Acronis won't run them simultaneously. Just schedule the second backup for a minute (or whatever you want) after the first and it will then run when the first one is done.

Hello:

I have a similar question.  I think BruoC's response should answer my question, but please let me restate it and confirm that I understand BrunoC's response correctly.

I am using True Image 2018 without cloud features, on a Windows 10 Pro Dell Precision 5510.  I want to run two backup jobs in sequence.  Each has been configured and runs well by itself.  The first is scheduled for 2 AM or so, when I am hopefully asleep.  However the time the first takes varies considerably, depending on whether it is doing the first of a series of backups, or incremental additions.  I was looking for a way, using the post command option, to call a batch or command line that would run the second.  However, I could not find any way to do that, because it seems that there is no way an external script or batch file can initiate a command line start of a specific backup job.  Have I missed the details on how to write something that will accomplish this, that works on Window 10?

Regardless, if I understand BrunoC correctly, I don't need a pre or post command.  I just schedule the second backup I want to run some time after the first is scheduled - say 10 minutes, although a minute would be adequate.  Because TI2018 will not run two backups at once, the second will run after the first is finished, without the need to use the Post Command option or any scripts or batch files.

1) Is this correct?

2) Does the second backup start when the first is completely done, including the verification, or after the backup is complete but before the verification phase? (I run verifications on all my backups at the time they are made).  I'd rather not have the machine trying to do verifications while it is running another backup job on a different drive.

3) Can TI 2018 be run unattended with command line options at all?  I read somewhere in the forums that this feature has been removed from ATI after TI 2014.

4) Are there any other ways to initiate a TI job after the conclusion of other events, like the completion of the job, that are not within the defined "events" listed within the scheduling options?  (The completion of a different job is not an "event" that can be used to start another job in that portion of backup options, at least as I read the manual).

Thank you,
BobC

Bob, all ATI backup tasks are purely sequential, so if you schedule 2 tasks to run even 1 minute apart, then the first will start and the second will be queued to run after the first has completed.  So there is no need to use a post command for this purpose.

Any task is whatever you have choosen to do, so if you include validation, the task is not complete until that whole process has run.  Personally, I do not do validation after a backup task as find that it does not add any real value other than taking a long time (dependent on whether doing a full or incremental backup).  Validation only validates that the checksum embedded in the image file remains the same after the file has been written to the backup drive.  It does not guarantee that what was written to the file is good, only that it is unchanged!  You can run a validation at any time from the GUI or can schedule a validation to run as a separate task via the Advanced options.

You  can still run backup tasks from the command line and this is covered in the Best Practices Forum topics.

Steve: 

Thank you.  I confirmed this by setting up the two desired tasks, to run 15 minutes apart - the second "job" or "task" completed successfully after the first was successfully and fully complete, including the validation.  I don't disagree with the minimal value of the validation, but since I'm asleep at least sometime, it works for now.

No time now, but I will visit the Best Practices Forum, because I'd like to learn how to run jobs from the command line.  Something I read somewhere, I think in the Forums, but not sure which, said that this feature was deprecated after version 2014 of True Image, and available only in the business versions, so I'm glad to hear that was not correct.

Thanks again,

Bob

Bob, running an ATI task via the command line just requires you create a simple batch command file, i.e. MyBackup.bat  then put the following command in the file.

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Acronis\TrueImageHome\TrueImageLauncher.exe" /script:8C48AB5C-9D50-4F03-ADBB-73C8EA551F52

The /script: value needs to be taken from your own backup task, where you will find this in the C:\ProgramData\Acronis\TrueImageHome\Scripts folder - it is shown in the names of the .tib.tis (XML text) files stored in that folder.  You may need to open these files in Notepad to check which file is for which task.  You will see text similar to below at the top of the file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<batch>
    <version>1.0</version>
    <uuid>8C48AB5C-9D50-4F03-ADBB-73C8EA551F52</uuid>
    <display>Apache</display>

The name shown inside the <display> brackets is the task name, and the script name is shown inside the <uuid> brackets.

Bob, running from the command line is easy.

>"C:\Program Files (x86)\Acronis\TrueImageHome\TrueImageLauncher.exe" /script:xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx

where all the x's are the script ID for the backup task desired. You can find it in the folder "C:\ProgramData\Acronis\TrueImageHome\scripts". It's the name of the script file minus the .tib.tis ending.

EDIT: Sorry for the redundancy. Steve and I were typing our replies at the same time.

Hello Steve & BrunoC:

Thank you both so much.  I just wrote a nice note which disappeared because I didn't check the "i'm not a robot" soon enough.  But suffice it to say you both have solved my immediate and longer term problems.  In a straight forward and understandable manner, that I hadn't found trying to search the knowledgebase and the internet for hours!  I'm not too articulate when trying to describe my problems, and you cut through it and provide a clear and working answer to what I was asking about, for now and in the future!  So awesome - Thank you thank you thank you ......

Bob

You are very very welcome, Bob. Glad to have helped.

I have looked in the only "Best Practices" Forum I see, and I can find no topic whose title mentions "command line."

Just to be clear:
- I went to https://forum.acronis.com
- I clicked "Acronis True Image Discussions" to expand that heading
- I scrolled down to "Best Practices for data protection" and click that title, which takes me to https://forum.acronis.com/forum/acronis-true-image-discussions/best-pra…
- I looked through all 3 pages of topics. I see nothing mentioning "command line" nor "batch file."

So, please cite a more specific reference to this supposed article on "command line" usage.

Martin, welcome to these User Forums.

Please see my earlier post in this topic thread where all the information you need to run an Acronis backup task from the command line is given.  If you want to use a batch file, then just put the same command string in one and run it.

Thanks, but that doesn't actually address my question.

Perhaps I was not clear: I did NOT miss the explanation above on how to invoke Acronis from the command line. I see it. I read it. I understand it.

My question, again, is: Where is the article on "command line" supposedly in the "Best Practices" forum? The link you just gave me is NOT under "Best Practices."

Martin, see forum topic: 

Grover's Alternate method to shutdown computer after backup.

"Grover's Alternate method to shutdown computer after backup"?

What a great title, which anyone looking for the above-referenced "You  can still run backup tasks from the command line and this is covered in the Best Practices Forum topics" would never think to look at. I certainly didn't.

Here's a thought: Add "via a separate batch/command file" to that topic's "Grover's Alternate method" title.

Hmmm, well he did provide the link to the USER forum post about how to do this.  It's a forum thread created by another forum user long ago.  Maybe a thanks or something might encourage volunteers to dedicate more time like Steve is offering.  You're more than welcome to direct feedback directly to Acronis though using the in-app feedback submission or 

• How to get support?

Changed the title of the Grover's tutorial.

Martin, if you have feedback\ideas\concerns related to Acronis forum and it's content, feel free to address them to me.