Acronis True Image 2012 Refuses to Do Back-Up on Shut Down
I bought an Upgrade Acronis True Image 2012 as my back up software a week ago - but despite endless attempts - neither Acronis tech support nor I can make this version carryout the "Back-Up on Shutdown" as scheduled - we have been working on the problem for week but NO RESULT
My Acronis Back Up software just refuses to recognise the “Back Up on Shut Down” command.
I can get it to carry out back ups manually and on Start Up, or at any time / date I select – but it just doesn’t see / recognise “Shutdown” – so when I shut down the computer – instead of going off and doing its scheduled back up – it just shuts down without doing anything.
The system I have runs Windows XP with a:
Floppy drive @ A,
Internal HDD (250 Gb) @ C,
DVD R/W @ D,
DVD R/W @ E and
2Tb external HDD @ G (this is the back up destination drive)
I have 8 USB 2 ports on the back and the only things connected to them are my 2 Lexmark printers:
A Lexmark X8300 on USB 002 described as Virtual Printer Port for USB, &
A Lexmark Z12 on USB 003 described as Virtual Printer Port for USB
Dive F is the card reader on my Lexmark X8300 printer
I also have a 4 port USB 3 expansion card installed, but my new Seagate 2Tb external HDD is the only thing connected to the USB 3 expansion card ports
As a last resort, yesterday, I stripped ATI 2012 from my computer and downloaded a fresh copy from the Acronis web site, re-loaded and activated. Then, just in case there might have been a issue with my external HDD backups - I stripped all past Back Ups from my external HDD and did a complete fresh reconfigure of the freshly loaded copy of ATI 2012.
Then I did a 1st clean full backup of both my C Drive and my emails with the ATI 2012 configured to do a differential back up of my emails "On Log Off" and to do a differential back up of my "C" drive on shut down.
This morning I turned on my computer and when I shut down through Windows - It just shut down immediately again - without carrying out any of my scheduled backups!! This is a real PiA and I can't understand what is wrong as my previous version, Acronis True Image 2010, - would carryout "Backups on Shutdown" without any problems
Have any other ATI 2012 users had this problem - or does anyone have any suggestions as to what is wrong
Tks GroverH -
I am currently forced to do my backups manually and have a "Post It Note" stuck to my computer to remind me to do so, but I have to open ATI, then run the back ups then close it before I shut down. I recall my older versions of ATI had a "short cut" button that activated a backup as soon as you clicked on it without having to start up ATI.
If there was some way to get an automatic back up on shutdown to work - I'll try anything bit am only an amateur at computers - so where would I find the instructions / text inputs to do these things??
No time for a response tonight. Will respond tomorrow night.
Hi Phil,
Understand there are multiple ways of performing this chore. Here is one of those ways.
Overview:
Create a new TI backup task. It can be scheduled or non-scheduled. It can be full or with incrementals or differential type backups. Task should point to a new and empty target folder.
We will create a batch file containing the shutdown commands and the batch(cmd) file will be added to the TrueImage backup task using the Pre/post post command. After the actual backup has been completed, Aronis will run the batch cmd file and the batch file will execute the actual shutdown commands. NONE of the TrueImage shutdown commands should be selected.
1. Create a desktop shortcut so user can abort the shutdown if desired.
Right click on a blank spot on your desktop and select the option "New" and select the "Shortcut" option. Paste this command into the command window
%windir%\system32\shutdown.exe -a
Click Next and assign a name to the shortcut, such as "Stop Delayed Shutdown."
Click Finish and suggest you drag the desktop shortcut icon to the lower left corner of your screen or some other convenient location.
2. Create a shutdown batch cmd file.
a. Open Notepad and paste this command into Notepad including the quotes.
%windir%\system32\shutdown.exe -t 300 -f -s -c "Delayed SHUTDOWN in Progress"
b. Save the file as C:\WINDOWS\Timed-shutdown.CMD
c. Close Notepad
3. Start TrueImge Home. Create a new TrueImage backup task. (Note: During creation of the task, move the various windows to the right so the desktop shortcut created in step 1 is always accessible.)
Create a TI backup task. It can be scheduled or non-scheduled. It can be full or with incrementals or differential type backups.
A. During the creation of this task, at some point you will be inside the "disk backup options" inside the "advanced" tab.
B. Select the "Pre/post Command" option
C. Checkmark the "use custom" box
D. Inside the POST command window, Click the Edit option
E. Inside the open explorer window, Browse to "c:\Windows" folder and select the file Timed-shutdown.cmd
Click "Open" to cause the file to be selected and close Window. You should see the "C:\Windows\Timed-shutdown.CMD" appearing in the POST command window. It the file name appears in the PRE COMMAND window, it must be deleted from the Pre window and placed in the Post window.
F. Click the Test button. Shutdown command should appear on top of all the open screens. Double click on the "Stop Timed Shutdown" desktop icon created in step-1 to cancel the test shutdown command--assuming that the stop icon is visible and accesable as suggested in
G. Click OK to save the changes to the Pre/post post command and continue with your backup task creation. Do NOT use any shutdown command associated with the TrueImage options.
H. Upon task completion, SAVE the task via the "Back up Later" option.
4. Once task is saved, hover the mouse pointer over the lower right hand corner of the task window--just below the "Backup Now" button and the "settings" option should appear.
Right click on the Settings option; Select the "more" option and click on the "create shortcut" option. This action will cause a shortcut to be added to our desktop with the same name as assigned to the task.
5. Close the edit settings window and Close TrueImage
------------------------------------------------
Now, if all (both you and me) has been completed satisfactorily, pressing the task desktop shortcut should cause the backup to begin and upon completion of backup, the post command shutdown instructions should cause a timed shutdown to begin. The timed shutdown can be cancelled with the stop desktop shortcut. Note: you may want to change the stop icon to a different icon which is more prominent for easy identification.
General information about shutdown commands but not totally pertinent to this posting.
http://forum.acronis.com/forum/6013#comment-13011
Note: these instructions are for Windows XP using the -symbol.
If using Vista or Win 7, substitute the / for the -, plus the file path may have to be changed.
Tks GroverH - you have gone to a lot of trouble and your help is very much appreciated.
I will have a go at what you recommend BUT I am a real computer amateur - so I guess we will see how I go - fingers crossed.
As a fall back / last resort - I still have ATI2010 which worked perfectly so if I can't get ATI 2012 to work - I will strip ATI 2012 off and reload 2010 and just wait till the Acronis tecks iron out the bugs
Tks again
Hello Philip and Grover,
Thank you for your posts and thank you very much for your help Grover.
Philip, I am very sorry for the issues that you experienced and currently you submitted a case for a refund. We are currently working on the case and if you have additional questions about it, please contact me directly.
Thank you.
Tks Anton & Grover
I had a serious effort at following Grover's detailed instructions - but as I said - I am a total computer amateur - and I could not get the
"shutdown batch cmd file" to go into the right places. And being a bit scared to mess with computer coding - I elected to revert to my old copy of ATI 2010.
I have stripped ATI 2012 from my computer and reinstalled ATI 2010 and all is working perfectly. It now backs up & validates my email file in about 2 minutes on start up and backs up & validates my C drive on shut down - so all is working as it should with ATI 2010.
Hopefully the Acronis Tech team will come up with a fix / patch in the futture - and I will relook at upgrading then.
Sorry it did not work out for you. If I am interpreting your remarks, you had trouble with Notepad saving the file--is that correct?
If that was the issue, did the type
C:\WINDOWS\Timed-shutdown.CMD
directly into the open save window or did you try to browse where to save it?
My suggestion was a direct typing of the full path into the open save window so I am looking for confirmation so that others might use the same instructions.
Thanks very much for your help.
Hi Grover & tks again for all your help
I copied the text to note pad and then saved in C:\WINDOWS\Timed-shutdown.CMD. When I went into the Post Commands bit and hit edit - I was presented with 3 boxes and wasn't to sure where things had to go. I had a go at putting the C:\WINDOWS\Timed-shutdown.CMD into the 1st box - but when I went into browse to find it in C:\Windows - it wasn't there or at least I couldn't find it - so I got scared that I was about to screw things up - so "chickened out" and abandoned the task
As I said - I am a complete amateur when it comes to computers - and messing abbout with "code" is a bit beyond my skills level
This is what I was attempting to achieve with my instructions. The instructions also applicable in versions 2010-2011-2012.
Hi Grover & tks again for all your help
Understand - but I am just not smart enough to tackle heavey duty messing about with computers - without a "wizard" I'm lost!! :(
As I mentioned earlier, I have stripped ATI 2012 from my computer and reinstalled ATI 2010 and all is working perfectly.
It now backs up & validates my email file in about 2 minutes on start up and backs up & validates my C drive on shut down in about 10 minutes and shuts down my computer without any supervision / inputs from me - so all is working as it should with ATI 2010.
Hopefully the Acronis Tech team will come up with a fix / patch in the futture - and I will relook at upgrading then
Hi Grover - Just another question if you would please
In the attched screen shot of the Short cut - Is this what the shortcut inputs should look like ??? Of have I got the text etc in the wrong places??
General information about shutdown commands but not totally pertinent to this posting.
http://forum.acronis.com/forum/6013#comment-13011
The start in window will be filled in by the program--no user input necessary on the Start in window.
The target window should contain the info below and it can be copied from the posting and pasted into the window.
%windir%\system32\shutdown.exe -a
Other things about the shortcut are wrong. I suggest you delete this shortcut and start again as below. Read carefully.
1. Create a desktop shortcut so user can abort the shutdown if desired.
Right click on a blank spot on your desktop and select the option "New" and select the "Shortcut" option. copy the command below into your clipboard. Paste this command into the shortcut command window
%windir%\system32\shutdown.exe -a
Click Next and assign a name to the shortcut, such as "Stop Delayed Shutdown."
Click Finish and suggest you drag the desktop shortcut icon to the lower left corner of your screen or some other convenient location.
Tks Grover - Will do - Your help is much appreciated