Total Size / Last Backup problems
I am running True Image 2015 for PC on Windows 10. One of my backups is an incremental backup that creates a new version every 14 incremental versions. This hasn't been run since November (trust me, I have good reasons!) and the "last backup date" shows as 21 Nov. The "total size" is 1.61TB and this matches the size of the TIB files on the backup disk.
When I run it now it creates a relatively large backup file as expected with the filename "XXX_inc_b7_v10_v1". This takes the total size of the TIB files on the disk to 1.67TB. However, True Image is still reporting only 1.61TB and it still says the last backup was 21 Nov.
If I run the backup again, it creates a file of roughly the same (large) size with the filename "XXX_inc_b7_v10_v1-2" but still only reports a total size of 1.61TB and last backup of Nov 21.
I did run a validation in the hope that it might sort itself out, but it didn't.
Any ideas please?
Grover,
Could you elaberate a bit on the v1-2 portion in the tib name, or point me to a description in the manual. I searched but must have overlooked that point. I had that type name occur a few days ago, but gave it no thought at the time.
Thanks...Robert
Thanks for that.
I have created a new backup cloned from the previous backup, albeit with the same name as the previous one (I renamed the old task and renamed the old subdirectrory in which the backup files are located). The new backup task created a new subdirectory for itself and created a backup file (which took about 6 hours as is usual for a full backup). Having created the "full" backup file, the log then had these entries in it:
58 Information 22/01/2016 16:06:58 The following backups have been successfully created: "\\BACKUP2\public\Backups\Computer1\Computer1 (NAS2)_full_b1_s1_v1.tib"
59 True Image 22/01/2016 16:06:58 Failed to open data stream. Try to remove the backup from the list, add it again by clicking 'Browse for backup' and recreate the backup settings.
60 True Image 22/01/2016 16:06:58 Failed to open data stream. Try to remove the backup from the list, add it again by clicking 'Browse for backup' and recreate the backup settings.
So I did as it suggested: removed the backup from the list, then tried to add the backup manually but it simply wouldn't appear in the list.
Now I have created a whole new backup task (i.e. not a cloned one) and am backing up again but it'll be anouther 5 hours before I know whether that's worked.
If it makes and difference, I am backing up to a NAS drive (accessed as you can see above by its network name \\BACKUP2) and have been doing so with Acronis for months and months without problems. I have also upgraded to the latest build.
I must confess that I'm beginning to lose patience with Acronis and am now looking around for alternatives. The lack of support 30 days after purchase doesn't help especially when, if I enter one of the error codes into the knowledgebase, it says there's no information. It's like scrambling around blindfolded looking for a black cat in a darkened room. A 30 day limit on support is not a lot of help; it would be better if they offered, say, three incidents before charging you more but didn't put a time limit on it.
Robert,
Here is what the help file has to say about the v1-2
http://www.acronis.com/en-us/support/documentation/ATI2016/index.html#2…
Normally, the program should not find a file of the same name. The only except would be if a restore and been made and prior tib files existed during a new backup. After performing a restore, my recommendation is always to stop using any existing tasks and start all new tasks with new task names and new storage folders or sub-folders.
https://forum.acronis.com/forum/100416
Graham,
Do let us know the results. YOu might want to checkl that your NAS is not going to sleep and not being available. The error 59 & 60 could imply that also could imply that the storage folder for the new backups has permiissions issues which you could investigate.
You could compare the new storage folder with an old storage folder by right clicking the folder and click properies and then look at the various setttings of the Security & Sharing tabs.
It failed again exactly the same way. Then, oddly, it launched straight into two successive incremental backups without my intervention (I was enjoying a rather fine bottle of Gewürztraminer by then) that also failed in the same way. The TIB files were created but I had the same error messages in the log files. I then terminated the third incremental backup that it had started and went to bed, frustrated.
I'd be surprised if the NAS had gone to sleep in the few seconds between when it finished writing the TIB file and when it logged the errors. Permissions on the folder are fine too (otherwise wouldn't it have had problems creating the TIB file in the first place?)
I ran another backup task on another PC that uses the same NAS drive and that worked fine (depsite having a power cut halfway through!).
I am now running a completely new backup task and sending it to another NAS drive on my network. If that fails too, then I think I'm left with the conclusion that my Acronis installation is screwed up in some way (Acronis must have a database somewhere and maybe that's corrupted). It might explain some of the other oddities (e.g. not being able to add an existing backup to the list). If so, I guess I'll uninstall, reinstall and set up all my backup tasks again. Failing that, I don't have much choice but to find some other backup software because I'm out of ideas.
Graham,
If you do decide to go the uninstall procedure, use the TI Cleanup Utility to do that.
https://kb.acronis.com/content/48668
This utility will uninstall and cleanup the residue but leave the tib files untouched.
New tasks with new names and new target folders will need to be created.
Sure enough, if failed with exactly the same symptoms as the original task. And it also launched itself into a series of incremental backups which also all had the same error message. So, I think I can safely eliminate the NAS drive as the source of the problem.
I think I'll uninstall (using the Cleanup utility as you suggest) and hopefully that'll sort the problem. If not, then maybe there's something odd with my Windows installation given that Acronis worked fine on the other PC.
Graham,
If you routinely run any kind of a junk cleanup program (such as CCleaner, or others), I would also run that cleanup after the TI Cleanup is run.
Well, I think it's finally resolved:
- I uninstalled TI 2015 using the cleanup utility.
- I installed the latest version (build 6613 I think), re-created the backup task and started the backup. It failed with an "unable to create volume snapshot" message.
- I uninstalled this version and installed build 6625 instead, re-created the backup task and it completed successfully. Today's incremental backup was created OK as well.
So, a frustrating and time-consuming couple of days where Acronis came very close indeed to being discarded as my backup solution. It really would help (if Acronis people are reading this) if error reporting were more helpful and the online help were more helpful. For example, the original error message was "failed to open data stream". So, somewhere in your code is a file open command and that will have failed with a fairly explicit operating system error message (file not found, file open by another process, file permission error etc etc) - why not simply pass this information on in the log file. It's sloppy coding - and I speak from many years experience as a coder - that users and diligent forum posters like GH-Storage are left to unravel and second guess what's going on.
So, finally, thanks GH-Storage for your input.
Glad it worked for you.