File system has changed and schedule remains blue even though back up occurs
Everything was going fine until one day I checked my backups and noticed they weren't occurring. I reset my file back ups and they worked for a while, but the files recorded as tib files. Previously they had recorded as a much longer name. I also noted that the dates on the calendar were not changing color even though my back ups are logged as being successful. Finally, I noted my back ups have been taking 5 or 6 hours even if I've added nothing. This seems to be because Acronis is consolidating files everyday. I have it set to consolidate once a month.
I'm thinking I should format my backup drive and recreate my backup routine. Of course I would lose all my data but my bigger fear is that the whole system is somehow becoming corrupted.
I've attached a couple of screen shots that show the log and calendar and how the files have changed to being called just tib and now have reverted to a more complicated naming which is similar to what they were named before the switched to tib.
Thanks for your response. If I understand you correctly you are suggesting I go ahead and format my back up drive and rebuild my back up tasks (one for my data and one for my system). I should have mentioned I am running 2010. Do you recommend buying 2012?
To answer your questions:I am not running non stop back up. I want an incremental back up of my data files that are on my internal data drive (F:). I do that everyday and specify consolidate once a month and validate. I also do a full system backup once a week of my system (C: ) drive. As far as I can tell the backups are happening, but are not showing up on the calendar.
Another strange thing is that I went to the log to check the details of yesterdays back up (which completed successfully) and there was nothing there! I assume that this is linked to the same problem that causes the calendar to not change color. Both my data back up and system back up are listed as scheduled back ups and also show up as scheduled back ups in the log on the day they actually run.
Now another bizarre thing has happened. I got operation paused. When I checked it said it was looking for Tib27. Up until a few days ago it was creating Tib files every time it backed up. then it changed to a longer named set of files. Now it is asking for a Tib file that doesn't exist (the last one the program created was Tib26).
Jim,
Move the backup files you want to keep to another folder on the same disk. Leave your normal backup directory empty.
Uninstall ATI, reboot, reinstall.
Create a new backup task. From the names of your volumes, it looks like you have very long chains. I recommend against running long chains, and against using consolidation. Instead, use an incremental backup, turn on auto-cleaning, create a new full after 6 incrementals (for a daily backup, you will have a full every week). Choose to keep only X most recent backup chains (full + 6 incremental is one chain). Choose X to leave enough space for a new full.
You can increase the number of incremental before a new full, but your last full should never be so old that you couldn't use it for restore. If you have important documents changing often (eg quicken files, etc.), consider backing them up separately at higher frequency.
Thanks. a couple of points for clarification:
1) My version (Home 2010) doesn't have an auto clean option (as far as I know). Am I just missing it?
2) By preventing "long chains" you meant "create a new full after 6 incrementals"? in the Backup Method Tab, correct?
3) How do you "choose to keep only X most recent backup chains"? Under Backup Method tab my only option is to "delete previous backup archive".
Also, not sure if t matters but I have one external drive dedicated to ATI. All that is on that drive is my C drive system back up and my F Drive data backup. At this point I could delete both. The C drive gets backed up in full every week anyway and it appears my Data backup is pretty messed up. It won't run at all now.
I'm a little leery about uninstalling ATI because I had a very hard time getting it to run properly in the first place. I spent hours with customer support and I know I had to update or replace the scheduler several times. If the best advice is to uninstall, I'll do it, but I wonder if updating to 2012 would make a difference.
Later Edit:
I just read where your version is 2010. Not sure how much of this is applicable but 2010 may have some of this.
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The sample picture below shows how to x number of backups. In this example , the 4 represents the x.
Change the 6 incs and the keep 4 chains to your own needs.
This link has more details if needed.
http://forum.acronis.com/forum/28705
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I really appreciate the time you have put into this. I've book marked your link in case I upgrade to 2012. The options for auto cleanup and saving a specific number of recent full versions don't exist in 2010.
Given my concerns about reinstalling ATI, what are your thoughts? I'm leaning toward just formating my backup HD and creating two new ATI backups (system and data). I have no partitions or complex needs. I just want the data on my F Drive backed up and my System drive (C:) cloned (or whatever it's called) so that I can replace it if it crashes. (I assume a system backup can be used to install all my programs on a new, replacement C drive by recovering the system from my backup drive, correct?)
A new development. I tried backing up again by right clicking on the scheduled task in the tasks and log menu and clicked on Start. It looked like it was working fine. However it is now 6 hours later. I just looked at my computer and it is at 67% complete. with 3 hours remaining! What shocked me though was that it was in the third of three stages which is: Cloning Archive!!! I went back and right clicked on the task and checked the edit option. No where in any of the menu options have I checked clone, in fact there is no clone option.
Pat L recommended against using the consolidation option and that may be the cause of at least part of my problems. Of course, why this should just start happening all of a sudden is another issue. I unchecked all the automatic consolidation options and will be curious to see if that solves the problem when I run this again tomorrow.
I'll still probably redo everything as we discussed above but I would like to continue to try to understand this craziness first.
I assume a system backup can be used to install all my programs on a new, replacement C drive by recovering the system from my backup drive, correct?)
Yes, *if* you create a disk and partition backup with all the partitions that are on your system drive and the active partition (on some systems, the active partition can be on another disk). To check all this, use Windows Disk Management (right click on the computer icon on your desktop, choose manage, storage, disk management). I don't recall 2010, but don't use whatever "system" or "system state" backup feature it may have. Make sure it is a disk/partition backup.
Pat,
I'm having trouble posting so I apologize if this shows up twice. I think I'm good. Following your instructions I found my main drive has 3 sections. One called FAT, one called D Drive and the operating system which is the C drive. the C drive is the one I am backing up using the proper location as you described it. I've attached screen shots.
If you have any other thoughts, I'd appreciate hearing them, otherwise, I just want to thank you and Grover for the time you've spent helping me.
Jim,
Based on the selections in your atiscreen.docx, you are not backing up the entire system drive. You would not be able to perform a full recovery of that drive without all of the selections being check off. Just click on the box at the top of the list of partitions to select the entire disk. You most definitely need the 100MB partition, as well as your "C" drive. It is required for recovery. The FAT16 partition is not part of Windows(maybe a recovery or diagnostic partition), but should be backed up if you want to be sure you have the entire disk.
Thanks. I guess I'm going to have to get a bigger backup drive.