Cannot change Subject header's value in e-mail notification
Acronis True Image 2014
Windows 7 Home
When configuring the settings for a backup, under the Notifications tab is where I can specify an e-mail to where an alert gets sent. Okay, except it won't let me change the Subject header of the e-mail that it sends.
I have a rule (both server- and client-side) to delete e-mails sent from myself to myself. I rarely send e-mails to myself. Acronis True Image has no option to display a popup on an error, only to send me an e-mail (which is NOT a guaranteed communications venue). However, before that rule I have another that looks for a passcode string in the Subject header. I add that passcode string to the Subject header that True Image is supposed to send. What do I actually get? The default string that Acronis stuck in that setting's value ("True Image ..."). I do not get "True Image " where is the name of the backup job (so I know for which backup job the alert is for) and is the string for a rule looking for it that bypasses all my spam filters.
So not only can I not add a string to the Subject header to circumvent my spam rules but I also cannot add the backup job's name to the Subject header. No matter what I put in the Subject field in True Image, it continues to send its default "" string in the header. Didn't realize it was really that hard to change the Subject header since every e-mail client can do it.
The problem is not about getting past or triggering specific filters in my e-mail account or client by adding strings or changing the Subject header. It is about True Image not obeying the value of a setting (i.e., whatever I specify for the Subject header). So notifications are defective in ATI 2014.
It would've been so damn simpler to just enable an option to show a popup dialog telling me there was an error in the backup job. No, I'm not going to manually check the log every day to see if there errors. That is something you do with a stupid program. Is Acronis stupid? No, but they sure haven't bothered revisiting how they inform users of job errors and, in particular, if their e-mail notification works correctly as configured.
As a workaround, I figured to change the From header in the e-mail alert sent to me. It was obvious that changing the Subject header wasn't working because TI would not use the string specified. So I changed the From header to "@TrueImage.Backup.invalid". I could then filter in on that sender to bypass any other rules. Sent another test message and what did I get? The From header was the same as the To header.
E-mail notification in TI is worthless. Since it is the only notification that will remain on the screen (my e-mail client runs 24x7) regardless of how long after the backup has completed or failed, there is no decent notification. And I'm to assume that all other backup job settings are remembered and obeyed, too. Uh huh.
