How to setup a Backup to use multiple external USB Drives?
I have a small CPA office that would like to backup to multiple USB drives so they can rotate a backup off-site. Basically I need to be able to configure the backup to do full backups to whichever external USB drive is attached at the time.
The CPA's are not all that computer savvy and I need to do this with as little intervention from them as possible.
I tried to set up two backups - one for each of two external drives - but haven't been able to make it work. If I just select the destination by drive the first backup to each drive works but the 2nd fails because it can't find the backup it made from the disconnected drive.
I then tried different folders on the backup drives as the destination but then it runs both backups to any external drive I plug in.....
I really just need to be able to have the swap the drives and have the software do a full backup to whichever drive is installed.
Is that possible with Acronis 2015?
Thanks for any assistance you can offer!


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Thanks - I'm not sure I follow what you are saying. Set up both drives to have full copies of both tasks? Would that not just create two backups on the 1st drive and then give them two 'failures' after they swap the drives?
Maybe I'm just asking too much?
Thanks again.
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Using 2 different target disks for TrueImage backup--Revised January 2015
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Earlier versons allowed external USB disk swapping. Acronis, this is a bad choice. You've made a process that was extremely simple to one that is HORRIBLY difficult and IMPOSSIBLE to explain to non-tech savvy clients.
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So sad - we have been loyal Acronis customers for more than a decade...
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Steven, welcome to these User Forums.
Please understand that Acronis True Image Home is exactly what it says, a Home User product not intended for use in business environments, hence some of the ways in which it is designed to suit home users.
On a practical level, each backup drive has a unique drive identifier, UUID, which Acronis records along with other information for the backup task in its internal Database. When you swap backup drives for a single task, then this is what causes the problem because the new UUID no longer matches the information stored for the task.
If you want to use multiple backup drives, then just create one backup task per backup drive and there will be no issue over UUID's or the Acronis Database file information. Alternatively, if this is business use, then consider using the more flexible Acronis business products that are designed / intended for use in that environment.
P.S. I am just another volunteer user here in these user forums, not an Acronis employee or paid by them, all views are my own.
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Thank you, Steve, for taking the time to respond. The installations I was referring to are for home-based small businesses (home/home office) so I think it's a legitimate use of True Image. I will test the business version to see if it is any easier to back up to multiple external USB HDs.
It used to work like this, we would advise a client to:
1. buy 2 identical external USB HDs, label one #1 and the other #2
2. Install Acronis True Image
3. Attach #1, create a backup task with a schedule, daily or weekly
4. Run for a week or two, then disconnect #1 and connect #2
5. Backups will continue as scheduled on HD #2, put HD #1 in fireproof storage
Perfect redundant disaster recovery for the home business
Not anymore! Acronis, it wasn't broke, why did you "fix" it?
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