Some questions - checking backup/sync/rescue disk/non-stop/folder view
Hi guys
After some research I ended up testing out Acronis true Image. I was hoping to move all my backup needs to one software but Im struggling to get this to work as I want and there is things I don't really understand. So here is some questions.
1. How can I check that a backup have backed up all files and folders?
So far I can find a log but it don't say anything about how many files/folders the source location had and how many that was backed up to destination. This is probably me just not finding it, but the log has not so much useful information, like number of files/folders, time it took to backup etc. Even basic free backup programs give reports about this things.
2. I have a sync task that I did not start, at least not on purpose and I cant delete it
This seem to be some kind of cloud sync, but I have no idea what it is syncing, no options to edit/see and I cant delete it.
what is this? how can I delete it? why is it started in the first place?
3. Is it possible to change view settings to details when exploring a backup in explorer?
When I explore a backup the default view setting inside .tib is set to "tiles". I have tried changing it by changing view settings for the "time explorer storage" or the .tib folder but nothing change. The only way I found is to manually change all folder view settings as I browse each folder, but this take way to much time. How can i change view setting to details on all folders backed up?.
4. Is it possible to enable folder context menu/properties when exploring a backup?
Also, for some reason when I go inside a .tib to explorer the normal context menu is not available. I cant for example open properties. Is there some way to enable this? This way I can at least change view settings.
5. Is it possible to do a "non-stop" "normal folder "backup with changed files stacked in destination folder (see picture below)?
I'm working with many folders and small files that I often change, move, delete etc. Sometime I have a need to go back quickly and pick up and older version of that file. If I set up a non-stop backup it saves in "time explorer location"as a -tib file. I would like to do a "non-stop" folder backup that create a normal folder in destination, and that add new versions of files when files in source directory change/get added/moved etc. Something that will look like this when I brows the folder (this is from Yadis! backup) :
6. Rescue media disk is not working for me
This is actually the first backup program I have tested that is not freeware, and it is the first of 5-6 freeware programs that the rescue disk failed on. This was a smack in the face for sure. I know there is many start-up parameters that can be included but that was never even a question in the freeware I used. They just worked out of the box, this should also do that. Why isn't this working? How can i know what start-up parameters to add without being a computer expert?
What happened was that I made a rescue CD and it said successful. It started to load and it started up Acronis True Image, but in the loading, after showing a screen or two with Acronis True Image on, it just ended in a bluish screen with a language icon down in the right corner and my mouse. Nothing more happened. I tried a few time, no luck. The only text I could read in between some windows looked like a hard disk list and one of the lines was something about raid. I don't use raid on windows partition but I have raid 0 on 2 SSD's that I use for games.
So far I like the user interface and the product seem very professional, but my experience with Acronis True image so far is that it is clearly made for business that need security and not necessarily user friendliness. Many things feels like it is out of my control and some basic user options like selecting destination folders/locations is missing in non-stop backup. All this cool features like hidden partitions and special backup formats instead of plain folders is probably great for protection against theft etc, but it just seem to put up barriers for "normal users".
But I have only used it for a day now so I hope some answers and more digging into this software will help to clear things up/make things possible. but it already used a lot of time to try to find out/do certain things, so I hope for some good answers here :)
1. How can I check that a backup have backed up all files and folders?No way to do that. In fact, there is no easy way to check what is in an incremental or differential either.
That's very bad and I can't really believe that such a simple but critical feature is not included. This cause me as a user to feel uncertain if I got all files with me. I would then end up using another software just to be sure.
This just come back to what I said in the first post, this product is not made for normal home users and is not very user-friendly.
2. I have a sync task that I did not start, at least not on purpose and I cant delete itYou could just log off your account, or disable the sync service in services.msc.
Ok, but why is it started in the first place and why can't I stop it in the software it self? Not a very good selling point for Acronis.
3. Is it possible to change view settings to details when exploring a backup in explorer?Right. No workaround there either.
hehe, thats just "insane". Who decided to keep the view setting at tiles or not to include a possibility to change view setting??
4. Is it possible to enable folder context menu/properties when exploring a backup?What you see is enable by special drivers from Acronis, and they probably didn't implement a way to use the Windows shell menu.
That's not very user friendly either... :((
5. Is it possible to do a "non-stop" "normal folder "backup with changed files stacked in destination folder (see picture below)?ATI doesn't allow you to backup the files "flat". Other backup software allows this, and I personally like it. But ATI, not.
hmm, ok, as I thought then.
6. Rescue media disk is not working for meATI default recovery medium is Linux-based so there is often some hardware support issue. Sometime, things can be worked out by changing the recovery CD boot parameters. You could upgrade to Premium to get the right to create a WinPE-based recovery medium (or, better a MustangPE based one with the Acronis WinPE plugin)
Ok, but also here there is as said earlier, there is many good freeware backup software that is working "out of the box", so no extra points for ATI here.
ATI is probably the best imaging software for core things like disk images and clone.
That can maybe be true in some aspects like security/safety, but there is many great freeware options out there that is both faster and more user-friendly. So no win for ATI here either :(
A fast non-professional review of Acronis True Image based on a few days use and testing
The good:
-Security and safety about the backups is taken to a level I have never seen before. Hidden partitions to backup to and using encryptions make the backups protected against different kind of attacks and other possible threats.
-Very nice user interface that give overview an is easy to navigate.
-Extra tools like "try and decide" and "file shredder" is nice to have, but I have other freeware that do the same, but its nice to bundle it up.
The bad
User-friendliness is sadly not very good in this product except from the user interface.
-Basic information about how many files and folders was backed up is missing.
-Non-stop backup is not very attractive because of lack of possibilities and view settings when browsing the backups, and options regarding destination location and format of backup. Also the backup can only happen every 5 minutes so its not real-time. Also non-stop backup make a new increment backup every time something changes. It can't stack new versions of a file in the same backup-folder as previous backup, and by that making the retrieval of earlier files a true hassle.
- Choices about backup location is good for some types of backup but not all.
Conclusion
First I have to say that I was a little disappointed with Acronis true image, but maybe my expectations was not right.
The only thing that really seperate Acronis true image from other products I have tested is their security/safety regarding backups. But in my opinion that's it, and they base the whole product value on the quality and security of their backups. The only problem is that I can't verify that their backups have high quality and the extra security/safety I don't really need. When it comes to user options and possibility to setup things as you want and need, there is sadly nothing special to write home about. Maybe my backup needs it different than others, but I have fund many freeware products that give me exactly what I need and those programs are well know products liked and used by many people.
Unless you need special security/safety for your backups on a professional level, this product don't stand out from all the other software or freeware out there. My goal was to get all my backup need from one product and that failed with ATI sadly, so its to my freeware from Yadis! (real time), Aomei backupper (system/partition) and Cobian backup (folder/files) for now.