Scheduled Task & User Prompting

Discussion in 'Acronis True Image Product Line' started by StanleyES, Oct 1, 2007.

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  1. StanleyES

    StanleyES Registered Member

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    Hi,
    I'm using TI10.
    I want to schedule a backup task which stores the backup to an external HDD when the PC shutsdown. Ideally the external drive will be switched off the majority of the time to protect the data. So i would like the user to be prompted to switch the external HDD on before the task runs. Is there a way to do this?

    I would probably be happy if the TI scheduler just provided an error message to the user if it couldn't find the backup media, however it doesn't seem to do this. Or am i wrong?

    I thought using pre/post commands could be used to trigger my own user prompt but then i discovered they cant support any kind of user interface.

    The only other way i can imagine is to use command line arguments to call the task and then do the scheduling outside TI. I have seen how this is done via calling the TrueImageService and it works OK, the only downside is Windows task scheduler does not provide an "On Shutdown" trigger. The article at http://pcworld.about.com/magazine/2206p160id115628.htm describes a method to run applications at shutdown but this requires the user clicks a specific shortcut to shutdown rather than the normal "Start > Shutdown" procedure. I think the user is likely to forget this and then the backup won't run.

    Can anyone offer and assistance?

    thanks in advance

    Stan
     
  2. Acronis Support

    Acronis Support Acronis Support Staff

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    Hello StanleyES,

    Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

    Please notice that you can use the command "shutdown -s -f" to make Windows shutdown. This command can be used as a post command in Acronis scheduler, or in Windows scheduler.

    If you have any further questions concerning Acronis software, please feel free to submit a request for technical support or post any of them on this forum. We will certainly try to help you in resolving any issues.

    Thank you.
    --
    Marat Setdikov
     
  3. babac

    babac Registered Member

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    Hi,
    The exact command that I use to get the computer shut down is this:
    %SystemRoot%\System32\shutdown.exe -s -t 0

    The 0 at the end of the command is the number of seconds it takes to shut down the computer after the backup is completed.
    This command has to be first written on the notepad and registered with a .bat extension.
     
  4. Acronis Support

    Acronis Support Acronis Support Staff

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    Hello all,

    to babac

    Thank you for sharing your knowledge with other forum members. One can get the full information about Windows XP shutdown command parameters from Microsoft Windows XP Professional Product Documentation.

    to StanleyES

    So in order to configure the desired operation we recommend you to do the following:

    I. Create a task for the desired backup operation by means of Acronis True Image 10.0 Home to create a Script File. Acronis True Image Script files for scheduled backups are stored in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Applicaton Data\Acronis\TrueImage\Scripts and have the extension "tis".

    II. Use the Windows embedded scheduler to create the task with the following actions:

    1) Display a message "Please turn on the external drive if it is off."

    2) Start a program/script "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Acronis\TrueImage\TrueImageService.exe" /script:"[drive:path\scriptname.tis]" to call Acronis True Image Service using a command line interface. To make sure that the necessary script will be selected you can edit it with Acronis True Image 10.0 Home and then identify it by modification date and time stamp.

    3) Start a program/script shutdown -s -f -t 10 -c "Computer is shutting down now."

    We are always at your service should you have any further questions.

    Thank you.

    Best regards,
    Alexey Bogomolov
     
  5. babac

    babac Registered Member

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    Hi Alexey,
    In the above path, I do have five .tis files.
    How do I understand and learn how to use each of them?
    Thank you!
     
  6. Acronis Support

    Acronis Support Acronis Support Staff

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    Hello all,
    You need to launch Acronis True Image Home and modify the corresponding task somehow (e.g. just add an archive comment). After that you will be able to identify the necessary .tis file by the modification time stamp displayed in Windows explorer.

    Thank you,

    Best Regards,
    Alexey Bogomolov
     
  7. MKairys

    MKairys Registered Member

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    I have been using ATI with the Windows task scheduler since 9.0 and have been quite satisfied with the results. I call ATI from a Perl script that gives me complete control of the number, name, and location of backup files, etc. Personally I find this an easier and more satisfactory approach than using the Acronis schedules and the pre/post backup commands. More information in this post.
     
  8. babac

    babac Registered Member

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    Hi Alexey,
    Thank you very much for this information although I do not understand nothing.
     
  9. MKairys

    MKairys Registered Member

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    What do you not understand?
     
  10. babac

    babac Registered Member

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    Hi,
    I do not understand at all the purpose of the .tis files ,how to use them and how they are to be interpreted.
    In short, I understand nothing to their use and purpose.
     
  11. MKairys

    MKairys Registered Member

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    .tis = TrueImage Script. These are XML-format files which store ATI task definitions. When you create a new task, you create a new .tis file; when you run a task, the information needed is taken from the .tis file.

    Normally you would not need to look at these files or even know where they are kept. However you do have the option of executing an ATI task from the Windows command line by giving it the path and filename of a .tis file, as described previously.
     
  12. babac

    babac Registered Member

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    HI MKairys,

    Thank you for your efforts.
     
  13. MKairys

    MKairys Registered Member

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    Je vous en prie :)
     
  14. babac

    babac Registered Member

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    Hi MKairys,

    Vous me prenez de court,vous savez!:D
     
  15. west468

    west468 Registered Member

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    Hello all,

    I tried to create a windows scheduled task with a vbs-script in it which calls TrueImage with the Backup-Skript like written on point 2) some post above.

    But it wont work.

    Here is my command though:

    Code:
    wshshell.run """C:\Programme\Gemeinsame Dateien\Acronis\TrueImageHome\TrueImageHomeService.exe"" /script:"D:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\All Users\Anwendungsdaten\Acronis\TrueImageHome\Scripts\910482EE-E3E2-4312-A779-32459EA7B18B.tib.tis]""""
    Any ideas, perhaps a syntax error?
    Thanks for hints
     
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