Acronis 2015 Where is the log file?
Acronis reported the backup had failed. I cannt find the log file to determine the reason for the failure. How do I find the log file?
Regards, Linux John.
Just to be absolutely clear ...
Up until the 2014 version of Acronis True Image, you could select any backup job and view a log file showing every event that ever took place involving that job.
In the 2015 version, that functionality is gone ...
3 questions ...
1) Who ever thought it would be a good idea to remove that functionality from the program?
2) Why would anyone on the team have listened to such a ridiculous suggestion?
3) Who do we yell at to get it put back in?
I would have to agree with Daniel.
I have been a long term user of Acronis products and never had an issue with the products features, however I am having some possible issues with my backups since upgrading to 2015 and have no easy way of identifying the cause. My normally avenues of troubleshooting are to check the Event Logs and the application\backup logs.
Please make these logs accessible again from the backup task with the ability to check historical logs as well.
Surely these logs are user accessible in some fashion. No company would exclude an event logging feature. We need an Acronis employee in here to verify how to access event history, in detail.
These logs are not user accessible ... and don't call me Shirley!
As Colin B mentioned earlier, it seems that the only logging feature involves email notification and must be manually configured per task. As completely insane as that sounds, it also appears to be the truth.
Breaks my heart to see decent software destroyed but what was a decent company for apparently no good reason /shrug
I have installed 2015 on two client's systems so far, and neither one is working correctly (can't even get one of them to complete a full back up). So much for progress.
Here is a KB Article describing how to find and analyze error logs in TI 2015:
https://kb.acronis.com/content/49484
Seems cumbersome to me but I have not attempted to use them. It does appear that the steps are more granular in nature than the old ones were so I suppose that possibly one might get to the real root of a problem easier in the end.
I will rephrase my comment ... these logs are not user accessible from within the program lol
Generally speaking, I don't imagine that users will be thrilled with having to look in hidden system folders ... at the very least Acronis could be dumping the logs into the Documents folder.
The logs should be user readable from within the program and they should highlight problems. As it stands they are far too detailed for most uses. Plus they were bloody hard to find!
I swear each version of Acronis must be a re-write. They must not own the source code and keep changing the contracting software firm. Or they fire all of their coders in in between versions . Or they lost the source code. Or marketing over-rules any engineering logic... I can't otherwise understand how each version can be so different from the last, and have such a different approach and how such critical features disappear.
History of backups is such a basic feature it defies logic that it would be eliminated.
They eliminated many features and are selling fewer features as "stability".
I think they are trying go back to fewer features so people have buy new versions (or buy the stupid 'for-ever paying' license)
I would like to see the logs back in the GUI. Too much junk to wade through in XML format to gain an understanding of what took place.
I should have checked the forum before I bought TI 2016. I have used TI since version 2012 - but skipped 2015.
I just upgraded from 2014 to TI 2016 and found what you guys already know - some genius removed the ability to review the logs from within the GUI.
Looks like I need to review the alternatives out there to find a suitable product. Pity, because True Image 2014 was a good product.
I agree!!! I'm new to Acronis and appalled at this oversight!
I'd like answers to Daniel's questions too.
1) Who ever thought it would be a good idea to remove that functionality from the program?
2) Why would anyone on the team have listened to such a ridiculous suggestion?
3) Who do we yell at to get it put back in?
Edit 1 - Also, when I run a validate, there is no success/failure dialog. I switched back to the Acronis window and it was back to the home page, no message, nothing. That's when I went looking for the log to verify that it completed successfully. Geez....
Edit 2- Brilliant! The log files are in XML format but the file extension is not .xml.
I don't have much extra to add to the discussion, but feel the need to vent.
I am in the same situation as TobyK described: I ran a validation and later came back to the computer to see the results, and there were none, so I went looking for the logs... (Acronis TI 2016). I'm also unable to mount partitions in read/write mode.
Note: The only reason I upgraded from the 2012 version is because it would not work for Windows 8. Then, I was required to upgrade from 2014 to 2016 for it to work with Windows 10. I'm not happy at being continually required to spend money on upgrades that contain less functionality.
I could not put up with the absence of log data any longer - email is NOT an answer.
So, after using TI2012 happily, then TI2014 equally happily, I have abandoned Acronis TI2016
I purchased Macrium Reflect - it has excellent logging - a lot more expensive - $AU100 versus $AU40 for TI
But a least I know that a backup worked !
I am also in the no license renewal until the logs are back inside the software user interface. By that time I may already have found a new allegiance.
. - Carey
Former True Image customer 2002 - 2014
Log file location is
Windows Vista/7/8/10: C:\ ProgramData\Acronis\TrueImageHome\Logs
Sort by date/time.
Correction:
Wrong original= The console label has the info about the results.
Correction= The log file named "SERVICE" (dated date/time of backup) will provide information about the results of the backup.
"C:\ProgramData\Acronis\TrueImageHome\Logs\service_2015-11-08-19-19-31.log"
Okay, I'm aware that there are a lot of xml files in that directory which appear to contain data that could be used to display meaningful information to a user about past operations. (notice I make a distinction between "data" and "information")
On my Acronis home page it says the last backup was on 11/1. I could like to know if that backup included a verify and if that checked okay.
The console files in the Logs folder are:
11/09/2015 10:43 AM 0 console-C08732A0-8C37-495A-8AFD-B1FBDFC470C9.log
11/04/2015 02:18 PM 434 console-04D6053B-5A10-4FFF-B923-D1888212824B.log
11/02/2015 11:26 AM 759 console-ADF1F5A9-F1DF-4D9F-8B27-65AB17E8514B.log
11/01/2015 12:08 PM 434 console-17D89382-7332-41FE-BAD2-ED3672AF6C76.log
10/31/2015 08:57 AM 759 console-7FF03AC8-CD02-4987-8712-6DA9F9983C92.log
.....
The console file for 11/1 only contains this message - "Request to Acronis Cloud failed, make sure you are signed in."
Not very helpful, the text in the file does not contain the date/time so you have to use the datetime stamp in the directory to determine that.
Oh, look, there are two other files dated 11/01:
11/01/2015 11:39 AM 28,466 service_2015-11-01-11-32-02.log
11/01/2015 01:11 PM 10,404 service_2015-11-01-12-10-18.log
Gee, the 2nd one has stuff like "Create Backup Archive" and "The following backups have been successfully created:....." followed by "Validate Backup Archive" and later (I guess it's later, it's further down in the text file) "Operation has succeeded." I wonder how long the backup took? It has this attribute on the Create backup - time="1446401422" - and this on the backup created - time="1446402317" - I wonder if those relate to the length of time it took to run the operation? The difference in those 2 numbers is 895, I wonder what that means???
So I ask you, which console (or other log) file contains the completion status of the most recent backup????? And you have to answer that question without opening up multiple files in the Logs folder until you find something meaningful.
My point is that there is all this useful information buried in the bowels of the application that is no longer being exposed to the user in a meaningful way so that the user can investigate issues and troubleshoot problems on their own.
Acronis has apparently made the decision that Acronis users are too stupid to understand anything that might be put in a log file so they do not display any of it in the application itself. Perhaps those of us that value this information are in the minority but all of us are now actively investigating other backup products to find one that provides the tools to manage our backups!!!
Toby
TobyK,
My posting had the wrong file name. My mind was thinking "service" but the fingers were writing "console" I have posted a correction in my origal posting and is below. My apologies for the wasting your time looking at the wrong stuff.
Correction:
The console label has the info about the results.
Log file named "SERVICE" (dated date/time of backup) will provide information about the results of the backup.
"C:\ProgramData\Acronis\TrueImageHome\Logs\service_2015-11-08-19-19-31.log"
This is an example of what is send via the email task notification option (if enabled) and is derived from the "service" log file for that backup..
-----------------------------
1 True Image 11/8/2015 7:19:31 PM Backup reserve copy attributes: format tib; need_reserve_backup_copy false;
2 True Image 11/8/2015 7:19:31 PM Failed to verify DSA signature. ( Acronis says to ignore for now.)
3 True Image 11/8/2015 7:19:31 PM error:0D07209B:asn1 encoding routines:func(114):reason(155)
4 True Image 11/8/2015 7:19:31 PM Operation Entire PC (GROVERS-COMPAQ)-TI2016-Oct25 started manually.
5 True Image 11/8/2015 7:19:31 PM Operation description: Stage Description.
6 True Image 11/8/2015 7:19:33 PM Backup reserve copy attributes: format tib; need_reserve_backup_copy false;
7 True Image 11/8/2015 7:19:33 PM Operation: Backup
8 True Image 11/8/2015 7:19:33 PM Priority changed to Low.
9 True Image 11/8/2015 7:19:33 PM Create Backup Archive Password Protected From:
To file: "E:\2016-oct25\Entire PC (GROVERS-COMPAQ)-TI2016-Oct25.tib" Compression: Normal
Exclude: Files matching mask Match criterion: hiberfil.sys, pagefile.sys, $Recycle.Bin, swapfile.sys,
System Volume Information, *.tib, *.tib.metadata, *.~, *.tmp, C:\Users\Grover\AppData\Local\Temp,
C:\Users\Compaq User\AppData\Local\Temp, C:\Users\DefaultAppPool\AppData\Local\Temp
10 True Image 11/8/2015 7:19:34 PM Pending operation 160 started: 'Creating partition image'.
11 True Image 11/8/2015 7:20:26 PM Pending operation 160 started: 'Creating partition image'.
12 True Image 11/8/2015 7:21:45 PM Writing differential version to file:
Entire PC (GROVERS-COMPAQ)-TI2016-Oct25_diff_b1_s2_v1.tib
13 True Image 11/8/2015 7:27:45 PM Pending operation 160 started: 'Creating partition image'.
14 True Image 11/8/2015 7:27:45 PM The following backups have been successfully created:
"E:\2016-oct25\Entire PC (GROVERS-COMPAQ)-TI2016-Oct25_diff_b1_s2_v1.tib"
15 True Image 11/8/2015 7:27:45 PM Validate Backup Archive Location:
"E:\2016-oct25\Entire PC (GROVERS-COMPAQ)-TI2016-Oct25_diff_b1_s2_v1.tib"
16 True Image 11/8/2015 7:27:45 PM Pending operation 3 started: 'Validate Backup Archive'.
17 True Image 11/8/2015 8:22:39 PM Operation has succeeded
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
-------------------------------
Note you can delete any old files from the log folder. The entire contents is just informational and their deletion causes no harm.
GroverH,
I was not complaining about looking at the wrong files. I was complaining that I had to look at any files! And furthermore, if I do have to look at files, then they should be in human readable format, not machine readable format.
Anyway, for those that might be following this thread, if you want to view a log file in an almost human readable format, change the extension from .log to .xml and open the file inside MS Excel. Excel will ask how to open it - select "as an XML Table", then it will say it does not have a schema, click OK. You should get something like this (not all columns shown and internal operation event rows deleted for clarity):
|
id |
level |
module |
code |
time |
message |
|
35 |
2 |
11 |
1026 |
1445867698 |
<bold>Validate Backup Archive</bold><endl/><tabpoint value=30><indent value=4>Location: <indent value=10><textcolor value="navyblue">"E:\Acronis Backups\Entire PC (TOSHLAPTOP)_full_b1_s1_v1-3.tib"</textcolor></indent><indent value=4><endl/></indent><endl/> |
|
36 |
2 |
1 |
504 |
1445867698 |
Pending operation 3 started: 'Validate Backup Archive'. |
|
45 |
2 |
316 |
6 |
1445870499 |
Operation has succeeded. |
I understand and agree. 2014, 2013, and 2012 all had better log file implementation.
Invoking the email notification option (as illustrated above) can help to ease the displeasure, as the automatic email will provide this information via the email contents.
Log file handling is not the only thing that was better in TI 2014.
TI 2014 was great, looked good, and was feature rich. TI started great in the early years, had some bad years circa TI 10. I thought they had really come around with 2014. Once again the product was fast, once again the UI was beautiful.
Had I not moved to Windows 10 I'd have stuck with TI 2014. Really unhappy with the new hideous metro-style UI and lack of easy accessibility to features. The log file handling in 14 was great, and it looked good too.
Now ugly ugly ugly, and barely functional. Even the recovery media sports a nicer looking UI!
I'm a newbie that doesn't have a clue about things like smtp so that didn'r woek out very well for me. I use gmail as my email program.
Thomas,
For things you do not know, try using the Forum Search function located at the top of this page.
Search for "notifications"
Consider using your Intenet Service provider as the "Mail Server" /sender of your TrueImage notification email messages from your computer to your Gmail account. Your onoy problem is the send portion which can be your isp provider.
Most likely, your ISP website has instructions on the correct settings.
https://kb.acronis.com/content/26124
https://forum.acronis.com/forum/94776