Sluggish interface when opening a backup job (files and folders)

I do not see the sluggishness you say that you do.  Your video is a bit hard to follow but I think it is at the end where you are talking about the app being slow.

You do not have any system specs listed which might be of some benefit here since this is a performance issue. 

You might wish to run the installer file again and choose the repair option and see if that might make a difference in behavior.

Roger, sorry but I have not seen any behaviour such as you have described so hope that your bug report brings a solution.  Note: If by a bug report you mean using the Feedback tool, then there is no guarantee of a response to this, so please open a Support Case to report this issue.

I do not see the sluggishness you say that you do.  Your video is a bit hard to follow but I think it is at the end where you are talking about the app being slow.

No, look from 19 seconds when i press the OK button when i have entered the password. From 19 seconds up to 58 seconds the interface bugs out and you can see different folders open up one after the other while the user interface looks glitchy. So it takes 39 seconds before i can even change anything in that backup.

That´s the issue, that it takes looong time to open excisting backups. It did not take this long time in TI2017 and the interface did not bug out as it does in the video from 19 seconds to 58 seconds.

Look at the attached image for were to look. I marked static areas as Static and moving areas as Moving. In the Moving areas one can see each folder diretory open up for the folders i have selected in the backup job.

Computer:
HP Z440
OS: Win 10
Processor: Intel Xeon E5-1650v3 (6-core, 3.5Ghz)
RAM: 64 GB RAM
Graphic card: Titan X (Pascal), 12GB VRAM (driver: 390.65)

Performance is definitely not the issue here. :)

Thank you for clarifying the issue.  I do see the bug out as you call it in which the interface becomes fuzzy looking.  I believe that to be expected behavior to indicate to the user that the application is processing a data request.  I have noticed that dependent on where the backups are stored makes a difference in access or processing time.  For example, if I make a backup with the destination being one of my internal SATA III 3.5 inch drives it takes more time to access/process the request than it would if that backup location is one of my internal SATA III SSD's.  This is even more noticeable if the backup location is an M.2 PCIe drive where access/process is lightning fast.  Backups located on external USB 3.0 drives access/process are slower than if the backup location is on my NAS server.

I notice that in your video the locations appear to be deeply nested in folder structure.  I have seen complaints like yours before from other users but again, do not see these myself even though I have some  backups in deeply nested folders as well.   

It is/was wise for you to bring this to the attention of the Support team of Acronis.  As Steve said, if you used in application Feedback do not expect an answer.  I would again recommend running the install file in Repair to see if that may help.

I have just completed a session with the support. They uninstalled, run the clean scrip and we then re-created the backup and they confirmed that it is an issue with the user interface since it still exists.

I am on the verge to migrate to CloudBacko. It has been issues to open up backup jobs since TI2016, it takes simply too long time and especially to create the backup jobs because of the slugginesh. It´s frustrating.

Btw, what brand of graphics card are you two using? I can re-create this on my laptop as well and both use Nvidia cards.

Thank you both for the help! :)

In my case I do not game so I use integrated graphics.  You might be on to something suspecting add on graphics playing a part. 

I also use integrated graphics on most of my systems; the only one I regularly use that does not has AMD graphics card.

Thanks for your answer IanL-S! :)

Steve Smith, are you also using the integrated graphics or an add-on card such as Nvidia or AMD? :)

Roger, I am mainly using a Dell Studio laptop, so this has an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3400 Series [Display adapter] - other Lenovo computers are using the built in VGA display adapters they came with (courtesy of eBay).

Roger,  I just looked at your video and have some questions and guesses.

Do all of the backups exhibit the same behavior, or just the one in the video?

Please give the details of the backup i.e.  How many GBs of data are being backed up?  How big are the .tib files?  How complex/deep is the directory structure?  Type backup...full only or incremental?  How many incrementals?

What it looks like to me is that even though it is a files/folder backup, it is still fairly large.  I am also guessing that it is a full with several incremental backups.  What I believe is happening, from looking at the video:

ATI opens the full backup and decrypts the file structure.  I don't know where or how the file structure is stored in the .tib file, but if the file is large, it could take a significant amount of time just to read and decrypt the file structure.  Then, after the full .tib file is read, then ATI steps through each incremental backup, decrypts the file structure, then displays it.  I believe that process is what is causing the screen sections to blank (a little) then update.  

This is mostly guess work on my part.  I don't think it is a graphics card problem.

Regards,

FtrPilot

FtrPilot, thanks for answering! Here are the details:

• Yes, all backups behave the same. Even when creating new ones.
• Backup Method: Full
• Approx 2.7 GB are being backed up.
• Size of .tib file is 1.7 GB.
• The folder structure is not complex, the deepest is F:\Fotografierna\ZZ_Projects\AE\Introskyltar_CC2017.aep.
• Mostly small files are backed up.
• D:\ is the drive i use for personal use only, Microsoft Office documents, pdf´s, txt dokuments, etc. 2.54 GB on that drive.
• The .prproj and .aep files are approx 5 MB each.
• All drives are SSD´s.

This is how the backup script looks:
D:\
F:\Fotografierna\ZZ_Projects\Bygget.prproj
F:\Fotografierna\ZZ_Projects\Familjen_Rudolph.prproj
F:\Fotografierna\ZZ_Projects\Fotografierna.prproj
F:\Fotografierna\ZZ_Projects\Saves\
F:\Fotografierna\ZZ_Projects\AE\Introskyltar_CC2017.aep
F:\Fotografierna\ZZ_Projects\AE\Introskyltar_CC2015.aep
F:\Japan_2017\Projects\
F:\Japan_2017\Datum.txt
F:\Japan_2017\Textning\Wedding.txt
G:\Mob_Cant_Turn_Back\Mob_Cant_Turn_Back.prproj
G:\Mob_Cant_Turn_Back\Saves\
G:\Katrineholm_2009\Projects\
G:\Folder\Projects\
G:\Folder\Textfile.txt
G:\BOWWOW_40th_BD\Projects\
G:\BOWWOW_40th_BD\Setlist.txt
G:\MOB_Sodertalje_2017\Setlist.txt
G:\MOB_Sodertalje_2017\MOB_Sodertalje_2017.prproj
G:\MOB_Sodertalje_2017\CC2017_BD_Menu.aep
G:\MOB_Sodertalje_2017\AE_CS6_BD_Menu.aep
G:\Folder_2\Name.prproj
G:\Folder_2\AE\Name_BD.aep
G:\Folder_3\Projects\Freedom.aep
G:\Folder_3\Projects\Freedom.prproj
G:\Folder_4\Name\Projects\
G:\Folder_4\Name\Textfile.txt
G:\Folder_4\Finding\Projects\
G:\Folder_4\Fields\Projects\
G:\Folder_4\Fields\Fields.txt
G:\Folder_4\Fields\Undertexter\
G:\Folder_4\Finding\Undertexter\
F:\Japan_2017\Japan_Namn_På_Platser.txt

In pre TI2018 the backup opened up but the folders were not twirled open when one open a backup job. New in TI2018 seems to be that the folders are twirled open when one open up backup jobs, thats how i noticed this.

The support un-installed TI 2018, ran the clean up script, re-booted the computer, re-installed TI 2018. I still see the same issues and the support will hopefully find a solution.

Steve Smith, thanks for your previous answer.

Roger...I'm stumped.

Roger...I have done some testing and have some interesting results.  But first a question...how long did ATI 2017 take to open the .tib files?   Same amount of time or much faster?

My computer is a high end gaming laptop with SSDs.

I created an encrypted file that is 250Mbs. 

Reading the file from SSD to memory stream is fast (00:00:00.0029989)   Less than 3 milliseconds

Converting the memory stream to text is relatively fast (00:00:01.8300353)  1.83 seconds

Decrypting the text takes time (00:00:27.6430434) over 27 seconds.

So, my guess is that encryption/decryption is the issue.

Would you be willing to create an unencrypted backup of similar size and run a test to see how fast ATI opens it?

I would certainly be interested in the results.

Regards,

FtrPilot

FtrPilot, opening the .tib files as opening in Explorer or from within TI2018 via the Recovery function?

I did re-create a new backup with the very same setting but did not use encryption on the new backup:

• Both of them have the same issue when i try to change the Source in TI2018 and it takes almost as long time to being able to add/remove files and folders. The encrypted being maybe two seconds longer than the non-encrypted backup.
• Opening the .tib files in Explorer opens almost instantly. The encrypted being a tad slower, approx one to two seconds.
• Clicking on Recovery in TI2018 makes it possible to select files almost instantly for both backups.

So it seems that encryption is not the issue for me. My encryption key is 17 characters long and i use AES 256 as the encryption method.

Roger...Thanks...that is very interesting, especially the part where Explorer opens them instantly.  Have you provided feedback to Acronis engineers?  Over the next couple of days, I will see if I can duplicate your issue.

FtrPilot, yes i have provided feedback and a link to this thread to the support team. (Case numer 03255440)

Looking forward to your findings! :)

Roger,  I created a 2.3GB encrypted file/folder backup.  It takes under 5 seconds to display the file/folder structure after inputting the password.  What I did note this time is that the file/folder structure is for the entire computer, not just the folders in the .tib file.  So, it appears that your computer has a lot of drives attached.  Some of your delay could be ATI gathering file/folder information for your entire computer.  This could explain why Explorer displays rapidly, since Explorer is just reading the .tib file.

Comments?

FtrPilot, this has absolutely nothing to do with the .tib file since it can be recreated with a new backup job when the resulting .tib file has never been made. I just tested that with a new backup that has never been run and see the same issue. :)

Yes, i have nine HDD´s but the four disks i use as a backup Source today are all SSD disks. I don´t think thats the issue but of course i am not sure. Due to it´s complexity (?) the case has been escalated to the Expert Team they told me yesterday.

If i remember correctly if i in TI2017 tried to change the Source of a backup it just opened up as in the attached image. In TI2018 the same change to the Source twirl all the selected folders open so the end user can see the complete folder structure and it seems like TI2018 has some problems to handle that, it takes time to twirl open all folders and at the same time having the interface blurred/not blurred/blurred/not blurred, etc.. Since i don´t remember 100% i am not sure if this is the case, iow TI2017 vs TI2018, and i don´t have the time now to downgrade to TI2017 just to test it. I think the issue is related to the user interface.

I had an issue for +1 year ago when selecting files in deep folder structures, 10 levels. After a while the user interface was almost unusable due to slugginesh. It took several seconds to select one (1) file... AFAIK it was never fixed. I wish Acronis never changed the user interface when it comes to selecting files/folders, they should have sticked to the native operative system dialogs instead of creating their own phone/tablet friendly file-selection-dialog for selecting files/folders.

I edit video and see the same thing in Adobe Premiere Pro. If i go to File > Import to import files Windows native dialog pops up directly and i can select files/folders fast and efficient. However, if i use Adobe built-in media importer panel, Media Browser, it is sluggish and much of time is wasted due to it is slugginesh. Adobe never got it right either.

Yes, i am guessing here but i have had several issues with the user interface in TI2016-TI2018 when it comes to selecting file/folders. It was always related to the user interface.

I will update this thread when Acronis find a solution. :)

Roger...Originally, I did not realize this is not related to the .tib file.  

I can attach 4 external hard drives to my laptop and see what happens.  I will also drop back to 2017 and see what happens there.  It may take a couple of days to do the drop back, but I think it would be worthwhile.

Roger,

I have attached 3 drives to my laptop....a 2TB HDD, a 1TB HDD and a 500MB SSD.  With these drives attached, the open time increased by less than 1 second.  I then drilled down the folder list of the 2 TB HDD and added some files to the backup task and ran the task.  I then exited ATI and restarted ATI.  I then selected the backup and change source and got the similar results that you are getting...it took 25+ seconds to open and the partial screen blanking did occur.  I expect that when I add some files/folders from the other HDD and SDD that the opening time will go up further.

I am now real interested in what ATI 2017 does.

FtrPilot, you seems to be on the right track here! :)

I did a similar test and the more drives i add the longer time it takes to open the window that allows me to change source. Similar thing happens when you select files on one (1) HDD. The more individual files you start to add the more sluggish the interface becomes. After a while it takes several seconds after you have selected a file until it has been selected in the interface. The interfaces becomes Melasses De Luxe and is after a while unusable.

I filed a bug report for this september 2015 but it never got resolved: 02549033 Sluggish UI when selecting many files/folders/drives

The Export Team claimed that the issue one see when trying to change source files has to do with Windows Defender but after disabling it or add exclusions to Acronis folders the problem persists. I uploaded new Process Monitor logs today.

Roger,

I believe it is caused by selecting individual files within a folder.  If a file is selected, then ATI has to get a list of all of the files within the folder and that is what is time consuming.  

I can write an app that gets a folder listing, then gets a file/folder listing and see what the time difference is.

Will report back.