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Starting a fresh backup set

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I've got a long differential backup series that I'd like to start fresh with. Specifically, I'd like to delete all the existing initial and subsequent differential backups, and have TIH recreate a fresh initial backup the next time it runs.

What's the best way to accomplish this:

  • Deleting the files in Windows Explorer - then TIH will realize there's nothing there and it will start fresh
  • Cloning the backup settings in TIH and then deleting the backup from TIH - choosing "delete" instead of remove
  • some other way(?)
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Eliezer, please do not delete any of your backup files in Windows Explorer, this will only cause other issues along the line!

For your backup task, click on the caret (v) to the right of the task name in the Backup panel, then click on the 'Clean up versions' tool and use this to delete your unwanted files.

One word of caution, if you use the tool to delete the final backup file, i.e. the most recent full backup, then it will delete the backup task itself (or did so the last time I tried this...!).

The recommended method of managing the number of backup files and starting new chains with a new full backup is to use the Automatic cleanup rules in conjunction with the scheme settings.

Example:

Create a new full backup after X incremental / differential backups.

Store no more than Y backup chains

This isn't a setting I could determine in advance. Without going into detail, "the time has come" and I need to clear them now, though. :)

So would you agree that the "safest" way to do this is to first "clone settings" then choose "clean up versions" (selecting all files) - and if that cannibalizes my backup task itself, I'd still have it in the cloned version?

You can try using the 'clone settings' option for your backup but I seem to remember that there were some issues with this option with .tibx backups in 2020, so please test this.

"Clone settings" successfully transferred all settings over. (Was there some other problem I should be looking for?)

"Clean up versions" removed just the files but left the backup settings completely intact.

That is good to hear Eliezer, I may be thinking back to something in the ATI 2021 Beta testing - things tend to merge all together at times!