Strange Archive Update Behavior (file size)
I'm running Acronis TI Home 2011 (Dell XPS Laptop - Vista Home Premium) and was running into various 'post backup failures' that, until yesterday, I had (finally) decided was simply a 'media failure' (backup to a WD USB attached drive).
Yesterday (after a 'CHKDSK' that didn't find or fix anything) I did a 'full system backup' to a new archive. I validated the archive, redid a CHKDSK thingey, and encountered no problems. So I thought maybe I don't need to buy a new external drive.
So then I just did an archive update on the above. And I re-validated and did a new CHKDSK with no problems found. This sounds good EXCEPT ...
A full system archive on my system is almost always around 75GB (as is any update that I do). Suddenly the update basically doubled in size to 149GB!! It does validate, however. But I have NEVER seen a system archive (updated or not) larger than roughly 75GB.
I had decided that the numerous failures that I had been encountering were 'bad media based'. Now I am wondering. How would a 'backup archive update' suddenly cause the size of an archive to double?
Thanks.
dave
ARe you doing a diskmode or partition mode backup?
Thanks for the response.
Neither of the terms that you used (diskmode and 'partition mode') are familiar to me. I am not a sophsiticated Acronis user.
I am just doing the following
1) Start Acronis
2) Goto Main Screen
3) Click on 'disk/partition backup'
4) Select the relevant partitions to be backed up
5)Click on Back Up Now
There are any number of other options that could have been selected 'on the way'. I have never selected any of them. Ever.
Yet suddenly an archive update (which is just start Acronis, Goto Main Screen, BackUp Now on the relevant archive) doubles the size of the archive. However, repeating this process does not significantly change the size again.
But this is a new behavior to me. As I have been encountering other problems I tend to be suspicious at this point.
Thanks again.
dave
David,
I am concerned that you may not have included all your partitions within the backup based on item 1-5 in preceding post.
1) Start Acronis
2) Goto Main Screen
3) Click on 'disk/partition backup'
4) Select the relevant partitions to be backed up --see new #4
new #4
In the source window, click on the "multiple partition" selection button
At top upper right of source window, click on the "switch to disk mode"
The resulting disk displayed will be the first disk and this should be your system disk with all partitions checked.
Are you including all the partitions listed in your backup. The selection you see is referred to as "disk mode" backup.
If your backup includes all partitions shown, then you are good to go; otherwise create a new backup with all the partitions. Having such a backup with all partitions is important should you need to create a replacement disk.
Regarding chkdsk
The results will appear in the Windows Event section, under Windows, under applications, with a Source of either Winlogon (for xp) or WinInit (for Win7) and the Event ID will be 1001. Vista may differ slightly but will be in the same general area of Events/Windows/Applications.
Thanks for taking the time to reply.
My system disk has four partitions. They all exist in the backup and can 'be explored', have contents, etc.
Maybe this size double is normal. My usual practice is a monthly 'full system backup' and a couple times per week smaller backup of just the data that I care about (a different archive). I was encountering some behavior that I didn't understand (quite possibly a shakey external drive where my backups are saved). I had routinely updated my 'data archive' but never updated a full system backup (always did a new archive). The data backup archive sizes changed little 'update to update'. The full system backup seems to consistently double after the 1st update - but maybe this is to be expected.
dave