ATI 2014: Differential backup gets too large

Did you re-use the same task as always for the differential? Or, did you use a new task or even just a manual one-time differential backup, and possibly checked the "sector-by-sector" option?

Please post a screen capture of your storage folder with the tib files sorted by detail mode and date/time.

Yes that's right, I'm using the same task as always.
I made sure the "sector-by-sector" option isn't checked.

Thanks
Bodo

This is a screenshot of my windows 7 storage folder after the ATI 2014 scheduled backup has been completed.

(dateformat is dd/mm/yyyy)

Be aware that Acronis tracks disk sector movement so any defrag activity or multi reads of a bad sector would influence the size of your backup.

As the current 2 diff files has no value, I would use the program as illustrated in link GH5 and delete the two dif files, keeping the full.

GH5. How to delete backup files using Acronis Backup 'Explorer'

Next, I would run check each partition which are included with the backup. This check for errors must include checking any non-lettered partitions.
From within Windows Disk management tool, you can temp assign drive letters for use while the disk is being checked for errors. Remove the temp drive letters after checking. Do this for checking of each of your hidden partitions.

If this unwanted size is the result of repeated reading of bad sectors, your disk may be close to failure.

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Your scheme should look like the example below except you are keeping 1 full plus 10 diff and keeping 2 chains of 11 files each chain. Once 2 chains (22 files reached, automatic deletion of the oldest chain (11 files) will occur after each full backup in excess of 22 files.

GH13. Create Custom Differential Backup Scheme. 2 Diff, Keep 2 chains. The 2-2 is user choice.

Once the check for errors completed, manually run another diff backup using the "back up now" option and see what the resulting size is.

Thanks for the fine explanation! I follwed your suggestions but still having the same issue with a diff backup.

What were the results of the check for errors? and did you check all partitions inclouding the non-lettered partitions?

Was this task created new in 2014? I notice you have 15 prior backup chains. Have all 15 had the same problem as all 15 would have had to have been the same source and the same target.

Your issue could be possibly caused if the disk being backed up has had been defragged after the full was completed (or a utility program relocating programs on the disk. No files could have been edited but any file which was moved due to defrag would be included in the diff as the program tracks disk sector changes--not file changes.

Create a new task with the same settings and see the problem continues.

Double check carefully what is being included with the checkmarks to be backed up. I assume you are not doing an sector by sector backups and not using any automatic defrag or disk tuneup programs???

I formated the source disk now and restoring data to see if it helps. Btw, the drive has no non-lettered partitions.

The task was initially created with ATI 2013 having always the same source and target and I never see the same issue with ATI2013.

The other existing tasks for my other hdd are all runing fine without creating diff backups larger than their full backup.

Yes, I checked that there is only one source drive included in the backup task.

Right, no automatic defrag or disk tuneup utilities are runing here and no sector by sector backup.

This is what I have now after formating the source-drive, restoring its data and recreating the task with the same settings.

Since the source drive has 256GB data I expected a backupfile of about the same size.

There must be some information on that disk, or the disk might be set up in a way that forces ATI to do what it is doing or there is an ACronis driver issue.

If you can (ie you have only data there, or you can use Windows image backup), do a new full backup of the disk, use Diskpart to CLEAN the drive (this will erase everything), then reset it as MBR, and reformat it. Otherwise, use your disk manufacturer diagnostics utility to check the drive.

If the drive is clean,
Uninstall Acronis TI
Use the Acronis cleanup utility
Reboot the computer
Move the 2013 created TIB file to another directory for safekeeping
Install 2014
Create a new backup task.

Does it solve the problem?

Thank's all for your fine responses.

After a repair of my 2014 installation it seems to work here.

This is what I have now (see att.)

Since there have been only minor changes to my source drive
the diff backup size is smaller now.

Thanks
Bodo

The file sizes are still not normal.

As each diff is a record of all changes made since the last full occurred,
then slice 3 should be larger than slice 2.

Let's see what slice 4 brings.

I noticed b1 chain is missing. Did you delete this manually or is the backup scheme set to automatiacaly delete the prior version?

Did you start over with a completely new task?

Yes, b1 was deleted manualy.
The files BVUDISK_G_(G)_diff_* are the results of a complete new task.

Thanks
Bodo

I let Windows 7 check the drive for errors (see screenshot), but the drive is ok.

Here is what ATI has produced the last days: I will delete the existing task and recreate it to see if it helps.

For this task I enabled auto cleanup, so after the recent ATI auto-cleanup
here is a screenshot of my ATI backup:

It seems that the backup task works ok now, no considerable changes have been
done to the sourcefiles, so the file size of the diff-files are ok.

Thanks
Bodo

Fine. Don't make any changes to the backup scheme. Let it run as created and lets see how it works.
I have not had any issues in the last two years with the task I used above as my example.
Automatic Cleanup works when left alone.

Thanks Grover, appreciate your time and fine explanations!