Anyone using a Acomdata external USB drive with success?

Can anyone successfully image to, and check archive successfully to an Acomdata external USB hard drive?
I can not seem to get any images to both create ok, and verify ok, using T.I. 9.0.2289 or 8.0.937. Sometimes I can get it to create ok, but then verify gives an error message. Other times I get completed with error when I create an image, but it verifies as ok. Maybe it's something with the Acomdata external USB drive (although it's only a few weeks old). I pulled out the manual for the hard drive, and in the frequently asked questions area, there was a question if the Acomdata hard drive worked with norton ghost, and the reply from Acomdata was that it only worked with ghost 2003? Why not the other versions? After reading that, I thought maybe True Image is using something the other versions of ghost were using which makes using the Acomdata drive not work.

 

I don't want to sound pessimistic, but you might consider buying another brand of external hard drive enclosure and moving your hard drive to that. If the new enclosure works, then dump the Acomdata box.

I've used several brands of external USB2 hard drive enclosures successfully: MadDog (USB only and USB Firewire combo), Media-to-Go and CompUSA house brand. Others have reported success with other brands.

Since these boxes are only about $35 on sale, it might be a better use of your time to try a brand switch.

 

I just bought this external drive october 6th, so I can still return it if it is the problem, but I don't know if is the hard drive, or just something in the Acronis program. That's why I would like to know if anyone out there is having success using this specific drive. Also, I didn't get an enclosure set up,,,,this is a single unit external hard drive.

If I do return this one, I still want to purchase and use a external USB drive (or firewire one because I have that also) to store my images on, so what else would you recommend I get (for $100 or less please, from Frys because that is where my gift certificate is from that I bought this drive with).

 

I had a problem similar with a Western Digital drive. Actually two problems.
1. Usb drive would not power down with the power down button.
2. I did a hard drive image backup (succcessful) but Image check told me the file was corrupted.
I run Norton protected recycle bin. Unchecking "Enable protection" on the USB drive fixed both problems. Hope this helps

 

To test using my external drive's compatability with Acronis True Image, I did the following steps using T.I. 8.0.937 since T.I. 8.0.937 is supposed to work better than version 9.0.2289:

1. I used the 8.0.937 rescue cd, and created a full disc image onto 4 cd's - created successfully.

2. I transferred the image from the 4 cd's into a folder on my desktop, and checked archive it using the 8.0.937 rescue cd - successfull.

3. I copied the folder from my desktop to the external drive, then checked archive the image on the external drive - said image was corrupted.

4. I copied the folder from the external drive back to desktop, and checked the archive again using 8.0.937 - image corrupt.

I have checked the checksums of images on my desktop before, copied the image to the external drive, and the checksums were the same. Everything seems to work ok with the external drive. Could there be something in the Acronis T.I. software that does not work with this specific drive (external Acomdata 80GB USB drive, Model #HD080U2E5-72) ??

 

TI is very hardware dependent so it's possible. It could be a problem with the USB drive and/or it's drivers.
I wonder if there are any other TI users with this USB drive?

Is the checksum of the image on the desktop after step 4 the same as when the image was first created? They should be unless the copy back and forth has corrupted the file.

Regarding TI 8.0.937 reporting a corrupt image.
I have had a problem with TI8 (upto and including build 937) giving frequent intermittent corrupt image messages both during image creation and during image verify. Even though image creation reports the image as corrupt it will sometimes verify that image without problem. Sometimes even though the image creation and/or image verify report the image as corrupt it really isn't.
This problem is hardware specific since I can remove the hard disk from one machine and put it into another where I have no problems with image creation or verify. Often a supposed corrupted image created on the first machine will verify OK on the other machine. I have not yet determined the cause. I do not have an external drive. I have not overclocked. I am tending to believe it is due to some incompatibility between TI and the ASUS A7V133 motherboard although I have yet to prove this. I am currently investigating BIOS settings and motherboard jumper settings to see what effect they can have.
Having said all that, my problem is not indicative of the stabilty of TI8.
The vast majority of TI8 users do not have a corrupt image problem.
Unfortunately those of us that do have to try, with the help of Acronis Support and this forum, to find the cause. Alternatively try a competitive program and hope that whatever hardware incompatibility issue we have doesn't also affect it.

I am hoping that TI9 might be more tolerant of my hardware although I am waiting until the major problems are resolved before I try it.

 

I am currently using an Acomdata HD250U2E4-72 attached to a Dell D8400. I am presently on TI8 Bld 796 and the drive works flawlessly both through Win XP and the rescue CD. All verifications and restores have been successful. I chose this drive based on other positive reports on this forum.

 

I was going to give that build of version 8 a try, but I checked on my "Available Updates for my Registered Products" page on the Acronis site, and the only builds I see for version 8.0 which are available for me to download are builds 800, 826, 859, 889, 903, and 937.

 

If others have no problem with the Acomdata drive, it's possible that the USB2 chips on your motherboard are the problem.

Do you know anyone with a different USB2 drive that you could test, or a Firewire drive.

Alternatively, a PCI card with USB2 ports would allow you to test a different chipset.

 

I have not yet heard from anyone who has that same model drive which works ok with T.I.. donmac said he is using an Acomdata drive successfully, but it is a different model number...

 

Since this hasn't been posted, I'm using an Acomdata (stand alone) External USB2 enclosure with a Seagate hard drive that I installed in it, and it's working fine with Acronis v.8(latest). It's model # is HDEXXU2E3. I would think that the 'internals' of the external case would all be similar to the ones with factory HD's installed, if not identical. Only difference would be the brand of hard drives I would think. I got a 5 year warranty with the Seagate HD and a one year for the external USB case. Running a homebuilt computer with an Intel D875PBZ board. (Using SATA for boot drive, non raid) - IDE internal drive for backup and storage.

...Allen

 

Hello thebigdintx,

It is possibly that the problem is related to the Windows USB drivers, you can try to reinstall the USB drivers or to purchase a FireWire cable and use it instead of the USB one.

Thank you.
--
Irina Shirokova

 

I returned the Acomdata external usb drive, and instead purchased an enclosure and a hitachi 80GB drive to put inside it. This set-up worked with no problems hooked up to my USB port. I was able to use T.I. version 8 build 937 from within windows to create an image to the external drive, and check it from both within windows, and using the rescue cd with no problems. I guess the problem was with the Acomdata external drive.