shown in post #2 by Daniel is for 2014 as indicated. 2015 is as correctly indicated in post #1 by Enchantech
The help wording is confusing and not totally clear.
In actuality, the operations/delete option works like this.
User can check "delete task only", and only delete task (leaving all tibs), and/or
user can check "delete ALL backups" created by this task (all backups deleted)
If user checks both options, task and ALL tib will be deleted,
User has no program option to delete less than all backups created by this task.
The only method left to delete less than ALL tib backups is via windows explorer,
one method being
to click the "open location" option (storage folder)
and delete individaul tib folders via the right click/delete option (via Windows Explorer)
which will cause all the remaining incremental tib backups to be worthless or useless.
Don't forget, each incremental contains only the changes made to the disk since the last or most recent backup.
Each incremental backup has only its individual piece of data which means that
the data stored in each inc is unique and not stored in any prior full or other prior oe future incremental tib so the deletion of a single tib inc file is deleting data not found elsewhere in the backup. The only way of getting a copy of the missing deleted date is an immediate full backup before any relevant data is changed, and even then it might be too late.
Any deletion of pieces or less than all should be followed by a manual validation plus responding "ignore" for each individual tib deleted which could make the full only to be usable again.
Enchantech - my interpretation of the original post was that they were looking for a way to remove old versions of the backup, not entire backup chains. As I have clearly demonstrated (and Grover has seconded), that is no longer possible in 2015. It's baffling, but there you have it.
If I misinterpreted the original intent, then my apologies.
Has anyone from Acronis ever bothered to provide a reason that such a necessary function was removed from the program? Bad enough that it was insanely difficult to find the option in earlier versions ... all or nothing is just stupid in my opinion.
Grover, Thanks for the clarity of your response, as always you manage to clear things up nicely.
Daniel, you and I clearly interpret the OP question differently. Indeed I took the question as needing to delete backups to clear out space on the drive. My view is in most instances it is necessary to delete full backups or backup chains to gain sufficient free space for subsequent tasks to run. The OP has not responded here so we might never know exactly what the need was. I agree that the removal of the ability to delete individual .tib files is not a good thing for the experienced user. It probably is a good thing for the inexperienced though. In my opinion the app should have an advanced mode with a good deal of the options that were removed from 2014 available as advanced options for the experienced user along with a disclaimer indicating that those options used improperly may render backups, tasks, or the app unusable. Of course what do we know right!
Lets hope that the next version is much better than the present!