What is going on?
I have backup that is Tuesday Thursday Saturday. It is supposed to make a full backup followed by two differentials, then start a new full. Today, when I open Acronis, I find that instead of one backup routine, it has three.
See the image where Dell_TuThSat_New_ suddenly two new backups down below that are named from the filenames Dell_TuThSat_New__b1_s1_v1.tib and Dell_TuThSat_New__b2_s1_v1(1).tib. You can also see the files in my directory where it obviously isn't following the schedule.
At this point, I guess I'll clear it out and start it from scratch, but this is just one more example of Acronis going batpoop crazy.
Sorry, I wasn't clear. My intention was to have three chains each consisting of three files (1 full and 2 difs), plus I had "keep original backup" checked, so that makes a little sense that there would be an extra full.
My point was not that I have too many chains, but 1) it magically made the chains show up in the UI instead of keeping them all under one backup scheme, 2) it did 3 fulls, then 2 diff, then a full, then 1 dif, then another full. (The files are sorted newest to oldest in the screenshot).
I thought the b2 chain was going in the right direction when I got a full and two diffs, but then when it created full_b2_s1_v1-2, I was convinced it (or I) didn't know what it was doing. At that point, it should have created another diff (diff_b3_s3_v1) by my understanding.
Les,
I will respond later but time right now is an issue.
Could you post a new picture of the storage folder so the date and time is displayed. Sort based on date/time. thank you and Merry Christmas.
Sorry, I've started over and completely removed it. They were sorted on Date/Time and were every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. So the top was Tuesday 24th, then Sat 21st, Thurs 19th, Tues 17th, Sat 14th, Thur 12th, Tues 10th, Sat 7th.
I noticed that the first two were completed at about 2:30am, while the rest were done at 12:30am, so I'm thinking that I edited the time it was scheduled somewhere in there, and that confused it. I know that one of Grover's' rules is to start over rather than editing, but I thought a little schedule change wouldn't count. :( Maybe I did something else I can't remember.
No time to reply now. Check back in a day or so.
Merry Christmas.
Grover
The backup task is created once with all the settings (scheduled or non-scheduled) you want and then saved under the "Backup later" option.
After task is completed and saved any and all future non-scheduled backups are initiated by opening the program, placing mouse pointer inside the specific backup task and clicking the "Backup now" option which is located inside task-extreme right margin. Therefore, a repetitive task requires NO repeat task creation of an identical task to backup the same data.
Regarding the backup name b1_S1_V1-2:
I have seen this type naming when
1. A restore was made (B1_S1_V1) and the next backup after the restore produced this type name. (If backup to be continued following a restore, it is better that the backup task used for the restore and all newer backup be either deleted or moved to a hidden folder. This action would make the computer look same as when the backup was created and the next backup would be created would be assigned the B1_s1_V1 name.
2. I have seen this type naming when a new backup task is created and the backup stored into the same folder as the orignal B1_s1_v1 naming.
3. If the task which created the B1_s1_V1 was edited, the changes could cause the change of naming.
Your attachment shows several active tasks but the capture shows all the details to be hidden so I am unable to see whether the task are now scheduled or non-scheduled. Should you want new tasks to be created, the "Backup now" option is available in all the tasks for the creation of new future backups manually.
http://forum.acronis.com/system/files/les-baclup_now.png
4. Also, another of my rules for task creation is that each task be assigned to its own individual folder or sub-folder so there is no intermixing of backup tasks.
PS: The last task on your capture appears to be either manual "Add to list" option or well may have been put there by the program--mistakenly. Several of the past versions have hade the problem of old backups mistakenly appearing on the GUI. It happens to me on an infrequent basis and will add as many as 50 different tasks during one use of the program. This causes both a delay and a real inconvenience while I delete each unwanted task singly. This has been reported and has received improvement but the problem is not totally resolved and the random appearances still happens.
I think we're on the same page, but your lengthy response, I'm sure will be helpful to anyone following along or looking at this later. In this case, I think there were some restores during that time period, so it could be related to #1. I'd seen that mess up chains before, but I'd forgotten about it since I hadn't done a restore in a while.
I'm still not sure how b2_s1_v1-2 came along.
I've started completely over and will keep an eye on it. Of course, I won't see that the pattern is going well for a few weeks because each chain should last a week before starting a new one.
Basically, my strategy is two image backup routines MWF and TuThSa each to a different external drive with an additional file backup on Sunday. Each diff chain lasts one week before a new full. Each backup routine runs for three or four weeks before deletion depending on the size of the target drive.
Merry Christmas