Finding corrupted files while restoring system backups
Hi,
I don't understand why a newly backed up system file (.TIB) and which just validated successfully shows, "Acronis True Image backup archive file is corrupted. If the backup is an image, you may try to recover data from it by mounting the image and recovering intact data." when you are trying to Restore that file.
For one thing you are counting on it to restore from that file after is was backed up and validated successfully, so you wouldn't have the opportunity to recover data from it during a system crash because your system can't start up, let alone mount the image. Secondly, you are counting on that file to be dependable if it validates during backup!
I found this happens a lot with version 2020 and 2021. I actually have better luck with True Image 2020 that I recently restored back because it's more reliable. With 2021, I would perform a Full backup scheme without turning on automatic cleanup and it made four .TIBX files for that one Full backup that later would show, "This is not the last volume of the backup archive" when I went to restore this Full backup file. Try to figure that one out!!
I am terrified when I test my full system disk backups during a Restore and they exhibit these messages. I'm losing faith in Acronis True Image that I've had for many years because if I'm building what I think are reliable backups in the front end and they don't work during an actual Restore (on the same machine with the same operating system) then that is definitely a false sense of security!
Does anybody else test out their backups in restore mode from time to time to make sure they actually work before being hit with a devastating system failure? Validation doesn't offer me a warm and fuzzy either. I have at least 3 full backups of my System drive on different hard drives, including Acronis Cloud, and that doesn't ease me into being secure anymore!
Any comments? :-)
Russ


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Hi Steve,
Thanks for your reply! But I need to precisely explain what is happening in my situation:
I'm using Acronis TrueImage 2020 for this backup.
1. I backup my system hard drive using OPTIONS set "Do not schedule"; Backup scheme: "Full" creating a full backup version only with automatic cleanup turned off; No Notifications set; Exclusions set with default values; Advanced tab with "Validate backup when it is created" set and performance "Normal".
2. A .tib file is created on an external USB2 2TB HD
3. A week later I decide to Restore this .tib file. I go into True Image 2020, under backups and validate the file. The results show me the file is valid. All good so far.
4. Next, I reboot into the bios to change the reboot order using the usb hard drive for my reboot. Fine here.
5, It reboots from the USB Hard Drive (Rescue or Survival kit loaded on that same HD) where the .tib file is. I go into the restore area and see the .tib I want to restore. All still fine.
6. I click to open the .tib archive file to restore it to the new destination and I get this message, "Acronis True Image backup archive is corrupted. If the backup is an image, you may try to recover data from it by mounting the image and recovering intact data."
That file was never moved or renamed. The "Options" were never changed in Acronis after the backup. It, like I said, validates the backup as a valid file but it will not actually restore that backup when it's needed. That to me is a huge conflict. That file is literally no good to me in restoring my system drive period.
I chose to only do a single FULL backup and test it a week later. Of course, to my horror I got the above message. Now after loading True Image 2021 I found some of my other system backups will not restore, even though they were backed up incrementally over time in previous TrueImage backup programs (TrueImage 2019, 2020). Is there maybe a problem when the True Image software is updated each time for some reason? I'm afraid to completely trust Acronis with whole disk backups.
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Russ Columbia wrote:I'm using Acronis TrueImage 2020 for this backup.1. I backup my system hard drive using OPTIONS set "Do not schedule"; Backup scheme: "Full" creating a full backup version only with automatic cleanup turned off; No Notifications set; Exclusions set with default values; Advanced tab with "Validate backup when it is created" set and performance "Normal".
2. A .tib file is created on an external USB2 2TB HD
Russ, thanks for the extra information.
When you create you system hard drive backup using ATI 2020, this should be creating a .TIBX backup archive file, assuming that this backup task was created new on ATI 2020, so you should see a .TIBX file on your external USB2 2TB HD drive.
Please can you confirm that this is what is actually happening here? And that you are not changing the file extension from .tibx to .tib?
In addition, if you run your backup task more than once, then you should see a minimum of 2 .tibx files shown on your external drive, one will be a 12KB size .tibx and the second & subsequent with be full size .tibx files with a suffix number appended to the name, i.e. MyBackup.tibx (12kb) then MyBackup0001.tibx, MyBackup0002.tibx etc.
These .tibx files are interdependent on each other and must be kept together and not deleted or moved other than by allowing the ATI task to manage files via automatic cleanup options, or by using the 'Clean up versions' tool for the task in the ATI GUI task menu options.
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Hi Steve,
I never ever change the file extension name that ATI 2020 creates. ATI2020 creates these TIB files as you can see in 2 file attachments here. Isn't ATI 2021 the version that creates TIBX files? I do a "Custom Scheme FULL backup" in ATI 2020 GUI and that produces the files you see here. I do no tampering or renaming with these files. I would have no reason to do that. What should I do at this point?
Thanks again for your help.
This app won't allow me to upload a standard jpg or png file for some reason, even though the files are each 18 kb. A pink message pops up and says, "The file could not be uploaded." Great! Well I guess you'll have to take my word for it.
Russ
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Russ, there is a problem with the forum software that is prevent file uploads at present but you can embed the image files by using the Imce File Manager icon (to the left of the YouTube icon) instead.
TIBX files are created by both ATI 2020 and 2021 for any new Disks & Partitions backup tasks.
When doing any recovery, have you created the rescue media using ATI 2020 as no earlier version of media will know about TIBX files and will report them as corrupt.
See KB 63226: Acronis True Image 2020: how to create bootable media and KB 59877: Acronis True Image: how to distinguish between UEFI and Legacy BIOS boot modes of Acronis Bootable Media
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Sorry Steve, I'm not on a MAC. I don't want to load any 3rd party software on this machine. My ATI 2010 creates TIB files, like I stated. So did ATI 2019 like this:
Omen Rescue_full_b1_s1_v1.tib
Omen Rescue_full_b2_s1_v1.tib
Omen Rescue_full_b3_s1_v1.tib
or like this for auto backups:
Omen Cdrive - daily at 9pm_full_b81_s1_v1.tib
Omen Cdrive - daily at 9pm_full_b82_s1_v1.tib
Omen Cdrive - daily at 9pm_full_b83_s1_v1.tib
When you update to a new ATI version, you can't use backups or rescue drives previous to that update? You would basically have to start all over with your backups? I guess I don't understand. Anyway, my ATI2020 still makes .tib files as you can see. What do I do at this point?
Thanks for any additional help.
Russ
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Russ, how are you creating your backup files here? Have you installed ATI 2020 and are using that from within Windows, or are you using Acronis Rescue Media for ATI 2020 to create these files?
ATI 2020 can work fine with backups created by earlier versions but the reverse is not true, i.e. there is backwards compatibility (as per the link in my signature) but not forwards compatibility!
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Steve, I create the backups from the ATI GUI within Windows 10 on a PC. I have had ATI 2020 loaded since it first came out in 2019. Previous to that I created backups in the ATI 2019 GUI. Most were backed up to external hard drives so I could use them if I ever had reason to. I just never tested to see if all those backups worked during a Restore. Now I know most of them don't. A couple of those disks had the survival kit loaded because ATI asked if I wanted to do this along with the backup and I clicked yes. I use to boot from compact discs built with Acronis Rescue.
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Isn't it normal for ATI to create a TIB on a one-time FULL backup? I thought TIBX files were for continuous backups. My version only creates TIB files. Is this the problem?
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Russ Columbia wrote:Isn't it normal for ATI to create a TIB on a one-time FULL backup? I thought TIBX files were for continuous backups. My version only creates TIB files. Is this the problem?
No, any new Disks & Partitions backup created in ATI 2020 will always create a TIBX backup file(s).
See the ATI 2020 User Guide: Backups created in Acronis True Image 2020 or later
Acronis True Image 2020 introduced a new backup format - TIBX, which is even more reliable and convenient. The TIBX format is used for disk backups created to internal drives, external drives, network storage.
Next question: after you installed ATI 2020, did you create a new backup task or have you been continuing with a backup task that was created by ATI 2019 (or earlier)?
Repeat question: was your Survival Kit drive / rescue media created by ATI 2020 or did this come from ATI 2019?
Can you test creating a new Disk backup in the ATI 2020 GUI and confirm whether a TIBX or a TIB file is created?
If it does only create .TIB files, then something is wrong with your ATI 2020 installation and I would recommend doing a Repair Install as the next step. See KB 60915: Acronis True Image: repairing program settings - for the details of doing this. OR your backup is not being created and stored on "internal drives, external drives, network storage." as per the statement from the user guide, i.e. .tibx is not used for the Acronis Secure Zone or FTP locations.
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Hi Steve,
Just wanted to keep you updated as to how I'm solving my problem. You see, I've been busy with ATI.
I uninstalled ATI2020, then reinstalled it. Next I added my existing backups and deleted all of them through the GUI. Next, I updated to ATI2021 and made ALL new backups of everything that I needed. This is when I discovered that .tibx files are only created when I backed up an entire hard drive but .tib files are created when I back up just files and folders. So, a couple days later I have the ATI2021 update with newly created backups. I wish I would have done this before because there was definitely some problem with my ATI2020 program and just a repair wouldn't fix it.
So that is where I stand. I want to again thank you for taking the time and resources for helping me. I believe this should resolve my problem. I've been upgrading with ATI programs for a long time now and have been with them since their beginning. Something must have been problematic during one of those upgrades and compounded the problem.
Thanks, Steve!! Have a great day and stay safe!!!
Russ
P.S. Get them to fix the upload function in this forum. It's important for PC users!! ;-)
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This is when I discovered that .tibx files are only created when I backed up an entire hard drive but .tib files are created when I back up just files and folders.
Russ, this is correct behaviour in ATI 2020 & later. TIBX files are only used for Disk backups. TIB files continue to be used for Files & Folders backups as with all previous versions.
Glad that you look to have got ATI 2021 sorted out and working. Please make sure that you have rescue media that has been created from ATI 2021 and that you have tested booting your PC from this. You don't need to do a full disk recovery, but could do a dummy run to check that your backup files can be selected and opened in the media without clicking on Proceed to actually do the recovery.
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Ok, I follow your wisdom. Thanks!!
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