Skip to main content

ATI scheduling bug - an epic tale of fail

Thread needs solution

Through multiple versions over multiple years, Acronis still can't seem to muster the competence to deal with their pitiful scheduling bugs.

The latest:

Working fine for a few months, suddenly, my email notifications show 6 or more backups performed where only one should be, until finally, the backup fails due to disk space. So, instead of the 3 stored partition images I generally keep (allowing me 3 different time periods to retrieve data from if needed), I get a disk full of images performed back to back.

Deleting the schedule and reconfiguring from scratch ends up the same. I was running an older build, so I uninstalled it and installed the latest build, same issue.

Has anyone had these issues? Any fix? I sent a system report to Acronis, but given their rep for support and obvious inability to fix the buggy scheduler over the course of years, I don't have much confidence. Why I haven't switched over to Macrium by now, I don't know. I'd rather stay with ATI, since I've been with them since 2004, but frustration and loss of data aren't part of my back up plan.

I'm hoping someone here has a fix. I can upload a system report if required. Below is a copy/paste of the email notification log for an image that requires 90GB each image. Following that is a paste of the final (& failed) run this morning after disk full.

Thanks:

1    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 3:00:01 AM    Backup reserve copy attributes: format tib; need_reserve_backup_copy false; 
2    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 3:00:01 AM    Operation Data_17 started by schedule.
3    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 3:00:03 AM    Backup reserve copy attributes: format tib; need_reserve_backup_copy false; 
4    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 3:00:03 AM    Operation: Backup
5    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 3:00:03 AM    Priority changed to Low.
6    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 3:00:03 AM    Create Backup Archive From:	DATA (D:) To file:	"J:\Acronis\17-Data\Data_17.tib" Compression:	Normal Exclude:	Files matching mask Match criterion:	hiberfil.sys, pagefile.sys, $Recycle.Bin, swapfile.sys, System Volume Information, *.tib, *.tib.metadata, *.~, *.tmp, S:\Mar-AppData-Local-Temp, S:\Temporary Internet Files\Temporary Internet Files, C:\Users\mar\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Cache, C:\Users\mar\AppData\Local\Opera Software, C:\Users\mar\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles, C:\Windows\CSC  
7    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 3:00:03 AM    Pending operation 172 started: 'Creating partition image'.
8    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 3:00:43 AM    Writing full version to file: Data_17_full_b1_s1_v1.tib
9    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 3:37:06 AM    Pending operation 172 started: 'Creating partition image'.
10    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 3:37:06 AM    The following backups have been successfully created: "J:\Acronis\17-Data\Data_17_full_b1_s1_v1.tib"
11    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 3:37:06 AM    Validate Backup Archive Location:	"J:\Acronis\17-Data\Data_17_full_b1_s1_v1.tib"  
12    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 3:37:06 AM    Pending operation 4 started: 'Validate Backup Archive'.
13    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 3:51:04 AM    Operation has succeeded.

 

Failed due to full disk:

1    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 6:57:32 AM    Backup reserve copy attributes: format tib; need_reserve_backup_copy false; 
2    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 6:57:32 AM    Operation Data_17 started by schedule.
3    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 6:57:34 AM    Backup reserve copy attributes: format tib; need_reserve_backup_copy false; 
4    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 6:57:34 AM    Operation: Backup
5    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 6:57:34 AM    Priority changed to Low.
6    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 6:57:34 AM    Create Backup Archive From:	DATA (D:) To file:	"J:\Acronis\17-Data\Data_17.tib" Compression:	Normal Exclude:	Files matching mask Match criterion:	hiberfil.sys, pagefile.sys, $Recycle.Bin, swapfile.sys, System Volume Information, *.tib, *.tib.metadata, *.~, *.tmp, S:\Mar-AppData-Local-Temp, S:\Temporary Internet Files\Temporary Internet Files, C:\Users\mar\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Cache, C:\Users\mar\AppData\Local\Opera Software, C:\Users\mar\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles, C:\Windows\CSC  
7    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 6:57:34 AM    Pending operation 172 started: 'Creating partition image'.
8    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 6:58:14 AM    Writing full version to file: Data_17_full_b4_s1_v1.tib
9    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 7:30:00 AM    Writing full version to file: Data_17_full_b4_s1_v2.tib
10    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 7:30:00 AM    The disk is full.
11    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 7:30:00 AM    The disk is full.
12    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 7:30:07 AM    Disk is full
13    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 7:30:07 AM    Disk is full
14    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 7:30:07 AM    The disk is full.
15    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 7:30:07 AM    The disk is full.
16    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 7:30:07 AM    Disk is full
17    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 7:30:07 AM    Disk is full
18    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 7:30:07 AM    The disk is full.
19    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 7:30:07 AM    The disk is full.
20    Acronis True Image    2/25/2017 7:30:07 AM    Operation has completed with errors.

 

0 Users found this helpful

Andros, sorry to hear of your problems with your scheduled backup task(s).

I haven't seen any problem of this type so would need more information to try to understand what is happening here and why your backups are repeating themselves back to back?

If you would like to upload your System Report, that would give access to the various log files that may inform the problem more.

Hard to say with just those details.

However a backup reserve appears to be used as well in your plan.  A backup reserve is always a completely separate FULL backup.  There is no cleanup of backup reserves to my knowledge.  This could become quite large overtime.  I would recommend not using a reserve and instead, synching your backup to another location so you end up with 2 copies of the same backup.  If you use a robocopy (built into Windows) you can synch as part of your backup task or run a robocopy .bat file as a scheduled task or manually when you want.  As it is now, it sounds like you are running out of space because you are constantly creating backup reserves with each backup run - which is resulting in a full, indepenet backup in addition to your regular backup... every single time. 

Backup Reserve Copy

Backup reserve copy is an independent full backup version created immediately after a normal backup. Even when you create an incremental or differential backup version containing only data changes, the reserve copy will contain all the data selected for the normal backup. You can save reserve copies of your backups on the file system, a network drive, or a USB flash drive.

I may have read the log wrong - are you usinig backup reserve?

Rob, the log shows the backup reserve copy as being set to false, so is not involved here.

Tried to close new update 8029 and I get a message says if I close my current setting will be lost. What the !@#$%

Rich wrote:

Tried to close new update 8029 and I get a message says if I close my current setting will be lost. What the !@#$%

Rich, sorry but your post has no relation to the subject of this topic, please create a new topic of your own and we will be happy to try to help you but will need more information (in the new topic).

To create a new topic, use the New Topic button at the top of the Acronis True Image 2017 Forum page, near the button to Mark All Read.

Hi Steve & Bobbo. You guys are faithful, and we are fortunate to have your insights. Your inputs are much appreciated!

As my OP indicated, I am quite irritated with the long term scheduling issues and the fact that Acronis is not up to the task of resolution.

As to the issue, no backup reserve. I can't say what is happening here, as the scheduled backups were doing fine and suddenly started these issues. The surprise is that it continued after an uninstall/reinstall of newer build. The uninstall was via revo uninstaller, but I didn't delete the registry entries, as I also have DD12 installed.

Frankly, after looking at what information the Acr Report contains, I'm not comfortable with posting it to the public. Specific IPs, partition names and more.

For the moment, since the problem could be related to Automatic Cleanup, I've scheduled individual tasks to provide multiple backups. Single version, no auto cleanup. We'll see how that works.

However, since the problem followed the new build, I have to believe that perhaps the uninstall wasnt clean enough to get rid of whatever issue is occuring (or that somehow windows is part of the problem...I did check task sched to look for entries but found none).

Another uninstall may be prudent...is it advisable to use the cleanup tool after the uninstall in this case? Or is there a bettter recommendation for the uninstall?

 

After a bit of reading, perhaps I should have deleted the contents of:

C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\ProgramData\Acronis\TrueImageHome\Database

after the uninstall?

Andros, the Acronis Cleanup Tool will also remove your DD12 AFAIK so if you do decide to use it, be prepared to reinstall both Acronis products afterwards, plus also recreate your backup tasks etc.

If you want to try to persue this issue further, then we do need some more information, so even if you would prefer not to post the System Report, perhaps you could strip out the information from the System Report zip file that you want to protect and post the remainder, i.e. all the Acronis logs that we could look at to try to understand what is going on here?

Steve Smith wrote:

Andros, the Acronis Cleanup Tool will also remove your DD12 AFAIK so if you do decide to use it, be prepared to reinstall both Acronis products afterwards, plus also recreate your backup tasks etc.

If you want to try to persue this issue further, then we do need some more information, so even if you would prefer not to post the System Report, perhaps you could strip out the information from the System Report zip file that you want to protect and post the remainder, i.e. all the Acronis logs that we could look at to try to understand what is going on here?

I don't have a problem reinstalling and recreating, and it may well solve the problem. I believe I'll give that a try in the next day or two. If it doesn't, I'll clean up the report zip file and post it.

After the more thorough uninstall/reinstall, I'll post back.

 

Again, thanks for your help.

That's fine Andros, let us know the outcome of your further cleanup actions.

I finally resolved this issue.

The scheduling bug was very tenacious and seemed to return no matter what I did, but the answer turned out to be quite simple and doesn't cost a dime:

I simply uninstalled ATIH and installed the competition's very competent Free Version. Poof! All issues gone! I don't ever even have to think about it. It just does its job, and the rotating images are there for restoral whenever I need them. Installation of the software and updates/upgrades are pain free...almost automatic. PE is automatically installed and easily & quickly updated upon simply clicking 'OK'.

I appreciate the help I've received from this forum, so no offense to the forum "pros", but I should have kicked Acronis to the curb long ago, when they showed they weren't interested in fixing their bugs. It's been over 6 months now and I've never looked back.

A long time ATIH user (since 2004). Finally happy.