Always a complete backup in differential mode
Initially I set my option, to save my 20 gb data, as:
-Backup method: differential
-Create a complete backup every 5 differential versions
Now I have changed idea (few changes in my data files), so I have erased (by Acronis 2020) the last complete 20 GB backup (named 0006.tibx) and I have changed the options as:
-Create only differential versions after the first complete version
But executing ta new backup... I always get a new complete version...
Hi Steve, thanks for your answer, but may be you have NOT well read my question.
Specifying:
- I have NOT deleted the first file (obviously), but the LAST one (a new complete backup, as previously selected in the Options)
- I have not deleted the LAST file outside Acronis, but BY ACRONIS
- in your other links I can't see any answer to my question.
So I repeat:
1) I have modified the Options from "Create a complete backup every 5 differential versions" to "Create ONLY differential versions after the first complete version (that is already present, see image in my starting post)
2) I have deleted BY ACRONIS the LAST file (thaw was a new complete backup, as set in the previous Options)
3) I have made a NEW BACKUP (with the Options set to never made other complete backups)
4) Despite the modified options Acronis has anyway created A NEW COMPLETE BACKUP (as is NOT set in the Options)
WHY???
How to REALLY stop any other complete backup??
If there is a problem with the disk, sometimes Acronis will revert to sector by sector backup, effective a full backup. I have a dim recollection (but could be wrong) that different switch is needed for SSDs (not an expert on this).
I understand that this problem is with a data partition, which simplifies the next step which is to check the disk for errors. Some errors can be fixed using Window chkdsk; for more serious problems you should use the manufacturers utility to do the checking. For Samsung SSDs use Samsung Magician to check the drive; WD and Seagate have the own utilities.
Ian
Hello Ezio,
Are you expecting that it would just continue to create a differential based on the original Dati (E).tibx? I would be surprised that you could make such a change and it would do that, especially since the backup had already create a full Dati (E)-0006.tibx (which you deleted). It is not uncommon that changing the rules will start a new chain.
In your original post you said you "always get a new complete version" but I'm only seeing one new complete version. Let us know what happens on the next backup. My guess is that going forward it will continue to only create differentials based on Dati (E)-0007.tibx. At least that is what I would expect.
TI 2020 must have a Full backup of the data selected whether that be a whole disk or a whole partition.
Backup Methods of Differential and/or Incremental are then based on the initial Full backup.
If you wish to eliminate scheduled Full backups from a task you need to first perform a Manual Clean up of the task which has the effect of consolidating incremental and/or differential files as much as possible so as to not break the task configuration parameters. After clean up is performed then you can modify the task to only create differential and/or incremental files from that point forward.
To illustrate, I recently performed this a short time ago. I am including an Activity screenshot here for clarification. Please note that starting from the last activity in the list dated March 27 the task completed a Full version as scheduled. After that backup completed the next activity shows the manual cleanup of the backup that I performed which was run at 12:28 PM. Now look at the next activity and note that the next file created is a differential as are the next and the next. I have it set to create a total of 30 differential backups before creating the next Full backup followed by a cleanup of the task again which will consolidate all the files and the scheme will then repeat.
A look at the storage location for the backup task shows the results of the Activity:
As you can see the original full backup file is the top file followed by 4 differentials. Why 4 differentials when Activity only shows 3? Simple, after clean up the original Full backup file is reduced to a 12KB container and holds the meta data information on the location of the subsequent differential file versions. So even though the image above does not show it, the 0120.tibx file is 13.5GB in size even though is shows as a differential file. This is the result of the task configuration parameters.
IanL-S wrote:If there is a problem with the disk, sometimes Acronis will revert to sector by sector backup, effective a full backup. I have a dim recollection (but could be wrong) that different switch is needed for SSDs (not an expert on this).
I understand that this problem is with a data partition, which simplifies the next step which is to check the disk for errors. Some errors can be fixed using Window chkdsk; for more serious problems you should use the manufacturers utility to do the checking. For Samsung SSDs use Samsung Magician to check the drive; WD and Seagate have the own utilities.
The SSD (a Kingston M.2 Nvme) is new (four months life, new Win 10 installation) and the Kingston SSD manager utility says that it's all ok.
BrunoC wrote:Hello Ezio,
Are you expecting that it would just continue to create a differential based on the original Dati (E).tibx? I would be surprised that you could make such a change and it would do that, especially since the backup had already create a full Dati (E)-0006.tibx (which you deleted). It is not uncommon that changing the rules will start a new chain.
...
This is an answer in line with my question !! If you are right any other answer is simply useless.
But in this case rises a new question: "Why no faq answers to a so simple question, specifying that changing the rules starts a new chain??"
I doubt I am the only one in the world who changed the rules of a backup...
Enchantech wrote:TI 2020 must have a Full backup of the data selected whether that be a whole disk or a whole partition.
Backup Methods of Differential and/or Incremental are then based on the initial Full backup.
If you wish to eliminate scheduled Full backups from a task you need to first perform a Manual Clean up of the task which has the effect of consolidating incremental and/or differential files as much as possible so as to not break the task configuration parameters. After clean up is performed then you can modify the task to only create differential and/or incremental files from that point forward.
Ty for the answer but.. what is a Manual Cleanup of the task? How to do it?
What is the difference between a "version successfully deleted" and a manual cleanup?
Making this job I loose some file change? I update often some files and some time I need to check previous file versions to control changes or recover changed data. Looking at previous backups now I can do it.
Why simply deleting (obviously by Acronis) the last backup I can't continue with eventual new rules??
Ty for the answer but.. what is a Manual Cleanup of the task? How to do it?
What is the difference between a "version successfully deleted" and a manual cleanup?
Making this job I loose some file change? I update often some files and some time I need to check previous file versions to control changes or recover changed data. Looking at previous backups now I can do it.
Why simply deleting (obviously by Acronis) the last backup I can't continue with eventual new rules??
A manual clean up is accomplished by clicking on the v symbol next to the task name when that task is selected in the app GUI and selecting Clean up versions from the menu that appears. From your description I believed you had done this, you have not?
The above is how you delete backup files using Acronis True Image. Deleting files any other way will break the task and cause unexpected results.
What you need to understand is:
- The app is rules based and if existing rules are changed this can result in unexpected behavior
- Any task whose rule is set to create more than a single full backup will create subsequent backups based on original/initial full backup file.
- If you have a task like my previous illustration which created a full version after every 5 differentials you will see that I ran a clean up after the task schedule created a Full backup. After the cleanup ran, the result was what you see in the first 2 entries of the second image I posted. File Differential Test.tibx was reduced to 12KB in size and the task having the rule parameter of creating a differential file after a full version did just that and created a differential however, that file was 12.6GB in size. The task has run 3 times since I did this as of the post above so has created 3 additional differential files. The task is set to create 27 more differential versions.
- If I had chosen to run clean up prior to the Full version being created then a new Full version file would have been created to base the remaining differential files on because that is the rule, all diff/inc files are based on an initial full. In my case my task was at a place where the next file to be created was a differential which it did except that differential was in actuality a full file.
I get that it is confusing. Simply put incremental or differential backup methods MUST have a Full backup file as a base file. Tasks then are set to follow a sequence of events like time to run, sequence of method, number of files, etc. You always will need a full file on which to base a new or modified backup task. Another thing to keep in mind is that when cleanup occurs whether manual or automatic, a new full version file will be created before the cleanup will delete any files so your disk space must be large enough to accommodate that.
Enchantech wroteA manual clean up is accomplished by clicking on the v symbol next to the task name when that task is selected in the app GUI and selecting Clean up versions from the menu that appears. From your description I believed you had done this, you have not? .....
I get that it is confusing. Simply put incremental or differential backup methods MUST have a Full backup file as a base file. Tasks then are set to follow a sequence of events like time to run, sequence of method, number of files, etc. You always will need a full file on which to base a new or modified backup task. Another thing to keep in mind is that when cleanup occurs whether manual or automatic, a new full version file will be created before the cleanup will delete any files so your disk space must be large enough to accommodate that.
Yes, I did. Sorry for my english that I don't understand well being italian. And YES I'm confusing.
I well understand that a COMPLETE FULL BACKUP IS NEEDED, but once deleted the LASTcomplete backup (created according with the old backup settings) I already have a complete backup: the first file that is the first complete backup!!! Why simply not to add another short incremental backup to the last incremental backup, since the new option is set to NOT create new complete backups?
You wrote before: "If you wish to eliminate scheduled Full backups from a task you need to first perform a Manual Clean up of the task which has the effect of consolidating incremental and/or differential files".
I performed a manual clean up, but I have not got the effect of consolidating incremental and/or differential files... after deleted the last backup previous file are exactly like before and now I have 40 GB of data to backup 20 GB data. No sense. And I repeat I can't delete previous old data, since can happen I have to retrieve some old/changed data.
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Definitely I think I will move the current backup to another external old HD (deleting first the last complete backup) and creating then a completely new backup of the data, setting from the beginning the option of never create new complete backups.
Ezio, the best approach that I would recommend here is as follows:
- Remove any schedule you have for your Dati (E) backup task so that it does not run or create any further files.
- Create a new backup task using the Backup scheme settings that you want to go with. Give this new backup task a unique name and use a new folder for the files on your backup destination location.
- Run the new backup task to create the required initial Full backup file, then allow it to run according to your chosen schedule and scheme.
Once the new backup task is working as you want, then you can consider deleting the original backup task and all its files.
Please note that in ATI 2020 that if you choose to only make Differentials after the initial Full backup, that you cannot delete any unwanted Differential files, even using the integrated 'Clean up versions' tool, as this will cause problems when you need to do any recovery due to the new dependencies between all the files in the differential chain! This has been raised with Acronis by a lot of customers but has not been fixed yet!
See forum topic: Bug - ATI 2020 Diff "cleanup versions" still results in corrupt recovery warning in rescue media - which Ekaterina said was meant to be fixed in Update 1 but isn't mentioned in the list of fixed issues for either Update 1 or 2. I haven't tested this to prove that this bug is still present in #22510 but would recommend that you do so if you are going to rely on having only differential backups and will need to delete unwanted older files from the chain due to space requirements on your backup drive.
My own personal preference with all backups is to keep the number of incremental or differential file to less than 10 and to make a regular new backup chain, keeping only 2 or 3 chains on my backup drives and not needing to delete any individual files manually (using the Clean up versions tool).