What .tib files are safe to delete?

Patrick, see the ATIH 2017 User Guide: and in particular the final sentence.

Backup file naming

A backup file name has the following attributes:

• Backup name
• Backup method (full, inc, diff: full, incremental, differential)
• Number of backup chain (in the form of b#)
• Number of backup version (in the form of s#)
• Number of volume (in the form of v#)

  For example this attribute changes when you split a backup into several files. Refer to Backup splitting for details.

Thus a backup name may look the following way:

1. my_documents_full_b1_s1_v1.tib
2. my_documents_full_b2_s1_v1.tib
3. my_documents_inc_b2_s2_v1.tib
4. my_documents_inc_b2_s3_v1.tib

If you are creating a new backup, and there is already a file with the same name, the program does not delete the old file, but adds to the new file the "-number" suffix, for example, my_documents_inc_b2_s2_v1-2.tib.

The question is moot at the moment because the backup process failed about 7 hours after I posted the question so all of the related .tib files will have to be deleted.  However, the question I was trying to ask was what the recovery process expected.  

I presently have two sets of .tib files:

• "F Drive Backup files_full_b1_s1_v1.tib" -  "F Drive Backup files_full_b1_s1_v140.tib"
• "F Drive Backup files_full_b1_s1_v1-2.tib" - "F Drive Backup files_full_b1_s1_v140-2.tib"
  "F Drive Backup files_full_b1_s1_v141.tib" - "F Drive Backup files_full_b1_s1_v725.tib"

Is the recovery code smart enough to ignore v1.tib through v140.tib.  Will it process v1-2 through v140-2 and then switch to v141 through v725?  So I could have safely deleted v1 through v140 to free up 280GB of disk space?

Patrick, I would tend to look at these files from a date/time stamp perspective so that you can see from the timestamps when each file was created in its proper sequence, so if all your 1 to 140.tib files were a contiguous set, and the following 1-2 to 140-2.tibs were contiguous too, you should be safe to delete the first of these.

Recovery should identify the files according to the sequence they belong to, which in Windows would be confirmed by the information in the Acronis Database but that is not involved if recovering using the Acronis bootable Rescue Media, so the application would need to be able to handle these additional files, which as this aspect of file naming is documented in the User Guide and has been there for a long time, I would expect it would handle this fine.

Patrick, a free tip.

When I backup something, I use a custom name for backup.

Example:

1) C7_25022017_   

2) C8D10_26022017_

3) C81D10HL_27022017_

This because is easy to track when you have create the backup and what you have backup.

1) = in date 25 Feb 2017 I have make a backup of my Windows7 C:

2) = in date 26 feb 2017 I have make a backup of my Windows 8 C: and Windows 10 D:

3) = in date 27 feb 2017 I have make a backup of my Windows 8.1 C: and Windows 10 D: + Drive Data H: and L:

I find this very good for me

Everytime i make a FullBackup with my algorithm and date, so easy for me browse my Acronis Folder and get various backup in different time.

A good call was make a Full Backup after you have installed Windows before install everything programs and missing drivers, then another when you have get everything fine, then maybe every month make a full backup. Took Paper and Write what you have added, changed or removed.

Easy for you to rollback to fresh Windows10 or Fresh Windows 10 First Run, then April 2016, October 2016, Jan 2017 etcetc.

Is true you use more space for FullBackup, but you have more chance to rollback and however you can always hold the Fresh and maybe the last 2-3 rollback. Otherwise if you work like me, you get 2 Fresh + 12 FullBackup every year, a bit much, then for me is pretty useless to hold a 2015 or Jan 2016 Backup.

But is supereasy rollback to October 2016, read paper and understand you have updating your nvidia drivers, Office, installed 3 others thing, so easy to rollback and follow a path to return to current date without lose to upgrading a driver, a program etcetc.

P.S: Obvious use the comment field in Backup to write down what you have changed from prev backup + a real paper for backup the infos.

Trust Me, I used this chain from 15 years maybe, I have save a tons of time when need to reinstall windows or migrate hd.

Interesting and usefull tips, but not related to what I was asking.  I was asking about a very specific situation where

1.  A single backup creates many .tib files.  (In my case, an FTP backup which ATI breaks into multiple 2GB chunks.
2. The backup process fails and has to be restarted so that there are multiple copies of of some of those .tib files.

In my case there were 2 copies of the first 140 .tib files of that one single backup - 140 files with the normal names and 140 files with a "-2" (I think) appended to the names.  I wanted to know what files the restore utilities would expect to find.  I assume that it will use the file with the highest dash number when there are otherwise identically named files.

It all becqame moot when I had to delete the backup and start over, but I'm sure I'll run into it again.

I know is not how you ask, so you have 140 files + 140 files, for 280gb + 280gb? Huge Backup!. Also now just try to determine why you choice a FTP instead a local drive or why Files instead Drive-Partition.

I have read better now. I think understand why you have a two sets.

You have to backup about 1.500GB right?

You start:

First backup from 1 to 140 (failed aborted).

You have start again and get 1 to 141 (run in progress) then you have also a 725 (i not understand why).

But if you sort files from date creation, maybe you have something 00:01 AM file 1 to 3.00 AM file 140.

Then at 3.20 AM you notice about the error, aborted. You start again without delete the partial files.tibs.

So you have semething from 3:21am file 1 to 6.21am file 141 (just one more because run in progress and is fine).

But about 725 i have no clue. But this mean you have 2 entry in TI, the first failed and second in progress. So when you have completed the Backup, you have a entire set from 1 to 725, the others .tib with prefix -2 are the failed and maybe Acronis rename it for make rooms for the backup in progress.

Another Thing, You have choice Files Backup instead Drive-Partition Backup. You choice this because you not want to backup everyting you have in F: and deselecting some dirs?

For what I remember, Files Backup and Compression are more slow, really slow compared when TI backup a entire Drive or Partition. Just for say, if you have to exclude something is fine, if you have to backup everything in F: prob is better the other way.

However I never use a FTP Server for Backup, always Drive to Drive, also because you have to upload to FTP, so its really Slow Slow Slow also if maybe is a NAS in your room.

Now if I assume you want backup everything in your F: 1.500TB and you instead make a classic Windows Copy 1:1 you have choice TI for reduce the space because you can Compress Everything. Think also this thing. When you have done your job. You have about 600 .tibs files 2GB each. If for some reason you encounter into a HD Failure where Backup are stored, you have lost everything maybe. I not think TI can recover something if a single .tib get missed or corrupted, maybe also if you try to browse the backup.

Is true you have some problems also via 1:1, but if the local drive become unstable, you can save something before the 100% failure, but in a unstable scenario, hope you can copy all the tib to other place is more hard.

However without know your scenario this are all my personal opinion.

Ok.  Some background.  I am using FTP because I do not want any SMB access to this drive.  This drive - a share on a NAS - is accessable only by FTP.  Acronis True Image is the only software on my PC that has the FTP password, and that password is stored in a registry record encrypted or munged by whatever technique ATI uses to hide passwords.

In other words, no malware has access to to this Acronis backup.  

This is a "Files and folders" backup of backups.  I'm trying to create a reasonably secure copy of my Acronis backups.  The size of the folder varies from day to day, but it is usually around 2TB.  On the day I ran this backup, ATI created 271 2GB .tib files in the backup process.

I had been doing a disk backup and may go back to that. 

I restarted the the failed backup as soon as I noticed it had failed because I didn't want to take the time to do cleanup.  This backup takes a long time to complete so I wanted to get it going again and do the cleanup later.  I did not know ATI was going to use the same base file names for the .tib files.  There are (or were) 2 copies of the first 140 of the 271 .tib files.

I have some alternatives to this process.  (The Windows 1:1 copy is not one of them since I do not want Windows to be able to see the target NAS share.)  There are non-Acronis FTP options.  WinSCP does not have the 2GB file size limit that the Acronis FTP client has.  It can copy the full large files and does the selective retransmission that allows it to restart from a point of failure.  But it doesn't have any kind of "shadow copy" feature so I have a useless copy if the source files change during the copy.  (I think Acronis has a "shadow copy" of its own even when VSS cannot be used.)

Patrick O'Keefe wrote:

Ok.  Some background.

I have some alternatives to this process.  (The Windows 1:1 copy is not one of them since I do not want Windows to be able to see the target NAS share.)  There are non-Acronis FTP options.  WinSCP does not have the 2GB file size limit that the Acronis FTP client has.  It can copy the full large files and does the selective retransmission that allows it to restart from a point of failure.  But it doesn't have any kind of "shadow copy" feature so I have a useless copy if the source files change during the copy.  (I think Acronis has a "shadow copy" of its own even when VSS cannot be used.)

Ok now better scenario.

For first do you have try the Non Stop Backup feature? Where you can browse a timeline with ATIH for recover every files like a time machine?

You tell me you not want Windows access direct to NAS for Malware, what about use Acronis Secure Zone instead FTP? Also if in this case you get a special partition where only Acronis can browse, Windows can't access direct, so mean you are unable to use your NAS for others thing except Acronis.

Many years ago, I have try to backup everything in my PC, not only OS, also Data Drive. Example Drive L: for Games Only. But I encounter a problem for updating, Because every month I want updating my backups. Games is about 400GB to backup, pretty stupid use a single scheme because spend more time to backup everything, have try the differential and incremental, more better, but give me some headache for learn how to delete, how to recover.

So I have learn a thing. In my Scenario ATI is perfect for make OS Backup and Data Drive Backup if I need manage hard disks, change layout of partitions, etcetc.

In your Case for 2TB I think you need testing the Non-Stop Backup Feature. Where you begin with a long first time backup, then every time you modify a file or create a new file, NSB auto sync and updating your Nas. then you can use ATI for browse a timeline for get back what you have sync every day, every hour.

I have try only one time NSB about 5 years ago maybe, in my scenario not best, maybe for you is perfect. Give a check.

I don't use Non Stop Backup.  I'm not sure what it would do for me in this context.  The target would still have to be visible to Windows, wouldn't it?  Anyway, I've seen enough complaints about it on this forum that I've stayed away from it. 

I have though about using Acronis Secure Zone.  Assuming that it is really a hidden partition that only Acronis can see, it would certainly be protected from ransomware.  I've seen comments, though, that some people have been able to access the Secure Zone from from the Windows File Explorer.   That certainly defeats the purpose of the ASZ if those reports are true.  But I think I'll give ASZ another look.

ASZ is not secure from ransom ware.  3rd party partition tools can see it - so that means malware can too.  It's just a slightly modified Fat32 parition that makes it unseen to Windows directly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acronis_Secure_Zone