Incremental backups too large

André, thank you for bringing this topic to the 2017 forum as requested.

First point to clarify is that all backups will always start with a Full backup image regardless of whether for disks & partitions or for files & folders.

The next point here is regarding your statement of 'when I format my desktop' - by which I am assuming that you mean you are doing a new install of your Windows OS which in turn will include doing a new install of your ATIH 2017 software?

In doing this action (formatting / clean install) you are also starting anew with the Acronis Database files where information about any previous backup task activities is held, and also the Acronis Scripts folder where backup task XML configuration files are stored - so in effect ATIH does not know that you have previously backed up the folder data unless you use the option to 'Add existing backup' that is available at the bottom of the main GUI panel (to the right of the + option to add a new backup).

One point that I am not sure that I understand here?  Where is the source folder that you are backing up with ATIH?  You say that 'the folder I'm backing up is stored on a NAS drive' but do you mean that this is where the backup image of the source folder is being stored, or do you mean that the source folder is a folder on your NAS drive?

After reinstalling Windows "fresh" OR restoring an image back, the drive UUID is changed in the process (due to new paritions being created / recreated).  Any changes to paritions on disk will result in a new UUID.  As a result the next backup will always be a new full, even if you restored from an image.  When reinstalling Windows from scratch, you will always need a first full again... new OS, new Acronis install, new backup task (you can use the same name if you want, but it's still a new job as far as Acronis is concerned).  

I have a similar issue.  I recently purchased True Image 2017.  On May 18th I did a full backup with a source of “Entire PC” and the destination as my USB HDD.  Now I want to do an Incremental backup.  From the main page I added a Backup with “Incremental” selected for both “Backup scheme” and Backup method”. 

However when the backup starts it attempts to do a Full backup which takes about 15 hours on my computer which only has USB 2 ports.  The “Source” shows Entire PC and the destination is my USB HDD.

 Can someone suggest what I am doing wrong?

Robert, welcome to these user forums.

Where you are going wrong is in trying to create a new backup task to do the Incremental backups when you should have modified the backup task that created the existing Full backup image.

All new backup tasks have to do a Full backup before any other types of backup can be created, as both Incremental or Differential backups are based on the previous Full backup for the first such backup image.

Steve,

 Thanks for the reply; however, I can’t find a reference in the user’s manual about modifying the original backup.

 I have posted a link to two screen shots and maybe you can enlighten me on how to “modify” this.if this is really “backup task that created the existing Full backup image”.  I have also posted a link to a shot of the directory on my USB drive.

 Bob

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r209/TurboBob/Computer/Acronis%20Screen%20Shot%201_zpsglscstip.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r209/TurboBob/Computer/Acronis%20Screen%20Shot%202_zps84l9cwm5.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r209/TurboBob/Computer/Acronis%20Screen%20Shot%203_zpswj0dx361.jpg

Bob, thanks for the screen shots - please use the File attachments option below the text input box to add these if needed in future, this is preferred to going to third-party sites where pop-up advertising and unsavoury ads are shown.

From your second screen shot showing the backup scheme for your KSY-BOB-HP backup task, you have already set this to do Incremental backups after the initial required full backup has been created, so in reality all you need to do is to run this backup task again to create the first incremental backup.

One point to make from that screen shot, you have selected to "Create only incremental backups after the initial full version" - I would urge using this with care and not to create long chains of incremental backups as this becomes more vulnerable to any file errors/damage/corruption etc where if any single incremental file is damaged for any reason, then the chain forward from that point is rendered broken too!

I would recommend using the second option shown, to "Create a full version after N incremental vesions" where N is a value of your choosing to limit the maximum number of incremental backups, plus then further configure the Automatic cleanup option to manage how many version chains you keep before removing / deleting the oldest to manage the space used on your backup drive unless you have unlimited backup storage?

Hi Steve,

 IT WORKED.  I would have sworn that I tried this yesterday and it didn’t work.

 I’m not sure it really matters on the Incremental versus Differential, as I intend to install a new larger HDD and I am using this image plus increment to populate the new drive.  I will then do a new full backup. 

 I had intended to “clone” the drive but after reading the “sticky” on cloning I decided to proceed with an image.  

 Thank you very much!!

 Bob

Bob, glad to hear the feedback that it worked for you.