Not impressed with ACRONIS TRUE IMAGE 2020

John, you may be able to still purchase older versions of ATI via third parties but if doing so, you need to ensure that you get a valid license key to use.

Whilst I understand your comments about modern apps being bloated etc, I personally have not found any issues with the latest ATI 2020 in that respect.  I have this installed on my main laptop along with several other computers, with all features enabled including Acronis Active Protection, and for the majority of the time I am not aware that it is there.

On older computers, there can be more of a performance impact but this is mainly down to the lack of power on those systems, i.e. old Core 2 Duo laptops with between 2GB and 4GB memory which tend to creak while running Windows 10.  So, ATI also creaks when being used along with most other modern apps too!

To add balance in the above, there are aspects of ATI (especially 2020) which I and others do not like, especially in the areas of dependency between files in the new .tibx file architecture that was introduced, but these are things that can be worked around rather than being show stoppers.

Hello

and thank you for your reply, it is very much appreciated, I fully appreciate what you are saying, I spend a lot money buying high spec hardware, and spend so much time optomising services, power setting, disabling unwanted services, features etc, just to try to get the very last bit of performance. It's almost an obssension to me, not to leave any stone unturned when it comes to performance, I get so niggled and know instantly when something is wrong or sluggish.

So moving over to windows 10 was a abosulte nightmare for me, it is the most bloated and full of everything I don't want OS ever, I am totally amazed MS have aimed an os geared around gaming and so much other rubbish for business ? where is the business lite version of windows 10 with all the rubbish removed.

The problem today is... everything is now so feature rich, that software companies are boating software just to sell and justify a new release, which is often killing the great functionality of the original software, such a shame the trend is going this way with eveything today, guess its all about job creation for software engineer at the expense of ruening good software

Thank you once again for your reply

John Heritage wrote:

Hello

and thank you for your reply, it is very much appreciated, I fully appreciate what you are saying, I spend a lot money buying high spec hardware, and spend so much time optomising services, power setting, disabling unwanted services, features etc, just to try to get the very last bit of performance. It's almost an obssension to me, not to leave any stone unturned when it comes to performance, I get so niggled and know instantly when something is wrong or sluggish.

So moving over to windows 10 was a abosulte nightmare for me, it is the most bloated and full of everything I don't want OS ever, I am totally amazed MS have aimed an os geared around gaming and so much other rubbish for business ? where is the business lite version of windows 10 with all the rubbish removed.

 

The problem today is... everything is now so feature rich, that software companies are boating software just to sell and justify a new release, which is often killing the great functionality of the original software, such a shame the trend is going this way with eveything today, guess its all about job creation for software engineer at the expense of ruening good software

 

Thank you once again for your reply

 

Totally agree with you man.
Main features of  the software we actually are buried with crap.

After reading all these negative comments in the forum I may as well cancel and ask for refund.

It is unfortunate that lean, functional products get bloated over time, but it is understandable.   If a product did everything every user could possibly want, the the creator could no longer sell versions of the product and would go out of business.  So software creators add new functions to try to attract new and returning customers. 

A problem with a mature product is that new features tend to make the product less attractive to its traditional users.

Much of the bloat in ATI 2020 can be disabled by disabling the associated services in Windows.

Ran across this and know it is an old post but wanted to comment.  Agree Acronis and others have just put too much bloat into their products.  I have used Acronis since around 2006 and then was getting it free as I did testing on new releases.  All I do a Saturday full backup to external drive, keep 7 copies, keep original backup and make a recovery CD.  After a backup I remove external drive until another backup or recovery.  That way no worry about backups getting corrupted. 

Currently using Acronis 2016 which does fine.  Also, use another product that is free and I have tested that does well and I do the same with it expect run it on Wednesdays. 

Have done full and file recoveries with both. 

I don't mind paying for Acronis, just don't want all the options that are not needed.  I know they need income to keep development and support.  I would even pay a yearly subscription for a basic backup and recovery, I like the keep it simple thinking.   Backups are fast, doing full images works for most folks. 

Still Acronis seems to be doing well so I must just be one of those old timers stuck in the past.   

I've used Acronis for literally years and sometimes it's ok, and sometimes it's not.

Like now: I discover that the "single version scheme" backup does not quite do what it says.  It claims to delete the old backup. So I'd expect one .tibx file.  When I look after it says a backup is completed, there are 2 .tibx files, both "full size", both with the same date and time.  That's taking more disk space than I'd budgeted for.  So I look back again - not sure was it 5 mins or 10 mins - and one of them is gone!  Huh?  What process did that?  It's certainly not expected.

I read about the "new" .tibx files that incremental updates get merged with the original file.  What does "merged" mean?  I use incremental to save backup storage space.  This sounds like that no longer is the case.

I use (used) full backups a lot.  Because they were "full backups", completely independent files.  I trusted them and they worked. 

Now we have .tibx "full" backups which tie all the files up in some curious way which completely looses the plot and the security of completely independent backup files.  I have no faith in them.

I could go on.  The .tibx file fiasco is the main case in point.  We were previously able to visualise and "understand" our backups without a degree in "ATI".  That's no longer the case.  Can't Acronis understand that we want easy to use and understand software?   A previous poster wrote "I would pay for an upgrade where the entire development cycle was devoted to improving the robustness of the product instead of adding new features" and I would change that to "I would pay for an upgrade where the entire development cycle was devoted to improving the usability of the product and removing confusing features".

I'm an IT professional, and I wonder how the "man in the street" is motivated to buy this stuff? 

David, I would encourage you and all other users / customers who are unhappy with any aspects of the changes introduced by Acronis in ATI 2020 / 2021 to use the Feedback tool to communicate your thoughts and concerns direct to Acronis.  These forums are mainly for the users to help each other with minimal interaction by Acronis whereas the feedback tool goes direct to Acronis and has to be read by someone who actually works for them!

Done, thanks Steve.  I copied and pasted most of my post to them.

John Heritage wrote:

Hello

and thank you for your reply, it is very much appreciated, I fully appreciate what you are saying, I spend a lot money buying high spec hardware, and spend so much time optomising services, power setting, disabling unwanted services, features etc, just to try to get the very last bit of performance. It's almost an obssension to me, not to leave any stone unturned when it comes to performance, I get so niggled and know instantly when something is wrong or sluggish.

So moving over to windows 10 was a abosulte nightmare for me, it is the most bloated and full of everything I don't want OS ever, I am totally amazed MS have aimed an os geared around gaming and so much other rubbish for business ? where is the business lite version of windows 10 with all the rubbish removed.

 

The problem today is... everything is now so feature rich, that software companies are boating software just to sell and justify a new release, which is often killing the great functionality of the original software, such a shame the trend is going this way with eveything today, guess its all about job creation for software engineer at the expense of ruening good software

Thank you once again for your reply

I agree there is an art to a lean mean processing machine. I went from win 7 with majority junk disabled to bloated 10 and there are 15 million running processes in task manager.  It highlights the Design of profit over functionality that seems to rule these days.

Steve, I'm fed up.  I'm going back to ATI 2019 for good.  Unfortunately I have not kept an install image: please can you advise if it's available somewhere?           ... David

David, if you have registered your ATI serials to your Acronis Account, then you can always download the latest build version installers from there.

These can also be downloaded from the Acronis Product Updates page links.  You will still need to either enter your serial or activate by signing in with your Acronis Account (if registered).

Steve Smith wrote:

David, if you have registered your ATI serials to your Acronis Account, then you can always download the latest build version installers from there.

Oh, of course, thanks, downloading now.  Um ... next question, how to downgrade?  I'm expecting to have to do a complete un-install + reinstall.  I just wonder if Acronis will recognise my license if I do that?

David, to downgrade you need to just uninstall ATI 2021 via the normal Windows control panel Programs & Features option then do a clean install of the older version.

I would recommend exporting your current settings using the option at the bottom of the Settings page in the ATI GUI before uninstalling, then you can import these back again later.

Your license for ATI 2021 will be removed with the uninstall so you will need to either re-enter the serial for your earlier version when installing it, or else sign in with your Acronis Account and let the license be picked up from there.

Steve I've been doing ATI upgrades for many years (2015 at least, and years before that), so I was afraid my 'upgrade' key would not work but if I can sign in with my a/c that should do the trick.  Thanks ever so much for all the help, you're a star !!

David, see KB 62972: Acronis True Image 2020: How to activate license and the section covering Online activation which confirms the process using the account credentials.

David, since you are going back from 2021 to 2019 (before the .tibx format), I would also suggest that you run the Cleanup Tool to completely uninstall 2021. Also, you will probably want to start your backup tasks over. I don't know what happens when importing settings which were created using a new version with major changes such as the .tibx issue.

David, good point from Bruno as I had forgotten you were going back to 2019 and therefore pre TIBX files being introduced, so exporting the backup settings wouldn't work either.

When I have uninstalled ATI 2021 previously, it has seemed to remove everything without needing to run the cleanup tool, but using it shouldn't harm if you want to use it.  You will need to create new backup tasks unless your existing backup files are all using .TIB files that you could use the 'Add existing backup' option to add back with.