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"backup archive file is corrupted" ... only it really isn't, but something is very wrong

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Hi!

I would like to go thru my decade old work backups, but whenever I try to mount any of the .tib files (yes, the last one of each backup), Acronis keeps reporting my backups to be corrupted (see attachments). I don't remember what version we used back then or what OS. It was either XP or Win 7. I own Acronis True Image Wester Digital Edition, but I didn't use it at work back then.

I have many GB, many dozens of backups (.tib) and all have .md5 checksums. Neither file shows any corruption as all md5 checksums check ok.

 

I tried:

Acronis True Image Home 2021 trial in Win 10

Acronis True Image Home 2021 trial in Win 10, clean OS installation

Acronis True Image Wester Digital Edition 14.192 in Win 7, clean OS installation

Acronis True Image Home 2012 trial in Win 7, clean OS installation

 

Every time and with every backup the result is the same-the message mentioned above.

Any idea, pls?

Many thanks in advance!

Best regards,

K

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K T, welcome to these public User Forums.

See KB 2201: Support for OEM Versions of Acronis Products which applies to all OEM versions of ATI supplied with hardware purchases.

ATI 2021 (trial or otherwise) should be backwards compatible with all previous versions of ATI providing the backup archives are complete and valid, but I do not know if having archives created by any of the OEM versions of ATI would make any difference here?  I would hope that there would not be an issue with backups created by the OEM versions but this isn't mentioned in the backup compatibility document (see link in my signature) and this isn't anything I have ever tested. (I have never used any of the OEM versions of ATI).

First question / suggestion:

Have you performed a Validation of any of your older backup archive chains using ATI 2021.

Each backup file (.TIB or .TIBX [2020 & later versions]) contain embedded checksum values which validation recalculates and compares to determine if there is any change in the files since they were created.

If you haven't tried validating these files, then please do this.

Next, rather than trying to Mount these backup files, which can only be actioned for backups that contain either a Disk image or Partition(s), have you tried opening them in Explorer by simply 'double-clicking' on the file?  If the file opens, this should allow you to explore the contents as if it were mounted (but without needing to allocate a drive letter).

Hi Steve!

Thanks for your reply.

re: ...but I do not know if having archives created by any of the OEM versions...

My backups were created with a full versions of ATI.

I will try validating when I get to the archives later this week, but I don't see the point. Considering the number of archives and md5 checksums being ok. I will try it anyway though.

Same with double clicking.

Best regards,

Karel

Karel, when you speak of md5 checksums, these are calculated outside of ATI so only indicate that the checksum is the same as when that calculation was done, not that the contents of the backup archive are valid etc.

ATI validation doesn't use those md5 values - it reads the embedded checksum values stored in each block of the backup archive, recalculates those values and compares them to ensure that each block of the file remains as written by the backup task.

One further thought, if you know what older version of ATI created the old backup files, then another option would be to download an ISO image for the rescue media from that older version from your Acronis Account pages and try opening the backups with that media when booting from it.  This assumes that you have registered the older ATI serial numbers to your account.

Hi Steve,

I understand the difference taht you describe in the first two paragraphs. My point is: I worked with those images in the past and they worked. Now they don't. But the md5s tell me, the problem is not faulty image files.

Sadly I don't remember the version of ATI we used and it was certainly not registered to my name as it was a company's software.

Still, this should not be the issue. IMO the new version of ATI should be able to mount those old images w/o a problem.

Best regards,

Karel

Karel, the Backup Archive Compatibility document confirms that later versions of ATI should be able to work with backups created by older versions but this will always be conditional on those backup images being valid and complete. Mounting an image requires a partition in the image to be possible and should be possible if the image file can be opened and browsed in Explorer or via the Recovery page in the ATI GUI (after adding to the Backup list via using 'Add existing backup').

Thanks for the information, Steve. I will get to it later this week and I will let you know. I have so many backups it's not possible for all of them to be broken.

Best regards,

Karel

Hi, Steve, and anyone interested.

Update:

Tried Validating archive in Win 10, the result was the same as Mounting. BTW finding these two functions in ATI 2021 took me about 20 minutes :-/

tried these:

Win10 x64 clean install ATI 2021 fail
Win 7 x64 clean install ATI 2009 archive corrupted
  ATI 2012 archive corrupted
  ATI WD 13 archive corrupted
ATI 2012 boot DVD   archive corrupted
Win 7 x86 clean install ATI 6 cannot assign drive letter
  ATI 7 not enough priviliges
  ATI 9 fail
  ATI 2012 fail
Win XP clean install ATI 7 SUCCEEDS

So much for ATI, really :-(

Karel

Karel, one important point about the Backup archive compatibility document is that it does not reference any archives created by versions prior to ATI 11, so if your backup was created by ATI 7 as indicated by being able to successfully validate with that version of ATI.

Steve, I am pretty sure, the version of ATI we used was different, but the interface looked very similar to v7. I have downloaded several trials, including 2009-12 so I can test them just for fun of it before I get rid of the (unactivated) Win XP installation. I will post my findings here.

:)

K

Hi Steve and anybody interested.

First of all, the ATI 7 trial had no problems with my old backups (see attachment).

Then I uninstalled it and tried the version closest to 11, which was 2009 12.0.0 build9809. This one failed just like the rest of ATIs that I tested before including 2021. Again see attached screenshots.

I think your assumption is correct, Steve, and there is compatibility break at version 11.

It's like zip or rar could not open your archives from 2010, LOL.

BTW while researching my problems with ATI, I googled quite a number of people trying to figure out the meaning of the same error messages that troubled me. I've googled no answer for any one of them. Sad :'(

Oh well.

Hope this helps someone.

Thanks for chat, Steve.

Best of luck and strong health!

:)

Karel

 

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Karel, one option that is open to you as you are able to open the very old .tib file in ATI 7 would be to recover it to a spare drive, then make a new image in a later version of that drive!

If you have a virtual machine option using VMware or VirtualBox etc, then you could restore the .tib to a VM disk by booting the VM using the ATI 7 boot ISO.

Steve, that's right, but I don't need to do that. I just wanted to open the old backups and see what's inside. Obviously, since it took so much effort, there is nothing useful, LOL. No wonder after all those years. But at least I can trash the backups with ease of mind.

Regards,

Karel