Can Acronis prompt for a portable drive to be connected, rather than fail with an error?
Although I run regular backups to a NAS, I would also (for added protection against ransomware attacks) like to have scheduled backups to a removable USB drive, which I only connect when a backup is due to start. It needs to be scheduled, else I will persistently fail to remember to do it! And it needs to very hassle-free so I don't put off doing it! Just connect the drive and away it goes ideally.
So if Acronis determines a backup needs to start but recognises the drive is not accessible, it would be a really nice feature to have an option on a per backup-config basis, where it prompts the user with a pop-up dialog to connect the drive? I've not found such an option - is there one somewhere?
If not is there a workaround way of doing it that is not too clunky?
It would be a very nice feature to have if it's not already available somewhere.
Barry, you can employ a workaround to achieve your purpose by using the regular Windows Task Scheduler to prompt you to connect your external USB drive, and having a backup task configured in the ATI GUI which will run when the drive is connected.
For the task scheduler, the following Powershell script will present a pop-up message box asking for the USB drive to be connected.
File name: ConnectBackupDrive.ps1
# -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Use Action:
# c:\windows\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -file pathto\ConnectBackupDrive.ps1
# to use in Windows Task Scheduler -
# Change 'pathto' to the actual path where the file is stored, i.e. C:\ConnectBackupDrive.ps1
# Lines starting with # are comments or non-executing unless the # is removed.
# -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Add-Type -AssemblyName PresentationCore,PresentationFramework
$ButtonType = [System.Windows.MessageBoxButton]::OK
$MessageboxTitle = "Connect USB Drive for Backup!"
$Messageboxbody = "Please connect the external USB backup drive"
$MessageIcon = [System.Windows.MessageBoxImage]::Exclamation
[System.Windows.MessageBox]::Show($Messageboxbody,$MessageboxTitle,$ButtonType,$messageicon)
To use the above script, launch the Windows Task Scheduler then click on 'Create Basic Task' to start a new task.
Give the new task a name, i.e. Connect USB Backup Drive , then click on Next.
Select when the task should be run, i.e. Weekly, click on Next.
Select which day and time for the task.
Select the Action: Start a program.
Copy & Paste the following line into the Program / Script entry box:
c:\windows\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -file D:\Powershell\MessageBox\ConnectBackupDrive.ps1
Note: change the above to the correct location for your ConnectBackupDrive.ps1 file.
Click on Next, then on Yes on the new pop-up shown for how to handle the text pasted in.
Click on Finish then on Properties and check that all the settings are correctly shown.
Test the script by clicking on Run.
Create your new backup task to go to the USB drive (connect the drive to do this).
On the Schedule page, select Upon event, and When an external device is connected, plus also Once a Day Only.
Once the task is created, you can either click on Back up now, or Back up later.
Many thanks. Added to wish list.
Will ponder other options. Is it possible to trigger Acronis backups from the command line?
Edit: X-posted with Steve. Many thanks, will investigate your suggestion.
Sorry for the delay getting back here. In the end I went for something a bit different. Please see post #179 in the wishlist forum, https://forum.acronis.com/comment/536349#comment-536349.