[Warning: 6 years later, still not resolved by the company] Why does True Image 2015 exclude web browser folders from backups by default? I lost all my Google Chrome userdata...
Agreed, sending up more smoke signals can sometimes help and in this case they may be thinking Google put their Chrome bookmarks in a poor location and pointing the finger that way. However that being said it doesnt change the fact that Acronis has a very specific exclusion statement that impacts data that many users would like to have recovered that was not previously in effect. Seems like minor work to change that back. I was also formerly a very satisfied customer and I do use Acronis products with a grain of salt knowing that I better cover my bases if I want to be able to get back in business. Always good to have more then one tool in arsenel. A better method may be needed to communicate bug fixes to the programmers as well.
Hello all,
The request to remove browser bookmarks from the default list of exclusions has been implemented indeed. If you are using Acronis True Image 2016, you'll need to update to the latest build 6581, where bookmarks are not excluded by default. In Acronis True Image 2017 the list of exclusions does not contain browser bookmarks already. If you are using an old backup plan, it may still contain the full list of exclusions. It's recommended to create a new plan then.
Thank you,
I hadn't noticed this. There are still browser-related entries in the exclusion list, but they are all AppData\Local\ entries, not AppData\Roaming\. I don't know about other browsers, but Firefox apparently stores its cache in Local, but nothing that is really needed. Everything needed to restore the browser to usability is backed up.
Hello forum users,
I have not been on this forum for many years. I've had Acronis for over 10 years. I have multiple versions of Acronis on multiple machines, new and old (version 11 through version 2016). I have the problem stated in the first post at the top of this thread. I've read through it and my head hurts. I have a backup (version 2015) of my Sony VAIO and had to restore. Thousands of my years worth of bookmarks are gone. Just a simple question: Do I just suck it up, or can I get them back without a PhD in IT. Is there a newer version that will let me get them back? I doubt it, because of all the "exclusion file stuff." I will accept the answer either way, just a simple, "Your'e out of luck," or try "this."
Sorry for the rehash, and thanks in advance for any input.
Dan
Your'e out of luck, as many of us. The bookmark infomartion is never in your backup. The newer version only do not forget including bookmark when you create new backup plan, not even new backup file.
Thanks guojc. I'll go back to an older machine and older Acronis version to see what I can recover. Thanks for the reply.
Daniel, this issue has been resolved in the latest build versions for ATIH 2016 & 2017 as documented in post #53 in this thread - see https://forum.acronis.com/forum/91491?page=1#comment-398753
This change would only be implemented in new backup tasks created with these latest build versions - for backups tasks created before the new builds, you would need to manually remove the browser folders from the exclusions list.
Hello,
I also ran into this unbelievable situation.
Using TI and choosing to backup at DISK level means to me i get all the content of the disk backed up as an one to one image. I guess this is the most common understanding af a disk level backup for most IT professionnals. If i wanted to make a seletive backup i naturally go for file based backup.
I also lost years data in my local google profile. What does Acronis propose as a compensation for this critical misstake leading user to data loss. Indeed Acronis is a backup Software and thus do not hold what it promise on the basis of the known pratice and terms used in the backup vocabulary.
As an IT professionnal for over 25 years and selling Acronis solution in all various versions and plattforms i'm happy it happens to me and not on a customers infrastructure. I guess i have now to check all the customer installations doing test restoring in order to compare if the restored data is all available in the backups. Sure i can activate the browser related files, but am i sure that there are not some other surprising default options that would lead in data loss ?
Sorry for my bad english, i hope my point of view is clear.
Mathieu
Note that as of 1/17/2017, this exclusion bug has NOT been fixed. The defective exclusions are still added to every newly created backup job. I have to manually edit the exclusion list every time I create a new job. EVERY SINGLE TIME. Saving new defaults does NOT help. For example:
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\UserData
Is still added on every new job.
Build 5554.
It's reprehensible that Acronis hasn't fixed this yet.
Bruce.
Having used Acronis for several years- then having numerous problems with it- I switched to Macrium Reflect. It's MUCH better. The free version is sufficient for most people- but I paid for it so I can get on their forum.
Joe
It cannot be named a bug because it was intended to be added like this by acronis. So it is not a misstake in coding, but a conceptionnal decision.
It consists in a missleading situation for the user and it's reprehensible that Acronis has integrated that. Even if there had be an big alert on this, or that it is documented in the manual, it is clearly a very serious error in the product.
Imagine you are driving car for many years and you are used to stop the car by pressing the brake pedal. Now you bought a new car and the manufacturer decided to disable the breaks that you must enable before using it. For me it is the same situation and sure the personnal loss of data make me very angry, but that said as a backup software Acronis clearly seriously failed on this point and should for my understanding offer compesation for users that lost data.
Why did Acronis did not fixed it ? (i did not verified if yes or no this was fixed) I guess if the change direction on this it's equal to admit their misstake and expose themselves to compensation requests.
Mathieu
Mathieu, Bruce, Joseph, if you are running ATIH 2016 build 6581 or ATIH 2017 build 5554 and are seeing your Google bookmarks being excluded in new backup tasks, then I would recommend opening a Support Case with Acronis Support as in post #53 above, Ekaterina - Acronis Support Engineer, clearly states:
The request to remove browser bookmarks from the default list of exclusions has been implemented indeed. If you are using Acronis True Image 2016, you'll need to update to the latest build 6581, where bookmarks are not excluded by default. In Acronis True Image 2017 the list of exclusions does not contain browser bookmarks already. If you are using an old backup plan, it may still contain the full list of exclusions. It's recommended to create a new plan then.
Note: ATIH 2016 & 2017 users now get upto 2 years of free support (by email or live chat) to raise support issues.
This is indeed very strange. It was fixed but it seems to be back. Maybe it was retrogressed by the NAS autentication hotfix.
This is indeed very strange. It was fixed but it seems to be back. Maybe it was retrogressed by the NAS autentication hotfix.
I think so. 5555 fixed the issue, but if you use the hotifix files for the unchecked files/folders after applying 5555, bug comes back. Likewise, if you apply the hotfix files for the file/folder issue, and then install 5555, you then lose those. We need a hotifx that addresses both at the same time, or pick the one that is most beneificial for the time being. Hopefully, the next update son't be too far along and will finally put both of these issues to bed for good.
These exclusions will remain in the older versions of ATI because there are no new builds / updates being produced for these, but the browser exclusions have been changed in the 2017 version provided that you are not importing tasks from earlier versions which will retain the older exclusion settings.
Slava wrote:Hello All,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about default exclusions. We aim at removing browsers` user profile folders from default exclusions in the next version of the program. Until then you can either remove those exclusion rules manually in backup settings or use browsers` synchronization feature that allows storing bookmarks online (https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/sync/, for example).
We may still leave folders with temporary files (cache) excluded by default.
Hope, if your backup validates successfully, you do not have to worry about restoration. There must be many Windows` own backups (system restore points) that are stored in \System Volume Information\ folders and are excluded by default. This exclusion rule will remain unchanged.
Regards,
Slava
Slava, I am using the latest Acronis True Image WD edition. This edition is free and can be used if a Western Digital drive is plugged in. But, this version is locked down! I cannot change the exclusions list at all. So, my Chrome profile cannot be backed up unless I do so manually copy/paste. The latest is v19.0.0.33 off WD's site.
I don't know why you guys thought it was fine to not backup the browser's profile. Thank goodness Chrome backed up most stuff to the cloud and was able to restore. Oh, and I'm glad I didn't have anything in the recycle bin i wanted to restore. Tisk tisk.
Daniel wrote:
I am using the latest Acronis True Image WD edition. This edition is free and can be used if a Western Digital drive is plugged in. But, this version is locked down! I cannot change the exclusions list at all. So, my Chrome profile cannot be backed up unless I do so manually copy/paste. The latest is v19.0.0.33 off WD's site.
Please see KB 2201: Support for OEM Versions of Acronis Products which describes how your ATI WD OEM edition is supported and who you need to contact about any issues you experience, including the limitations of such free OEM products.
This is not an issue in the full paid versions of Acronis True Image, only for OEM versions such as your WD one.
It still tricks customers who use the product into thinking it is doing a full backup unless they check the exclusions settings.
Also when I restored the backed, the history of Windows Update have disappeared. Of course the updates are still installed but history is gone.
Daniel, all OEM versions of ATI have restrictions set by the companies providing them as bundled free software. When WD bundle ATI with a new drive, then the primary purpose is to allow the user to clone from their original drive to that new drive, where a clone is an identical duplicate with no exclusions applied.
If you want the full function of ATI then you need to buy the full product to get this.
All free products, in my experience, have limitations - they are provided as a way of showing users what they could have while giving them some basic features. This is the same regardless of who the maker of the product is. Other users in this topic have suggested using Macrium (free version) that too has limitations, i.e. only allows Differential backups to be created, not Incremental etc.
Note: Version 19 of ATI as provided by WD is equivalent to ATI 2016 - the latest version of ATI is 24 for the current Beta version of ATI 2020 being tested by users! ATI 2019 is version 23.
I also just lost my chrome profile due to this ridiculous situation.
Unfortunately, I cannot find a way to unexclude any of the individual default exclusions from the list. Is it possible to remove select items from this silly list to allow them into backups. Please advise.
I really don't want to use the "Files matching" checkbox and back up the swapfile, recycle bin and all the other items on this default list.
Fortunately, I keep my Firefox profile on my D: data drive so I didn't lose that. I suppose the only solution to this perma-glitch in Acronis TI 2015 is move my Chrome profile to the D: drive. I hope that's possible.
DW, you can remove any of the default exceptions or choose not to use them.
Alternatively, you could setup a separate Files & Folders backup of your Browser profile folders using no exclusions.
The other option is to sync your browser settings using the tools provided by signing in with a Google or Firefox account.
I also keep my Firefox profile on a different drive plus using sync for this with my Firefox account. I don't have Google Chrome installed on my PC's.
Thanks Steve. I read all the help about this but didn't see a delete icon. My old eyes missed that tiny blue x at the end of the highlight.
After you reaffirmed it really can be done, I had a closer look and found it. I wish I read this thread a few years ago. It would have saved me a lot of time I'll now have to spend rebuilding my bookmarks. Fortunately, my use for Chrome is very limited.
I'll have to check my google account and see if I can find bookmarks in there somewhere but I doubt it. Even though my main use for Chrome is managing my google merchant center and google ads accounts, I still do all I can to keep google outta my business.
Steve Smith wrote:DW, you can remove any of the default exceptions or choose not to use them.
Alternatively, you could setup a separate Files & Folders backup of your Browser profile folders using no exclusions.
The other option is to sync your browser settings using the tools provided by signing in with a Google or Firefox account.
I also keep my Firefox profile on a different drive plus using sync for this with my Firefox account. I don't have Google Chrome installed on my PC's.
Original poster here. It's been six years since I wrote this post and I'm very proud of everybody who has come forth about this problem.
It's Acronis who has to change this from within, not the users.
Acronis have made it very clear six years in a row that they will not fix this VERY simple issue that causes many paying users stress or anxiety over lost important data.
I gave up on the company and it's products long ago and it's not worth the stress and anxiety to pursue a change from a company that refuses to work with its customers.
We shared our feedback and gave the straight forward solution to the company and they never changed the default settings. Too little, too late.
I only came back here to make sure this thread was still around to warn new users about this incomplete software.
I've moved on and so should you. There is no Acronis.
Dom, this issue was fixed by Acronis in later versions of True Image where the exclusions no longer include browser bookmarks etc.