Skip to main content

ATI2017 noob questions re: ASZ, Startup Recovery Manager, SSHD

Thread needs solution

I'm a ATI noob with a few questions.  I've now read the Acronis True Image 2017 manual, and am about to install ATI2017 for the first time.  (I used Norton Ghost for decades.)

My backups will have simple architecture.  Two separate full drive backups, each FROM a different physical HDD, and each TO a different (dedicated) HDD.  I never create more than one partition per HDD (though of course my Win8.1 has created a System Reserved partition).

1.  Given this, and given that I have no desire to password-protect or hide the backups, is there a good reason for me to use Acronis Secure Zones?

2.  I plan to do all my restores via bootable Acronis Rescue (CD or USB) media.  Is there a good reason for me to enable the Startup Recovery Manager?  (And am I correct in guessing it would be useless after a system drive failure?)

3.  When backing up a mobile Android device to a PC, does the "Continuous" functionality operate automatically?  (And only when connected to the same wifi network?)

4.  After I backup the system drive, I plan to switch to a new SSHD (a hybrid, that is a HDD with a small SSD built it)(smaller but still will only be 10% full).  A SSHD is essentially treated the same as a HDD, right?  Oh, and any tricks to restore to a smaller drive?

0 Users found this helpful

I would not recomend using Acronis Secure Zone. I have not used it since version 10.

Password procection is good pracitice, particularly as it allow you to encrypt the backup files. I always opt for encryption.

I will leave it to others to deal with the other issues you have raised.

Ian

coyote,

I will comment on the following:

Question 2: Recovery Media is the preferred method of performing restore procedures do to the fact that recovery of OS system disks need to be offline to recover thus the use of bootable recovery media is needed.  It is possible to use the SRM for the purpose of recovering to a live disk or online disk however, boot loader modification is necessary to do so and can lead to corruption of the boot loader.  The MVP's here recommend Recovery Media for recovery purposes and you are correct that failure of the system drive would make SRM useless.

Question 4: I would rethink the hybrid drive for your system as such drives are not supported by the bootable environment required for system drive recovery.  See the link below for details:

Hybrid Drives

Thank you for the very helpful responses, IanL-S and Enchantech!
I appreciate that it was OK for me to ask multiple questions in one post.

I've always been wary of using encryption (I have no wish for it's security); should I REALLY feel comfortable with it?

I'm *happy* to forget about Secure Zones and a Startup Recovery Manager.

I'm so glad I asked about the Hybrid drive!  (I guess I'll unload it on eBay.  This is *so* disappointing; my ca. 2004 won't support an SSD, Velociraptors are defunct, I'll need to brainstorm a plan B.)

Weird that I got no notification of replies.  

Anybody got an answer for #3?

I see that I can download a "Bootable Media ISO" from my Acronis Account.

Am I correct in assuming it would be better to use the Acronis Media Builder to create bootable recovery media for my specific PC?

Hybrid drives can work fine provided that they present as a single drive and not as two separate drives. I have a 1Tb SSHD drive in my laptop that has been fine being used with Acronis.   Don't expect SSD performance from such a drive. 

There isn't much difference between the download version of the rescue media and the standard Linux media you can create in the application. 

The point was for the hybrid drive that caution should be used when you deploy such a drive in your system.  On their own as Steve points out they can be used as they will present themselves as a single drive.  It is possible to implement Intel Rapid Storage Technology on such drives which then will show the drive as 2 drives.  It is also possible to use the same technology to create a hybrid drive using a small SSD and a n HDD in conjunction which shows as a single drive in Windows yet appears as 2 drives in the management interface of the Intel IRST management console and to recovery media as well.

So caution is advised when using these types of drives and drive arrangements.

Great news about the hybrid drive; I was surprised by the notion that (by default) it would NOT be usable as a single drive.

I guess I was used to Norton Ghost's custom boot CD's being necessary to support my storage controllers; I'll see if the ATI boot disc sees all the drives.

 

The only problem drive configurations are UEFI booted machines having disk controller modes set to RAID enabled.  In this case a boot media with RAID drivers is necessary.

All other standard drives are supported.  Third party drive controllers such as LSI may require a custom driver injected into the boot  media as well.  Acronis provides WinPE media and we have an MVP WinPE tool available for download to assist in creating such media.

Happily, the Boot Media 'sees' all my drives (some of which are even on PCI SATA cards)!!

And I was able to recover a file from a system drive image, to another HDD on a PCI SATA card