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Can't create a simple differential backup

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Good Morning everybody,

As a new owner of Acronis T.I. 2016, I was wondering if I could get some help here.

I have a HDD of storage of which I would like to make a simple differential backup (so basically, files are stored on HDD 1 and I would like to have a backup of HDD 1 on HDD 2).
I just want to have a copy as a backup, and when files are added or deleting, this is replicated on the 2nd drive (so just a super basic differential backup ... lol).

However, everytime I try to configure this simple task, even when I select "Create only differential backup from the first initial backup", Acronis create a complete new copy (and do not "differentiate" !).

Just for the test, I format my HDD 2 and created a new taks on Acronis setting up a differential backup.

I make a complete initial backup, and if I make a backup 5min after without changing any file, Acronis will make a new complete backup (instead of just adding/deleting the file that would have been changed).

 

As anyone a solution to this problem ? This is really annoying and I'm starting to think that Acronis should be able to execute such a simple task flawlessy shouldn't it ?!

 

Thanking you per advance,

 

 

0 Users found this helpful

Hello Romain,

Welcome to these user forums. ATIH 2016 is certainly capable of making differential backup images as you want to do, but just to clarify the process, all backups must first create a Full backup image from which any future incremental or differential image can be based on.

Next, a further clarification, when you create a differential backup, this will always be in an Acronis archive file format with the file extension .TIB, so there is no direct replication of your added / changed or deleted files from the source drive data.  If you are looking to replicate all the data from your HDD 1 to your HDD 2 'as is' then you will need to use file synchronisation software instead which can do that.

Please download a copy of the Log File Viewer app from the forum which will allow you to look in more detail at the messages which your Acronis backup task writes to the logs, which may help show why the behaviour you are seeing is happening.  You are welcome to post copies of the logs files to the forum for help in reading / understanding their content.

Last, it would be helpful if you could post some screen shots of your actual backup task settings, in particular, the Backup options you have selected.

Romain, Steve is correct.  Also, every time you go in and update the settings for an existing backup task, it restarts the backup time frame.. So, if you ran the first full, modify the task and save, it's likely to do a complete full again.  If you ran a full and then a differential and modify the task and save, it should do another differential, but will be the first differential in the backup chain again and may actually be the size of a full as well.  Long story short.. once you create your backup schedule and start running the backups, if you modify it after that, the behavior will be different until the first full chain is completed.. if you leave it alone, it will work as expected. 

Maybe watch this user video review which shows a lot of the features and how they work in 2016:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6ZGgRGdCwI