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Whats wrong with my Differential settings?

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I am trying to use Differential settings for my backups however it seems to create a full backup everytime I run the backup (despite me selecting differential in the settings). Everytime I run backup the file is as big as the full backup??

This is what my backup files look like on my backup drive.. can someone please look at these file names and tell me if they are full backups or are some differential please?

SecondEntirePC_full_b1_s1_v1.tib     336,494,877kb

SecondEntirePC_full_b1_s1_v1-2.tib     351,122,376kb

SecondEntirePC_full_b1_s1_v1-3.tib     351,465,264kb

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It would also help if you downloaded FTRPilot's logviewer app and posted a few of the service logs here for review. Right now, we really have nothing to go on to determine what the issue is other than that something isn't working correctly.

In the mean time, I would start with a new backup task as a test, making sure to use a unique name and try again.  Let it run the full.  Then, manually kick off the differntial and check to see the behavior.  Don't do anything else with the backup task once you've created it and it's started to backup...

Every time you go into a task, make changes and save them, it resets the version chain.  For instance, if you have a backup scheme that is set to run once per week and have told it to keep 4 differentials,  it would work like this (assuming you leave the backup task alone and don't make changes and/or save it again):

Week 1 - 1st full backup

Week 2 - 1st diff

Week 3 - 2nd diff

Week 4 - 3rd diff

Week 5 - 4th diff

Week 6 - 2nd full backup

But let's say you make a change after the Week 3 diff (2nd diff in the chain).  Well, now, you've reset the version chain count so it will need to do an additional 4 diffs again.  

In your case, something else may be happening though as it's not just moving onto the next file name in the version chain, but attempting to re-use the exact same one and appending -1, -2 to the end of the name.  This could be a number of local system issues (often times if backing up across the network and connectivity is temporarily lost, this can occur).  This is why I would try a new "fresh" backup task to check the behavior to see if it's isolated to something with the backup task, or if the behavior continues with a new backup task or not.  Your logs should help a little more too. 

 

thank tou Bobbo

So I fully get it would you mind helping me undertsand .  When I do a first FULL backup as you suggest to test this, are you suggesting I set this first FULL backup as A SINGLE VERSION SCHEME or can I set it as a DIIFERENTIAL scheme?

Just one thing that I cannot find in the Acronis manual nor online is when I want to run the DIFFRENTIAL bakup (after the first FULL) do I have to use the "+" ADD BACKUP button before I run that?? or do I simply run the DIFFERENTIAL backup without using the "+" button?   I have not been using the "+" buton in the examples I posted in my query...... Perhap this is where I am going wrong??

regards

 

Terry

 

Terry, to keep this as simple as possible.

1.  Create a backup task that uses a Differential backup scheme.  This will create an initial Full backup as this is necessary for all backup schemes.

2.  Each time you run this same task it will then create a new Differential backup according to the further rules that you set in the task configuration, i.e. Create a new full backup after creating X differential backups - where you can configure the task to create a daily or weekly backup, where after X days or weeks, a new full backup chain is started, then followed by a further X differential backups and so on.

3.  You should configure the automatic cleanup rules to manage the size and number of your backup chains - so for example, you can configure to Keep no more than 2 complete backup version chains then delete any backups greater than this number.  A backup chain = 1 Full plus X Differential backups, so keeping 2 chains would keep 2 x Full plus 2 x X Differential backups and delete any older backups than this.

The + Add Backup or Add existing backup are only used for new tasks or to add in backups created by a previous task or on a different system etc.

Hi Steve

If only you could have written the Acronis user guide!  Thank you I took your advice and deleetd old backups then started again using your suggestions. It worked well and much faster than before. The first "differential" backup as you said is a full backup so I am yet to test how it deals now with the next backup which I wil do in couple of days.

 

Again many thanks. I wil post my experience soon and let you know how it went

 

Terry

I have a differential backup scheme that is set to do a FULL after every 14 INCREMENTALS.  Normally this cycle runs fine.  Occasionally I find that the INCEMENTAL count (looking at actual backup files and file names) getting up into the 20s.  What causes this and how do I correct?  

A previous post by Bobbo_3C0X1 said "... let's say you make a change after the Week 3 diff (2nd diff in the chain).  Well, now, you've reset the version chain count so it will need to do an additional 4 diffs again". What type of change are we talking about.  In my case I did make a change to the EXCLUSIONS list.  Would that reset the counter?

 

Thanks for any input

 

Jerry

Jerry, changing the exclusions for your backup task would be cause to reset your version chain count as I understand it.

Hi Steve

Just wnated to thank you for your clear advice and to report that my first differential backup (after the first Full Backup) went perfectly and faster!

Again thank you for the help

Terry