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How do I create a Full Version, Now, in an Incremental Backup Chain?

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Suppose I have defined an Incremental backup chain.

I have reached a key point and want to make a full version of minimum size to copy to USB.

 

Usually, hitting “Backup Now” will create a fresh Increment.

How do I persuade it to create a fresh Full Version?

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I understand that this is not possible - there is, if I recall correctly - an existing enhancement request to be able to do this.

The best you can do is to create a separate backup task - but this is not a goer if you have insufficient storage on the target device as I understand is the case here.

Ian

Thanks, Ian, your reply took under five minutes!

 

I hope True Image will soon allow us to create a Full Version immediately with a couple of clicks.

 

Until then, this will do it...

 - edit the Backup's Options

 - in tab "Backup Scheme", "Create a full version every [nn] versions", record [nn], and set it to "1".

 - choose button "OK", to apply the Options

 - choosing button "Backup Now" will create a fresh Full Version

 - then re-enter Options as before and set [nn] back to the previous value.

 

If anyone has an easier way, I would like to know,

 

Richard

Richard Davey wrote:

 - edit the Backup's Options

 - in tab "Backup Scheme", "Create a full version every [nn] versions", record [nn], and set it to "1".

 - choose button "OK", to apply the Options

 - choosing button "Backup Now" will create a fresh Full Version

 - then re-enter Options as before and set [nn] back to the previous value.

I'm not sure if ATI still works this way, but in the past it would revert to the start of a backup chain whenever the number of generations or retention values were changed in a backup task.  If that is still true, your technique might produce two full backups in a row - once for when you changed the "full version every [nn]" to 1 and another when you change it back to the previous value.

Before you try your technique, try changing it away from your current count to something else, change it right back to your intended value, click OK, and do a "Backup Now".  I doubt ATI will care the the old and new "every [nn]" are the same.  It will think there was a change and start a new chain.

If that's not the way it works now, the worst you will have done is create a new increment and you can switch to your original plan.

Ian is right that there have been previous (multiple) requests for the function you want, but it wouldn't hurt for you to submit a feedback asking for it, or put it in the Wish List thread.  I think it's good to let Acronis know that there are more people that want function.
  

Patrick, my recollection is that changing the number of increments results in the adding of that number of increments to the current full backup, so if previously there were 5 increments and you change it to 6 increments, then you get 11 increments before the next full back-up. I am sure that Steve Smith will be able to provide a definitive answer.

Ian

If this is ATI 2020 and Disk backups, then please remember that doing the suggested steps will still leave you with a second metadata file with a size of 12kb due to the new rules for .tibx files.

If you truly want a single, independent full backup, then either create a new (temporary) task to do this, or else boot from the rescue media and make a new full backup offline from Windows.

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Hello Everyone,

added this topic to the existing feature request TI-202574 Ability to start a new backup chain on demand, thank you!

Ekaterina,

Thank you for understanding what I wanted.

You expressed my wishes more clearly than I did.

The core is fine - the interface is sometimes frustrating.

Your feature request may help.

Richard

To Patrick O'Keefe, and others,

Hello to you and more

Thanks for the post, Patrick.  I like your writing style and have a lot to learn from it.

Sorry for the delay in replying - other things happened.
 

Ian's recollections were obsolete and distracting.  I tested them in ATI 2020.  They did not happen anymore.  Back to the main point.

In an Incremental Backup Chain, how do I create a Full Version, Now?

I suggested a method in my post of 16th May at 04:18.  It takes a fair few clicks, but it usually works.

Really, I want to set [nn] not to "1" but to "0" (*).

The App won't let me.

Perhaps a future version could.

 

Testing several methods...

For detail, see "Test Results, below".

I tried Patrick's method of his previous post.  The API might have changed since you last looked.  It did not work.

Then I tried a composite of your method and mine.  That did not work either.

I re-tested my method.  That time, it successfully created a full version backup.

Added to Feature Request

Thanks again to Ekaterina for adding this point to feature request "TI-202574 Ability to start a new backup chain on demand".

 

Marking a Solution

If no-one else offers a better method, I ask someone to mark my method as a Solution.

Richard

 

Test Results

Test - Patrick's Method of 16th May

Incremental Backup Scheme > Options > Backup Scheme > "full version every [nn]":
[nn]: "5" > "9" ;
[nn]: "9" > "5" ;
button "Ok" ;
button "Backup Now" .

Result: Incremental version.

 

Test - A Composite of Patrick's Method and Richard's

Incremental Backup Scheme > Options > Backup Scheme > "full version every [nn]":
[nn]: "5" > "9" ;
button "Ok" ;
[nn]: "9" > "5" ;
button "Ok" ;
button "Backup Now" .

Result: Incremental version.

 

Test - Richard's Method of 16th May

Incremental Backup Scheme > Options > Backup Scheme > "full version every [nn]":
[nn]: "5" > "1" ;
button "Ok" ;
button "Backup Now" ;
[nn]: "1" > "5" ;
button "Ok" .

Result: Full Version.

 

Note (*)

Suppose I want to force a Full Version.

If unfortunately the previous backup is Full Version...

If [nn] is "1", pressing "Backup Now" gives an Incremental version.

If [nn] is "0", pressing "Backup Now" gives a Full version.

So to cover all previous contexts I want to be able to set [nn] to "0".

But I can not.

 

 

Ian's first response was:

The best you can do is to create a separate backup task

I agree.

 

 

 

Because (only if you are interested)...

Warning – A Full Version file extracted from a Chain may not Restore

In a backup chain I wanted to create a Full Version so I could copy that file alone to USB and restore it from there.

But in an Incremental Backup Chain, each backup file is dependent on all preceding backup files in that chain, as I found out.

After copying the Full Version file over alone, it did not restore.

I had to copy the whole chain, so making a Full Version in a chain is currently not very useful…Ahem…

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Comments: 7092

Dear Richard,

yes, this limitations is determined by the new archive structure introduced in Acronis True Image 2020. We're gathering the feedback about this use-case - added your experience too. Hopefully, the behavior could be altered in the future product versions. 

Glad you are working on it.

Richard