TI2016 Not Seeing All Existing Backups
I just went to do a recovery but TI2016 lists only 3 backups to choose from however there are actually 12 existing backup files (.tib) in the folder. How can I get TI to see the others so I can recover from one of them?
Thanks.
Peter
I also experienced the issue of TI2016 not seeing backups it had just created. This was a clean TI installation onto a clean Windows 10 install. There was just no way the existing backups could be added to the list manually, let alone automatically picked as they should have been.
With all due respect to FtrPilot, using bootable media is a cop out. This was just one of a long list of issues... I reluctantly put in for and got a refund.
Mooly,
Here's the reason I answered the way I did...
Peter was on-line at the time, and in his write up, he stated that he needed to recover one of the TIBs. The response I gave should have allowed him to do the recover.
I am in the middle of Windows 10 upgrade (downgrade) and do not have ATI2016 up and running. So, I could not verify exactly what to do. Normally, when users have issues, I try to verify an operation on my computer before I post a response. As soon as I have ATI 2016 up and running, I will post a full response. I also don't like to respond "Go read the user manual"
Regards,
FtrPilot
FtrPilot,
Thanks for the reply. I did use the rescue media and was able to recover using the .tib file I wanted.
The remaining question, for when this happens again (I assume it will because it has happened several times in the past), if TI2016 does not see one of my existing .tib files, how can I make TI see the file?
Thanks
Peter
Sorry, I see where you were coming from with the reply... it wasn't meant as personal criticism.
What is so frustrating is seeing so many issues on this forum with TI and particularly TI2016, and that those wanting answers are not getting anywhere. Recovering via bootable media is the last resort to recovery... and as long as the .tib file is OK it will work... but its not the answer to all the myriad issues TI is facing.
Mooly,
There is nothing wrong with your first response. You obviously have issues with ATI 2016, as do a lot of other users. Your response reflected your frustrations in a respectful manner. It also gave me the opportunity to explain why I responded the way I did. I would have preferred a more comprehensive reply on my part, but I could not provide it. But I felt compelled to provide Peter with the information he needed to recover his TIB file.
Peter,
Here's a link for a user having the same problem as you...however, he is using ATI2015. I believe GH-Storage's solution should work for you.
https://forum.acronis.com/forum/110477
My personal preference is to perform the entire recovery using rescue media. I know where they are and have no problem navigating to them for a restore. I move previous backups to their own folder, where ATI doesn't know where they are and won't display them. That also keeps the main ATI2016 screen clean. I can point you to another thread where the user has a problem of ATI finding previous backups and loading them as active tasks.
So, if the link above doesn't help you resove your problem, I should be able to research the answer tomorrow.
Also, I am glad you were able to recover the TIB file.
Regards,
FtrPilot
Where are your backups stored? If on networked location could be a Windows 10 issue.
Where are your backups stored? If on networked location could be a Windows 10 issue.
For information (only because I'm not now running TI) but my backups were stored on a separate partition on the single SSD fitted to the PC. Exactly the same backup schemes and methods as I've used for the last 9 years. I found that once TI had been 'used' a couple of times is when this problem occured. This also seemed to coincide with the arrival of the dreaded 'Operations are in progress and the 2 minute shutdown warning'.
To all who are following this thread...
Here's what appears to be the root cause (or, at least part of it) of the problem I'm having where TI2016 does not see some of my existing backup files.
TI maintains an internal database of backup (.tib) files. As a new backup is created the database stores, among other things, the file name, date and the location where the file was saved. The problem is that there doesn't appear to be any way to update the database if something changes.
For example, if a backup file is moved from one storage location to another (from a local folder to a network folder or from an external drive to an internal drive) the database doesn't know and, more importantly, there doesn't appear to be a way to tell the database about the new location of the file. So, you are stuck with having a valid backup file that TI doesn't see and, therefore, can't use.
This is a real, ongoing situation for me. I have TI on one of my laptop PCs. When I'm on the road it's set to back up to an external drive. When I'm home it's set to back up to a network folder. When I return from a trip everything on the external drive is copied to the network folder. So, the backup files that were created on the external drive while I was away still exist but they are now in a different location. That means TI doesn't see them and that means, for practical purposes, they don't exist and can't be used.
Peter
Peter,
With your explanation, I can do some research. When you hit the road, do you copy TIB files from your network to your external drive? Or do you start a new task on the road? Do you use differential backups, incremental backups, or full backups when on the road? At home?
Is your network backup folder mapped to a drive letter? I beleive your problem is network permission related.
With my setup, I believe I can replicate your situation. I'll see what I can do.
FtrPilot
Peter,
The "Add Backup" button is the down carat (with a circle around it) to the right of the + sign...see image below. That will bring up Windows explorer which should allow you to navigate to the desired folder and select the desired TIB file.
I successfully performed a couple of incremental backups you might be interested in. Will discuss after validation of the backups.
Regards,
FtrPilot
FtrPilot,
I thought I sent this reply earlier but it appears I didn't actually send it. To answer your questions:
Before I hit the road I copy the most recent backup file of my laptop to the external hard drive I take with me. That file may have originally been saved to the external drive or it may have originally saved to the network drive depending on whether I was home or away when it was created.
I always create full backups.
The network backup folder is not mapped to a drive letter. The Security and Permissions settings for the folder are set to allow access from any of my PCs. TI (on my laptop) has never had trouble saving a backup to that folder and TI does see some of the backup files in that folder, just not all of them (and not the one I needed the other day). I'm open to all possibilities but I don't think this is a permissions issue.
Thanks for your help!
Peter
Wow...sees some but not all. That's wierd.
I'll be sending you a PM.
FtrPilot
It will take me some time to determine if this is true but I *think* the files it sees are the ones that were originally saved to the network folder and the ones it does not see were originally saved elsewhere and later moved to the network folder.
I will try to work on that this weekend.
Peter
I have xp images on an old Hitachi 160GB HDD that I can pop into a hot-pluggable bay and Acronis has no problems with it.
That said, last week I was trying to reproduce errors for a problem and I inadvertently messed something up (I think it may have had something to do with me temporarily changing letters on a couple of disks) with a resent set of diff backups. At first it couldn't find one in the series, after a few reboots it was like the whole backup was nonexistent even though I could see them in my file explorer. I didn't panic too much because I have redundancy but I wanted to fix the problem. Not really knowing exactly how I was going to do that, I thought I would boot into AcronisPE to see what I could do. I thought validating the backup would be the best way to start and it managed to validate ok. Upon reboot I went back to Acronis and all was ok. I don't know how validating would fix it or if the fourth or fifth reboot was the charm but I was happy that things were back to normal.
Peter,
I think you have run into one of the limitations of True Image. You are correct that the app stores information about backup tasks and it is well known that changes to a previously created backup task is not recommended and often produces undesirable results. This is what I think you are seeing here.
Now I am guessing a bit with this but I think it is quite logical that a backup validation may just solve some of your issue and here's why. In past versions many complaints were logged about True Image being slow to start and that is still the case for some users today however, in my testing of the application I can confirm that as the list of backups in the database grows so does the time involved in populating the backup task list in the application. This is to be expected in my view. I also have backups that do not appear in the backup task list inside the application. This is expected behavior for me as well because I make nothing but full backups and to keep the task list manageable from time to time I will remove the entries for created tasks. When I do this it removes the task entry from the database but the backup file remains. I know where the files are stored so it is no big deal for me as when and if I choose to work with one inside the Windows installed app I just click the + button and add it back to the list. Now this triggers the Reconfigure backup nag but I just ignore that since my intent is not to use the task again so mush as it is to work with the backup file itself.
Now to go a bit further, I always validate my backups at the same time each backup is created. So for me when I search for backups choosing Add Existing Backup all backups on my system appear when their location is browsed. In reading all of this I take it that does not happen for you or, you are not using the Add Backup feature to bring those backups into the backup task list. If you, like in Nils case, disrupt the backup file location somehow and then choose to run the vaildation it is logical that once that is done True Image would find it again as long as the original task is still in the database that was used to create the backup, and bring it back into the list.
I think that it possible that with TI 2016 a change was made in the app to look for validation flags on .tib files when searching for existing backups so that some of the slowness of the app was addressed. Just guessing here of course but it woule make sense to do it that way.
So I have a question for you. What do you find is so problematic about the fact that some of your backup files do not appearing in the GUI of the application? When you encounter this issue what are wanting to do with the backup that does not appear? Are you wishing to recover the entire backup or are you looking ot just recover a few files or folders from it? If you could explain more about what your goal is in working with the backups it may make for a better solution to be offered.
Enchantech,
Thanks for the reply.
I too create only full backups and validate as they are created.
I can see all of my backup files in File Explorer (formerly Windows Explorer). None are missing from there. I have tried the + button to add an existing backup but it works only some of the time. The other times the existing backup just doesn't get added.
To answer your questions:
My recent experience of not seeing all of my backups in the GUI was when I was trying last week to recover two partitions on my laptop from one of the backup files that was not shown in the GUI. I tried + to add it but it didn't work that time. TI just did not want to see that particular file.
My goal in working with backups is to be able to recover either an entire disk (in the case of my desktop PCs) or a partition or two (in the case of my laptop). I want to be able to recover them from any existing backup I have regardless of where that backup was originally saved and regardless of where it is now and regardless of anything else. If I have an existing valid backup file I should be able to use it to recover.