ATI 2014 deletes the wrong files! Why?! Help!!!
ATI 2014 deletes the wrong files! Why?! Help!!!
Following advice on these forums, and rather than trying to edit the old scheme which was giving me the weird error message "Warning. Failed to process pair script:17893A20-BE6C-49FA-8581-929F082DDFE4", I set up a new backup incremental schedule for my D Drive using ATI 2014 under windows 7, and gave it a new name.
I set it up from scratch, I did not use a cloned copy.
The previous, faulty, scheme was not deleted but changed to "Do not schedule".
The new "Backup Scheme" tab was set to:
- make a full version after every 4 incremental versions;
- Store no more than 2 recent version chains.
- the "Do not delete the first version of the backup was left unticked.
(See attached screen shot.)
I set it to back up to the "E:\Incremental" folder on my removable drive, every two hours, and to send me an e-mail report when completed.
I then set the new scheme to run and make its first backup of the D drive, which it did, and reported that the backups had been successfully created: "The following backups have been successfully created: "E:\Incremental\D-Drive-Incrl-Backup2015-12-19_full_b15_s1_v1.tib"
It also reported that "Pending operation 3 started: 'Validate Backup Archive'", as I had ticked the box on the advanced tab that I required the backup to be validated. No problem there.
The next row stated :
Consolidate Backup Archive Location: "E:\Incremental\D-Drive-Incrl-Backup2015-12-19_full_b15_s1_v1.tib" Destination: "E:\Incremental\D-Drive-Incrl-Backup2015-12-19_full_b15_s1_v1_3EA5FA8B-5C8A-4AFF-BC1E-D57751405D78.tib"
I have no idea why it was consolidating, or even why it was set to "consolidate" (that seems to be a frequent problem area according to these forums), but I don't know where the settings are hidden.
The next ten lines of the report were the alarming bits - a whole string of lines similar to:
Deleting backup file with path E:\BackupsD\D_Drive_Full_Partition2015-11-25_full_b7_s1_v1.tib.
ATI had just decided, of its own accord, to get stuck in an delete every one of my full partition backups which are produced by a different ATI backup scheme, and were in a completely different folder (E:\BackupsD) on the same removable drive.
Similar problems have been reported on the forum before, but there does not seem to be a clear solution. (or not one I can understand anyway!)
So the key question is:
1. Why is ATI deleting the wrong files. (Plus a side comment - what kind of crazy, poorly designed programme does that?)
2. How do I stop it doing it again?
Any help would be gratefully received!!!
here is the screenshot referred to above
Rob,
I really can't provide a button by button description of what exactly caused ATI to delete the wrong files. What I can offer is an educated guess.
ATI provides database tools, some of which are automated. These will free up disk space, which might be needed for the next backup.
The first image below "Addbackup" shows the Browse, Auto Search at Startup, and Search Now. The Auto Search & Search Now will scan all drives looking for old backups.
First Recommendation...make sure the Auto Search is NOT checked. Actually, it will be greyed out when NOT checked.
ATI has a "Consolidation" capability. The ATI 2014 user manual discusses consolidation, but not in great detail. The user manual does state "Consolidation allows you to delete backups which you no longer need from a backup chain."
So here's my best guess: ATI found your old backup files and performed a Consolidate analysis. That analysis determined that the all of the files in the old backups were contained in your new chains and therefore, the old backups were no longer needed.
Your current task told ATI to only keep 2 chains. With the old backups being consolidated, they met the criteria for deletion.
Once again, my analysis is a guess. What's known is ATI deleted files that you wanted to keep.
https://forum.acronis.com/forum/107647
The link above discusses a related problem. ATI found old backups and displays them as tasks. At the end of the thread, I offered a kludge on how to hide old backups from ATI.
Your experience is one of the reasons I do all of my own housekeeping with respect to previous backup chains.
Next, I would like to discuss your backup scheme.
Your graphic shows a full backup followed by 4 incremental backups, storing no more than 2 chains. Your writeup states you have scheduled the backups every 2 hours.
By my calculation, you are creating and deleting 1 full and 4 incremental backups every day. And some days you could create and delete 2 full and 8 incremental backups.
So you could end up with only 2 days worth of backups. My concern is that if your computer gets infected with malware, and you don't immediately catch it, all of your backups could become infected.
I would recommend increasing the number of incrementals, and if you have sufficient disk space, store more chains. You could also go to 4 hour or 6 hour backups.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
FtrPilot
FtrPilot - Excellent. In addition to consolidation, incorrect or overlooked use of retention policies can cause unexpected behavior such as deletion of back up images or the deletion of complete version chains.
Some of the challenges many face is determining the right balance of back ups and how long to retain. This is sometimes difficult to recommend since everyones needs are different with the one common goal of protecting yourself from data loss or catastrophe.
Some are fine with a weekly back up, while others need a daily snapshot. In consideration of one's time as well as the amount of storage space available, only the user can best determine his/her own needs and the level of protection they can live with. This is often dictated by the amount of storage space one has available. I have several systems, but each has different needs. Some use a daily snapshot with 4 to 8 weeks of version chain retention. Others get a full once a week with 5-6 fulls retained before the oldest is deleted via consolidation. It just depends.
Rob, hang in there, you're doing well. The forum is quirky, but overall works pretty well.
FtrPilot & shadowsports
Many thanks people. your help is much appreciated.
Your comments and the related links/pictures will take some reading, which will take me a while to digest and action.
So, for now, I wish you both a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Rob B
Rob,
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.
I will be monitoring the Acronis blogs, and if you have any questions as you proceed, don't hesitate to ask.
Regards,
FtrPilot
FtrPilot & shadowsports
To follow up some previous comments.
1. I have 2 backup schemes - 1 x daily, (which is working well), and an incremental that backs up every 2 hours (which is giving me all the consolidation problems)
2. FtrPilot's kludge on hiding old backups is too fiddly to use all the time. But thanks.
Anyway, ATI is still driving me mad.
I read all the links you kindly posted, and the ATI help about consolidation, and I thought I now understood it.
So I "turned off" the old incremental task, and created a brand new incremental task. "Auto Search at Startup" was greyed out, and the registry setting "ScanComputerAtStartup" =0, therefore ATI should not be looking for other backups to consolidate, nor should it wipe out any other backups in a different directory.
Well, that didn't help - the new task once again started deleting the "full" backups created under a different scheme under my daily backup.
Please confirm where ATI hides the consolidation setting. Is it just in the Auto Search tickbox option in the "Add Backup" tab drop down menu, per your previous posting? And does it only apply to incremental backups?
There is something in the ATI HELP about "Automatic consolidation of a backup is enabled by setting overall limitations for a backup - number of backup versions, max storage period or max backup size.
As you can see from the attached, I have no limit on the size, or period. But does "Store no more than xxx recent version chains" mean I have set a "limitation on the number of backup versions"?
Any suggestions gratefully accepted.
And Happy New Year to everyone.