Backup details on notification email and actual backup file created differ
I have ATI set to create differential backups, with a full backup after 6 differential ones.
Six differential backups had been created so I expected last nights would be a full version, and the notification email I received following the backup confirmed that Hitachi1HTS541075A9E680_full_b3_s1_v1 had been created (281.16GB) at 8:20pm.
However, this file appears on the destination drive as last modified on the 5th of this month with a size of 266GB and the backup file which was created last night has a filename of Hitachi1HTS541075A9E680_diff_b2_s8_v1 and is only 5.9GB
Help appreciated.


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In reply to DrMopp, please download /… by truwrikodrorow…

File manager listing below, also showing tonight's backup, which was a full one.
The filename referred to on the latest notification email was Hitachi HTS541075A9E680_full_b3_s1_v1 - 254GB (though the file created, as you can see, was Hitachi HTS541075A9E680_full_b4_s1_v1 - 266GB)
The log file for the 13th shows:
Doesn't mean too much to me I'm afraid, but might it be best to delete backups (within Acronis of course!) and start afresh?
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Your first image is broken (gives a 404 not found error), but looking at the log file information, it looks that your actual backup task name is one created by using the 'Add existing backup' where it takes the full file name, i.e. Operation HTS541075A9E680_full_b3_s1_v1 started by schedule.
After this, the log shows that you are picking up the Differential file version according to your backup scheme, so the final file was HTS541075A9E680_diff_b3_s8_v1.tib
I think that the confusion here just comes from the task name.
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Hope this image is OK. Still don't understand why there are 7 differential versions in the second version chain when the settings stipulate a full version should be created after 6 (and first chain is correct) Would like to reset all file name counts delete backups and start afresh (again!) can you tell me how to do that?
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The most common reason for the number of differentials (or incrementals) to be higher than the value set before a new full is created, is because a change to the task configuration has been made which has the side effect of resetting the chain count.
If you want to start again completely, then first, clone the task settings which will create a duplicate task with the same name but prefixed by (1) - do not do anything with this task yet.
Next, remove the original backup task from the task list (no need to say to delete everything if you want to keep the current backups until your first new backup is made).
Now edit the cloned task, you can rename this to make it a unique task name, preferably one that you have not used before, then select a different destination folder on your backup drive.
You can then run this new task and start a fresh new backup version chain.
Once all is looking OK, you can go to the original backup folder for the old task and do any file cleanup for the files held there.
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In reply to The most common reason for… by truwrikodrorow…

Thanks for that, will start again, following your instructions.
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All good so far, but a quick question,does changing the backup time on the scheduler reset the chain count?
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Honest answer is 'don't know' to your question about changing the scheduled time - it shouldn't do but I cannot say that it won't! I can understand that making changes to the Backup scheme would impact on the chain count, but other changes to the other options pages should not have this impact to my way of thinking!
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In reply to Honest answer is 'don't know… by truwrikodrorow…

I'll leave it as it is for now then, just in case! Thanks again for your help with this.
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You are welcome.
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Spoke too soon, now only 4 differential backups created before full version when 6 specified in settings. The settings haven't been touched between backups.
Any idea what else could cause this behaviour?
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The only suggestion as to a cause would be a possibly corrupted task configuration script file - if this is the case, then creating a new backup task would not show the issue.
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Started from scratch, but now third and fourth differential versions are roughly same size as full version (see screen print below) can understand s4 being so large as Creators Update happened between it and s3, but any idea why s5 is similar size? Set to create full version after every six diff. versions and keep no more than two version chains.
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A diff will write what is different from the full version, not the previous diff. I suspect you might want to be running Incremental backups.
Read here about the difference between them:
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In reply to A diff will write what is… by truwrikodrorow…

BrunoC - thanks for that, you are of course correct, I do want to run differentials, just hadn't thought it through before posting!
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