Acronis "CHAT Support" is a long winded waste of time... why doesn't mgmt open "PHONES" without $$ for users?
I have recently had a "nightmare" trying to get simple answers for basics (novice with this software) and without having to read a novel on how this software works, we, as purchasers of their software, are doomed (just like our buddy Microsoft) to PAY $$ for their support! Absurd!
First, finally figured out how to get to a tech via CHAT. Then, the normal 'hurry up and wait' for their response while they're working with half dozen others at same time, they come back with a blank mind from your last question and ask same question you answered ten lines ago.... this is a complete waste of everyone's time.
It took me 5 CHATS to get through (1) issue, approx. 2 hours each time. Now, they are paying these 'techs' to sit and peck away with answers that make no sense to novices out here, like myself, on "oh... you have to MOUNT an image before you can actually do anything with it"... on & on it goes.
Mgmt MUST open their eyes to this!! Why waste our time, tech time, to sit & peck back and forth on an issue that could be resolved MUCH QUICKER with a simple phone call. But not reality. We, their customers, must pay $$ to "talk" to support for such simple issues.
This makes NO sense whatsoever for either party. OPEN your phone lines, FREE, and save everyone the headaches.
(my end result - had to re-image my entire laptop due to a simple error that is in the docs, but to a novice, foreign material.
Please wake up and fix this time waster for all!
Anybody else having similar issues pecking for hours on a simple issue to correct, or is it just me?
Alexander,
I, too, spent too much time yesterday with Chat trying to resolve a problem I have with ATI2011. In the end the problem isn't resolved and I'm going to remove ATI2011 from my system and cancel the 2nd license I bought for my other computer.
For your information I was trying to back up my Outlook and a window popped up asking for Windows credentials (Account & Password). I never st up a password for my Windows 7 installation. If I can't back up my Outlook it doesn't make sense to work with ATI2011. I'll revert back to a previous version that did work.
Donald,
The User manual for 2011 does state that if you want to schedule an Outlook email backup then you will have to provide Windows authentication.
Extract below:
Acronis True Image Home 2011 provides backup of IMAP (Internet Messages Access Protocol) mail folders for Microsoft Outlook. This means that you can back up folders stored on a mail server. For Microsoft Outlook Express and Windows Mail only backup of local e-mail folders is available.
Take note that Acronis True Image Home 2011 does not support Unicode characters in the items backed up using the E-mail backup type.
To back up your E-mail:
Click E-mail backup on the main screen. This will open the E-mail Backup window.
Select the mail items you want to back up in the What to back up area. The right side will show the item contents with all subitems selected. There you can unselect the subitems you do not need to back up, if any.
Select a destination for backup (you can leave the default destination or browse for a destination after clicking the down arrow to the right of the current destination and selecting Browse...).
The program will assign a default name to the backup, but if you would like to assign another name, type the name in the Backup name field.
Click the Back up now button if you want to run backup immediately. You can also delay the start of backup for up to 6 hours by clicking the down arrow to the right of this button and selecting a delay interval from the dropdown list.
When you need to change the default backup options, click E-mail backup options and set the options as required. You can also change the default backup scheme by clicking on the appropriate link. For more information see Backup schemes.
If you want to run the backup on a schedule, click the Turn on link to set up a schedule (for more information see Scheduling). To run the backup on the schedule, click the down arrow to the right of the Back up now button and select Later in the drop down list. The backup where you have made the settings will run according to the schedule. You can also start the backup manually later on the main screen.
Note that if you configure a scheduled e-mail backup, you will have to specify your Windows account name and password. This is done for confidentiality reasons. The program will back up only the e-mail messages and settings related to the specified account. E-mail data of all other accounts will not be backed up.
If Colin is correct, this is a very flawed design feature. A great many computers have one user and no thus no need for a user password for sign-on. I have no password for my Win 7 home desktop. I thought 2011 was slick and likable compared to 2009 until I came on to this problem. What sense is there in not requiring a windows account name and password for documents but requiring it for emails? None. This oddity shows that this is a problem, not a well thought out policy. The change from 2009 is positive but not positive enough.
I've removed ATI 2011 from my Win 7 computer and canceled my order for the second license. I need something that WORKS and have to agree that this one was definitely not well thought out. I eventually set up Windows Credentials on my Win 7 machine and ATI 2011 didn't recognize them when I tried to back up Outlook! Unbelievable. So what is it looking for? Anyhow I've reverted back to the previous version which works just fine for me and lets me do what I want without these restrictions. If I ever see that they've done a "workaround" to bypass this Windows Credentials requirement I might re-install ATI 2011.
Would it not be useful if Acronis would define exactly what is meant by 'Window credentials'?
I'm using Windows Live Mail and have a Windows Live account, with ID and Password. Having never used the service before, I had to renew the password and when I input that, it took me (unsurprisingly) to the Windows Live home-page.
I enter Windows 7 with a password as I'm an administrator.
Neither of these work to get me into the main screen referred to in Colin B's response dated 2010-08-31:
To back up your E-mail:
Click E-mail backup on the main screen. This will open the E-mail Backup window.
A further clue is need, please.
Antony,
The fact that you sign on to your Win 7 as an administrator solves the problem. However, I don't use a password with my Win 7 computer. We have no need for one. I don't like having unnecessary passwords. This is what I've been complaining about here. My previous versions of ATI didn't require a password to back up Outlook. What should have been done is to have the password requirement as an option for those who want it.
I did set up a password for Win 7, but ATI 2011 didn't accept it! Unbelievable! I won't go back to 2011 until they offer a "fix" to eliminate this password requirement or at least make it optional.
Antony,
The fact that you sign on to your Win 7 as an administrator solves the problem. However, I don't use a password with my Win 7 computer. We have no need for one. I don't like having unnecessary passwords. This is what I've been complaining about here. My previous versions of ATI didn't require a password to back up Outlook. What should have been done is to have the password requirement as an option for those who want it.
I did set up a password for Win 7, but ATI 2011 didn't accept it! Unbelievable! I won't go back to 2011 until they offer a "fix" to eliminate this password requirement or at least make it optional.
I agree totally with the the above except for the confusing statement that "signing on to your Win 7 as an administrator solves the problem" - that doesn't solve anything. Moreso, the problem clearly point to Acronis 2011 Home programming, because the window that comes up is a subtask of the Acronis program. I'm returning this software.
Amen to what Mark Southern and the rest of you are saying. Acronis has taken a very simple product and confused the hell out of it and their customers, needlessly. It is almost impossible to understand their product by reading the User Guide which seems to be written in Gibberish 101. They have needlessly made it necessary for their customers to learn a whole new technical language in addition to the technical jargon we already have to master to operate computers. No matter how simply and carefully you pose your questions to Acronis chat techs, they manage to twist them around and pose them and the answers back to you in a way you barely recognize what they are saying and what you said originally. The most frustrating thing about them is, no matter how often you ask them to speak plainly and give you direct answers, they ignore you and try to impress you with their technical savvy and bs. One big cause of this problem is that Acronis customers are speaking to people overseas in foreign countries. Sad to say this, but, they speak the English language, however, they do not understand the English language. Also, they are some of the rudest people to have professional contact with the public. They will disconnect you without hesitation. Trying to resolve issues by email is a whole nuther, frustrating story. I wish I had saved my $50.00 or used it on something else. It seems like Acronis corporation just doesn't give a damn about you once they get your money.
I recently installed ATI2011 again after having reverted back to the previous version. I also installed an update and lo and behold, I can now back up my Outlook without a password. However, that's without "scheduling" it. The scheduling option is confusing. I'm going to schedule an Outlook Backup and see if it works without a password, etc. I just set it up and it didn't ask for my password! Looks like the "problem" has been solved! I'll know if the backup starts in an hour.