Scheduled Backups Dont Work
Currently scheduled backups are almost completely non functional. If you have only 1 backup, it works OK. Once you have 2 or more, it just falls apart.
Have updated with newer schedule tool, but still no results.
I have a number of desired backups to schedule. These include one partition backup (entire drive partition) and selected backups of specific file folders.
The destination for all backups is a local disk on same PC, one with lots of storage available. It is used only for backups and no source data at all.
If I only schedule a single re-occurring backup, that seems to work., It repeats on schedule. If I schedule 2 or more backups, the second one fails and then most all backups fail. There are usually no error messages, just scheduled backups that didn’t run, and the date for the next backup (which also will not run).
Most backups are run the first time manually, then scheduled. The settings generate a full version about every 4 backups. I can clearly track progress by checking for version/date info on the backup drive. Missed backups show no data as they clearly were skipped due to errors in the Acronis system.
When I first got the package a few months ago, it appeared to work correctly. Since that time, with updates, all is unreliable. I have talked to support folks but no progress at all. The entire schedule process and queue subjects seems badly designed and problematic on a good day. I did a complete reinstall yesterday, and as soon as I added a second scheduled backup, the same problem started again.
I have many other PCs with other backup solutions and then work fine. I have 2 OS X systems with TimeMachine which never fails. I have an older version of Roxio BackupMyPc on an XP system that works well still. The Acronis system is W7. Since I expect that Acronis system is not going to work any time soon, I am now testing NovaBACKUP as a replacement. So far its UI is much easier to work with and it seems to work like all other backup tools I have used in the past.
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If this, as you say, is true: Editing an existing task is not recommended. Rarely does an edited task perform to user expectations. Then it would be much better program design if editing an existing backup was not an option. Putting features that don't work in a program does cause dissatisfaction and frustration for the user.
Hi Don,
Yes, those are my opinions but I don't speak for Acronis. Most certainly, the program could be better designed or programmed better but my comments relate to the actual--not conceptual.
The program/help is silent on what changes are possible so the user makes changes believing the changes will be correctly implemented. Then later finds the changes are not workiing and after time wasted finally starts over afresh anyway. My point, is avoid the edits and if you need changes, start over with a new task. Some minior changes may be possible but often times, the changes are not minor and the quickest and best solution is to start over with a new task with the correct setttings before the first backup is created from the new task. The program does provide for changes such as the "move" option; as well as the "Clone settings" option so the recreation of a new task is "less" painless as the cloned task can be changed or corrected before the first backup is run.
Hi Ed,
As a fellow user, I understand your frustrations. My experience is that any update to the program such as a version or build change should be followed by user creating all new tasks. Carrying over old tasks into a new version has not consistently worked for me but properly configured new tasks do.
If you have multiple tasks, then configure at different times.
My comments are simply help comments to get the existing program working for you.
Appreciate the comment Grover. After a reinstall, I did just that. Deleted all previous tasks and created new ones. The same thing occurred however and scheduled tasks still failed virtually all the time. Its just totally unreliable in its current form.
Thank you for your reply, Grover. Understood. Don
Ed.
If you wish to provide some screen shots of the different backup schemes used in the failed tasks, I will attempt to be of assistance.
What/where is the target--a network disk or an local external disk
Usually, there is a cause for the failures and you and I need to find out where .
Your problems is not a general problem.
If interested, lets begin with one task which failed and start there.
Provide a screen shot of the
main menu listing
custom backup scheme
information about where the storage target is located.
Everything is local. Source data for backups as well as hard drive to store results. Most are simple folder backups. The issue is that they don't even start to run. There is clearly a serious bug in the entire schedule process. Scheduled times come and go with zero action. They always show the next date for schedule, but that one passes as well with zero results.
It doesn't matter what folders are used, all fail if more than a single backup is scheduled. Clearly Acronis has some major problems here and have no solution. Even single file backups fail the same way. It just appears their system is fatally flawed.
I have since moved to NovaBACKUP, which works correctly without any issues.
Good luck. It is important to have backups which can be restored. Be sure and test your restores.
Yes, testing is always a factor. I actually use a multi-layer backup approach. Local backups to local drives for key data, as well as remote backups from other systems, cloud backups, and physical backups that are mobile. I'm a believer in redundant backups from way back.