Acronis can not restore incremented images

I have a PC1 with acronis security zone. i used it to boot and attmepted to restore an image from PC2 from over the network..

The image on PC2 is made up of 3 *.tib files.. system.tib, system2.tib, and system3.tib .. an incremental image backup where system3.tib is the latest...

I would like PC1 to restore the LATEST version of the incremented image... but selecting other tib files other than the ORIGININAL image (system.tib) brings up an error saying something like IMAGE DOES NOT CONTAIN AN OPERATING SYSTEM, or something similar (cant quite remember right now)..

why is this? is ther a way around this?

 

Do you have an external usb drive to copy the images from the network then connect the drive directly to PC1?

 

You have to pick the first primary image ( on which the incremental image is based) as the one you need to restore. The program will then give you a choice of recovery dates that correspond to the dates of the incremental images added on to the original complete image. As I understand it each incremental images contains, in a sense relevant changes to the primary image and all prior incremental images.

 

Hi Snakeyes,

It shouldn't matter which .tib file of an incremental set you first select - TI will identify it as "Volume X" of a multi-volume image (where X = the Volume number of the incremental file selected). See screenshot below.

Regards

 

Menorcaman is right.. it should matter.. but in anycase, even if I did, ACRONIS DOES NOT GIVE ME AN OPTION TO CHOOSE which image version to restore (under DOS based GUI).. it simply restores it. unlike if i was in WINDOWS environment, then i do have the options with comments and such..

 

Hi BrownChiLD,

Your symptoms are very strange indeed. When I boot into the LINUX based GUI the image selection screens are the same as under Windows. Just out of interest I also tried it on a full + incremental "Files and Folders" image, both from within Windows and the boot rescue mode, and found no difference.

It would help if you could provide the following info:

1. TI Version and Build Number used to create the image of PC2.
2. TI Version and Build Number used to restore the image to PC1.
3. Is the image of PC2 a complete disk image or only of one of the partitions (if so, which one).
4. What type of image is it e.g. Disk/Partition or Files & Folders.
5. Confirm that it was an Incremental image, not a Differential.
6. Did you initiate the restore process from the boot rescue CD (Full version), via the Startup Recovery Manager (F11 whilst booting) or by rebooting from Windows when promted to do so.
7. If the image of PC2 was a complete disk image were you attempting to restore a single partition and, if so, which one.
8. What partition on PC1 were you attempting to restore the image of PC2 to.

Regards

 

Yes.. strange indeed ey?

here are the info requested:

1. TI Version and Build Number used to create the image of PC2.
Acronis 9.0.2337

2. TI Version and Build Number used to restore the image to PC1.
same as above via Acronis Boot Agent residing in PC1's acronis security zone

3. Is the image of PC2 a complete disk image or only of one of the partitions (if so, which one).
Only the system (active partition) which is C:

4. What type of image is it e.g. Disk/Partition or Files & Folders.
Partition

5. Confirm that it was an Incremental image, not a Differential.
yes.. created the first image with windows and nothing else.. then made INCREMENTAL images as i progress in my installation (OpenOffice, then apps, then games, etc)


6. Did you initiate the restore process from the boot rescue CD (Full version), via the Startup Recovery Manager (F11 whilst booting) or by rebooting from Windows when promted to do so.
F11 via the boot agent residing on the acronis security zone

7. If the image of PC2 was a complete disk image were you attempting to restore a single partition and, if so, which one.
was trying to restore just 1 partition

8. What partition on PC1 were you attempting to restore the image of PC2 to.
Was trying to restore the partition c:/ image of PC2 onto the C:/ partition of PC1


I feel so quized.. lol

 

Thanks for the additional info - its elliminated most of the possibilities. The only other thing that springs to mind is that the first incremental image file (system2.tib) may be corrupt.

Boot into the Linux based rescue mode and verify the first incremental image via TI's Check Archive Wizard by selecting the system2.tib file. This will verify the integrity of both the initial "Full" image (system.tib) and the first "Incremental" (system2.tib) in a single pass.

Regards

 

when you say Linux based rescue mode, did you mean the acronis boot thingy? lol

Anyway i have restored PC2 using the set of images.. restored the 3rd image from the selection (latest) and it restored fine.. (this means the other set of related tib files are ok dont it?)

also, i think i've isolated the problem. as said above, i was able to CHOOSE and restore the version i want from the set of incremented images...on PC2.. same way as i tried to do in PC1.. hit F11, restore, etc etc..

so i guess it's just Acronis doesnt support INCREMENTED IMAGES, when restoring them from a REMOTE LOCATION.. it has to be local...

do you think?

 

Hi again BrownChiLD,

Yes. You can access it from the bootable rescue CD, via the Startup Recovery Manager (F11) or by rebooting when restoring a system partition from within Windows.

Yes, indeed it does.

I think I may have totally misunderstood your original post .

If what you've been trying to do is restore an image of PC2 back to PC2 using your network connected PC1 (rather than restore an image of PC2 onto PC1 over the network) then, no, the basic version of True Image can't do that. You would need to purchase either True Image Corporate Workstation or True Image Enterprise Server for Windows and install the included Acronis Agent on the remote machine. Check out this previous thread titled <Backing up a network drive /w TI 9 - newbie> for more details.

Regards

 

lol.. getting confusing aint it?

simply put it.. im making a CLONE of PC2 (the master PC) .. the image of PC2 resides on PC 2.. i would like to RESTORE PC2's image onto PC1 (barebone) over the network to save me time from having to setup windows and all the applications on PC2.. PC1 and PC2 have completely identical specs, so this works perfectly fine - except for restorign INCREMENTED image from over LAN..

PC1 can't seem to RESTORE PC2's 2nd or 3rd incremented image WHICH RESIDES on PC2 (coming from over the network).. but if PC2's image RESIDED locally on PC1, i can restore any version of PC2's incremented image.

This cant be a solution for me though.. as i am trying to avoid:
1) having to use a boot disc
2) having to copy PC2's image from PC2 to PC1 before restoring.. (i want only ONE IMAGE in ONE LOCATION )

thanks for your time sir.

 

O.K. now it's clear. You created a Secure Zone on PC1 and activated the associated Startup Recovery Manager so that you can boot into the Linux based rescue mode. You booted into the recue mode via F11 but can't then restore an "Incremental" image stored on another networked computer (PC2) because of the error you mentioned in your first post. You can, however, successfully restore the initial "Full" image.

Unfortunately, the clarification doesn't make it any easier to come up with an answer to the problem . As far as I'm aware, you should be able to restore a local machine from an image stored on another networked computer, be it a Full image or the associated Incremental. Hopefully someone more experienced on network matters can chip in with some ideas.

Regards

 

Despite the fact that you don't want to use the boot cd;

You can use the Ti basic version to restore an image from a shared folder anywhere on the network, but the restore must be initiate from the target PC (in your case PC1). The easiest way is to boot the target pc (PC1) with the Ti boot cd since the drive has no os and Ti is not installed.

As mentioned, if you want to get more creative, then the Ti enterprise versions are needed, but with only 2 pc's I doubt if it would be cost effective.

 

well even though there is no OS yet in PC1, there is an acronis security zone already thatn handles the startup agent. Also I dont mind, and actually intend to, start the restore process from the target PC, w/c is PC1.

simply put, everything happens on PC1, except the is on PC2..

i dont need to get creative really as i want to avoid headaches and making something that oughta be simple more complex. everything's cool really, just that, restoring an increment image on a PC doesnt work if the image doesnt reside locally... so i believe at the moment.

thank you