Please Consider for future releases

James,
I feel the same as you concerning the issues you mentioned. The official channel to submit feedback is through this link: http://www.acronis.com/support/feedback.html. Since this is a user-to-user forum and Acronis staff visit here infrequently, this is the best method to provide suggestions for changes and improvments to the program.

As far as the license de-activation, the method to remove an activation can be found here: http://kb.acronis.com/content/34260 Following the procedure to move a license to another computer works to de-activate a license on any system listed, but this method does not work until you try to activate on a system that complains about too many activations. You can remove the activation for the already activated machine/serial number, then activate that serial number again on the same system. It does not have to be "moved" to a new one. It would indeed be easier to do so from within your Acronis account online.

I've got two additions:

1) during backup the progress bar is not following all aspects of the sequential backup steps. It is often 100% will the backup takes much longer. therefore the indication is not very accurate;

2) during backup (and maybe restore) it could be nice to see what is happening and make it possible to follow the process realtime. Same as in AISBackup.

With regards,

Bart Kamminga (NL)

Please take a look at this post as it has some good suggestions for future versions concerning the Nonstop backup security settings. http://forum.acronis.com/forum/35684

Please consider adding a reporting function that will create/copy/print a list of the backups show in the "Backup and Recovery" tab. I would like to create a file (and maybe print it) showing the pertinent information shown on the screen. I would also like for it to show if the backup was OK or other comments such as "cancelled by user" or "backup failed", backup file dive/locations, etc. I would use the listing to remove old outdated backups. I find it easier to see it on paper since my list is quite long. A screen print is too time consuming.

In the future please can you make the Recovery full Touch Screen friendly. You cannot press F11 on boot up to do a recovery without having a keyboard available. Thanks

Hi
Long time user. True Image 2013 has 2 useful configuration tools. Export/Import jobs and search for backups. I use the import/export function when I reinstall. I like the fact that I don't have to redo my jobs. The jobs are imported without the specific backup information which makes sense. I set the program to check for backups on install, which also makes sense. It is a good feature to get back the job history. However, I don't want to import all the backup information on my machine (some of the backups are one time only); just the info associated with my imported scripts.

It would be helpful if True Image would say: "you have these backup jobs on your machine, etc, etc. Which ones do you want to import? I could then just check the backups associated with the job scripts I imported and would then have the backup history in the application. Instead, I get everything and have to remove the others from the list.

As a user of Acronis Cloud backup, I would appreciate a possibility to permanently monitor the folders I have included in the backup set, so that they get backed up straight away after I save a file. Now I have set the online backup to be performed every hour, which isn't bad, but I miss the possibility offered by Sugarsync to monitor the folders and backup immediately when a change occurs.

Free version? Without all the bells and whistles. Just a imaging program with GPT support. Incremental backup and differential backup can be for paid versions along with all the other "useful" options.

Need support of exFAT file systems on >64GB USB flash drives
I can't create Rescue Media on a 128GB USB flash drive

The limit of 2TB for the Acronis Secure Zone (ASZ) is becoming a limiting factor. With over 750GB of actual data to be backed up and growing, the 2TB limit is getting very close to not allowing enough space for a resonable number of backup versions to be stored. Even on a GPT formated 3TB disk, the ASZ is still limited to 2TB. Either allow larger sizes, or better yet, allow multiple ASZs and an intelligent way to overflow from one to another without operator intervention.

Here's an idea. How about hiring a technical writer whose primary language is English? Then you can change all the nonsensical or erroneous messages into ones that make sense. Before the 2011 version, you folks didn't even know the difference between "backup" and "back up," which if you ask me is pretty bad for a company in the backup software business. You finally figured that one out, and then started coming up with a bunch of messages in the present progressive tense instead of the past tense. Did it ever occur to you that customers might expect the messages to mean what they actually say? Do you even know the difference between the present progressive tense and the past tense?

My Windows 7 PC's power settings hibernate my computer after a period of time. This happens even if an Acronis backup is taking place. Acronis should prevent hibernation or other sleep modes which disable the drive to which the backup is being sent.

I can get around the problem by creating pre and post commands which change to an always-on power mode while the backup is running, but this is something Acronis should handle automatically.

Please add a popup window notification for any and all failed operations. I just noticed that my incremental backups had been failing for 2 weeks only after reviewing the log file. Email notification of failures should only be in addition to a popup window. I must admit, I don't believe that I have ever encountered software that does not indicate to the user that its function has failed!

Please add system tray icons for indicating when nonstop backup is stopped, and when nonstop backup is paused (paused as described as a normal function in the User's manual).

As Forum user Coffent points out, if a new backup task is created and the "Favorites" feature is turned on, the new job does not show up in the Backup and Recovery tab list when saved or run.

His suggestion to make a new task automatically be flagged as "Favorite" is a great idea.

See his post here: http://forum.acronis.com/forum/39594#comment-124459

Let me begin by saying that we live in an unpredictable world, and users of your software do unpredictable things. They are more likely to be unpredictable if your software appears to hang or fail - i.e. they may reset the machine when a normal process is going on if they think the software has broken. Just bear this fact in mind, because you seem to have lost sight of it.

Even if your product works perfectly at all times, you still need to communicate with your users exactly what is going on as it is happening. If you don't, your users will assume the product has failed and will reset the computer when an otherwise perfectly normal routine is being carried out. There are far too many hangs, bizarre messages, and inaccuracies in reporting that hurt this software. Even if it is working perfectly, it appears to be broken.

For example, right now I'm waiting for TI2013 to respond. I have a message on the screen saying 'checking credentials.' A little looper timer is twirling around and has been for over an hour. I know from experience if I wait long enough I'll get a response from the software and it hasn't actually hung. I also know that 'checking credentials' doesn't take over an hour to achieve. I don't know what's going on, but I do know that it absolutely isn't checking any credentials. A message that doesn't tie into the process being carried out suggests something has gone awry and that makes your software appear unprofessional and broken.

Another example is when the task bar hits 100% complete and then pauses for ages. Why? Because its consolidating. But it doesn't tell me its consolidating, so I assume its hung. If you hit reset the half-consolidated file is left behind. TI2013 doesn't bother cleaning up the file, and so a big meaningless lump of data is left on my machine and I'm left with the impression that your software cannot be trusted to do its job.

Why? Poor communication, poor communication, poor communication.

Products like this are built on trust. I have to trust that you know what you're doing with my data and that I'll get it back if all else fails. But how do I trust a company whose software appears to hang for no reason, and does so while reporting bizarre surreal messages like 'checking credentials'. I don't live in a Salvador Dali painting - sort it out.

Also, if I cancel a consolidation, I want the file erased. instead I get a new entry with the name 'Consolidation.' Why? Why wasn't the file deleted? Its not difficult - a little housekeeping of the crap you leave behind wouldn't do any harm.

Everything about your software seems to work on the notion that it will not fail or go wrong. It also seems to assume that the user will not at any time hit the reset button if your software appears to hang. In short, it assume a perfect world scenario. As a result, I have all kinds of half-baked unfinished files left over from apparent hangs, I'm baffled half the time as to what the machine is doing, and worst of all stuff seems to happen at unexpected times uncommanded.

When running your software, ask yourself: "what is the end user going to make of this?" If a message doesn't clarify the situation, remove it. If it doesn't tie in with the running process, change it. If an operation misreports (such as a bar reaching 100% when it isn't) fix it. It's a bug. Fix the thing. It is not some cosmetic issue because it will lead to people switching off the machine and assuming your software is broken, which will lead to broken files and unbacked-up data.

As a rule of thumb, I always assume that TI2013 is not going to work. Anything backed up on it is already lost, so I do a duplicate. That's how little I trust your software, and much of that is down to the poor communication and erratic behaviour that could be fixed were a little thought to be given to the end user experience.

With TI2012 and all prior TI versions, archives could be created using the single version scheme with the exact same file name (eg. "Backup.tib") which made it easy to copy over an older, unneeded backup. Now with TI2013, it produces file names with dynamic suffixes like "Backup_full_b6_s1_v1.tib" where the "b" parameter keeps incrementing.

Please, please, please implement an option to choose between this new TI2013 file naming behaviour & reverting back to the original TI2012 behavior without the added suffix.

I use automated batch files to do a resumable copy of the tib files to a secondary location (over an unreliable network), and these batch files don't work unless the tib file names are fixed. Therefore I am unable to utilise TI2013 & have thus reverted to TI2012.

Please also refer to these posts by other users on the topic :-

http://forum.acronis.com/forum/36038
http://forum.acronis.com/forum/35069
http://forum.acronis.com/forum/35243

DanP made very true comments about bad communications, I fully support him in this plea for improving the communications. What he did not say but will happen with quite a few first time users: If they feel the little program seems to hnag fairly often, then they will not buy an Upgrade or new version and they will tell their friends about their dissatifaction with the program which in turn might keep off their friends to buy the software. Please always remember, that a happy, satisfied customer will tell his friends about the good software, but the unsatisfied and/or disappointed one will too, but saying it is a bad software he will not buy again. Guess what the friend will do.

I would like the option to determine whether a validated backup of all the versions in the version chain gets submitted when doing a backup or just the most recent one in the chain. Hope this makes sense. Right now, it appears that asking for a validation results in not only the most recent (in an incremental scheme) getting validated but all b/ups preceding it.

Try & Decide with GPT drive.

I do not understand why a GPT drive would prevent this functionality.

Maybe an explaination while we look for an alternative...

Thanks,

Estimated completion times that seem to have some clear relationship to the actual time that will be taken would be nice. I realise it often takes a minute or few to generate such estimates, and they will vary during the operation in many cases, but if an operation is going to take an hour, giving me an estimate of about an hour is good, and even an estimate between 30 minutes and two hours is okay.

In TIH2010 (bootable media) the estimate was wildly inaccurate if it was there (it often was not shown), at least until the latter half of the operation. Early on it would say anything from seconds to centuries; about halfway through it started to vaguely reflect the actual remaining time, finally reaching zero just as the operation finished.

In TIH2013 (bootable media, at least the demo version), the estimate seems to have nothing at all to do with the amount of time remaining, but maybe it relates to the amount of file remaining? For a specific TIB file, over 38GiB, it claims the operation will finish in about 1 minute 30 seconds initially; this grows to about two minutes, and then dwindles to reach zero as it finishes. The operation takes different times, depending upon where I have the file: 8 minutes (file on local SATA device); over 19 minutes (file on local USB device); or over 34 minutes (file on CIFS/SMB server over IPv4 over gigabit Ethernet). Despite the difference, the estimated time in TIH2013 shows identical behaviour and numbers for all three.

I add this request originally in Thu, 2010-07-15 09:48
http://forum.acronis.com/forum/12388

Add option to disable the countdown in boot menu with one-click restore?

I can't disable the countdown in boot menu with one-click restore
It’s all the time loading me the windows OS too quick and I want to disable this countdown

I can make boot menu without the countdown but it’s without the one-click restore as wall

"validating all versions of backup" how about a single version option!!!
I keep many versions of backups. It takes a LONG time to validate them all. and this times increases with each backup.

You want me to only have a few backups of whatever partition. That does not fit my needs as I often have to go way back - Win 8 is still very young. And I have often needed data or programs from 2 years ago. I do full versions as it works much better with my archiving system.

So my work-around is to put a previous version of a backup in a parallel or higher (not lower) folder, then do the backup which backs up whatever and verifies it.

A very manual process with my i7 SSD system. estupido!

How about a "validate single version" option!

Hallo,
it would be a nice addition the ability to backup Windows 8 apps, or create a file with the list of apps installed so they could be easily and automated downloaded from the store.
I've tried to backup "Appdata\Local\Packages" but seems not to be the right method.

Thanks.

There are times where it is useful to disable a scheduled backup. Is it possible to add a button to disable/enable the current schedule of a backup task without losing the schedule settings?

Fix the current problem of program "scanning for backups" when no scan was asked for and "scan setting" is disabled. This problem existed in the 2012 version. Improved but continues with the 2013 version.
A "no scan" setting should mean "no scans".
http://forum.acronis.com/forum/41823#comment-133377

Simulated restore...

There should be a way to test or simulate a recovery before a crisis occurs to ensure a recovery can be performed especially if you are relaying on TI 2013 to restore system partitions.

Oh yes! i agree with you i was also facing the same problem.

AKFubar wrote:

Simulated restore...

There should be a way to test or simulate a recovery before a crisis occurs to ensure a recovery can be performed

Boot from the ATI Rescue Media, and choose a file-based restore and restore a couple of files. That will give you high confidence that you'd be able to do a full restore if you ever needed to.

Suggested new enhancement:
Add new option to DISK BACKUP OPTIONS/ADVANCED/ERROR HANDLING
Option suggested to be added is a user checkbox to enable an onscreen reminder notification, (during the initial phase of a backup) when the target disk is not attached or not accessible.

http://forum.acronis.com/system/files/forum/2013/07/43678/on_screen_rem…

Currently, when creating a backup via Windows, one of the early checks by TI is to check if the target disk is available.

If backup storage target not found, TI reverts to the error mode found in the task-backup options whereby TI and will check if disk availability every x seconds and will repeat disk check with x frequency--however the frequency is set.

The problem with this procedure is there is no visual alarm to the user of the missing disk -and task often terminates due to an eventual time out of the error settings.

My suggestion is a new option (user selectable) be added to this "error settings" page and if the user enabled this checkbox, a reminder message would appear if target disk not found to be attached at backup time.

When this option is enabled by the user, a large desktop screen message would
overlay all desktop screens reminding the user to attach the missing disk and reminder message would be displayed with disk checks until disk connected or cancelled by the user.

A sample message is attached showing what I have in mind. This link is a user using my pdf guide to good use.

Currently, as an alternative, I have a pdf guide offering instructions to the user on how to add a reminder check to their backup task via either the Pre/post pre command option or via the Windows Task scheduler.
http://forum.acronis.com/forum/42887

With regards to a Universal Restore to work on indifferent hardware, it would be great if there were a feature that would do this on existing disks without having to image them first then restore the image to the new disk. Explaining further, it would be like how like Sysprep works but removes the drivers that causes blue screens, infinite restarts, etc. and prompts for them on the next system startup on the new hardware. I've attempted a Sysprep in the past and upon bootup, it proceeded with infinite restarts. Take your Universal Restore one step further...

It seems im the only person here that doesnt use the backup side of 2013 but only use the image and sync. I have found the sync to be brilliant at backing up over 3 Tb of data and the disk image universal restore to be great for new installs on my other machines.

The problems i have is the time it takes for acronis to start seriously slows my main pc on boot and interrupts many other processes and that im getting fed up with being asked to buy cloud space when you really dont offer enough speed or space for my needs, im talking Tb not Mb.

Sorry if this sounds like a complaint and not a suggestion but i couldnt find anywhere else to put it as acronis doesnt seem to reply to complaints

Communication. Yes, I saw that immediately as the primary or base challenge. I'm brand new with Acronis and frankly am surprised at every turn. I'm usually good at not assuming things because I'm a nurse, but this one caught me off guard. I think my post is appropriate here because as the mvp person above stated the "official" feedback forum is elsewhere http://www.acronis.com/support/feedback.htmland , and this is a place to, in my quotes "talk amongst ourselves".

My assumptions were that this company was much further along in the development of this product. I've been through the problems that Dan P. above describes perfectly as the end user. Described in an empathetic, clear and concise way. But, it needs to be seen in the correct forum by the people that can be the most influenced and have the most ability to act on his thoughts!

Can someone or Dan, if you see this put it into the correct forum? This topic title unfortunately misleads some people that assumed that the correct Acronis employee (s) will see these and take action really as soon as possible. Again, as someone pointed out it these are grass roots issues that would help this company and it's consumers. I feel like copying and pasting peoples good ideas. They are all good. But, hm. I'm going to post over in the feedback forum for them to look right here! Wish me luck. Rob

Rob wrote:

Communication. Yes, I saw that immediately as the primary or base challenge. I'm brand new with Acronis and frankly am surprised at every turn. I'm usually good at not assuming things because I'm a nurse, but this one caught me off guard. I think my post is appropriate here because as the mvp person above stated the "official" feedback forum is elsewhere http://www.acronis.com/support/feedback.htmland , and this is a place to, in my quotes "talk amongst ourselves".

My assumptions were that this company was much further along in the development of this product. I've been through the problems that Dan P. above describes perfectly as the end user. Described in an empathetic, clear and concise way. But, it needs to be seen in the correct forum by the people that can be the most influenced and have the most ability to act on his thoughts!

Can someone or Dan, if you see this put it into the correct forum? This topic title unfortunately misleads some people that assumed that the correct Acronis employee (s) will see these and take action really as soon as possible. Again, as someone pointed out it these are grass roots issues that would help this company and it's consumers. I feel like copying and pasting peoples good ideas. They are all good. But, hm. I'm going to post over in the feedback forum for them to look right here! Wish me luck. Rob

True Quote:
I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: no good in a bed, but fine up against a wall. -- Eleanor Roosevelt, ref.http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/e/eleanor_roosevelt.html

Please provide mouse drivers for tablet devices like the Microsoft Surface's Type Cover when booting into Recovery mode.

Right now, the trick I use to get the mouse working is to plug in my old Logitech mouse receiver and then unplug it. That, for some reason, is enough to then activate the trackpad to control the mouse.