Differential backup, full backup disconnected from chain
I've been running a differential backup daily since last October, and was running out of space on the destination drive. So, I thought I'd copy the initial full backup to a different drive, then move some of the differential backup files to that drive to free up space on the main drive.
Big mistake, I know. There's probably a way to do this within in the software.
Anyway, somehow, my backup scheme is now pointing to the copied initial full backup, and then the differential backups on the destination drive. When I try to do a recovery, I only see the backups I moved (which I actually moved BACK to the destination drive), and validation fails unless the drive holding the copied full backup is connected.
Is there any way for me to fix this, i.e., to "reconnect" the initial full backup with the differential backups on the destination drive? Otherwise, I'm afraid that entire backup set is hosed, which would be a real bummer.
Any ideas would be much appreciated.
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Thanks for your help. So far, I've not had any luck recovering the differential backups. Looks like I might have messed things up too much for recovery and will need to bag those backups and start from scratch.
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You could try one more thing.
With TrueImge closed.
Use Windows Explorer and Move (not copy) the full and the one diff you are trying to restore.
Move them into a new folder on the same disk so the move will only take seconds.
then move the remaining diff into another folder. The purpose of all is to move them to places that TrueiImag e has not been.
Look at your main listing of task on the main screen. Is there any tasks you really need?
Assuming no as what we are doing does not affect other backups.
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Next, we are going to clear the tasks and delete the history.
Next, Use Windows explorer find the Acronis folder named DATABASE
Inside that Database folder is a file named ARCHIVES.XML
Rename that file to OLDARCHIVES.XML
When the program restarts, it will be recreated with no tasks.
Next, open TrueImge and if you have any tasks listed, use the option in upper right corner (or inside each task)
and use the " Remove from list" all the still listed tasks. Once that is done.
Restart True Image and at the top of menu, click on "Add Backups" and click on the "BROWSE"
Browse to the folder containing the full and single diff.
Highlight the two files and click the option to Add to Backup list.
Once you have the backup task appearing on the screen.
choose the Recover option.
and see if you cannot Recover the entire full plus the diff listed.
You will probably need to work your way past some errors messages.
Edit:
Once you have the 2 files in their own folder, without doing all the other steps, you can also boot to the TI Recovery CD and do the recover of the diff or files only when booted from the CD. Work yolu way through the error message but a restore shouold still be possible.
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I was able to recover the original full backup and the last successful differential. I don't know if there's a way to add some of the other differentials the same way, but I could probably get by with at least the two.
Thanks so much for your help!
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You should be able to place all your diff with its original full into a single folder and then use the CD to perform a restore by choosing any single diff selected.
Understand when restoring a diff, you only need 2 files and only 2 files are restored. First the full is retored and then the single selected diff which contains ALL the changes which have occurred since the full was created. In other words, restoring #4 if it is the most recent puts your system back to exactly where it was at time of #4 diff backup.
Diff #2 does not contain any files not provided by #4 unless you deleted some files after #2 was created, then restoring #2 would contain those deleted files.
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