How to consolidate 12 TIB files in True Image 2016?
Hello!
I decided to use True Image 2016 recovery media to create a disk image of the system disk of my new laptop so I can restore the system to the state it was in when I powered it on for the first time. All went well, except one thing, which I did not expect: I got 12 TIB files instead of 1 TIB file.
IMAGE_WIN10BUILD164_2016-07-01_1035_full_b1_s1_v1.tib
IMAGE_WIN10BUILD164_2016-07-01_1035_full_b1_s1_v2.tib
IMAGE_WIN10BUILD164_2016-07-01_1035_full_b1_s1_v3.tib
IMAGE_WIN10BUILD164_2016-07-01_1035_full_b1_s1_v4.tib
IMAGE_WIN10BUILD164_2016-07-01_1035_full_b1_s1_v5.tib
IMAGE_WIN10BUILD164_2016-07-01_1035_full_b1_s1_v6.tib
IMAGE_WIN10BUILD164_2016-07-01_1035_full_b1_s1_v7.tib
IMAGE_WIN10BUILD164_2016-07-01_1035_full_b1_s1_v8.tib
IMAGE_WIN10BUILD164_2016-07-01_1035_full_b1_s1_v9.tib
IMAGE_WIN10BUILD164_2016-07-01_1035_full_b1_s1_v10.tib
IMAGE_WIN10BUILD164_2016-07-01_1035_full_b1_s1_v11.tib
IMAGE_WIN10BUILD164_2016-07-01_1035_full_b1_s1_v12.tib
What?!... how... why???... what!??? How is 12 files better than 1 file?
I only wanted to create one full backup on a single file. No rolling backups, no scheduling, no incremental backups, no differential backups, no scheduled cleaning, no email notification setup on insufficient storage... none of that! No complicated backup schemes. Just plain, dead simple, full backup on 1 single file! Is that so hard to do with True Image 2016? Am I asking too much with this?
Now where is the option to consolidate backup files when you need one? Right!? Of coruse, the necktie people at Acronis International GmbH considered this feature undesired, underused so they decided to get rid of it several versions back. Nice move! I feel like the feature set of the True Image software is getting thinner and thinner by every new major version, up to the point where it will become a single "backup!" button program.
So you tell me, how do you consolidate backup files in True Image 2016 now that there is no option to manually consolidate backups? And why did I get 12 files instead of 1 in the first place?
Thanks for your... understanding!
Are you backing up to an FTP location? If you are be advised that there is a 2GB size restirction on such backup transfer.s 2GB X 12 = 24GB, sound about right?
Sameer,
More questions here than answers at this time!
Sorry about that! I am just frustrated and upset by this. I will try to keep the discussion civil and to the point from now on.
What are the sizes of these 12 backup archive files? Are they all of a similar size or do they vary in size?
Each file is 1.99 GB (2,147,483,136 bytes) except for the last file which is 835 MB (875,983,749 bytes).
Did you change any options with regard to automatic backup splitting?
I did not change the splitting option. I left it on auto, which is default setting.
There is no option for consolidating these 12 archive files into a single file as you are aware from your comments.
Which is the upsetting part. Because that would have come in this case. They should bring that back! I can't be the only user who would like to use that feature.
Sameer, what backup device are you writing the archives to? How are you writing to that device?
Are you backing up to an FTP location? If you are be advised that there is a 2GB size restirction on such backup transfer.s 2GB X 12 = 24GB, sound about right?
Right!
I did use a local FTP server as the target device. That's only because the dedicated Windows share was unreachable for some weird reason. I would get the prompt for authentication where I would type in the correct username and password but the connection would then fail.
I tried to target another Windows share of another PC on the same LAN where the authentication would succeed but only after repeated attempts, but then fail to list the contents of the share and also fail the backup.
I don't know what it is... I even went the extra mile and tried building a WinPE based recovery media. The not so funny thing about that is that unlike with the Linux based recovery media, the WinPE failed to connect to the Windows shares altogether. The FTP connection was the only thing that worked. With the Linux version it at least worked with Windows shares to some degree.
So that is why I even bothered using FTP.
I suspected that the 2 GB files were a limitation of using FTP. Thank you for confirming! Which is why I rebooted and plugged in a USB flash drive big enough to hold the entire backup so I could backup directly to that.
What you see in the following file list is the result of a direct to USB flash drive backup.
IMAGE_BACKUP_2016-07-02_full_b1_s1_v1.tib
IMAGE_BACKUP_2016-07-02_full_b1_s1_v2.tib
IMAGE_BACKUP_2016-07-02_full_b1_s1_v3.tib
IMAGE_BACKUP_2016-07-02_full_b1_s1_v4.tib
IMAGE_BACKUP_2016-07-02_full_b1_s1_v5.tib
IMAGE_BACKUP_2016-07-02_full_b1_s1_v6.tib
Multiple files?... again!!??
I used a higher compression this time around which is why there are only 6 files compared to the 12 files I had previously with FTP backup.
OK, I can understand the FTP limitation, but what was the problem this time? I had the splitting option set to auto. It doesn't make sense to me that it would go ahead and split up the backup like that, even to a directly attached storage device.
Sameer, what backup device are you writing the archives to? How are you writing to that device?
Sameer, what backup device are you writing the archives to? How are you writing to that device?
Well, the first time around I used a Windows 10 Pro PC. Two of them actually! Since I did not have a USB device to plug in at the moment, I wanted to backup over the network. I first tried connecting over Windows shares/SMB on both PCs, which was buggy. So I connected over FTP to only one of them since I only had a local FTP server on one of them. I also tested using Linux and WinPE based recovery media with varying results.
Linux based recovery media: FTP worked, SMB worked to some degree on one of the PCs
WinPE based recovery media: FTP worked, SMB didn't work at all on either PC
After that, I got a hold of a SanDisk USB flash drive so I could backup to that instead. I used the WinPE based recovery media for that. But I still got multiple files... You can see that file list in my previous post. Why are single version full backups getting splitted up when using Acronis recovery media? Is this some kind of inherited property of the recovery media environment of Acronis True Image?
I wish they had not done away with the consolidation feature so I could get on with my life... I will get on with my life either way, but I wish it wasn't so troulesome to create a full backup to a single file.
I will try using a proper external disk drive and report back. As opposed to using a USB flash drive. Although, the flash drive that I have is one of those odd balls that registers as an external disk drive with Windows environment, as opposed to one with removeable media (ejectable vs. non-ejectale from This PC/Explorer). It's one of those odd things about Windows and USB flash drives that's been in the talks for the past decade or so. But I will get a proper external drive and test that out for the next time I reset this PC (which should happen in about a month), or if I care to test it before that.
In case someone is wondering, the main reason I want only 1 file is for convenience and cleanliness! Yeah... I'm obsessed about these things. Just as much as coders get obsessed about line indents.
Seriously... what do I need multiple files for? I have no intention of torrenting my backups or anything like that, or backing them up to multiple DVD discs. I have been archive splitting data to multiple floppy disks in the past, I know what it's for and I understand how useful it can be for certain situations. But none of that is the case here!
I simply want a recovery image to fall back on so I can restore this laptop to its original condition, pre-install, pre-boot, pre-config, pre-everything... and I know True Image is a great tool for that. I just wish it didn't produce garbage files.
Well at least I have 6 files now instead of 12 to carry around. Perhaps if I increase the compression to the extreme it might just fit into a single file! LOL! :D
Sameer, Sounds like your USB drive is formatted as FAT32 which has a 4GB file size limit..
I would agree with Steve's opiinion on the flash drive format. Not sure what your network consists of but you might consider fixing that so you could use network shares as well. A USB storage HDD is a resonable option but they have limitations too in terms of total capacity and if you go that route and setup a scheduled backup to it you either leave it attached to the machine all the time or make certain you remeber to attach it when it's backup time per your schedule. Additionally, it is necessary from a reliability standpoint to assign a drive letter to the HDD high in the alaphabet so that the drive letter will not be changed by adding any other USB devices that require a drive letter to your machine.
If you clear up your network issues and set proper permissions to the backup shares then you provide a level of security for those backups for those ransomware infestations and the like. All food for thought.
Hello again! Sorry for the late reply! I just want to thank you and let you know that you were both right about everything you said. :) FTP transfers have a 2 GB size limit. FAT32 has a 4 GB size limit. I felt like a noob because I know these things, but it just didn't come to mind. Thanks for reminding me of these simple facts.
The USB flash drive was indeed formatted as FAT32. I tried formatting it as exFAT but apparently there is no support for it in Acronis TI. Why not? So I had to go back and format it as NTFS. I used a second PC for this. Then I tried backing up to it and it worked! It produced one single backup archive file, just as I wanted.
I didn't backup the whole system disk of the laptop at first, because the USB flash drive I was backing up to was painfully slow. So I just did a quick test to prove it to myself that it works. I stored some files onto the second USB flash drive with Acronis recovery media, just so that it exceeds 5 GB in used space. Then I backed that up to the slow USB flash drive.
These are the results:
TEST 1, NTFS 16K, 5+ GB, no compression:
TEST_IMAGE_2016-07-08_1343_full_b1_s1_v1.tib 5.37 GB (5,773,207,040 bytes)
TEST 2, FAT32 16K, 5+ GB, no compression:
TEST2_IMAGE_2016-07-08_1407_full_b1_s1_v1.tib 3.99 GB (4,294,966,784 bytes)
TEST2_IMAGE_2016-07-08_1407_full_b1_s1_v2.tib 1.37 GB (1,478,240,256 bytes)
When the target USB flash drive was NTFS formatted I got a single file. When it was FAT32 formatted I got two files instead, with a file split just below the 4 GiB limit.
I then purchased a 4 TB external drive and made my disk image backup of the laptop onto that. I still think that Acronis TI should have kept the consolidation feature as it does come in handy sometimes. But I now have what I wanted out of it, so I'm happy with that and I can move on.
Sameer, thank you for the feedback with your test results - glad that you have this issue resolved.
I would agree with Steve's opiinion on the flash drive format. Not sure what your network consists of but you might consider fixing that so you could use network shares as well. A USB storage HDD is a resonable option but they have limitations too in terms of total capacity and if you go that route and setup a scheduled backup to it you either leave it attached to the machine all the time or make certain you remeber to attach it when it's backup time per your schedule. Additionally, it is necessary from a reliability standpoint to assign a drive letter to the HDD high in the alaphabet so that the drive letter will not be changed by adding any other USB devices that require a drive letter to your machine.
If you clear up your network issues and set proper permissions to the backup shares then you provide a level of security for those backups for those ransomware infestations and the like. All food for thought.
I would agree with Steve's opiinion on the flash drive format.
You're right! And it's a matter of fact, not opinion. The USB flash drive in question was SanDisk Cruzer Glide, 32 GB, FAT32 formatted. A USB flash drive this big should have been formatted as NTFS. Especially as this one is detected by Windows as an actual HDD, that is "fixed disk"... disk. But for some reason Windows defaults to formatting this as FAT32.
Not sure what your network consists of but you might consider fixing that so you could use network shares as well. A USB storage HDD is a resonable option but they have limitations too in terms of total capacity and if you go that route and setup a scheduled backup to it you either leave it attached to the machine all the time or make certain you remeber to attach it when it's backup time per your schedule.
There was no problem with the network or my network shares when running all PCs in their normal Windows environments. It is only in the Acronis recovery environment that the connection problems to Windows shares appeared. And this was on the new laptop. Since it does not have Ethernet port I used a USB to Ethernet adapter to connect to the network and it worked flawlessly. I got IP address and everything, but there appeared to be some kind of software glitches with Linux/WinPE/Acronis environments that didn't connect properly to my Windows shares on the other computers.
I normally have one PC that acts both as workstation and as server. I backup all the other PCs to it over the network. There is usually no problem with connections when all PCs run Windows and are in normal mode. They are all connected with gigabit network cables to a router running custom ROM. The network is really solid, I never have any issues with it ever since I got rid of the buggy OEM ROM on the router. My longest uptime is 5 months with this new ROM. Compared to the OEM ROM where I had to reboot the router every other week or so. The benefit of running a custom ROM is evident. So I never have any issues with the network, and I know how to configure network shares.
Additionally, it is necessary from a reliability standpoint to assign a drive letter to the HDD high in the alaphabet so that the drive letter will not be changed by adding any other USB devices that require a drive letter to your machine.
Very good advice! But I'm afraid I am running out of drive letters! :) Well it's not as bad as it was two years ago. I had like 20 drive letters, for both local drives and network drives.
If you clear up your network issues and set proper permissions to the backup shares then you provide a level of security for those backups for those ransomware infestations and the like. All food for thought.
Not sure what you meant by ransomware infestations?...