Full Backup While Working

As Acronis True Image use Snapshot technology, there should be no issues using common end-user applications while performing a backup. It means you can backup your system and run regular end-user applications. The state that will be backed up is the state at the time of the start of the backup.

Don't try to change disk partitions during a backup.

Personally, I tend to be on the safer side: I run backups when the computer is idle, and make sure that no disk maintenance task (like disk defragmentation, disk clean up, disk error checking, etc.) is overlapping.

PAT
Thanks for the reply and the mention of "like disk defrag...." etc. for that is something I have heard and should always remember. Repitition helps the memory! I, as you, prefer the safer side because it just feels right and safe. However, sometimes I am doing a CAD rendering over night and really feel a desperate need to have a Full BackUP or at least an incremental. To know that I can render and do a backup makes me feel a little more safe.

The imaging process ignores the page file, and takes care of open data files. If the rendering of your model happens within data files, the RAM and the page file, you can image the disk without problem. The image will reflect the state at the beginning of the backup, which might be after, during or before your rendering completes.
Otherwise you might be able to use command lines, maybe in combination with task scheduler to run your rendering and then call the backup or vice versa. You could also use ATI and pre-commands to start and finish your rendering before your backup starts.

Pat L wrote:

Personally, I tend to be on the safer side: I run backups when the computer is idle, and make sure that no disk maintenance task (like disk defragmentation, disk clean up, disk error checking, etc.) is overlapping.

Pat... this has been one of my concerns... I run Diskeeper Professional on my PC and its a background task that defrags whenever it needs to. I'm interested in guidance from someone knowledgable about the best practices for using Acronis to back up on a system that uses Diskeeper's automatic functionality.

Ive heard that incremental partition / disk backup sizes can get much larger if a defrag runs prior to the backup. So would a better approach be to schedule defrags just prior to "Full" backups and not run defrags between incrementals... if backup storage space is a concern?

James

I am interested in knowing more info about the best method of deframentation coordination also.

It is typically recommended to run a defrag before a full image backup. Of course, this doesn't matter if you choose file backups. Running a defrag before an incremental or differential backup will add "unnecessary" changes to the images and that will result in an increased size for that incremental/differential.

If you're running a continuous defrag program, the actual changes to the drive between backups is probably minimal. Most problems occur because it's been a long time between defrags and a lot of data gets moved. Moving small amounts of data around is not very different from the normal use pattern of the computer (Windows is always reading/writing/moving).

Whenever I get into the situation where the computer is doing something that I don't want to (or can't) interrupt, I usually just let the backup continue normally. I have several daily backups so if one of them fails I'm not going to really be bothered by it. I don't think I've ever had any normal backups fail because of "using" the computer. I have had some image backups fail when I deliberately stressed the system beyond norms in an attempt to make it fail (for example, backing up an encrypted partition in an encrypted state while deleting/copying/defragging the same partition in a decrypted state). Note that even though the backup failed, there wasn't any corruption to the system.

Good comments all !!!

I'm currently running 2 backup strategies... First - I do full partition backups on the last day of the month. Second, I have a daily "file" backup that runs in the evening using the new version chain scheme. It only backs up my data files.

I may do ad-hoc partition backups whenever I plan to do any major maintenance or changes to my system, too.

I just wanted to ensure that the daily incrementals didn't eat up a lot of unnecessary disk storage due to having a defrag process move things around a lot. My assumption anyway was that the Acronis "File" oriented backups didn't pay any attention to physical location and just backed up files that had been created or modified (i.e. archive bit based) since the previous run... and that should not matter much from a space perspective.