File backup - too bad
One of the reasons I chose ATI was so I might eventually be able to use the "File backup" feature to back up important files to blu ray media. I finally decided to set it up and see how it might work.
Bam! Right off the bat I ran into a problem. You can't select the desktop to back up all files at that location. The File backup system utilizes the desktop as the highest location, so when you place a check mark on the desktop, everything on the computer is selected. This happens even if you go into the file system and select the actual directory.
I do not understand why software would be designed to work like this, and I have every reason to believe that this is just one problem out of many others I'd run across. But this one alone is a deal breaker for me. :(
I will probably end up spending $80 on an updated version of software I've used in the past. Sadly, ATI just slipped a bit more for me with regard to future upgrades.
Aye, but then the problem arises that if a new file is placed on the desktop it won't be backed up...
Ok try it this way. (see screenshot below)
- Clear all default/old check marks
- On top at the left panel you will find a green plus sign which says 'Add Category'. Click on it and create a category
- Place the check mark on the category and select it by clicking on it.
- At the right side panel add category source. Like for example: C:\Users\UserName\Desktop
- Below that you can specify what data and file names/types.
- Enter other usual task details at the bottom panel.
- Save
WOW,
If I put all the files and folders that I wanted to back up on my "desk top", I would not have any free space left on my desktop... even with a 24 inch screen....
I much prefer to organize data files in folders which are so much easier to include in a backup scheme.
Of course, file targets could still be placed on the desktop for quick access.
@Perdido Beach
No, no... It's not like that at all. I have about 6TB worth of hard drive space in my computers and on network drives and I back up files in many different locations. But, if I'm working on a quick project I may work with it on the desktop for a few days before either deciding it's a bigger project than I originally thought it would be or finishing it and moving it to a storage location. Or I might drag shortcuts to the desktop which I don't want to save permanently but might need for the next few days or something. Because I may often have short term data on the desktop that's important to me I like to have the files in the desktop folder backed up 2-3 times per week, incrementally, along with many other files and/or folders in several different locations.
@Rajan
An interesting workaround - I didn't even realize user categories could be added! The only problem this doesn't address is you apparently can't exclude specific files from a backup location in a user category, only file types.
As an aside, I haven't run tests yet to see if you can select a folder in file backup in the regular manner, then unselect a specific file so it won't be included, but any additional files added to that folder would be included in the backup. That is how good file backup programs work, however.
Your information (and thank you for the screenie btw) gives me something I can work with until I can afford something more robust, unless you have yet another magical idea to address excluding specific files. ;)
EDIT:
Btw, I just noticed when you add a category you can rename it to whatever you want by selecting the user category created and hitting F2. I also noticed a (possibly small) problem. If you use this method to back up the desktop and that is the only selection you want to use the program doesn't let you save the backup. You have to select something outside categories first.
EDIT 2:
I finally got ATI to accept a file backup scheme using your method to back up only the desktop and it let me save the scheme. I'm not sure what the dealie is yet. But, I ran the backup and it worked, creating a full backup. I'm having a few issues which may just be due to what I'm used to being different, but at this point you've gotten me past an initial roadblock which will allow me to continue working with this to see if it might work for me. THANK YOU, Rajan. I'll post back to this thread after I've had some time to set this up and test it out further.
Glad to know it help you, Gork. I also get to learn more about the software.
.
You can also just double click on the name to edit.
To be able to save any one category has to be selected AND you have to give it a backup name below.
For excluding files I tested with the regular Exclusions feature below and it worked fine. Note: if no file extension is specified then it excludes all files with the same name ignoring the type of extension (see screenshot below)
Yet another thing I didn't think of - another workaround, if you will. I think in most instances that would work fine for me, but if I run across a directory of say 100 files and need to exclude 20 of them THAT would be a bit of a headache. But this just may work... I set up a file backup and it has been running for way too long, only 36% complete. I didn't think I was backing up all that much! When it's done I'll play with the exclusions technique you suggested.
If I can verify ATI will handle these file backups to my NAS properly for a few weeks, perhaps I'll order that Blu-ray writer I've been eyeballing and get rolling with some off site backup storage! I've read the user manual where it indicates ATI is compatible with BD-RE media, but it does not indicate for sure if it is compatible with 2, 3 & 4 layer blu-ray disks. For now all I'd need is compatibility with 2 layer blu-rays, which is a good thing seeing as the cost of the 3 and especially 4 layer media is sky high right now!
Thank you more times, though you've made me feel a little dumb. ;)
Rajan,
Nice workaround for this desktop selection that is a plague of the current build!
I'm still testing, but so far backups are running fine. I'll be very interested to see if my cleanup settings work properly. One thing that's driving me CRAZY though is an issue which plagued ATI when making images for most of my ATI 2011 life. A VERY VERY slow response when opening up the file backup to edit backup settings. Though that is no longer a problem when I use an image backup, when I use a file backup to the same NAS the old problem returns. It takes maybe 3 minutes upon clicking edit before the proper window opens up. Once it's set up and I don't have to edit the backup often it should work fine.
However, I'm checking into other imaging tools and will probably end up switching at some point. The one currently at the top of my list doesn't have a robust file backup system, but I have found a separate file backup program I'm impressed with.
I still plan on pulling this thread up again if/as things progress with my testing...
Does this fix work for you?
Interesting - haven't known about hotfixes being released this way. Rajan's method is working for me, though I'm not sure if Acronis' solution for file backups is going to work for me due to the problem I noted in my last post with regard to accessing network storage locations being slow.
I'm a little concerned about downloading a hotfix for ATI since there isn't a corresponding hotfix for PP which I have installed. What do you think?
The latest oddity I've found is a message that my last backup failed. The log indicates an error reading a single file I back up from my NAS. "This operation is supported only when you are connected to the server." Well, I WAS connected to the server as indicated by all the other files which were backed up from the server!
In addition, since Acronis' solution to prevent the computer from shutting down during a backup doesn't work, I run pre/post commands to do the same thing. The post command never ran, presumably due to this error which shouldn't have happened, and my computer remained on all day instead of shutting down as it should have. Come on now! The post command SHOULD run, even if there isn't an error. And in best case, as other backup solutions work, you should be given the choice to run pre/post commands if the backup errors out.
Not sure if this is related, but I have two errors in the log, each repeated once, during a period of time when no backups should have been occurring. "Error occurred while opening the file" and "Class not registered". Huh?
Ok, I've figured out what is causing two of the errors which show up in the log. BUT I have no idea WHY it's causing the errors. As noted, in addition to an image backup, I have this file backup set up and have been testing it out. Both the image and file backup save to a Linux file server. With the exception I noted above, where the log indicated one file was locked when it wasn't and how this caused the Post-command to not run, I have had no problems.
HOWEVER, when I click to edit backup settings, it takes anywhere from a few to 30+ seconds for the corresponding window to pop up. (As noted in one of my previous posts.) After doing this ATI logs two errors in the log:
Error occurred while opening the file.
Class not registered
I do not receive any similar errors when I attempt to edit the settings for the image backup, and the corresponding window which opens when I click to edit the settings on that backup opens up immediately.
Did you use the fix? I didn't install it because I am using some other software for file backup now.
Interestingly there is a similar issue with 2012 if you select the Documents folder, and I am going to try Rajan's workaround to see if it works there.
I haven't downloaded the fix for the Documents folder yet - I posted my concern above, which was, addressed to you:
"I'm a little concerned about downloading a hotfix for ATI since there isn't a corresponding hotfix for PP which I have installed. What do you think?"
I'm saddened, though not surprised, to learn this issue is still aparent in 2012. :(