Skip to main content

automatic cleanup not working Acronis True Image 2018

Thread needs solution

My backup scheme is set to Custom (save only 4 backup chains) with backup scheme set to Incremental (make 10 incremental per full backup).  Also set to keep first full backup.  It is set for Automatic Cleanup but never performs the cleanup function with the result that my 4TB backup drive is full.  My backup folder currently has 8 full chains in spite of the setting to keep no more than 4.  I have worked around this by manually deleting old chains.  My first attempts were done using File Explorer (Win8).  Acronis Backup does not like this and constantly sends message about missing files.  I run Validate and tell it to ignore the missing ones but it simply sends me the message again.  I have also clicked F11 at power-on stage for computer and used the Acronis app to select and delete chains.  I don't thinks this results in a Validation error but not sure.  Either approach to deleting old chains works until the disk reaches capacity again.  Auto cleanup is selected but never works.  I would appreciate any help.

 

0 Users found this helpful

William, welcome to these public User Forums.

Your backup settings and automatic cleanup rules should work correctly based just on the information shown, however, if you have made any changes to these settings along the way, this is known to have a side effect of resetting the version chain counts and could result in more than 10 incremental files being created or more version chains.

When you manually delete any backup files outside of using automatic cleanup, then information is left behind in the internal Acronis database which in turn results in the pop-up error messages when you run the task.

The only way to resolve this type of error is to perform a validation of the task after any manual deletions (regardless of where done), then take the option to Ignore each & every message for a missing file.

What isn't clear here is what the size of your version chains are?

I agree that my backup settings should work but it is clear that they don't.  I have run Validation a number of times and clicked Ignore for all the messages about missing files.  This has no effect - the next time I run Validation it flags the same files.  I am stuck in an endless cycle of manually deleting files so that new backups can be made.  The backup drive reaches capacity at 10 chains.  If I manually delete one or two (after which I always do a Validate), Backup will run until the backup drive is filled to capacity once again.

William, perhaps the best way around this issue would be to abandon the current backup task that is giving this problem and start over by doing as follows:

Select the current task in the ATI GUI then select the 'Clone settings' option.
This will create a duplicate task with the same name prefixed by (1).
Delete the original task from the ATI GUI but leave the backup files on your backup drive (so only removing the task settings from the GUI).
Use Explorer to do any pruning of the backup files to make room for new backups.
Note: turn off Acronis Active Protection before trying to delete files.

Either keep the new cloned task name, or else rename but make this different to the old task name.
Check all your settings are still as you want them, then click on Back up now (or later) to start that new cloned backup.