I love how confusing Acronis True Image Home is!!
First, there's the stupid name, "True Image Home". I mean, it doesn't even make sense. I understand the True Image as in an 'image backup', but True Image Home. How wonderful. Maybe they should have called it True Image Car, or True Image Ceiling Fan, because that wouldn't mean anything, either.
Another thing I love about it, is how difficult it is, to figure out how to make a backup. It's confusing. Nothing is intuitive. After just a few weeks, I forget how to use it. THAT'S good design work!!
Does anyone know how to change my backup settings? I had to have the techs help me (during that short, 30 day period), to figure out how to set it in the first place. The software was so confusing, the guy had to take control of my computer remotely. Again, great design work, making something that people don't understand! Very useful, very useful.
It's currently set for once a month backup, but I want to change it to once every two weeks. Good thing there's no easy way to figure out how to do that! I mean, they wouldn't want people using the software!
Anyone know how to change the backup interval settings?
I totally agree. I managed to figure out how to change the back up method from incremental to Full Backup, but it has recently given an error message with every back up.
It says No Windows Libraries. Does this every time.
But the WORST issue with Acronis for Home user is the lack of proper instructions for the only times one will actually NEED the program. To recover one's computer after a virus attack or computer crash.
The user is not using this program to write letters or do accounting but to guard against those possibilites.
So here's what the average user needs.
A simple plain guide to what to do when:
1. A virus infects your computer and it cannot be cleaned.
2. Your hard disk crashes and you have bought a new one.
3. Your hard disk crashes and you have decided to buy a new computer as the cost is not much more.
This needs to be split into two sections:
If you get a computer with the same operating system.
If you get one with a newer operating system. E.g. My Windows Vista computer crashes and I buy a Windows 7 one (no choice in that now anyway)
The guide should be capable of being followed by a normal human being with some computer knowledge but not an expert.
It should cover:
Recovering data
Recovering programs.
Their are excellent step-by-step guides, as I mentioned, available in the left-hand column of this forum.
I looked for this but could not find it.
What I am suggesting is that it is essential for Acronis to realize that the majority of home users will panic when they turn on their precious computers and discover the hard drive just clicks or even worse smokes!
A simple to follow guide should even be printed as part of the Install procedure. With the header, "Please keep in safe place in case you ever need it".
Let's say this happens to me tomorrow. My computer is 2 years old and runs Vista, no longer available. I can get a new hard drive but for a couple of hundred bucks more I decide to buy a new computer, which now runs Windows 7.
What I need to know is "How do I now move the Data, and preferably the Programs as well from the backup disk to this new computer? "
If I have to re-install all the software anyway, there isn't much point backing up the entire disk, I might as well just back up my data files only.
Do I need to find all my old software discs, activation codes and re-install them? Or is there a way of copying the Registry, dlls, etc. from my backup disc to the new system?
1. In my experience, most users don't bother to read such guides anyway, until they need them. There are excellent guides here on this site, as I mentioned.
2. Having a full disk backup allows one, in case of disk disaster, to replace the failed disk with a new drive and then to restore the ATIH image. Once restored to the new drive, everything will be exactly as it was on the old drive: all installed software; all user settings; all data. That is a huge benefit. In a matter of minutes, restoring transforms a fresh, unformatted drive to a working system.
3. If you decide to move to a new computer, you might use the ATI Plus Pack's Universal Restore to restore to the new, different hardware. But, in such a situation I would perfer to install applications in the normal manner. You could then use the ATIH image to restore your user data files to the new system.
Perhaps you would find this link helpful.
http://forum.acronis.com/forum/29803
Dear tuttle:
You are absolutely right. People don't and probably have no need to read such a guide until they need them. That's why I suggested one should print it and say "Put in safe place till needed."
Thanks for your helpful comments. I would imagine that most hard disks die after a period of use and by then it probably makes sense to replace the entire machine as they go out of date so quickly.
I will look at the Plus pack as you suggest.
Thanks,
Dear tuttle:
You are absolutely right. People don't and probably have no need to read such a guide until they need them. That's why I suggested one should print it and say "Put in safe place till needed."
Even if the ATIH installer added such a statement, users would not print it.
I would imagine that most hard disks die after a period of use and by then it probably makes sense to replace the entire machine as they go out of date so quickly.
Disks fail for many reasons. Many of us have saved users by restoring their disk images to a fresh disk. Also, other disasters such as virus infection, failed software installation or other system-wrecking disasters can all be undone by restoring an ATIH disk image. That is likely a more common use than moving to a new system. Either way, a recent ATIH full disk image is your best insurance against disaster.
Hello everyone,
Thank you very much for your posts and your help tuttle and Grover.
asdf and Norman, we really appreciate your feedback and I have forwarded it to our Program Management team via Acronis Customer Listening System.
asdf, you can schedule your backups by clicking on the Scheduling button in the main disk and partition backup menu. We have a short tutorial available here.
Please let us know if you need additional help.
Thank you.