Frustrations with Backup names and other issues
I am a new user of Acronis Home Image 2012 and find it very frustrating to use for the following reasons:
1. I backup to a usb external drive and no matter what I do, the backup file is named "My partitions". When creating the backup I carefully change that default name to something more meaningful like C_full but the backup still ends up with the name "My partitions1-5" Isn't there a way to give the image file a more meaningful name?
2. Another annoying feature I have is the main screen that opens for Acronis. It contains the list of previous backups - but - the sort order is ridiculous. I cannot even figure out what order they are listed in. I would like the most recent backup to be at the top of the list. Instead, as soon as the backup begins it finds itself somewhere in the middle of the list.
What sort order does Acronis use? How do I get it to list the most recently used backup a the top instead of the meaningless system it currently uses which is neither alphabetical nor based on dates?
Thank you
First, let me say, it is perfectly normal to be frustrated with changing backup task filenames. You wouldn't be human if you didn't swear at least a little bit while doing this. Everything Pat told you is true, but there is more, and it is more frustrating. Sometimes when you go to destination and scroll down to browse and then set a value for the backup filename (following Pat's instructions from above), then go back to main screen and you will see that the change did not stick! I always forget to check for this and I always get caught-- there's a swollen spot on my forehead where I've often slapped it, saying, "Doh!". Don't give up; try again. 2nd or third time is usually the charm. This is a quirk in various versions of ATI including ati2012. Once you see the change when you get back to the main backup screen, then it's good; it's stuck.
Also note, building again on Pat's excellent advice, on scheduled backups, ati will append sometimes one or more digits to whatever you have prescribed for the filename. This is part of how the ati database keeps track of different backup files -- So, trust me, when you specify the filename put an underscore _ at the end; ati doesn't seem to get confused about underscores.
And lastly but not leastly, if when you specify the filename, you add variables for date value or time value, these won't show up when you go back to the main screen -- e,g., suppose you specify a filename with data value added like this
yourchosenname@datavalue@_
When you look on the main screen, the name will look like this
yourchosenfilename_
as if the variables are not included inthe filename. This too is a quirk of ati. when you make a backup, then the backup file will have the name
yourchosenfilenamethedate_
Good luck
Thank you all 3 very much. I will try your recommendations. I appreciate your taking the time to answer and help.
a) Did I understand you to say that the "task" list is always listed in Acronis TI with no discernible order and there is nothing I can do to change that?
b) If I delete some of these tasks will I still be able to restore the bakups they made?
Thank you again.
These ATI "quirks" would seem to be easy for the programmers to fix. I've previously owned ATI version 7 and don't remember having these kinds of problems. Makes me worry as to whether I should trust ATI 2012 backups. Are there also quirks with restoring the images? (Recover is another weird choice instead of restore!)
Re a). Correct, and please don't as them to write more code for another feature--there are no more notches on the belt ;)
Re b) It depends on how you delete them.
If you delete them form within ati, it will know they are gone and they will truly be gone, the tibs deleted form the disk and ati's database of backups will be updated.
If you delete them outside of ati (using windows explorer), then ati won't know they are gone until you try to use one from within ati, at which point it will give you an error (saying it can't find, do you want to browse for it or ignore error), you can ignore and the database will update.
If you move them to another location on the PC, ati will in its next session find the tibs, and add them to the list in the backup/restore window. It more than likely will NOT associate them with their original task -- they will be orphans. As well, it will probably still list them also among the number of backups in the original task because the database doesn't know they were moved. So, you will have orphaned entries under the original task and orphaned files showing as a new task.
Nobody has commented on the dependability of the ATI backups for restoring system or files. Should I read something into this? Should I switch to Macrium or Paragon?
"Re b) It depends on how you delete them. "
I assume you are talking about the "tasks".
I discovered that if I double click on the actual "my partitions" backup file on the usb external drive Windows 7 will automatically open them in ATI and let me browse them and restore from them. So I do not really need the stupid "tasks" and would prefer to skip them altogether.
It is a shame what they did to ATI. I've not used my old ATI 7 for a long time but I think its interface was much clearer and straightforward.
b) If I delete some of these tasks will I still be able to restore the bakups they made?
ATI has 2 distinct commands that are easily confused. One is "remove the task from the list", the other one is "delete".
Remove the task doesn't delete the corresponding TIB files. Delete is like remove but it deletes all the TIB files ATI can find. If you move the TIB files of a task to some other directory and then delete the task, ATI won't notice you have move the file and will tell you it couldn't delete them
Nobody has commented on the dependability of the ATI backups for restoring system or files. Should I read something into this? Should I switch to Macrium or Paragon?
Any kind of imaging software can have some limitations with hardware support during backup or recovery, support of more recent chipsets, UEFI, GPT/dynamic disks will vary. Whatever you choose, try it and make sure you can recover to a new disk.
ATI is very dependable when it comes to its core value: imaging and restoring, or cloning. Any of these tasks are pretty complex and hardware, software or user issues can get in the way, just like other imaging software.
ATI has bugs like other software as well. It seems the bugs can get in the way with more ancillary features like non-stop backup, try&decide, email backup, etc.
I discovered that if I double click on the actual "my partitions" backup file on the usb external drive Windows 7 will automatically open them in ATI and let me browse them and restore from them. So I do not really need the stupid "tasks" and would prefer to skip them altogether.
There is a feature in ATI 2012 where ATI scans the disks for existing TIB files and VHD files. ATI adds them to the task list, although they might just be individual TIB files. SInce they are not scheduled, they are not really tasks anyway. You can disable the archive scan in the list display options.
To reiterate, you don't need to have the TIB file listed to be able to recover. I'd keep only the active tasks there (the ones that you are using manually or that you have scheduled).
Remember that ATi 2012 uses tasks. There is no notion of adding an (incremental) archive to an existing archive. Tasks are setup as incremental, differential or full at the onset. The first backup of the task is always a full, then the task creates a following backup depending on the type of task. Ie,. you just need to run the backup task to add an incremental to the chain, for example.
You don't need tasks for restoring- you don't even need ati on the system disk. You can boot the bootCD and restore with that.
I've restored lots of diffrent kinds of PC with XP, Vista, W7 and it's been very reliable for me. Biggest issue, when it occurs, is when different drivers are needed on the bootcd for a particular machine but Acronis has always worked with me to resolve that in each case.
Nobody has commented on the dependability of the ATI backups for restoring system or files. Should I read something into this? Should I switch to Macrium or Paragon?
"Re b) It depends on how you delete them. "
I assume you are talking about the "tasks".
I discovered that if I double click on the actual "my partitions" backup file on the usb external drive Windows 7 will automatically open them in ATI and let me browse them and restore from them. So I do not really need the stupid "tasks" and would prefer to skip them altogether.It is a shame what they did to ATI. I've not used my old ATI 7 for a long time but I think its interface was much clearer and straightforward.
This is actually a good way to force the ati database to update if you have set aside the tibs.
b) If I delete some of these tasks will I still be able to restore the bakups they made?
ATI has 2 distinct commands that are easily confused. One is "remove the task from the list", the other one is "delete".
Remove the task doesn't delete the corresponding TIB files. Delete is like remove but it deletes all the TIB files ATI can find. If you move the TIB files of a task to some other directory and then delete the task, ATI won't notice you have move the file and will tell you it couldn't delete them
Especially since the hide the "remove the task from the list" is hidden in sub menu so that the user only sees the delete option.
Looks like I will need to read the manual. A good interface would make the manual redundant .....
lol. Indeed. Unfortunately a good interface is like a good vegetable -- what some like others detest -- maybe lima beans or okra -- well, you get the idea. So until we all think the same and have the same tastes, one needs patience, care, an occasional trip to the forums, and, as you point out, reading instructions help even if like lima beans, anathema for most users but good for you anyhow. ;)
Actually I find 2012 quite an improvement in the interface over 2011... A pleasant surprise I might add. Still a lot of quirks, but once you're aware of them you can be on the look out. Anyway... regarding backup task list... the Star next to the task name lets you pick your favorite tasks. Click on the star and it turns orange. This marks it as a Favorite. Up in the menu bar is a orange Star. Click it an all the tasks not flagged as favorites disappear. Very handy. There is also a "Sort By" option up in the menu bar that lets you select the order you want your backup tasks listed. There are a number of options to choose from. I like the "Date Updated" option as it shows my most recently completed backups first.
I highlight all my regular/scheduled tasks as favorites and my manual backups and one timers as not favorites. I keep the favorites displayed only. That way I can quickly look at my scheduled tasks and see what ran and when.
Thank you. That is very cool and useful.
Appreciate it.
Jeff... Regarding Dependability.
I've used Acronis for years. It has been through some rough times in the last couple, and I've had my share of swearing at it. But in the end, for partition based full disk backups, file backups, and other rather routine tasks it has never failed me. I keep a pretty rigorous backup regimen and probably have more backups than I need. But if my PC went belly up and I had to replace a hard disk or corrupted OS, I have the confidence I could restore and be back online in a few hours at most. I've replaced hard drives, SSDs, resized partitions, moved partitions from single disks to multiple disks and never lost a file or been unable to boot my system after restoring from Acronis backups. I build my own custom standalone boot recovery CD and USB with the WinPE and Plus Pack. That way I know it will work reliably with my hardware. And if I change hardware I can customize it as needed. A little tricky to do, but worth the effort IMHO.
I do not use the "whistle and bells" features - the online backups, cloud backups, real time backups, multi-pc sync, or Try and Decide. I just use the basics with my NAS server (10 TB storage) as my backup and archive data storage.
Favorite backups? Ah, yes, I remember, Tuesday. Now that was a backup. A robust bouquet with a hint of Outlook and and an oakey after taste reminiscent of DOS -- the IBM variety, not MS. But my all time favorite is still three weeks ago last Monday. It was a den appellation, with the typical sparkling quality one expects from the Win Seven disk on that machine. Avoiding the overabearance of pdfs by infusing with a countervailing tone of jpgs. And the Special Reserve partition, elegantly nutlike without being droll.
. . .the interface over 2011... regarding backup task list... the Star next to the task name lets you pick your favorite tasks. Click on the star and it turns orange. This marks it as a Favorite.. . .
Scott,
Elegant answers with a sense of humor. Very nice.
The favorites is a feature I have never found a need to use.
I am a new ATI user but reasonably conversant with backup concepts as a retired computing professional. I have found all kinds of quirks in ATI, and some things that seem to be quirks are really hidden gotchas that once I know about I can deal with (like the above thread which explained to me for the first time why my file names have been inconsistent).
But, that being said, I am very happy with the image restore function as far as doing a straight image restoration. I just bought a StarTech drive dock for $44 and an extra (C) drive for $65 to see if I could create an image disk on the fly and test it in case my Win 7 system crashed. I used ATI to restore to this drive while in my regular Windows mode and then to reboot directly to this disk by telling Windows to boot from this disk instead of the normal C drive. The image restoration was pretty fast and worked perfectly the two times I tried it! I did have to work out how to do it a bit as understanding how Windows recognizes the docked disk and how to restore the image was a bit tricky. (I can post the procedure if anyone wants it.) But the feeling of confidence I got from booting from the drive which will be laying on my shelf awaiting to rescue me - and seeing everything working perfectly - well, there's nothing like it. Especially since I have had 3 disk crashes in 9 months, something I've never experienced ever before.
The other delight of ATI is its ability to restore files from a disk image. No separate file and image backups! And, I should mention, Windows 7 64-bit just started refusing to do an image backup for me period, which is what started my move to Acronis.
I see the ATI12 flaws and also the complexity that makes one think there is a flaw when perhaps there isn't. But backup technology and issues are complex (and often boring!), and Acronis is so much better than anything I've used before to guarantee my getting back in operation quickly that I'm a satisfied customer.
The quirks will haunt you, though. And now and then give you a straty like a flashing red light in the rear view mirror. Like the task name file name thing. If there's a tib when you load the program that wasn't in the database before you loaded it, then it will show up with the filelname as the apparent task name. So, even ati has a hard keeping the two concepts distinct, which only adds to our confusion. Worse, 'task name' isn't quite the concept either; it's reportedly 'data set', except there are instructions attached, but only sometimes.
A number of people I've met or worked with that are very expericned with PCs, coding, backups, and ati have said somthing to the effect, "After driving all over the road with ati, I think finally I can see where the program designer was going; that I understand where the road leads. But every time I think I have it down, I drive the car over the curb or into the gravel.
As Winston Curchill might have said, ati is the worst form of backup/disk imaging program except for everything else we've tried.
I too am an experienced longtime backup user even going back to DOS and OS/2 days. As such I have used several backup tools but had not used Acronis since version 7 which I think I used in Windows XP or perhaps earlier. I remembered it being dependable which is why I decided to try Acronis on a new laptop running Windows 7.
I've also tested its restore capabilities and feel good about it. But the interface is far too confusing and the quirks are really unnecessary and confidence shaking. The Windows 7 B/U is too simple for my needs but I remember the backup and restore interfaces in the rival Macrium Reflect and Paragon Backups as being much more straightforward and clear and I did not encounter the weird naming and other quirks I find in Acronis - which is why I do not understand why they still exist.
I do like the ability to restore individual files but believe the competing products do that too.
Anyway, I will continue with Acronis for now since dependability is the most important feature in a backup product. But they really should fix them and look at the competition for a more logical interface - at least as a alternative screen. The bells ad whistles (some of which do not work well according to other messages) are not what people want. Backing up and restoring (not "recover") should be what the interface is about without dealing with name problems or other ambiguities (calling a backup "incremental" when the first backup is really a full b/u).
One should be able to dependably name a backup "c_full" or "e_partial" with the machine and date automatically appended by user selected default without needing to check if the name took or not.
Just my 2 cents.
I have a backup named DISK J BACKUP ONSITE01 that I have been running for about 11 days now. It was set to do a full backup and 8 incrementals so that I would have a new full backup every 10 days. The file names have been "DISC J BACKUP ONSITE01(1).tib", "DISC J BACKUP ONSITE01(1)2.tib", etc. I expected when it was time for a new full backup the file name would be "DISC J BACKUP ONSITE01(2).tib". However, the name Acronis chose was "DISC J BACKUP ONSITE01(1)9.tib". When I saw the backup start with this name I thought it was not doing a full backup and canceled it, forced a full backup by changing the backup type to full - but it still used this name even though it did a full backup. The proper versions, etc. seem to be in place, but the file names are just not what I thought they would be.
I did not see this thread about not ending the backup name with a digit before I named my backups. Is that what is causing this naming situation, or am I just mistaken on how backup naming works? I did a fair amount of testing before setting up production backups but was never able to really figure out Acronis' naming strategy. I'd see names without any (1) in the name, and subsequent backups with (2), etc. in the name. Any light that can be shed would be appreciated to help me better understand naming.
You'll drive yourself crazy trying to fathom the name-numering in ati. They're just tags ati maks to track the files--ways of ensuring each is unique. It's more intuitive in ati2013
Thanks for your reply Scott. I did come to the amusing conclusion you pointed out when I was running tests before production: that there was no rhyme or reason, I couldn't count on any naming conventions, and I would just have to accept whatever Acronis decreed at the moment. But I was lured back into puzzlement because I did think when a new full version was performed that some sort of new numbering was started. The naming is confusing enough I include the name of each backup in my own log, LOL.
I have owned 12 only two weeks, didn't know 13 was ready to release though I doubt if it would have made a difference as I needed a solution better than Win 7 THEN. I did get a pretty good price, now I know why, LOL.
I don't use any of the fancy features like continuous backup, cloud storage, synching. Now that I'm finally set up and in a routine, it seems to be working very well. I even do an image restore to an extra hard dick I put in a docking station every week or so and test it on the fly. Works great and there's a great sense of comfort having that extra disk image on the shelf!
Care to comment on 13, and do you see any reason a plain vanilla user like me should upgrade?
You might be ablr to upgrade t no charge. check out the website.
Thanks for the heads up. I purchased in the right time frame but don't have a receipt as I bought locally and lost the receipt in the flurry of my distress, LOL. I did register the product the day I bought it and have written Acronis to see if they will allow the upgrade. Appreciate your taking the time to tell me I might be eligible for the upgrade.
Part of the new naming features of 2013.
An extract:
"New backup naming rules - By default, True Image 2013 creates for each backup task a folder with a backup task name and keeps in this folder all related backups.
A backup filename always contains a task name, a backup method, a backup number, and a sequential file number (if the backup is split into several files, the suffixes will be v1, v2, etc.).
Optionally you may add to the name date, time, etc. by adding the appropriate macros."
An example of what 2013- will add to the end of your personalized tib file name (if the task calls for full +incremental files)
_full_b1_s1_v1.tib
_inc_b1_s2_v1.tib
_inc_b1_s3_v1.tib