Full Backup / Custom option / Automatic Cleanup is failing to cleanup after itself.
There may be a better way to do this;
I have created a schedule to do a full backup every day. The backup options include activating the Automatic cleanup function that I have set to seven days.
Using the automatic function there should only be seven full backup in my backup folder. However, I think I have found a bug in this feature. It appears that if you restore the backup from several days back the Automatic cleanup blows it's brains out and goes beyond the 7 full backups. I now have 11 full backups in my backup folder.
If I look inside the .tib backup file for backup7.tib the name of volume is backup7, and looking inside backup6 the volume name is backup6. The backups are now up to backup12. If I look inside backup10.tib I see volume backup(1), and if I look into backup11.tib I see volume backup(1), and the same for backup12.tib.
I have one task, and in the information Payne of that task it states: Version: 3 (last: Today at 1:11AM)
Is this where it tracks the backups if the automatic cleanup is activated?
It looks like it will need to create 4 more backups before the Automatic Cleanup function stats to do it's job?
I seem to restore back to a previous version every week or two for some reason. Is this what is screwing up the automatic cleanup. This is causing me to intervene on a regular basis when this should be automatic. I have 2011 on another system using the same function with no problems.
Maybe there is a better way to do this. I used to have a task for Monday-Sunday going into the same folder and Acronis blew it's brains out on a regular basis by sending all the backups to one folder. I was told top do the full backups this way as an alternative.
One improvement to maintaining the proper number of backups would be to use the helper program Chain2Gen.
If I am understanding your custom backup, you are using the "based on a time limit". Most user have reported much better success basing their retention on x number of backups. Use of time and space works has been reported as working for some but not for others. Have you tried working your task based on
x number of incrementals/differentials, and/or
x number of chains
I'm having it set to retain 7 days of full backups. This seems to be a major problem for Acronis if a restore is done.
All I want to do is set it and pretty much forget it. I have Acronis notifying me if a error occurs.
Acronis also has a problem creating 7 individual tasks and placing all the backups in a single folder. Acronis 2001 blew it's brains out on a random basis.
I'm thinking that creating unique 7 tasks and placing each tasks backup in their own unique folder is about the only way?
I want to keep 7 full backups only. What is the best way to do this that Acronis will be 100%?
Also why is notification not working in the forums....
My suggestion would be
1. A different folder for each task. This could be a different sub-folder for each task within a single backup folder.
2. If all the backups created by a single task, then you only need one folder.
3. Here is one suggested method. Change the 4 to 7 to keep 7 backups.
I'm afraid that will be too complicated for Acronis. If I just happen to restore a backup It will most likely blow it's brains out like before.
What I'm doing now is:
Created a folder in another volume, and then 7 sub-folders
Acronis
Backup_Day1
Backup_Day2
Backup_Day3
Backup_Day4
Backup_Day5
Backup_Day6
Backup_Day7
I then created 7 unique tasks using the single version scheme placing the backup in each sub-folder. It will just overwrite the previous backup. It should't be too difficult for Acroinis, but how knows.
This is an example of what I was referring to. Backs 2-6 were deleted as part of the ongoing keeping only the last 4 plus keeping the original.
I'm was previously using the 'Delete versions older then 7 days'. It does keep to the plan until I preform a restore. Then the number of backups start growing past the 7 that I have set. The only way to fix it is to delete the task, create a new folder, and create a new task.
I'm assuming the 'Delete versions older then 7 days', is tracking by the date, and what you are suggesting; 'Store no more than x recent versions' is to allow Acronis to track and delete the backups by the number of backups in the folder, and has nothing to do with the date, or days?
when you restore, are you restoring either the storage or origianl proglram disk? If so, the could explain the count being set back to what it was at the time that the restored image was created.
I'm restoring a backup that had been created a few days back. It appears that Acronis looses track, if a image from any other time then the last backup is used.
Michael,
Once a restore to a prior time is done, my procedure is to remove all my prior tasks and to start new tasks.
As much as I would like TI to be able to pick up the pieces and continue, the only way I believe that to be possible would be for the program to delete all backups with dates after that file date used for the restore. I don't know about you but I would balk very loudly about the program automatically deleting any of my backups. If backups are going to be deleted, I want to be the one doing it--based on my personal needs--not a program rule.
For example. Let assume that you have backup 1-10 and decide to restore #5. Once the restore has been made, the database which was also restored believes that #6 will be the next backup to be created. The problem is, when the program goes out to update its storage content, it now finds that backups #6-10 already exist. What should the program do? Restart with #6 and delete 6-10, or restart with #11; or start the task over from the beginning using the same retention rules--which may not be practical based on the number of old files retained.. Either choice would be wrong for many. So the problem becomes a 'catch 22".
Which solution is best? One problem the programmers would have would be finding a solution which was practical for a majority of users. For some this would be a fix but for others the fix would compound the problem.
So, for want of a practical solution, I delete the existing tasks and restart new tasks adjusting the new tasks file retention as needed based on the retention of prior backups.
It sounds like there may be two different possible scenarios. Maybe adding an option to the configure allowing the user top pick how they would like to configure the restore option?
I don't know the solution but something needs to be done.
So, what your saying is; if I use the 'Store no more than 7 recent versions' setting, and I restore backup5.tib I'm going to have to delete the task and create a new folder to store the backups in, or Acronis will increase the number of backups that is stored?
That is the method I use. The action you describe is your result and there have been similar instances reported following a restore of a backup. The program finds backups which it does not list in its database and gets confused--or at least this is how I see what happens following a restore to a prior time. Remember, I am a volunteer and offering my own opinion.
I have suggested to Acronis that we need an easy ability to tell the program via an existing task to restart with a new full but so far, this has never appeared as an option.
I may have to go back to putting each unique task into it's own sub-folder. It doesn't matter about anything other then if it finds the same .tib it deletes it and creates a new .tib.
Hopefully they find a solution to this one. What a pain...
The problem is more general. Diff ways that you might do something to or with a task and the exists backups that were made with that task might be counted separately form future backups -- almost as if you had two separate tasks (or eventually 3, 4 etc.). This problem has persisted since Acronis changed ati to the database method from the Backup Location method of setting backup rules.
I have a similar problem in that the automatic cleanup does not work in ANY of it's iterations. I have tried Store No More Than 3 Different Versions and the Delete Versions Older Than 3 Days. Neither works, neither deletes anything, and I get an error in the backup being performed. I am attaching a copy of the error log.
I have a problem with the TrueImage 2012 automatic cleanup.
I do daily FULL backups of all drives to separate folders. I have set the automatic cleanup to Store No More Than 3 Different Versions so that the backup drive does not fill up, but leaves me with usable backups.
The automatic cleanup does not work in ANY of it's iterations. I have tried Store No More Than 3 Different Versions and the Delete Versions Older Than 3 Days. Neither works, neither deletes anything, and I get an error in the backup being performed. I am attaching a copy of the error log.
I create 7 tasks, one for each day, place each task in it's own unique folder, and they overwrite when it finds the same name. On Friday I can restore from Monday, and that night it knows to overwrite the Friday backup with the new Friday backup.
I've tried MULTIPLE solutions using the scheduled backups and they always fail as soon as I restore to an earlier backup. It's a database thing cased by the inability of Acronis to solve this issue with a solution that works no matter what days version is used to restore. It was happening way before 2012 was released.
Hi Michael,
I am glad you found a solution that works.
Many users have reported that whenever a backup is restored, their backup schedule ceases to function properly after the restore.
I am curious to know more about how your backup scheme is configured.
I assume you are using the single version scheme and use the weekly schedule with each task having a different day of the week checked.
Am I understanding your procedure correctly?
Exactly, I just got tired of what was supposed to be simple by creating a single task to do the same job, which worked until I actually preformed a restore from a different day, then it's like Acronis got Alzheimer's.
I'm not sure, because it's been so long, but I think this way also had problems if all the backups were placed into the same folder.
It's been months since I've touch Acronis, even though I've preformed a restore at times.
This function seems to be just broken. I have never seen this software do an automatic cleanup. I keep two complete separate sets of backups on 2 pairs of 4TB drives.
I am regularly having to delete the backups off of one drive, and re-start the process once the drives fill up.
Acronis really needs to do something about this.
Michael Kammer,
Regarding your example:
According to your screen capture settings, the results you can expect from a new scheme which has not been edited or altered since task creation is as follows.
Each chain will be 7 files in length (1 full + 6 inc)
"Stor no more than 7 chains" means you are instructing the program to store(keep) 7 chains of 7 files each.
Automatic cleanup is not scheduled to begin until backup #50 has been campleted
After backup #50 (full, beginning chain 8) has been completed, program will ascertain that the quota of 7 chains has been exceeded and the oldest chain (chain #1 of 7 files) will be automatically deleted.
If you were expecting automatic deletion to begin prior to backup #50, you need to stop using this task and create a new task with the desired settings.
If you were expecting it to keep only 1 chain of 7 files, the "stor" number should be 1 (chain) and automatic deletion of the oldest chain would occur after backup #8 (full b2) was completed. Note, the program does not begin deletion until AFTER the replacment has been completed, making the the store number quota figure to be exceeded so deletion can be performed by the program.
Each of your backup tasks should have its own individual storage folder or sub-folder.
A review of this link can help.
AGH-1. 64640: Do's & Don'ts--Hints to help prevent issues with your TIB backup files creation. New
Anothere example of a scheme:
GH12. Create Custom Incremental Backup Scheme. 6 Inc, Keep 4 chains. The 6-4 is an example only with user choice for whatever number of chains to be retained best fits the individual needs.
Perhaps, once your computer has recovered, you go back the last version of your backups on the drive where they are stored, you go to:
1: C:\ProgramData\Acronis\ in the backup image,
2: you open
C:\ProgramData\Acronis\ in the recovered Windows computer
3: You pick up the "TrueImageHome" folder of the backup image (the last ...)
4: You copy it to the C:\ProgramData\Acronis\ folder in the recovered Windows computer, overwriting every file
Then, you should have the last version of the TI script database ...
Next time I recover something, I will try this before deleting existing and creating new tasks ...
Even better, I will create a daily "C:\ProgramData\Acronis\ " backup that will run after all the other backup tasks on my computer ! ...
If I run this backup just before a recovery, then I could recover the most recent copy of the TI script database, just after having recovered my computer or recovered something else ! ...
So this recovery of the TI scripts will be pretty automated and I will not have, I hope, the trouble of deleting and recreating all my backup tasks just after a recovery of some kind ! ...
If this works, it should be included in the TI recovery process: at the beginning of the recovery, a snapshot of the TI script database is taken, the recovery goes on, and after it is completed, the snapshot of the TI script database is recovered ! ...
I will try this right now ! ...