Scheduling backups for USB HDD doesn't work
Hi all,
I seem to be unable to create scheduled backup tasks, to create backups from my local disks to USB HDD's. When scheduling backups with a local drive as target, it works however. Example: I want to create a backup for drive E (partition of my local HDD). If I set the scheduler to backup to target drive C (another partition of the same HDD), it will run smoothly. If I set the scheduler to backup to target drive M (my external USB 2.0 drive), nothing will happen, the task will remain in status "Anstehend" ("outstanding" or whatever they say in the English version, please forgive incorrect wording as I'm using the German version) forever and not run.
I have upgraded from Acronis TI 8.0.937 to TI Home 2010 (build 5055), and use Windows XP SP3, just in case it matters. Additionally, I have tried the following with no result:
- update the scheduling service as described here http://kb.acronis.com/content/1518
- deleted and re-created the scheduled tasks (they were all created in TI Home 2010, non of them in version 8.0)
- rebooted a dozen times
The external HDD always uses the same drive letter (if that matters), is formatted as NTFS, and has plenty of free space. Using another external HDD connected via USB, I experience the same issue. It is also not possible to run the scheduled backup by right-clicking and using "run". It will stay in "outstanding" forever. Only if I remove the scheduling, thus have it as "not scheduled task", it will react to the run command via right-click.
To me, this looks like a bug specific to HDD connected to USB.
Are there any Windows services that absolutely need to be running in order to get that scheduling thing to work?
Anyway, I attached some files, hoping it will help. I appreciate your feedback!
Thank you for your response. All of the checks you mentioned work fine, but my problem still persists. It seems to be only related to the scheduling service. Whenever I do the backup manually, everything works great, but when trying to schedule it, nothing happens.
My approach would be to do an install/repair of the install and then to update the scheduler as per this link below. Hopefully, you are supplying the windows login password when inside the TrueImage task creation and when creating the scheduled task. It is a requirement.
After repairing the installation, I tried one new scheduled task and it worked. Let's see if other scheduled tasks work too.
Sorry to hijack this thread.
I have recommended TI Home 2010 to a customer of mine . We set up a full backup image and incremental there after backup, scheduled to run once a week to a Seagate external HDD. The USB drive is attached every week to the same USB port (same drive letter). This is on a windows XP machine (good spec).
The scheduled task seems to run the first time and then never runs again?
I have visited him again and fixed the above mentioned. It ran once whilst I was there? But not the following week.
It’s getting embarrassing, my customer has no faith in this software. I recommended it because i use the same version on windows7 the schedule works fine for me.
WILL the latest build fix this issue YES/NO?
Hello Steve Chambers,
Thank you for your post. I will do my best to assist you with this issue.
It is very likely, that when you created the scheduled task, you did not check the following options:
- If missed, run the task when device is attached.
- Run task only if the current device is attached.
These options will appear when the external hard drive is plugged in to the machine, in the backup wizard->Scheduling.
Please check page 111 in our User Guide for more detailed instructions. Please do not be confused that only USB flash drive is mentioned, this option also applies to external USB hard drives. I will forward this to our Technical writers team, so that they can correct this.
I would recommend to recreate the scheduled task with the two options enabled and let us know of the result. We do not have any known issues of such nature.
You can also contact support directly from your customer's location, so that we could assist you with resolving this issue.
Let me know if you have additional questions.
Thank you.
Have you considered using Windows Task Scheduler instead of the TrueImage Task Scheduler. If you use the Windows scheduler, the TrueImage task is set to "not scheduled"
Windows scheduled command sample but user your own script number. Note the two sets of quotation marks are required.
"C:\Program Files\Common Files\Acronis\TrueImageHome\TrueImageHomeService.exe" /script:"C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Acronis\TrueImageHome\Scripts\7979927F-8CB0-4380-ACE5-53DE74528036.tib.tis"
Note: if using the Windows Scheduler, the first running of the backup must be started from within TrueImage (manually, if non-schedulel, is ok) in order to get the incrementals to be created. Best to create a new TrueImage Task as editing a TI task is not recommended. Or, you can use the Right click (on task file name) option and change the schedule to non-scheduled which can be done without using the edit function.
#anton
Thanks for the quick response.
I definitely had these two options checked the first time , but i am not sure about the second time. I will check the settings and post the outcome.
#GroverH
Thanks for the quick response.
If i don't get any joy with support, I will try your suggestion, Thanks. My point is, if the option to schedule is in the program, it should schedule.
Its one of reasons I recommended this full backup software(set and forget with full disaster recovery, not just data). We shall see?
OK, One box - Run task only if the current device is attached - Wasn't checked. But looking at the logs the schedule was working! BUT WITH ERRORS.
LOG attached. Cannot find volume 2????
Hello Steve,
Thank you for getting back to us.
This specific error message - "The system cannot find the path specified" is caused by the absence of your external storage device. It was either not attached at the moment, or the drive letter for it had changed. I am sorry, but it is not very clear, did you re-create the task or you edited it? I would recommend to re-create the task with the same settings.
Please make certain that the backup location is available to see if you get the same error message.
Steve, also, if you are planning to contact our support, I would recommend to update your current build of Acronis True Image 2010 Home to the latest one, which is 7046, our support engineers will tell you to do this anyway.
Let me know if you have additional questions.
Thank you.
Hi Anton, I edited the task right click> edit schedule. The drive was plugged in and in the same usb port. It is always plugged into the same port (same drive letter) when ever try. I have also reinstalled and re set the task.
Yes i believe the problem is to do with the USB drive as i use an internal drive for backup(not ideal). The whole point of setting this up was for the backup drive to reside in a different building most of the time, when not backing up( for fire reasons).
Ref: new build, i will install this as i think i saw there is a fix for this problem? Not sure, i will have to have a look at the change log again.
I will be speaking to the customer tomorrow and will install remotely. If this doesn't work i will ask for a refund and find another backup software or revert back to windows backup.
Hello Steve,
Thank you for your response.
Please let us know the results at your earliest convenience, we are looking forward to hearing back from you.
If you have any other questions do not hesitate to post them and we will be glad to answer.
Thank you.
#Oleg #anton
1. Defragmented C: drive (not needed but did anyway)
2. Chkdsk both the backup drive and C: drive (C: found errors MFT)
3. Installed newest build
4. Setup new schedule with the drive in place.
Scheduled for tomorrow @ 1pm GMT
If this doesn't work ...i give up. Spent far to much time trying to get this software to do as advertised.
OK nearly but no cigar: Msg i received today=
Hello Steve
I am sorry to trouble you but this system has gone completely fut today.
The history is you did it manually mid week successfully on your last call.
That Friday 1pm it worked automatically and successfully.
All 3 Fridays since that time it seemed to stop at about 13 minutes, "terminated by user".
Today it wanted to go into the CD drive "E"!
Hello Steve,
Let me assist you.
In order to investigate the issue I need some additional information.
Could you please collect AcronisInfo and attach it to your reply to this thread?
We are looking forward to hearing back from you at your earliest convenience.
Thank you.
Ok, sorry for the delay..... it seems the backups are being produced. It fails at the validation stage. Acronisinfo.zip attached.
Hello Steve,
Thank you for the provided information.
Indeed, the process hangs on the validation stage. I may suggest you to run the validation as a separate task, it should fi the issue.
Please let me know if you need any further assistance.
Thank you.