Unable to Access Password Protected Backup Archives
About two months ago I installed on our new server Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Update 3 for Windows (Build 10.0.12703). I set up a backup plan for simple scheduled full backups to a remote workstation over the network. When I install Acronis I did not set any of the default backup and recovery options. I just set up the plan for a simple scheduled backup at 2 am and placed on a remote workstation. In the options I selected to password protect the archive and encrypt it with a simple password. I also set it for high compression and split the archive in 4.7GB chunks.
The backup files on the remote workstation would then be copied to a portable hard drive using a scheduled batch file for off-site storage. The workstation would also move the backup files to another location in the workstation to free up the storage area for the next scheduled backup.
I tested this out after setting it up and was able to access the backup files (mount the image and access files in the backup). Recently I edited the backup plan and only changed the backup time to 1 am. I took a quick look at the options and noticed that the Archive Protection option was not present but didn't think anything of it. A few days later I needed a file from one of the backups but found I could not get past the request for password. Acronis kept rejecting the password I put in (it didn't give me an error but just kept asking for a password). You could not leave it blank either.
I then went through all the backups and found I could only access those that were made before the schedule change. All backups made after the schedule change would not accept any password and were unusable. I verified this behaviour by setting up a new scheduled backup with similar setups and letting it run. I then changed the schedule and let it run again. I could access the backup before the schedule change but not after.
I then tried something else. I now entered values in the Default backup and recovery options (in the options menu). I then set up a new scheduled backup and tested it. I then changed the schedule and tested it again. I was now able to access backups BEFORE and AFTER the schedule change.
This is a dangerous behaviour in Acronis. IF YOU DO NOT SET THE DEFAULT OPTIONS YOU RISK MAKING UNUSABLE BACKUPS.
I see there is a newer version of Acronis available and will try it when I do the update this weekend.
We have Acronis Backup and Recovery 10 on two servers - the standard version for a simple Windows Server 2008 unit and the advanced version for our Small Business Server 2008 unit. They had the previously released version of Acronis (the servers were just set up in mid-March). Both servers had the same problem - as soon as I changed the scheduled time the backup archives became inaccessible.
This last weekend I upgraded both the standard and advanced servers to the latest version of Acronis by uninstalling and re-installing with the latest build. I then re-created the situation on the standard server and it seems to have worked (backup archives before and after a schedule change were accessible). Sunday night I tested out the Advanced version on the SBS and it exhibited the same problem - the backup after a schedule change was not accessible as it wasn't accepting the password.
So here is the scenerio:
- I installed Acronis on the server but did not set the default options.
- I set up a scheduled job with the following attributes:
- Backup to a remote workstation which has a share
- Set for simple backup
- Set for password protected archive with AES-128 encryption
- Keep only 1 day of archives
- Set for high compression
- Set for 4.7 GB chunk sizes (file splitting)
- I let the job run then checked the backup by mounting it.
- The remote workstation takes the files created and moves them to another area, leaving the directory where the server backs up to empty (no .meta directory). This is done using a scheduled batch file.
- I change the schedule time on the main server. I note that the password option in the job is not there.
- After the run I try to access the backup archive that was created by mounting it but cannot get past the password prompt as described previously.
I did set the default backup options on the standard server and that seems to have fixed the problem. However I now have a number of older backups which I cannot access and that really bothers me. I'm now checking daily access to the backup archives to make sure they are accessible.
Is there some way to figure out how the password was corrupted and come up with a password that works so I can access these older backups?
One additional item I failed to mention in the above post. Every time I changed the schedule, I first have to put in the access credentials to the remote workstation before the rest of the setup information comes up. I find it strange that Acronis doesn't keep those access credentials after the job is set up.
Hello Rob,
Thank you very much for the update.
I will forward your details of this issue to our Testing lab so that we can try and reproduce it.
As soon as I hear from them I will update this thread.
If you need additional help please let me know.
Thank you.
It's been a week now. This should be a simple thing to check. Has it been verified? Is there a patch available that prevents this from happening again. I've become distrusting of the Acronis backups as I have to check them to make sure I can access all backups made.
It's been two weeks and no updates to this issue have been posted here. I'd like to know if this problem has been looked at and what your results were. So far all backups on the two servers I watch have been good but I have not changed the schedule. I'll try changing the schedule again this weekend as a test.
Hello Rob,
Thank you for the follow-up.
Please accept my apologies for the delay. Out Testing team is still working on this issue but as soon as there is any information I will post here.
If you need additional help please let me know.
Thank you.
It has now been a month since I reported this problem and no results or comments from your test group. This week on the server running Build 13544 I did a test schedule change (changed the run time from 2 am to 2:30 am) and sure enough I was not able to access the backup (again). I found I had to wipe the .meta directory at the destination and completely rebuild the backup plan for it to work again. Surely you can verify something as simple as this!