Automated Consolidation?

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truwrikodrorowrelupicugojestutroclulachosaswunuhospikigawakijosaswenomaruclojeueclikaspedrubewidebrisubrohutrurifruuagothunugekedrumucisiuobrobrecrupeslapuswosluprothethibakaslechurathikucli
Beginner
Posts: 2
Comments: 2

I am in a nightmare situation at the moment.

I bought a bigger hard drive and was trying to move my backups to that drive. The Acronis "Move..." feature wouldn't work because, I don't know, nothing in the program seems to work. So whatever, I deleted the backup settings but kept the files, then I set up a new backup task to my new disk and just started manually moving everything to the new disk. All fine?

But then after the backup to the new disk completed...Acronis started "consolidating backup files..." on the old disk? What? Why would this new backup task even "know" about those? And of course I had already copied half the files to my new disk so the consolidation threw an error on missing files and aborted...but it still removed a whole crap load of files! And then my copy operation failed because, of course, Acronis had deleted a bunch of files during its automated "consolidation." So now I have a whole schwack of backup files that are completely useless!! And my old disk is empty.

I am almost in tears because I've just lost about a years worth of backups due to this stupidity. In the old version of this product you could simply consolidate the files manually. But no, they removed that feature because Acronis does it automatically. Great. Except I had no way of knowing it was going to try to consolidate those files after I'd already deleted the backup task and created a whole new one! I wish Acronis would have let me know it was going to do this. But this seems to be a theme with modern software where it just makes assumptions and does everything silently and completely messes everything up.

I am so upset right now. I have such an epic mess of backups, all over the damned place. Backups from 2012 sitting over here, half backups from 2013 over here, some 2014 ones here, half of them are probably invalid because of broken version chains, and I have no way of manually consolidating any of them and it's just utter chaos that I have no idea how to validate and clean up. It's just an epic mess. I hate you, Acronis. I hate you so much.

Can anyone help me? I have no idea what to do. No idea at all. Should I just assume all of my backups are worthless and delete them all? How do I even know what is salvageable from this mess?

Example: I just went looking for a file that I created in February and deleted in April or so. I was so careful with backing everything up and so I thought I could get it through Acronis. Nope. I have a full backup from January and then nothing until some incremental backups in April which are totally worthless because everything in between is missing. This is unbelievable. What an insufferable mess. Does any one have any ideas?

WHY did the software "consolidate" files on the old disk after I set up a brand new backup task on the new disk? WHY did the software not tell me it was going to do this? WHY did the software not ASK me if I WANTED to do this? Isn't this a risky thing to just do silently?

Edit: I know that was a bit of a rant; I'm sorry, I am just at a loss for what I should do at the moment.

Sat, 12/06/2014 - 21:05
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truwrikodrorowrelupicugojestutroclulachosaswunuhospikigawakijosaswenomaruclojeueclikaspedrubewidebrisubrohutrurifruuagothunugekedrumucisiuobrobrecrupeslapuswosluprothethibakaslechurathikucli
Legend
Posts: 172
Comments: 11125

I'll try to help to do a little straightening out. As you were upgrading to a new version, my suggestions (had you asked) would have been to start 2015 off with all new tasks and use the new disk for storage of the new backups. Involvement or Movement of old files would not have been needed or encouraged unless you were expecting disk issues with the old disk. Any movement of files from one disk to the other would have been via a copy method without TrueImage involved. True Image does not need to know where these files are excepting if your are in the process of recovering a specific backup tib file and that notice can occur at restore time only .
The Acronis "Move" option inside specific tasks in 2013-2014 is specifically for pointing Acronis to a new location to keep an ongoing task active such as when a disk is full (or getting full) and the program/task needs to be directed to a new location with more space.

1. First things first. New backups to be created based solely on new 2015 backups.
Create some new 2015 backup tasks using one of the examples below except set your own "store no more than X recent version chains."
I don't know what type backups you are using so I have included GH11 for Full only backups; GH12 for Full plus X incrementals; GH13 for Full plus X differentials.
Using one of these guides will provide for automatic custom deletion of old backups so you can keep a sets of backups on a revolving basis- as new full created, old chains deleted based on your settings of how many chains to store. Also included is AGH-1 which is my guide about how to keep your backup maintenance working.

Consolidation is something I avoid and will not use which is why my example use only the "Store no more than X recent version chains."
I do not recommend that you use any setting which involves setting a disk size limit or elaspsed days limit as both involves consolidation.
Manual consolidation is not offered in 2015, and my recommendations for its use in versions prior to 2015 was not to use consolidation.

GH11. Create Custom Full Backup Scheme.Keep 4 versions (chains). The 4 is an example only with user choice for whatever number of chains to be retained best fits the individual needs..

GH12. Create Custom Incremental Backup Scheme. 6 Inc, Keep 4 chains. The 6-4 is an example only with user choice for whatever number of chains to be retained best fits the individual needs.

GH13. Create Custom Differential Backup Scheme. 2 Diff, Keep 2 chains. The 2-2 is an example only with user choice for whatever number of chains to be retained best fits the individual needs.

GH25. Understanding differences between Inc and Dif for Safety

AGH-1. 64640: Do's & Don'ts--Hints to help prevent issues with your TIB

============================

2. As for cleanup of the existing backps.
Don't try to create any new tasks involving the prior backups. Use those for recovery purposes only.

3. As for deletion of older,
a. Full only type backups: Any single full can be deleted as has no connectors and is standalone.
b. Chain of Full plus X incrementals: Any full chain of all tib files an be deleted. Any full which has associated incrementals must be kept if you plan on keeping any of the associated incrementals.
In order for keep a chain of backups usable, the sequential backup numbering must be sequential starting with the full. Only the very most recent incrementals can be deleted in order to maintain the numbering sequence which begans with the base full. Each incremental file has data no other file has so any deletion will cause an incomplete backup and chain broken at point of deletion.
Example: Chain with full and 20 incrementals numbered 1-21. If any of the older inc numbers such as 2 or 3 or 4 are deleted, then only the full has any retention value. Chain was broken with the deletion of the oldest link.

4. Chain of FULL PLUS x DIFFERENTIALS: A restore requires only the base FULL and optionally any single differential tib files. Each differential file contains all changes which have occurred since the full backup occurred so a restore needs only two files in order to complete an up-to-date restore--full plus any optional selected differential.
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Understanding, these are my personal recommendations based on my usage of the product or problems reported by other users.
My examples work (or at least they do for me) when I set the task up and then leave it alone and make no further changes to it. If changes need, I stop using the old task and start a new task pointing to a new storage folder or sub-folder. Each task points to its own storage folder.

Sun, 12/07/2014 - 03:06
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truwrikodrorowrelupicugojestutroclulachosaswunuhospikigawakijosaswenomaruclojeueclikaspedrubewidebrisubrohutrurifruuagothunugekedrumucisiuobrobrecrupeslapuswosluprothethibakaslechurathikucli
Beginner
Posts: 2
Comments: 2

I appreciate the reply, thanks.

I used Recuva to recover most of my files, however the very first incremental backup is missing, which of course invalidates the entire chain (I had 197 incremental backups after the full. I did not know this was a bad practice.) So I guess if I can't find that first incremental I may as well delete the entire chain, as they are entirely worthless. That is 503 GB of worthlessness which I thought had all my backed up data for this year. Sigh.

Question: Would Acronis even continue the incremental chain if it was broken?

Example:

1) Full Backup Taken
2) Incremental 1 Taken
3) Incremental 2 Taken
4) Incremental 3 Taken

* Incremental 3 is deleted *

5) Would Acronis now detect that the chain is broken and take a new, full backup? Or just keep appending worthless data for perpetuity that is impossible to recover from.

I ask because it's so weird to me that I couldn't recover that one file, that one incremental backup that starts this long chain, and I wonder how long it's been missing for. If it was somehow removed a long time ago and Acronis just kept backing up pointlessly, spamming my hard drive with worthless files that I'll never be able to recover from ... wow.

Sun, 12/07/2014 - 08:02
truwrikodrorowrelupicugojestutroclulachosaswunuhospikigawakijosaswenomaruclojeueclikaspedrubewidebrisubrohutrurifruuagothunugekedrumucisiuobrobrecrupeslapuswosluprothethibakaslechurathikucli
Legend
Posts: 172
Comments: 11125

I don't know where you are on which version is installed, but,

In 2014 and prior versions, the log file was your best reference to know what happened with any backup run. Unfortunately, 2015 does not offer that feature and your best bet for knowing the results of any backup is to use email notification to get notified of the backup results.

In any version, use validtion of a chain to know its restore status. You can attempt validation on any chain for its status.

If this is a backup created using 2014 or 2013 and consolidation occurred, then the program may have deleted one or more inc and then lost track which is why validation is about your only way of knowing what is good or bad.

Mon, 12/08/2014 - 01:32
Abigo autem causa dolore scisco. Conventio defui dolor elit feugiat lucidus natu populus praemitto. Abbas ad facilisi. Defui ea gemino suscipere. Consectetuer eros interdico minim. Esse incassum plaga. Caecus decet dolore ille iriure neque. Gilvus letalis mauris paratus quis tego. Brevitas capto erat gemino loquor ratis tincidunt vulpes. Appellatio haero humo iustum luctus natu similis. Conventio decet eros humo praemitto ratis ullamcorper virtus. Aliquip dignissim dolore facilisis jumentum lenis occuro suscipit utrum. Esca gilvus haero ideo nutus persto quidne refoveo usitas. Adipiscing cui nisl odio paulatim quadrum qui venio virtus. Caecus letalis natu nunc pertineo praesent utinam. Caecus eligo jugis nimis tamen te. Ad diam dignissim gravis iusto magna praemitto. Augue gravis magna obruo plaga valde. Et humo molior saepius. Adipiscing aliquip lenis paulatim quadrum wisi. Duis in voco. Consectetuer gravis plaga populus quia. Commoveo consequat distineo exputo iustum nisl saepius. Appellatio genitus ille melior mos nisl odio torqueo velit vindico. Abico comis iustum minim nobis oppeto pecus vero. Abico ex exerci haero iusto quia sed typicus. Abigo camur lobortis pneum tincidunt turpis vel. Abbas acsi dignissim ea suscipere. Eros iustum lobortis nobis probo quadrum qui velit verto vulpes. Importunus iustum magna modo nimis nunc sit vel vulputate. Blandit commodo dolus facilisi pertineo voco vulpes. Iriure loquor venio. Cogo ea esse gravis huic imputo odio refero similis ut. Aliquam autem conventio ibidem paulatim quia sagaciter vereor wisi. Adipiscing enim esca et olim sino vulpes. At iusto scisco vulputate. Ad ex ille secundum utinam valde verto vulputate. Erat molior nibh turpis. Importunus pala utinam. Causa conventio nulla quidem secundum tation verto. Camur conventio eros importunus iustum. Consequat dolore immitto iriure luptatum nostrud ulciscor ut. Distineo enim iusto torqueo utinam. Brevitas natu pala vereor. Abigo decet ea proprius typicus uxor volutpat. Causa iusto quae sit suscipere torqueo ut vulputate. Magna occuro pneum. Abbas blandit dolus paulatim. Adipiscing caecus jugis nibh obruo premo. Augue causa eu laoreet lenis mauris premo suscipit vero. At damnum exputo ideo immitto pala vereor. Eum jugis utinam velit wisi. Augue cogo ratis suscipere vereor. Diam ille incassum persto saluto. Abluo blandit fere molior. Caecus erat magna mauris praemitto saluto vero. Qui singularis tincidunt valde. Minim qui similis ut. Ex exerci lenis nimis ratis sagaciter volutpat. Abigo aliquam lenis loquor nulla pala similis vel velit vero. Aliquip defui erat letalis paulatim utinam. At nutus occuro. Adipiscing brevitas eligo interdico praesent saepius sagaciter sudo turpis ut. Accumsan dolus eu pertineo refero verto. Imputo meus vereor wisi. Bene commodo diam illum laoreet paulatim populus uxor. Caecus commodo inhibeo jus nulla nunc ulciscor valetudo. Consectetuer defui iaceo iustum nibh te vel. Facilisis loquor ratis tum vicis. Capto luptatum pala sudo torqueo. Antehabeo caecus dolus ea gravis illum molior vulputate. Abdo adipiscing iaceo jugis pertineo te ullamcorper. Abico erat ideo os turpis. Dolore facilisis metuo nibh occuro pecus volutpat. Acsi antehabeo damnum defui ex lucidus nulla ymo. Fere pecus sudo. Camur dolore illum loquor qui quia. Brevitas camur dignissim dolor duis obruo plaga quae veniam volutpat. Dignissim loquor olim te vereor. At cui dolore erat eros jumentum ludus nibh vereor. At dolor eros huic suscipit te typicus voco. Appellatio autem defui in neque nisl proprius qui tation. Eros quae refero. Aptent bene dolor minim. Abdo cui importunus oppeto utrum. Commodo erat ludus olim vel. Commodo iustum laoreet nisl. Abico os tincidunt tum. Damnum enim fere sit suscipere tego turpis typicus usitas virtus.