ATIH 2015 says it's running but no backups

If you are using the scheduling " backup on event" and set to backup on system shutdown,

there have been issues posted with that setting. YOu might want to cosider a different task setting
such as start manual or a schedule
and use the option to shutdown the computer after backup.

Another better option would be to after the backup is completed, use a batch file and use it with the backup as Post/Pre Post command and have the batch file do the shutdown rather than Acronis.

https://forum.acronis.com/forum/38609

Just a comment but ATIH can be frustrating. Every time I move to a new version or they push out an update, the process that I've used for years stops working. 2015 was fine that big update. I followed their process to remove and cleanup, installed again and it appeared to work fine for a few weeks and now I have the issue I listed in my initial post. Why is it in order to get this software to do things it's supposed to do you have to create batch files or use all kinds of work arounds?

One thing for sure. I'm no longer installing it on client's PCs. Not reliable enough and I cannot afford to charge a good client to make a program work that should out of the box. I cannot afford to work for free and it doesn't seem ethical to me to charge them for time to go back and fix these types of issues. The issue above is my PC.

Your comments are "right on". I couldn't have said it better.

I don't mind this option:

• such as start manual or a schedule
• and use the option to shutdown the computer after backup

However, setting a schedule and having it shutdown after doesn't work for a client of mine. Same version ATIH 2015. Plus, I want to keep my PC available so I prefer to sleep it. I manually monitor the last backup and then I'll do a restart to force the backup. When I come home at the end of my day then the PC is in sleep and quickly accessible.

Yep, an old problem is back again. PC seems to be going to sleep. You wake it up and I find it at the point where I was when I walked away earlier which is the back is running (due to shut down or restart). I would imagine it's further a long than when I walked away but it's obviously not finishing the job as I was gone for hours and I know it should be done based on experience with this program. This goes back to old versions. What is up? Why won't this program work?

Also, I've noticed that ATIH 2015 has removed old versions of backups that I didn't want removed!! I had a copy from a clean Windows install with MS Office. It's gone!!

Are you sure its gone? Have you looked in the storage folder itself

Yes. Where they've always been. Even gone on the NAS as well.

Is there a way to get this program to work correctly?

I have no clue as to what steps are being used here. I can only relate to my experiences.

1. For each new version, I remove the old. run a cleanup utility. Cleanup the residue and install into a fresh new install.
I don't try to carry old tasks into a new installation.

2. I create all new tasks and do not later modify. If changes needed, I stop using the old task and create a new task.
Each task name is different so no duplication or confusion for the program.

3. Each of my tasks is set up for automatic cleanup so manual deletion of old backups not needed;
or I use manual backups (someimes even backups via CD) with manual deletions.

4. My tasks work based on the above.

5. Added later. If a backup is restored, I stop using the restored tasks and create new tasks after the restore.

http://forum.acronis.com/forum/100416

http://forum.acronis.com/forum/71342

1) agreed, do this every time. Some times even when I run into problems like I'm having currently.
2) interesting, makes sense but points to software issues
3) I also do the automatic cleanup ad to not fill up HDD space

Thanks for the info GroverH. However, I recently peformed step #1 so in theory you'd think I'd be okay. I opted to delete the backups that I did have (on my internal secondary HDD and my NAS) and performed a manual backup from within Windows yesterday. Not sure what to do moving forward at this point. Does manually deleting mess things up?

Manual deletion will cause an ongoing task to fail and will necessitate a new task.. After deletion, you may want to validate the backup and respond ignore to any error prompt.

I added item 5 to my prior post.

Agree with your item #2. The program cannot handle changes which is why I recommend new tasks rather than changes.

Which setting are you using for your cleanup? "Delete older than x days", or "store no more than (n) backup version chains"
Backup scheme name must read specifically "custom".

I have my backups set to:

• Upon Event
• System shutdown or restart
• Once a day only
• Advanced settings:
• Prevent the computer from going to sleep/hibernate
• Backup method:
• Incremental
• Create a full version after every 5 incremental versionsl
• Delete version chains older than 7 days

Backup name is Win7 Pro Full Backup.

Under schedule advanced settings, what else do you have checked at the bottom.
I am asking about the setting for "missed backups" at the bottom. You may have to scroll down to see.
There may be as many as 3 settings about missed backups.

Be sure your target disk is attached when looking at these "missed settings."

I wil set up my system with the same settings and see what I get.
There has been issues repported with the "upon event" settings only creating backups on the restart--not shutdown.,

Added: For the option "Delete older than 7 days to work"
Day 1 of the 7 days does not begin until after the 2nd Full (Backup #8) has been completed.
Day 7 of the 7 days does not end until after the full 7 days has elapsed after Backiup #8 completion time..

Oddly, "prevent the computer from going to sleep/hibernate" now shows unchecked. It was selected. Interesting (do you have to save before moving to another page of options?). Nothing else is selected in this area including "missed backups".

The target disc is a secondary HDD installed so we're good.

As for "Delete version chains older than 7 days" I've used it as it's default along with the default of "Create a full version after every 5 incremental versions". Do you recommend doing otherwise?

SBMongoos wrote:

Oddly, "prevent the computer from going to sleep/hibernate" now shows unchecked. It was selected. Interesting (do you have to save before moving to another page of options?). Nothing else is selected in this area including "missed backups".

Since the target disk is internal, I guess these settings are not important.

As for "Delete version chains older than 7 days" I've used it as it's default along with the default of "Create a full version after every 5 incremental versions". Do you recommend doing otherwise?

The name of the backup scheme has to be "custom" as selected from the dropdown window. An automatic cleanup setting should be chosen. Which automatic you choose is up to you as long as you understand when the automatic cleanup will occur. Either the "Delete older then (n)" or "store no more than (n)" cleanup setting is ok or can be modified. My personal preference is to avoid using the "Delete older than" , but use the "store (n) as the store option gives me better control over when the automatic cleanup will occur. Using the Store #, I know exactly when the cleanup will occur and can set the store number based on my storage space.
I prefer having multiple tasks (even if some redundant). Each task has its own name and its own target storage location.

I will create a test backup using the
Backup on restart (but allow more than 1 per day)
Full plus 6 incremental
Store no more than 1 chain.
The planned deletion will occur following backup #8 or Full B2.
I will post back in 24 hrs with the completed example.

Attached is the test project which successfully proved that automatic cleanup worked as expected which was that the
custom backup scheme/quota of

Backup on shutdown/restart
full plus 6 incrementals
store no more than 1 version chain
would be automatically deleted following the completion of backup #8 .
The successful completion of backup #8 (Full B2) caused the user quota to be exceeded,
therefore causing the deleting the first chain (7 files).

Future incrementals will accrue and the next deletion will occur following the successful completion of Full B3 which will be backup #15
with deletion thereafter following each new full.

The backups were created at each manually induced 8 shutdowns.
Acronis held the shutdown open until the backup was complleted via a shutdown message of a delayed shutdown.

BAckup versin 2016 used in the above test.

Chain 1 inside blue rectangle. Chain B1
Chan 2 (initial) inside red rectangle. Chain B2

[quote=GroverH]

SBMongoos wrote:

Oddly, "prevent the computer from going to sleep/hibernate" now shows unchecked. It was selected. Interesting (do you have to save before moving to another page of options?). Nothing else is selected in this area including "missed backups". Since the target disk is internal, I guess these settings are not important.

The name of the backup scheme has to be "custom" as selected from the dropdown window.

This to me doesn't make sense. Wouldn't you want ("prevent the computer from going to sleep/hibernate") this enabled so the OS doesn't go to sleep during the backup process? My PC is set to go to sleep at 15 minutes. Isn't this possibly where my issue is at? I come home and hit the power button and I see the backup in progress when it should have been completed much earlier in the day.

Not sure I'm clear on your "custom" comment. The name of the backup has to be literally "custom" or simply make sure it has a name other than whatever is provided by default?

GroverH wrote:

Attached is the test project which successfully proved that automatic cleanup worked as expected which was that the
custom backup scheme/quota of

Backup on shutdown/restart
full plus 6 incrementals
store no more than 1 version chain
would be automatically deleted following the completion of backup #8 .
The successful completion of backup #8 (Full B2) caused the user quota to be exceeded,
therefore causing the deleting the first chain (7 files).

Future incrementals will accrue and the next deletion will occur following the successful completion of Full B3 which will be backup #15

Sounds like this may make more sense for me to. Doing what you've completed above, I would have one full backup and then 6 incrementals. 7 in total. Then when the next full backup is completed (#8 - start of 2nd series) and the previous series would be deleted. I think this makes more sense as in the past, during cleanup, I thought I would sometimes see odd file combinations left behind. This way, your example, would complete a series and then begin a new one and once the first backup of the next series was completed would trigger the previous backup series to be cleaned up.

Not sure I'm clear on your "custom" comment. The name of the backup has to be literally "custom" or simply make sure it has a name other than whatever is provided by default?

In order for the cleanup setting to work, the scheme cannot be a standard default setting but must have cleanup settings, so with cleanup settings, the task becomes a custom scheme. If the user assign their own custom name, the custom scheme fails to do cleanup and just keeps adding more backups. Choose the name "custom" from the backup scheme dropdown menu. This next link helps to explain why.

https://forum.acronis.com/forum/96972

----------------------------------------------

This to me doesn't make sense. Wouldn't you want ("prevent the computer from going to sleep/hibernate") this enabled so the OS doesn't go to sleep during the backup process?

I would agree. I prefer the setting to be enabled. I was just (not) thinking that the internal would not be asleep. Better to have the option enabled rather than guessing.
If it were usb, I prefer to set all the usb options to prevent sleeping. There are usb settings in the device manager and in the power configurations which can be set to prevent usb devices from sleeping. Some WD brand external disks even have their own utilities for setting the sleep settings.

Good luck with your backups and cleanup.

[quote=GroverH]

Not sure I'm clear on your "custom" comment. The name of the backup has to be literally "custom" or simply make sure it has a name other than whatever is provided by default?

In order for the cleanup setting to work, the scheme cannot be a standard default setting but must have cleanup settings, so with cleanup settings, the task becomes a custom scheme. If the user assign their own custom name, the custom scheme fails to do cleanup and just keeps adding more backups. Choose the name "custom" from the backup scheme dropdown menu. This next link helps to explain why.

Looks like the Backup Scheme selected is Custom Scheme. I have NOT been changing the name. Guess I didn't realize it was even an option. At least in older versions. Sort of blew by it in 2015 but I'm looking now and it says "Backup scheme: Custom scheme".

I made these tweaks to the existing task. I'm checking to see if it will run normally. Otherwise I was thinking I would uninstall, run the cleanup tool, install and setup from scratch. Let's see what happens.

Well I tried:

I will create a test backup using the

Backup on restart (but allow more than 1 per day)

Full plus 6 incremental

Store no more than 1 chain.

The planned deletion will occur following backup #8 or Full B2.

I will post back in 24 hrs with the completed example.

by editing an existing task and it didn't work correctly. I noticed this morning that all there was, was the most recent incremental backup and nothing else. Is the above actually incorrect?

I'm deleted the task and backup and recreating it with another name. But is the list above correct above?

Changing the settings on an existiing task is totally discouraged. Changes don't work. If changes needed, start a new task.

Yes, my prior comments are correct & unchanged.

------------------------------

New task

Backup on shutdown/restart

Backup scheme name=Custom

full plus 6 incrementals
store no more than 1 version chain

------------------------------------------

The first seven backups will accumulate and complete chain 1.

After Full B2 is completed, all files of the oldest chan (chain 1) will be deleted.

After Full B2 completed, Full B2 will be the only tib file still remaining until more backups have been completed.
Future incrementals will accrue and the next deletion will occur following the successful completion of Full B3 which will be backup #15

GroverH wrote:

The first seven backups will accumulate and complete chain 1.

After Full B2 is completed, all files of the oldest chan (chain 1) will be deleted.

After Full B2 completed, Full B2 will be the only tib file still remaining until more backups have been completed.
Future incrementals will accrue and the next deletion will occur following the successful completion of Full B3 which will be backup #15

We'll see if the plays out as you described above. Hopefully so. I will say I deleted the backups manually from the drive and the deleted the scheduled backup from Acronis. Acronis does give you the option to just deleted the scheduled backup and not the files. So hopefully this worked fine as I would think it should.

Looks like the Backup Scheme selected is Custom Scheme. I have NOT been changing the name. Guess I didn't realize it was even an option. At least in older versions. Sort of blew by it in 2015 but I'm looking now and it says "Backup scheme: Custom scheme".

I made these tweaks to the existing task. I'm checking to see if it will run normally. Otherwise I was thinking I would uninstall, run the cleanup tool, install and setup from scratch. Let's see what happens.

rommey nash wrote:

I made these tweaks to the existing task.

Changing an existing task rarely works as intended,

An uninstall should not be needed.  Simply stop using the task that is not working correctly, and start with a new task which contains the correct settings. Once you start creating backups with the task,  then do not edit or make no further changes to the task.

http://forum.acronis.com/forum/100416