Deleting Backup Files

Gery, welcome to these user forums.

What backup file are you wanting to delete?

If you are wanting to delete all the backup files associated with a specific backup task, then you can take the Delete option against the task, which in turn will offer you the choice of deleting just the task settings, or of deleting everying - settings and all backup files.

If you are wanting to just delete a single file or all the files belonging to a single backup version, then the recommended method is to use the automatic cleanup rules provided in the task configuration settings, where you can select the deletion criteria, i.e. keep only X recent versions or delete versions older than X days.

Though not recommended, you can delete such files via Windows Explorer, but if you do so, then you should perform a validation for the backup task that created the deleted files and take the Ignore option when prompted for each missing (deleted) file.  This is necessary to reconcile the Acronis Database with the actual status of backup files still available.

Thanks for your answer.

I don't want to delete all files and I dont want o use an automatic rule. What I want is to manually delete selected files. Is there no possibility to do that?
I like Acrons True Image but if this is not possible, I guess I will change my mind.

Gery, as I stated in my previous response, you can delete such files via Windows Explorer, but if you do so, then you should perform a validation for the backup task that created the deleted files and take the Ignore option when prompted for each missing (deleted) file.  This is necessary to reconcile the Acronis Database with the actual status of backup files still available.

Without doing a validation and reconciling the Acronis Database you are likely to get error messages for 'cannot find version X' related to the files you delete via Explorer.

Thanks a lot. I know the options now.
But, poor for a product like that.

You're not the first to ask for this - it was available in 2014 and earlier versions, but got dropped (with a few other common tasks that were once available) in an effort to "simplify" the product.  Please do submit feedback from within the application to make sure it gets registered directly with Acronis.  

Still a poor product with regard to deleting old back-up files.  Surely you can update the software with a simpler means than the process currently required.  Windows Explorer will not let me delete old Acronis back files anyway  - says I have to give permission to "Everyone", but can't find how to do that.

I use a USB linked WD drive for backups, and there is clearly a limit to how much it will hold.  I don't think I can retrospectively set up the automatic backup file deletion. 

b t w:  Internet upload speeds are so slow here that using Acrons Cloud is not feasable for full or even incremental backups.

Hello Colin,

thank you for your posting! 

Windows Explorer will not let me delete old Acronis back files anyway - if you are using Acronis True Image 2018, I suspect this is Acronis Active Protection component that prevents our archives to be accessed by any non-Acronis process. You'll need to disable this protection first (see Managing Acronis Active Protection) and then remove the files. 

Note: if you delete an incremental backup that has other dependent incremental backups - they all become useless. So, delete carefully. 

BTW, cleanup of old backups will be improved in the next product version. We welcome you to install a trial once the product is available! 

Dear Ekaterina,

is this improved clean up of old backups operational meanwhile in version 2019 ? Because, I just tried to clean up files or dirs (that I want to choose myself, not simply based on a date) but.... could not find a way to do it yet. It's not understandable, that is this not possible in a paid solution as Acronis…  

I would not mind in case Acronis keeps its promise from when I bought it initally ("unlimited storage"), but once your client, they inform you that this "unlimited storage" will disappear one or two years later... while the price remains the same.

So I would like to conclude : give me either a solution to clean my files in a smart way OR maintain my unlimited storage (in that case I do not mind to have no functionality to delete seperate files / dirs)

best regards,

Wim

Wim, I am sure that Ekaterina will respond to you herself but there is an element of confusion with our linkage of 'unlimited storage' with cleaning up your files.

Unlimited storage only ever applied to backups created in the Acronis Cloud for which there are controls offered in the Advanced backup task settings.  The provision of unlimited storage is a commercial decision for Acronis in terms of the demand on their servers and the capacity they are able to provide.

ATI 2019 offers a new option in the menu for each task shown in the main GUI which will allow you to clean up unwanted backup versions.  Please note that this only applies to the files belonging to the tasks shown in the GUI - other files can be managed simply by using File Explorer provided that Acronis Active Protection is turned off temporarily.

Wim Keyngnaert wrote:

is this improved clean up of old backups operational meanwhile in version 2019 ? Because, I just tried to clean up files or dirs (that I want to choose myself, not simply based on a date) but.... could not find a way to do it yet. It's not understandable, that is this not possible in a paid solution as Acronis…  

Hello Wim,

Clean-up features for local backups and for backups stored in Acronis Cloud are somewhat different, but both have no option to remove only particular files/folders.  You can delete only the whole recovery points (backup versions). Here we have a good write-up on how the clean-up options work for Cloud backups https://kb.acronis.com/content/62010 

Let me know, if there are any questions or concerns. 

*edited the link

Ekaterina, I get a page not found when I click on the link - not sure if problem with URL or something blocking access from my end.

Ian

There are extra characters on the KB URL in Ekaterina's post - the correct URL is:

KB 62010: Acronis True Image: how to delete backups in Acronis Cloud and free up Cloud storage space