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Acronis Western Digital edition : how to configure a Backup for a large Capacity Disk in raw Mode ?

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Hello :) I'm using acronis edition true image WD 2010 build 14 165 and i'm trying to backup a almost broken large capacity hard drive 2To Western Digital which has bad sector. I've done a first try but il failed. I didn't configure enough compression (plus i've readen here on your forum i should not choose the "silent mode"). Then at the end, after 5 days, acronis has stopped the process : not enough space although i'm using a same 2.0To hard drive. Then i'm doing a second try using "normal compression". Today the backup is reaching 48% after 5 days - But more than 50% of the new hard drive (F:) is already used. Then i'm starting to wonder : acronis is backing up a raw mode hard drive which is 2 to. But if (G:) is not in a raw mode, it is only 1,8to. Acronis is making this backup on a partitioned hard drive (F:) which is only 1,8 To. I ve choosen : normal compression, sector by sector + don't save "espace non alloué" + silent mode (-> it's written that with normal compression a 2to disk backup will be only 1,2to : i didn't need to be warned that there wouldn't be enough space on hard drive (F:) Could you please confirm that i won't waste another week in this try. If i'm still wrong, may you indicate me how to proceed to make sure that backup will be successful. I do not know how many days the (G:) hard drive with bad sector will work on. Is that possible that acronis saves not only my files but also hidden stuff ( like the ntfs table wich takes 200Go when the hard drive is partioned in ntfsmode ?)Is that necessary ? Can i avoid it to save space ? Does The sector by sector backup mode (which is the only one correct to save data from an almost dead hard drive) allows enough compression so that a 2to raw mode hard drive may fit a 1,8to hard drive - Thanks For Helping me :)

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2 TB shouldn't take 5 days to back up--should be more like 30-60 secs per GB. What's is likely happening is disk errors are causing repeated retries of reads and/or writes and this is greatly adding to the backup processing time. So, I'm thinking you are too late.

You can run chdksk /r on the source drive if you think it will last through that and another attempt at backup. Then you can run the backup with ignore- errors and see if it will still backup up -- you might get some wonky data in some bad sectors or missed (unreadable) sectors or it might not complete at all. Or try a sector by sector backup--but again,m you'll capture wonky sectors in all their wonkness-- or it might not complete at all if the hdisk is bad.

This is why its important to make backups before things go wrong.

Thanks for having answered :)

chdksk /r does not work anymore. A sector of the source drive is down ! acronis found it and wrote it down in the log.

Then i choosed 'ignore bad sector" to make the backup : that's the best way to get the most of uncorrupted data. I choosed also "dont not save non allocated space" which may be a mistake.

Acronis is still in process : it is copying the data at ~2000ko/s i will discover the quality of the backup only if the new hard drive has enough space. That's at this very moment my first worry. if the backup needs more than 1,8to, i won't be able to get any - corrupted or uncorrupted data.
I hope when there won 't be enough space for the backup, acronis will pops up asking for new space.
Let's check that before to be pessimistic and to decide that it's too late :)

It's not easy to understand the acronis guide chapter 3.11.2 about "sector by sector backup", "save non allocated space" and "compression."

Good luck. If chkdsk wouldn't run, they you probably have some serious software wonks due to bad sectors. You might at least be able to get some or most of your data files from a backup. As for too late, I mean, you're standing in the flames trying to save the furniture while it's on fire. If you had a backup on hand, well, I'm sure you understand.

"Unallocated" space means hdisk space that isn't been assigned to a partition-- "unused" means allocated space that is empty space in your partition(s). Some folks want to copy the unallocated sectors to get a virtually exact copy of the entire hidsk. Normally, ati would only backup up the allocated space on a hdisk that is actually in use -- you know, where your files are, not where they aren't.

Not sure about 3.11.2, you must be using a userguide for a diff version of ati. for version 2010 it's here in section 9.3.1:

http://www.acronis.com/support/documentation/legacy.html

the guide is : Acronis True Image 2011.pdf. it was the first one i tried and used. Wow you know this product like the back of your hand :)

Today, i'm able to realize that i need to backup even datas on external drive.
Who would have thought that a new hdd on a rack will go down after a 2000 hours on ? That's a shame !

Here is my plan : to have a copy of my burning hdd in a new perfectly working "cold" HDD and try to chkdsk until it fixes what cannot be fixed on the broken hdd.. 2 ways to do it : mounting the.tib as an image and run chkdsk, or restore the .tib on a third large hdd. it looks that the hdd does not need to be partitioned of formated so that acronis restore the .bik
You wrote that "normally ati would only backup the allocated space where the files are."
I have a new worry : why acronis is needing 2to of space although the hdd which is copied is only 1,4to used by data ? The explanation would be the missing file which are fixed by chkdsk. Then acronis makes sure the success by copying all sector except the bad one : that's my guess

I have readen almost on all the computer support boards that acronis image was the best product in case of dying hdd. I can tell you that something else is burning : me, by impatience to check out the result : thanks 4 helping :)

Hi :)

the backup has been interrupted by a electricity power failure 400Go before the end. it would be not that bad if i would be able to check out what is inside.
I'm trying to open the .tib but i can not restore, nor mount the image : it says that it is not the last backup. I've uninstalled the wd edtion and tried with the 2012, but also it does not work out. Any idea please ?

If the TIB file is what you see after the backup interruption, you cannot do anything with it. You have to restart the backup.

thx Pat L

wow...i 'm thinking to sign in a yoga class afterall :)
Oki : i will restart the 10 days backup...
To make sure i will have enough space on the new hard drive, can i delete the partition and format and use it as raw disk ? does acronis 2012 deal with image from a raw disk to another raw disk?

Yap acronis could do that : it needs to start from the usb and choose clone - but no way to use the computer - i'm trying another way

Start over making a backup.

Hug5o wrote:

Hi :)

the backup has been interrupted by a electricity power failure 400Go before the end.. . .>

Hi,

I choosed to cut the .tib in 3 x 600Go parts.
Shall I be able to open the first one before the acronis will have ended ? I'm wondering. If yes; it would be awesome.

Hi ..

It failed for the 3rd time.
No enough space although i choosed normal compression : no red alert saying it won't be enough space in the beginning of the process.
Also it's written in the guild that even you are in" silent mode" acronis will pop up if there is no enough space. Bit it didn"t
It cancels all the process by itself.
if i do another last try, i think i should uncheck silence mode...

Hi :)

the same message came twice - I replace it!

After these try, i can tell there is no compression the hdd is in raw mode and "sector by sector" is active.
Then we have to choose a bigger hdd.
Which i have not.
But i have enough space on 2 hdd ?
How to configure the software ?

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Hello

Is there anybody who can answer ?

Look i 'va put another hdd . How can i make acronist to use the 1rst and second hdd for the save ?

When you set up a backup task, you can tell ATI where to back up to. If it's not showing some new hdisk you've installed, go into windows disk manager and activate the disk.

Did you indeed have a power failure or is this just the message you received? If the latter, then I suspect the hdisk is really far gone and generating hardware failure conditions.

Breaking up the backup into multiple files won't help if you are hoping one of them will work even if the others don't complete. You will need all parts of the back up to be able to restore.

I suggest trying to backup as many of you key data files (filemode backup) as you can and write-off the rest, doing a fresh install of the os and your programs.

Hi Scott, Sure : the hdd is almost dead. But i would like to make the max to get my doc inside. No : no power failure this time : ati made it perfectly ... until there is no space left which was my worry. I have tried to break up the save because i just buy another hdd to in cas of not enough space in the first hdd which i choosed my save to be written. But i have been told today that ati can not handle save on 2 hdd although it does for dvd or cd...I have been disappointed :( I'm trying your way. Hope it will work. I exclude "hidden files" "system file". Ati writes that it will take 1,7Go on 1,8To. Not sure i should do it this way.
If i buy the software, i will be able to clone: then i have on question. are the dbad sectors avoided ?

If you clone, the *information* about the bad sectors will be transferred to the new disk. So the cloned disk will have a file system listing bad sectors that are probably not bad. br />
http://kb.acronis.com/content/1871

Unfortunately, hdisks are like that, a few errors show up and then it might deteriorate slowly or very rapidly.