Backup Issues with External USB drive
I really don't want to repeat what I put at https://forum.acronis.com/comment/457880#comment-457880. I started with the concept with ATI 2018 and moved to the beta hoping the issue was resolved but it is not and I've encountered new issues.
- In the advanced section if I do NOT put a PW in the "Backup protection" when the task runs I'm prompted for a PW. As I understand this PW is used by ATI to encrypt the BU. Thus it should be an optional thing and not force me to use the encryption by Acronis. I'm already backing up to a Bitlocker USB drive.
- In the advanced section, I've included a Pre command that ATI must execute before running. If the function (for me ATI-EvenBU.bat) is on a network drive ATI encounters a problem and reports that it failed. I moved the BAT file to a local partition on my laptop and ATI ran it with success.
- In the BAT file I test to ensure the USB drive is attached. If it is NOT attached the BAT file basically fails with an error code of one. ATI does not accept this as a failure ( the box "Abort the operation if the user command fails" is check in the task) and attempts to run and then reports failure. This is totally wrong.
Responding to your points:
- I have never been asked for a password for a task where I have not elected to use the same.
- Keeping BAT files local would be recommended to avoid delays introduced by using network locations which may be the cause of the error you are seeing.
- Pre Commands are a little hit and miss in my experience. I will share some thoughts on an alternative method of how the same results can be achieved without using them!
If I understand the background to this issue, you are wanting to rotate backups to two different target drive and were verifying the correct drive by testing for a small text file on the drive.
One alternative approach here would be to use a similar BAT file to detect the correct drive being connected and then launch the correct ATI backup task to backup to that drive - doing this without using either the Acronis integrated scheduler, or using a Pre Command.
The way this is possible is to combine the current BAT file you have with an extra action conditioned on detecting the relevant drive, where that action launches ATI to perform the backup task. This new BAT file could be launched from a shortcut on the desktop, or using the Windows Task Scheduler, and one BAT file could be used for both ATI tasks and associated drives.
The modified BAT file could look similar to the example below:
BackupToCorrectDrive.BAT
echo off set ATI="C:\Program Files (x86)\Acronis\TrueImageHome\TrueImageLauncher.exe" set task1=17E00459-2503-464F-9A19-007F372BD594 set task2=AAA16FAB-2B59-4DBB-86EB-973CDA8689DA if exist L:\BackupDrive1.txt goto backup1 if exist L:\BackupDrive2.txt goto backup2 exit :backup1 %ATI% /script:%task1% exit :backup2 %ATI% /script:%task2% exit
Note: You will need to identify the correct identifiers for your 2 backup tasks and set this in the opening two 'set' lines. The identifier is shown in either the log entries for the tasks, or else by looking at the XML files in the C:\Program Data\Acronis\TrueImageHome\Scripts folder where this is shown in the text of the files as well as in the file names.
Note2: The BAT file needs to be 'Run as Administrator' to avoid getting challenged by Windows for each ATI launch action.
Ops, I thought I was in the beta forum, error on my part......
Interesting approach on selecting the drive. Yes you are correct in that I'm rotating two drives. While one is on-site the other is stored off-site. This is a security thing to meet compliance and to ensure if the worst case happens (fire destroys the PC, somebody steals the PC, the HD dies, etc.) there is a path for recovery.
I'll try again to move this thread to the beta forum. Or do you have the authority to move it to the beta forum? I'll hold off on my attempt until I hear from you.
I will look at your suggested BAT and give it a try. It looks a lot cleaner and will bypass the issues I've encountered in ATI. It has been over 30 years since I've done any BAT file programming thus I'm learning everything again. I never got very deep into it and it reminds me of my PL1 programming (IBM programming language). I remember more about PL1 than I do BAT programming but it is all a black box at this time. Much thanks for your suggestions.
BTW the guy in support that remoted into my PC incorrectly modified the BAT file I was using. I did not realize this until I was doing some testing well after the conversation ended. Thus a lot of what he was testing was invalid, but I do have some issues.
John, only Ekaterina as forum moderator can move form threads / topics - the rest of us are just mere 'users' as far as such actions are concerned.
On the alternative BAT approach, I find that this method is more reliable at doing what I want it to do than when using the Pre / Post Commands. We can keep this thread to focus on that aspect and let you open a new topic in the Beta forums for any specific issues with the beta application.
A website that may be useful to you: How to Create a Batch File that will Automatically Run as Administrator (from my bookmark collection!).
I remember seeing PL1 during my time working at IBM but wasn't ever a programmer - just used various languages as the need arose in my career in technical support.
Steve, I will create a new thread in the Beta section.
I agree 100% that your method to determine which drive is connected is MUCH MUCH better than trying to do it with Pre/Post commands in ATI. I've been testing on my local laptop and per my test all is working correctly with your suggested method. Now I just need to transfer to my son's PC with a few minor corrections and test the transfer. I'm very encouraged that all will work as desired. Your skill set is way above mine and I GREATLY appreciate your assistance and guidance. I'd like to co-author a how-to with you for the other possible ATI users. My greatest contribution will be from the dumb-user side and the guy that needs dummy level instructions. I can setup a dropbox for this effort. Please PM me your email address.
Much thanks for the link " How to Create a Batch File that will Automatically Run as Administrator ", very interesting and looks easy (this is what I need) to implement.
John the Beta is now closed so any new topic should be opened in the main forum.