Can't access most recent backups

I have a Scheduled Backup Task which performs Differentials with a new Full backup after 4 differentials. See first screen shot. And it seems to do that; see second screen shot.

However, the Restore Wizard doesn't show them all! As the third screen shot shows, only the first backup set (full + differentials) is listed. My most recent backup set isn't even listed! Therefore I can't restore from my most recent backups.

This is a really nice feature. I just wish I could get it to work. Am I doing something wrong? Or is this a problem with the product?

(using Acronis True Image Home v11.0 build 8,053 under Windows XP Pro sp2)

 

P.S. Yes, I know that my 2-Jan and 3-Jan differentials were over twice the size of the associated full backup. Those were flukes. I forgot to put in a backup exclusion in for a few directories (temp directories of full restores as I work with Acronis about other problems).

 

I've stared at this for ages and can't see anything wrong
Have you checked the settings for the backup location.

 

Please post a picture of the screen that was just before the screen in your 3rd shot.
Isn’t that where you select a backup file? If so, I’m guessing that you will only see that dates contained in that one file set.

 

As The Weaz says, you seem to have two sets of backups 31/12/2007 - 3/01/2008

Then a new set 4/1/2008 - 10/1/2008.

If you haven't set up two sets, then maybe there is a whoopsy in the task script, which has confused TI.

Colin

 

TheWeaz: Below please find the two screens prior to the "Backup Date Selection" dialog in the Restore Wizard.

sparkymachine: Thanks for taking time to study this. I'm stumped too. I have only one Backup Location. The third screenshot below shows it's settings.

bodgy: How might I diagnose a "whoopsie in the task script"?

 

In Windows Explorer, try right clicking on one of the “missing” files and select Recover. Continue with the restore steps and see if the dates you want appear.

 

Hey thats a good idea, never even knew you could do that

 

Yes, that worked, thanks.

However, this was another test of the product, and I consider it yet another failure (as was this and this and this).

I expect we all would agree that NOT being able to see these backups in the Restore Wizard of the Acronis application is a bug. Also, I didn't look, but based on sparkymachine's response, I suspect that this workaround isn't in the Acronis documentation.

 

Hello mcepek,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

Could you please clarify, were all the backups in the Acronis Backup Location created by the same task script you have posted a screenshot of? Please also clarify, how were the password options set in that script (both the one in script itself and the one in default backup options/manually set backup options, whichever was used)?

Thank you.
--
Marat Setdikov

 

Yes, they were all created by the same task script. However, I did change two settings in that task (in the Schedule Task Wizard) between the two batches:

• added a directory in the Source Files Exclusion dialog
• changed the "Create a new full backup after __ differential backups" setting in the Backup Policy dialog

I would not expect changing these minor settings for an existing task to make entire backup sequences unavailable.

• Options > Default Backup Options > Archive Protection: no password set
• Edit Task > Archive Protection: password set the same for all backups being discussed in this thread

Since there was no default backup password and the task password was set, the task password should be used for this backup task. Using the workaround suggested by TheWeaz, the correct password was required.

However, using the Acronis application to restore from the few backups that show in the application, the correct password was not required! Using both no password and an incorrect password allowed me to restore files (or at least went through the motions without complaint or error). I suppose I should create a separate report for this, but I'm growing tired of researching and documenting all these product bugs.

 

Hello all,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup software

mcepek, we would like to investigate this issue in details. Could you please submit a request for technical support. Attach all the screen shots you've provided in this thread and the information to your request along with the step-by-step description of the actions taken (changes in settings etc) and the link to this thread. Please state in your support request that it must be forwarded directly to Eugene Bogdanov.

Thank you.
--
Michael Levchenko

 

Done. Your #1302909.

 

Update: I got a response from Acronis support earlier this week. They suggested a workaround that didn't help.

However, in the process of doing this testing I noted that the archive password makes an important difference in which archives are displayed. My early archives did not have a password. My more recent archives did. Leaving the "Password" field blank in the wizard showed me only the early archives. Entering the password for the more recent archives showed me all the archives. Entering an incorrect password was not detected, and behaved as if I had entered a blank password.

I think this is the actual problem for why I am not able to "see all my backups". The password handling is confusing in the wizard. I thought I was entering the correct password, but I wasn't, and Acronis didn't tell me that. Instead it showed me a list of archives that didn't have password protection.

I think the wording in the "Password" dialog of the Restore wizard is confusing and incorrect. At that point in the wizard I have NOT "chosen a backup archive", I have only selected a Backup Location. In addition, some of the archives in that location (in my case) have passwords, and some do not. So it is not strictly true that "The backup archive is password protected" and that I "must enter the password", since it depends on which archives I select in the next step of the wizard.

I addition, I am given no feedback when I enter a password which is not valid. This led me to believe that there was a totally different problem. I realize that there is a small security risk to identifying an incorrect password (via automated brute-force attack), but inserting a time delay of even 1 second before allowing another password to be entered would mitigate that.

Further, when I do enter the correct password for the most recent archives, the older archives (which have no password) are also listed. That does not seem like correct behavior.

I have replied to Acronis support with the above information, but wanted to share it in this forum thread in case anyone else is beating their head against the same wall.

 

Followup: Acronis support responded saying they were able to reproduce the restore wizard password issues and it sounds like they plan to address those issues in a future version.