Creating Huge TIB files and takes several hours

I am experiencing the same issue of True Image 2014 creating TIB files spanning multiple times the size of my C: drive that I am backing up.  I have 600G worth of files on a 1T drive and I was hoping to fit it onto a 500G external drive using the highest compression setting.  Instead, I have filled the 500G drive and, after gracefully pausing and requesting additional storage space, now TI2014 is writing to 500G free space on a separate 1.5T external drive.  It doesn't appear that even this will be enough space.  And I am on day 2 of this process.  My biggest concerns at this point:  1) Will I need to find yet another large free space for the TIB files for this backup?  2) Will this backup be usable for a restore and will it fit back onto a new awaiting 1T SSHD?  3) Will the backup contain all of the files originally on my C: drive?

I am undertaking this long process as a workaround to the disappointment I found when attempting to use the clone feature.  Both in Windows mode and using a created bootable media for the mode where the target C: drive is not being used to run the operating system, I received a terminating error 458,777 that references to file system problems on my target drive.  Scandisk finds no errors and neither Acronis program nor website offers solutions to get past this error.  So I created a single use only full backup profile to capture the entire C: drive with hopes of restoring to my new drive.  I did not select sector-by-sector.  And I am beginning to believe this approach is further wasting my time.

I thought about upgrading to True Image 2016 but given my recent experiences I am not sure it is a wise decision.

I have been using TI2014 for about a year. I may be able to help.  A screen shot of your backup settings would help.

For KM...are you using partition mode, or disk mode?  If you are using disk mode, then you are backing up C drive and D drive to D drive.  This could explain the large TIB file.  If you are using partition mode, then I really don't have a reason for the large file.

My system is a Toshiba laptop, 500 gig SSD, Win 7, 2 TB external HD connected through USB 2.  I have about 150 gig on the SSD.  It takes about 2 hours to do a full system backup and the TIB file is about 115 gig.

For Mark...I have read alot of the threads on this blog regarding backup data corruption.  Virtually all of the problems are caused by running out of disk space during the backup.  Trying to compress 600GB of data into 500GB space is asking the impossible.

I would not be surprised if your backup is corrupted or fails to complete.

I don't know why the clone did not work.  I have done numerous clones with no issues.  Prior to performing a clone, I always go to the Tools and Utilities tab and Add New drive, and make sure the target drive is formatted same as the source drive.  Mine are all formatted MBR.  The attached picture shows the add new drive.

For KM...I strongly recommend adding an external hard drive for backups.  Using another partition on the same drive won't protect against a disk failure.

Please let me know if this helps.

FtrPilot - Thanks for taking time to write with suggestions.  My backup quest took quite a few turns and I have now finally met with a successful, repeatable solution.

Somewhere into day 3, TI2014 completed my backup as I had described previously.  I had prepared a 3rd target drive but was fortunate that the backup completed before consuming all of the free space on my 2nd target.

The next step involved restoring from the new backup onto my awaiting new SSD.  My laptop has 2 internal bays and I chose to restore to the SSD in bay 2 while my original C:drive remained in bay 1.  I conducted this operation from outside Windows using a bootable Acronis USB drive and restoring from my (set of 2) external HDs containing the backup.  I chose to validate the backup before starting and to verify the restore upon completion.  I did have some anxiety when I read instructions that TI2014 needed to restart my machine while reporting about 19 hours remaining (I assumed that this was for the verification).  My anxiety was from previous reading that I could never allow the computer to boot with more than one bootable drive attached.  Upon selecting to restart, I received a message reporting that Operations are in progress and that Windows would shutdown when operations are completed.  I let this message remain on my screen for close to 24 hours before forcing a shutdown.  Then I removed my C:drive from bay 1 and moved my SSD from bay 2 into bay 1.  My laptop booted fine and fast from the clone accomplished by backup and restore.  TI2014 succeeded, albeit through a long process that was less than smooth.

About 30 minutes later I encountered the next problem.  Upon my command, Windows 10 failed to close first one then other windows.  Then the system froze and I had to force a restart.  This problem recurred continuously arriving between 1 and 20 minutes after each reboot.  Reading more forums I attempted a number of simple steps running automated Windows and disk integrity checks.  Nothing wrong was discovered.  I eventually followed advice discussed by 2 others in forums.  They claimed that their freezing problems were solved when they uninstalled TI2014.  When I resorted to taking this unlikely step, my freezing problem was also solved.  My laptop has been running fine for weeks now, thanks to a copying function from TI2014 and then thanks to abandoning Acronis True Image software.

Perhaps True Image 2016 would work well for my current backup needs but navigating this recent experience consumed much of my time and did not leave me feeling confident in trusting Acronis software.  I wrestled with learning DISM to conduct backups from a command prompt but again encountered messages that there are errors in my file structure (this is what prevented TI2014 cloning from running).  I believe that there is something less than perfect that is flagging these reports but I have found no software to diagnose let alone repair these alleged problems.  Furthermore, I have installed the free version of Macrium Reflect and it is making backups for me now without complaining.  For now, my problems are solved and my operations and data are secure.