Incremental Backup Fails

This kind of behavior is typical of problems with disk read/writes but that doesn't seem to be your issue since you replicate the prob on diff drives.

So I would advise uninstalling and installing like this:

Uninstall the current version and run the cleaner

http://kb.acronis.com/content/24545

get the latest build from the acronis.com and use that to install.

If you want to, you can export your tasks before uninstalling and them import after the new install.

It doesn't hurt and sometimes help is you use msconfig to disable all non-microsoft services and all startup programs before doing uninstall or install

http://netsquirrel.com/msconfig/

Appreciate your suggestions, already tried that. Uninstalled new version, ran Acronis cleaner. after system restart, Acronis removed many files from other important programs. Had at least 3 + printer popup with "reinstall missing files", not of Acronis product, won't do that again! Reinstalled previos image, everything works ok until update to latest build. Same 3 external drives, start out with timer at 37min, then 1 1/2 hours, then 2 hours and bogs down. I have tried everything and it is obvious that something is terribly wrong with the latest version 7715.

It might help if you were to check the system disk for disk errors--if that has not been done recently.
From a command prompt
CHKDSK C: /R

Thank you for your suggestions and I had already tried that. The external drives have been ruled out as they perform flawlessly in the previous version. I can create and restore any type of images in both the Windows environment and by utilizing the F11 way, prior to the system startup. I have always used the F11 way to recover and backup, never have had any problems until the latest release. I performed another example and have isolated the problem to the F11 at system startup version. Start the system, press F11, enter the True Image interface, follow the bouncing ball to create either a full or incremental backup, it fails with the same bug. Starts the timer and function, say at 37 minutes remaining, eventually goes to 2 hours and failes with an error of "disk is full" with a menu to clean recycle or remove files. I also checked in the dos version (F11) under options, and it only has 1 for an ip address, no other options on the menu. Roll back to the previous version, and the same incremental backup successfully completes in a total of 15 minutes, with no failures. It is obvious that there is a problem with the F11 system startup version of Acronis True Image Plus 2012. To isolate the bug to the F11 startup version, I successfully performed an incremental backup image by using Acronis True Image in the Windows 7 environment. That image was successfully completed in 20 minutes, including validating both the original and incremental files. This would be proof that something is drastically wrong with the F11 Dos, before Windows starts version of the software. Same drives, works in Windows, fails in the F11 environment. Since I soley use the F11 before startup version, it needs to perform correctly. The lack of options under that environment makes me wonder if that version of software is looking for an electronic drive or something, or maybe they neglected to include NTFS format in the program? I also remember with the previous version, it would advise me of the update, which I would perform. After the system restart, I would open Acronis, expecting to be notified of the Plus update, which it did not indicate. However, after using Plus for years, I knew that there is always an update to that. I downloaded and installed Plus from my account update list. This makes me wonder why the latest version did not notify me of the Plus update from the program startup?

 Hello all,

Thank you for taking time to contact us.

Ray Torella,

Could you please let us know the size of the full backup? And how many incremental backups were created prior your last attempt to create a new incremental backup?

Also please provide us with the log file of the failed operation, you may attach it to your next post. 

We are awaiting for your response.

Thank you.

The full backup is approximately 26GB and this was the only attempt at an incremental. I have restored my system to the previous build, with successful incremental/full backups. I am not able to provide a log file as I needed to restore my system to the previous build. Hopefully, with the described symptoms, you can find the reason that the F11 way of backing up fails.

Thanks

 Hello Ray Torella,

Thank you for your response.

We will try to reproduce the issue in our test lab.

Thank you.

Never received a fix or suggestion, this has been since April. I am still having the same problems. If I attempt to create an incremental or differential backup, the program always creates a FULL IMAGE. This is after pointing it to the initial FULL IMAGE which was already created previously. I select backup, "ad to exisiting", incremental, etc. Should create a 12gb incremental but only creates a full 80gb image. Same with differential attempts.

Hi Ray,
I saw your last posting and did a test to see how my system would react. I have XP Pro
I booted from the 2012-7119 Bootable media
Chose the Add to existing backup and pointed to a Windows full from a month ago.
Changed the inc #
on the Last screen under options, choose the Incremental as type.
A very small incremental was created--not a full.

So my 7119 appears to be working correctly for me.

Are you choosing the same partitions to be backed up in the inc as you did for the origiinal full? Is there any hidden partitions involved?

Just a quick comment on the size of the actual backups Ray keeps mentioning rather than the actual problem.

80Gb Full Image. 12Gb Incrementals. Nothing added to the PC in between. That's huge. You haven't got an auto defrag routine running have you ?
If nothing much has been done on a PC between backups then I find incrementals are usually around the 300mb size.

Hello,

I am selecting the previous full image partition, which is isolated in it's own folder on the external drives (3 of them). I am running Windows 7 64bit Pro. Initial full back up (80gigs) is compressing 160gigs of information. Then I have installed approx 25gigs on top of that and attempt the incremental backup. Rename the incremental file #, for example, full backup name: MyBackup, incremental name: MyBackup2. Goes thru process, I re-check making certain incremental or differential is selected. I know immediately that it will only do a full backup when the timer shows 1 1/2 hours. With the previous version, the timer for incremental would indicate 9 minutes. I had installed several apps with the previous version and never had problems with incrementals.

Thanks for clarifying Ray. 25Gb added and 12Gb incremental sounds more reasonable.

I'm not not really knowledgeable enough to be able to add much more I'm afraid. My initial thought was could it be anything to do with renaming the files ? and do whole new backup sequencies with the later version work as expected in that you can add to them as and when you wish. I've never run TI2012 from CD (always from within Windows) so I wondered when you select an image to back up does it already show that 1 (or more) images of it exist. In other words does it show (like it does running under Windows) that it can "see" the existing base backup and that it has already been run at least once.

good luck anyhow, hope you can resolve the issue.

This is a bit off-topic but the importance warrants remark. If you've never run ati from the BootCD, you are dancing with the devil with your pants down. If your hard disk fails you won't be able to start ati from within windows, you'll need the bootCD and it would be an unfortunate time to find out that the bootCD doesn't work on your machine for some reason. This has happened to folks.

Mooly wrote:

Thanks for clarifying Ray. 25Gb added and 12Gb incremental sounds more reasonable.

. . . I've never run TI2012 from CD (always from within Windows) so I wondered . . .

Well stated Scott!
Mooly,

When restoring your system partition or your system disk, the recommended method is to use the TrueImage bootable recovery media which is Linux so the user definitely needs to be completely familiar with how the CD works and its options.

After booting into the CD, the user has the option to use the Browse function and browse to the storage location of the prior backups. The user is expected to make the correct choice of what backup is to be restored which can be done via the backup comments or the file name user assigned to the backup. The more knowledgeable the user is about this procedure, the easier the process becomes.

As Scott stated, don't wait until a crisis occurs to begin your learning curve. Do the learning now before a crisis arises.

Mooly - thanks for your feedback and suggestions. The original full version was created with 7719 and it does not seem to matter which way I attempt the incrementals. I have attempted from within windows 7, thumbdrive version, cd version and F11, none will produce incrementals correctly. They do create the correct file name, in this case: MyBackup2 (as the incremental), pointing to the first full backup named: MyBackup. However, the MyBackup2 tib file, which is correctly placed within the correct folder (with the full backup) is the size of the full backup, PLUS what the incremental should be:

Example: Original full image 85gb
Incremental 12gb
Total for both 97gb

With new version: Original Full Image 85gb
Incremental 97gb

This means that somehow, the incremental is creating a full backup image + the value of an incremental WITHIN a single backup file called MyBackup2.

Scott - Thanks for your post. Your off topic is great information for all users to know. Same as when someone creates a full backup in the Secure Zone! If the drive fails, that is all she wrote, no restoring that image. I purposely use an external drive, then I copy the backup image to a 2nd external drive. In the event the first ext drive fails, I still have a complete backup to the backup. I know what you mean in regards to using the Boot CD. On my Dell Netbook, I do not have that luxury, no internal CD/DVD drive. On that one, I use a USB version to backup/restore. One time, I was using Try&Save to install software. Try&Save forces you to turn off the F11 recovery option. I installed the new software, which took out my MBR Master Boot Record! Just as bad as a total hard drive failure! I did not have the F11 option do to Try&Save and no way to do a backup restore. Fortunately, I had created a USB version of the Boot CD, which saved the day. I was able to restore from the external drive via USB ports. Otherwise, I would have been totally out of luck. I appreciate you sharing your suggestions for the Backup/Restore Cd. I keep one of them and purchased 2 1gig Thumbdrives @ $4.99 each. Turned them into Backup/Restore availability as well, carry them in the computer bags.

So, again, by utilizing the BootCD, Thumb version, F11 and Windows environment, they all create an incremental image alright. Problem being that it is the total GB value of the original backup image + the incremental changes in a single file.

Grover, Thank you for your comments. However, this is an incremental image backup issue, not restoring. FYI: I have been using Acronis since 2009, have created images and restores at least 50 times or more, never with a problem or glitch. I appreciate your suggestions that the user needs to know what is where and how, I totally agree. This is not the issue either. I have several full and incremental backups from several versions of Windows and software installations. Each full backup is segregated into separate named and dated folders. In the event I wish to restore to a certain date and version or software time, I simply point to the appropriate folder. The Acronis software is not designed for your average person to successfully create backups or certainly not incremental images. In my case, I installed Windows 7 64bit + additional software. Created full backup image in appropriate folder. I then added more software and successfully created an incremental image. Then I added more software, deleted the incremental image from the folder and created a new incremental image. I then could restore the latest incremental image with no problems. For a period of 2 years, I have repeated this. I add software, delete the previous incremental, create a new incremental from the original full image backup. I do the incremental in stages, in case I want to return the system to the previous incremental state. When the system and software is to my liking, I create a brand new full image, in its own folder, and create any incremental changes from that image. Therefore, I have several folders on my external drive. Each with a full image + an incremental image from that time period. This has worked without a flaw UNTIL I upgraded 2012 to v7719.

While I am thinking about it, how to change my profile from beginner to experienced as I am extremely experienced and knowledgeable with the product, functions and abilities. Thanks Grover...Ray

and it's not just learning how to use the bootcd but making sure it works, that it can "see" all your drives correctly. you have to try it to be sure.

Ray,
I am guessing here at the cause of your problem.

If your backups were done within Windows, the deletion of the incremental would cause the next inc to be worthless.
As your backups were done via the CD, your method worked (delete old--create new) as TrueImge did not know of the existence of any prior incs.

My guess is --- the new 7119 is aware of the deletion and thus is creating a full backup each time because the first inc has been deleted.
Whether my guess is good or bad, I do not know. Have you tried validating any of the inc's in the past. You may have mentioned this if you did, I missed it.

You might look at the Database folder (inside Acronis folder) and open the Archives.xml file with notepad and see if you can find any evidence of the backups created via the CD. If you do, my guess is correct. If nothing there, I wasted your time.

Also, the description of the user skills has no validity. You are not a beginner and I am not a hero. The description is worthless for us both.

Grover,

All of the previous backups were created with either the recovery cd, thumb drive or by using the F11 route. The incrementals were also validated at time of creation and always correctly restored the system. I have never created an image inside windows until this problem as a person in the group had suggested trying that. I also checked the archive.xml and here is what was inside it:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
- - -

I also restored my system to a previous time, prior to the upgrade and for some reason, although that version worked at 100%, I ran into problems with that one. No matter what media source of the program, only full images are created. It does point to a incorrect reference of some type. However, I created a brand new full backup with version 7119. Then added software, and attempted either incremental or differential, in either case, and although incremental was selected, it created a full image + the amount of incremental new changes. This is all with a completely new full image and attempting a first time single incremental. Makes no sense to me.

It also seems to me that Acronis is completely confused, even when pointed to the full image inside a folder. It goes thru the correct steps and setup to create the incremental but only creates the full image backup.

Grover,

All of the previous backups were created with either the recovery cd, thumb drive or by using the F11 route. The incrementals were also validated at time of creation and always correctly restored the system. I have never created an image inside windows until this problem as a person in the group had suggested trying that. I also checked the archive.xml and here is what was inside it:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
- - -

I also restored my system to a previous time, prior to the upgrade and for some reason, although that version worked at 100%, I ran into problems with that one. No matter what media source of the program, only full images are created. It does point to a incorrect reference of some type. However, I created a brand new full backup with version 7119. Then added software, and attempted either incremental or differential, in either case, and although incremental was selected, it created a full image + the amount of incremental new changes. This is all with a completely new full image and attempting a first time single incremental. Makes no sense to me.

It also seems to me that Acronis is completely confused, even when pointed to the full image inside a folder. It goes thru the correct steps and setup to create the incremental but only creates the full image backup.

Grover,

All of the previous backups were created with either the recovery cd, thumb drive or by using the F11 route. The incrementals were also validated at time of creation and always correctly restored the system. I have never created an image inside windows until this problem as a person in the group had suggested trying that. I also checked the archive.xml and here is what was inside it:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
- - -

I also restored my system to a previous time, prior to the upgrade and for some reason, although that version worked at 100%, I ran into problems with that one. No matter what media source of the program, only full images are created. It does point to a incorrect reference of some type. However, I created a brand new full backup with version 7119. Then added software, and attempted either incremental or differential, in either case, and although incremental was selected, it created a full image + the amount of incremental new changes. This is all with a completely new full image and attempting a first time single incremental. Makes no sense to me.

It also seems to me that Acronis is completely confused, even when pointed to the full image inside a folder. It goes thru the correct steps and setup to create the incremental but only creates the full image backup.

Grover,

All of the previous backups were created with either the recovery cd, thumb drive or by using the F11 route. The incrementals were also validated at time of creation and always correctly restored the system. I have never created an image inside windows until this problem as a person in the group had suggested trying that. I also checked the archive.xml and here is what was inside it:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
- - -

I also restored my system to a previous time, prior to the upgrade and for some reason, although that version worked at 100%, I ran into problems with that one. No matter what media source of the program, only full images are created. It does point to a incorrect reference of some type. However, I created a brand new full backup with version 7119. Then added software, and attempted either incremental or differential, in either case, and although incremental was selected, it created a full image + the amount of incremental new changes. This is all with a completely new full image and attempting a first time single incremental. Makes no sense to me.

It also seems to me that Acronis is completely confused, even when pointed to the full image inside a folder. It goes thru the correct steps and setup to create the incremental but only creates the full image backup.

I have been following this thread and I decided to see how ATIH 2012 build 7119 with Plus Pack handled incrementals on my system. I have a freshly installed and updated Windows 7 SP1 64 bit with Office 2007 Professional. I created a disk based backup from Acronis in Windows to an external USB 2.0 drive based on a Custom Full scheme with no cleanup. This created a 10.6 GB .tib file as expected. I then removed the backup from the backup list, but left the backup file on the external drive. I then booted into a WinPE 4.0 (Windows 8 build 8400) USB flash drive with Acronis True Image Home 2012 build 7119 with Plus Pack added, and selected a disk based backup and chose to add a backup to the existing Full backup on the external drive using the incremental method. After the backup was complete I had a 1.6 GB .tib file with a "2" appended to the filename used in the full backup. I then booted back into Windows, opened Acronis and activated F11 Startup Recovery Manager. I then rebooted and used F11 to start the Recovery Manager. I then selected a disk based backup and chose to add a backup to the existing Full backup on the external drive using the incremental method. This created a 342 MB .tib file with a "3" appended onto the end of the filename. See attached file screen_1jpg. I also attached the log file from the backup, 2012_inc_1.log. I then booted into Windows and deleted the incremental backups from the external drive. See attached file screen_2.jpg. I then rebooted the computer and started the F11 Recovery Manager. Once again I selected a disk based backup and chose to add a backup to the existing Full backup on the external drive using the incremental method. This created a 1.9 GB .tib file. See attached file screen_3.jpg. Also, the log is attached for this backup as well, see 2012_inc_2.log. If I followed this post correctly, my results are what you are after. I have never done incrementals using the boot disk or the F11 Recovery Manager in the past, but looks like something I may use in the future. I am sorry you are having so much trouble with your system, but Acronis True Image Home 2012 build 7119 with Plus Pack seems to be doing incrementals for on my system without any problems.
I'm not sure about the ATIH version in your first post (build 7715), maybe a typo?

Grover, Both versions (Linux/WinPe) of the boot CD/USB, as well as the F11 Recovery Manager, do not appear to write anything to the Acronis databases. Also the WinPe 4.0 boot environment from Windows 8 Release Preview build 7400 works well with ATIH 2012 Plus Pack (supports more hardware).

After re-reading the posts, I decided I may have missed a step described in them. If I understand correctly, each backup is contained within it's own folder, and sometimes the backup files are renamed as well. I thought I would test with these actions as well. I was backing up to the root of my external USB drive when doing my testing, so I decided to create a folder on the external drive, and move the files into it. I then also renamed the two backup files, the full and the incremental using the method ATIH uses. The first (full backup) file name with no number appended to it, and the second (incremental) file with a "2" appended to it. See attached file screen_4.jpg. I then booted the computer into the F11 Recovery Manager, and proceeded to add another incremental backup to the set of files. Once again I had no problem creating the next file in the chain. See attached file screen_5.jpg. The backup log is also attached. See 2012_inc_3.log.

Scott and GroverH,
many thanks for the comments re getting to know how to use TI from the CD. I agree it is something that users should know how to do. I have used TI (older versions) from CD in the past, just never TI2012 (yet :)) I'm sure it will work and tbh if I have .tib files on an external HDD I don't really worry as I could always (worst case and main HDD failed and Acronis CD failed) quickly reinstall W7 from the DVD and then reinstall TI under Windows again. I realise not everyone has a Windows DVD though in which case it is vital to be familiar with ATI and how to run it alone.

(My own backup scheme is running incrementals every 24 hours with a new sequence weekly. These go on the same HDD (it's a laptop) as the OS but on a partition I created for ATI backups. At month end I make a new full "perfect month end" image and then delete the previous incrementals. A copy of the month end also goes to an external HDD. I also have a full W7 recovery image as well (just W7 and updates) so I can always do a full clean install quickly should I ever want to rebuild the system. I also back up important user files to flash drive as and when).

Thanks for the reminder though, it's very good advice for all.