ATIH creates TIB files, but Recovery indicates corrupted TIB

The drive that the .tib file is on might be developing bad clusters. Run chkdsk /r on it and see if matters improve.

You also may have developed a bad RAM location. TI is known to give RAM and disks a good workout.

If hte chkdsk /r doesn't find anything, next try running Memtest86+, free from www. memtest.org . Let it run for at least several complete passes but overnight is better. There must be zero errors.

You can try looking in the Windows Event Viewer and see if there are any system errors. I had a bad SATA cable causing corrupt archive errors when I validated and an error with a change cable recommendation was actually logged (not by TI).

The image corrupt message really means that TI can't read the archive into RAM and successfully recreate the 4000 checksums/GB of archived data. Each checksum calculated has to perfectly match the one stored in the archive when it was created or the archive is declared corrupt.

Thanks guys for your suggestions.....think I found the solution, and wonder about the cause.

I did a setup repair, and created a new TIB file. This file works, and selected files can be restored from the new TIB file. So I think I'm back in business. Today will be my scheduled backup, so I'll see how that works...but it should.

The cause: wonder about PerfectDisk stealth mode defragger on the TIB drive? In a perfect world, defragging should not affect the TIB file, but I wonder if ATIH looks for certain TIB info in certain sectors, and does not find it due to defragging.

What do you think?

Thanks again.
Cheers,
Jim

TI is supposed to take a snap shot of the disk and keep anything from being moved which is a read/write without it controlling the process. Nice idea and it does appear to work quite well but that certainly doesn't mean somebody, Perfect Disk in this case, can't design something at a low level that beats the other guy's system (TI in this case).

TI does not compare the archive contents with the disk structure so the fact anything got moved is irrelevant once the archive is created. The validation is strictly an internal operation on the archive file(s).

I don't know if reading the wrong sectors when the archive was being built would necessarily upset the checksum calculation for the validation but I might wonder if something else in the archive gets screwed up that triggers an error. I don't really know how much TI's Validation routine checks of the archive structure other than checksums, if anything.

We can speculate and expound on all sorts of theories but the real thing is what's happening on your PC. I'd do some more testing with Perfect Disk on and off and see if there indeed is a hard pattern of success and failures. Personally, image making with simultaneous defragging just seems to be a non-ideal situation.

If you boot up the TI rescue CD and make some archives, do they all validate? This takes Perfect Disk and all of Windows and other apps right out of the picture since you are dealing with Linux and a static disk.

Unattended backup, and selected file recovery worked OK. All is well in cyberland!

I've shut off the stealth defrag on the backup drive....kind of dumb of me when you think of it...why defrag a rarely used drive.

Cheers,
Jim

I've had this problem recently with ATIH 2009. I recently had cause to restore some backups that I'd taken as strategic checkpoints during the build of my system. Each backup was actually restored successfully at the time, so I know they were OK when they were first created.

I now find that all the checkpoint backups taken before a certain date are corrupt (won't validate or restore), whilst AKAIK all those taken after are OK.

I might have defragged the backup disk at some stage - can't remember. Surely defragging the disk containing your backup files won't cause a validation error?

Another possibly significant fact is that all the corrupt backups were taken using an early release of ATI 10. The good backups were all taken either with a later release of ATI 10 or with ATI 2009. I have tried installing ATI 10 (both versions), and using them to perform the validation, but they still fail.

Dave.

I have corrupt tib's - several made at one month intervals with Acronis Home 2011. I validated them after making them and they were ok when made. I copied the most recent three to an external HD. I can no longer boot the WinXP machine that made the tibs. I would be satisfied if I could mount and copy files from the tib. I reinstalled Acronis 2011 Home on a laptop and copied a tib to it from the external HD. Acronis 2011 says it is corrupt when validating or when trying to restore. I have used Acroniis TI for many years and have never had a complete failure like this.

If I cannot at least mount and copy, I will have lost all confidence in ATIH. Can somebody help me ? Thanks !!

Is it possible you didn't copy a full chain of incremental/differential?

When the validation fail, what does the log say?

I only do full backups - no incremental or differential.

I tried another validation just now and the log is empty.

One of three tib's was made a year ago so I tried restoring/mounting/validating it with TI 2010 and with TI2011. Same problem - corruption.

If I understand what you've done, I'd say copying the files to the external drive caused them to be corrupted.

Did you validate the archives after they were copied to the external?

I created them originally on a secondary internal HD. I then copied them to an external HD. I ran validation on the originals on the internal HD and then on the copies on the external HD. I tried to mount them in both locations. All were corrupted in both locations according to ATIH2011 and the oldest one was corrupt according to ATIH2010.

Although it doesn't address your issue, if you latest TIB is from 2011, it is normal to have 2010 not liking it.

I would still try from a recovery CD to validate or restore on a trial disk. FInally, can you double click on the archives and explore them? Can you mount them?

The thing is if an archive is declared corrupt when using all recovery options, there is nothing you can do to fix it.

I tried a recovery CD and had no luck - both validate and restore failed.
I tried double clicking on the tib's and I tried mounting them - both the originals on the internal HD and the copies on the external HD. No luck.

What a shame. I had such good experience with Acronis True Image up until now. It was not reliable in my case. I will no longer use it.

Right now you are up the proverbial creek so humour me and:

Download Memtest86+ which is free from www.memtest.org and burn it to a CD. Boot up your XP PC and let it run for several passes - overnight is best. Bad RAM will cause the problem although I think you tried recovering with a different machine which would reduce the liklihood of this being an issue you've got nothing to lose.

I have already replaced the HD and loaded another copy of WinXP on the subject PC. But give me a couple of days and I will try your suggestion with memtest and I will let you know what happens.

I am running Memtest now as you suggested. I will let it run for six hours or so and let you know the results.

Thanks.

I let Memtest run overnight and beyond. Results indicate memory is sound - no problems found. I had hoped it would find bad memory.

I am very disappointed. I am not going to be able to use Acronis True Image now. It can't be trusted.

I started this thread back in March 2010, and since changed my backup strategy with my new Win7 machine. I'm currently using RAID1 hardware backup, and iDrive.com to backup selective critical files to the cloud.

My March experience with an unknown corrupted TIB file was disappointing, and my recent experience on my new machine http://forum.acronis.com/forum/18680 leaves no room for True Image Home in my backup strategy.

Good luck James with your efforts.
Cheers,
jim

Darn. I used Acronis with confidence for about the same time - 4 or 5 years with great success. I'm with you now. I'll find something else - maybe RAID.

Thanks for your input,
Jim

I have my $100.00 software (True Image Home) plus updates. I have my $100.00 external hard drive on which is a single complete Acronis True Image TIB file of the machine when it just gotten back from professional "cleaning", so I know it was as close to pristine as it would be. I have a 102 gigabyte tib file that is not recognized as a backup image, and is reported as possibly being corrupt. And there is a corporation that says we will try to talk to you about it if you pay us some more money.

How's that work? I buy a car. I pay for the car, the gas, the insurance, that tax, the title. It gets delivered. It is in the garage, and when I need it, I put the key in the ignition and NOTHING HAPPENS?

What a disappointment.

Acronis could at least (1) develop a site with protocols where I could send my file, (2) have their software engineers develop diagnostic programs to analyze my file, and (3) repair the tib file which was paid for with money and expectations and now yields only a harvest of disappointment.

Give up the software, and get a hardware solution James....it's great!

Hello all,

Thank you for posting and all your help. I will do my best to help you.

Just in case, we have an extensive KB article that helps troubleshhoot corrupt TIB files - Troubleshooting Issues with Corrupt Backups.

If you have additional questions, please let me know.

Thank you.

Anton,

Thank you for your efforts. However, it is too late for me. I spent several weeks recovering my data (from hard copies). What a disappointment! I will go with hardware solutions from now on. Acronis is not to be trusted.

Jim