newbie, help please?

Please help me out? My Dad has just bought TI8 (I use drive image 7) He can't backup directly to dvd however he can span a backup to his hard drive and then backup each segment individually to dvd. My question is, following a catastrophic disk failure or virus etc, can my Dad be confident that the Acronis boot disk will allow a full spanned restore?

I realise that this may be a dumb question, but hey, if you don't ask, you don't learn!

mtia,

T.

 

Hello tobamore

Why can't your Dad backup direct to DVD? Perhaps following the advice in this <post> will help him to overcome the problem.

Regards

 

Thank you for your help, but I'm more than a little disappointed that a program created in 2004 fails to backup to dvd (as per DI7) or even successfully write spanned images of around 4Gb. I was thinking of buying this program myself, but it looks a little antiquated and awkward based on the information gleaned so far...

T.

 

The crucial thing is to check that the Acronis boot CD lets you see the drive to restore to. If you do the steps involved in doing a restore i.e. boot the computer using the boot CD etc but don't do the last step which actually sets the restore in motion and if you can see the drive listed that you want the restore done to (which should be the same drive as the one the image was made of) then as long as the image on DVD is a good quality one Acronis will restore it.

You can I believe get Acronis to check the integrity of the image on DVD. If this checks out OK then a successful restore is highly likely. I like to have an image on a second drive as well as one on DVD as restoring from a drive is just that little bit more likely to work since using a DVD introduces extra variables such as the quality of the media which you don't have with the image on hard disk and therefore is just a little more risky than restoring from a hard disk but if that is not possible then make sure you use good quality DVDs and get Nero to check it after it is burned. Then get Acronis to check the integrity of the image and you have done all you can do to make sure the image can be restored apart from actually restoring it.

Having just read your additional post on Acronis being 'awkward' and 'antiquated' it has to be by far the clearest and least awkward programs of its type there is!

 

Au contraire,

I believe it is awkward in that we cannot backup to dvd's without 'juggling' the image(s) first! This is unlike DI7, I appreciate that dvd images are 'more' likely to fail, but if that is an individuals choice, then surely it can't be that difficult to make it user friendly and easy to do so? I'm not asking for the earth, just a quick, easy and reliable backup program to rival DI7. I do like some od TI8's features and would be tempted to buy it and reccomend it to others if its' features were easy to use and worked without user intervention.

I do not wish to argue with anyone here, I just find the situation incredulous.

Thanks,

T.

 

I played with DI7 before choosing TI. As I recall DI7, just bundled a packet writer for DVD writing so that didn't seem like much of an advantage to me. (DVDs are bad enough without being packet written.)

It was also very slow on my machine. ie I could image to disk (with either DI or TI) and then burn DVDs with Nero in a fraction of the total time of a direct image to DVD in DI7.

I hadn't really intended to backup to DVDs anyway but I was nonetheless quite underwhelmed with how DI handled it.

 

'I just find the situation incredulous'

So do I that writing the image to disk and then to DVD is considered a reason to not use the program. By the time you have your image on DVD this way Drive Image will still be in the early stages of burning the image to DVD if what Zintar says is true and who cares that the program can restore your computer to a working state in 5 or 6 minutes. Obviously it's whether it writes directly to DVD is that is important!

 

Er, well actually it is important to me! I would like to have a dvd backup (notice the word backup) so that if my drive fails or becomes corrupt I have a dvd copy of my partition. I usually have at least 2 dvd copies at one time. My hard drive, seemingly unlike yours 'could' fail and I have a lot of important information (to me at least) which I would prefer not to replace/re-work. Another option that I'm considering, is upgrading my rather limited sized hard drives in the near future and dvd backups would be preferable to use in this instance too. I apologise for apparently offending you, but I was led to believe even newbies like myself were allowed opinions on Wilders.

Still, sarcasm is apparently the lowest form of wit...

Regards,

T.

 

Opinions are fine (yours haven't been deleted) but when you use angry faces and use terms like "more than a little disappointed", "antiquated and awkward", and "I just find the situation incredulous" (most posted after someone linked to a post explaining how to do what you wanted), then you'll get some reactions from people no matter what you're talking about. They seemed rather mild to me.

Again, just in case you passed over it, the second post described your options for writing DVDs. If DVDs must be used, I would use Nero myself, but as the link in the second post points out, you can use the packet writing software of your choice to write to DVD directly. TI simply doesn't come with a packet writer in the box. I believe they've stated in this forum that they might (or will?) in the future but today you need to install one yourself if that's what you want to do.

As for sarcasm being the lowest form of wit, was "My hard drive, seemingly unlike yours 'could' fail" meant to be an example? Surely everyone hanging around a backup product forum knows that.

As for upgrading to a bigger drive, I think you'll find that DVDs become increasingly unattractive as hard drive sizes increase, but again, direct and indirect methods for DVD backup were linked above if that's your choice.

 

Well, we used to use DI7, and were pleased with it. However since Powerquest were taken over by Symantec, DI has now become Ghost 9, and we have had so much trouble with it, we have abandoned it in favour of TI. DI would write to DVD's, true but it was really slow. I used to back up across the network and then write to DVD at leisure. Also, Ghost 9 bootable CD is so slooooow to boot, I can finish a restore with TI before Ghost is even ready to go (well, nearly..).
Don't despair with TI - it's really quite good.

 

Exactly, at least that point wasn't lost...

I do appreciate any and all help and have always tried to be polite. I think you will find that my frustration was not aimed at the wilders posters per sais, but at what is in my opinion TI8s' one true weakness. I am considering buying TI8, but wish that there was an option to backup directly to dvd without 3rd party software.

Anyway, I don't want to get bogged down in mud slinging etc and would rather wish all a merry Xmas and a prosperous New Year. Here's hoping acronis introduce direct dvd writing soon too!

ttfn,
T.

 

Direct to DVD writing has a big advantage if you don't have a second hard drive for backup images. I hope Acronis adds that kind of support even though I don't have a dvd burner yet.

 

I'm going to use this thread as its name applies to me as well:

I'm using the version 8.

I can live with using InCD to create DVDs (well if i have to...) - but my problem is, that when I boot into the Acronis boot service program, such packeted" DVD's appear to be empty! No backup images, no anything. If I burn the DVD's the Longwinded Way™ (by generating them on a disk and then burning to an ordinary ISO+UDF DVD+RW - i don't like that option!), they show up as expected. So here are my questions (haven't find answers neither in FAQ's nor in this forum):

1. What might I be doing wrong that the images, written to Maxell Platinum DVD+RWs as 2 GB chunks (separate files) via InCD4 doesn't show up in the Acronis recovery boot program? Is it possible that they force us to use a packet writing DVD format and then in the boot utility (outside Windows) there's no built-in support for reading such a format? Come on...

2. I saved the backup of my system disk the Longwinded Way™ (by generating backup files on disk as 2GB parts and then copying them on DVD+RWs : ISO+UDF ). I checked the integrity in Windows version of the program - it was OK. Then I booted into the Acronis boot service program and checked the integrity again - and they showed up again and the check was ok.
BUT: somewhere in this forum I later read that in such a case the files shouldn't be larger than 635 MB (mine are 2 GB). The question is: is my backup (2GB files) going to work in case of need to repair my entire system disk from the boot utility (not from Windows) - or is it all in wain and when the need for backup arise, I'll get some stupid error message? I can't try it, since my sistem disk is (luckily) OK for now. Shall I delete my backups and generate new backup files, this time not larger than 635 MB ? (and then read somewhere on this forum that even that won't work, since the backup files cant be larger than 16 KB, since they have to be compatible with the Sinclair's ZX Spectrum? )

3. What is the story 635 MB - 2GB all about? Experts on this forum say 635 MB max, while Acronis says 2GB is ok. Who is wrong? (I'm talking here exclusively about backing up the SYSTEM disk, that means: no working in Windows, just the boot CD !)

4. (well this is not question - just a sign of dissapontment): why all the waste of time with some stupid packet formats and InCD ? Is it so difficult to put in the function to write backups directly to an ordinary DVD+RW. Sorry, I'm a spoiled Windows user, not some sort of a Linux command line masochist! Just put in the missing "write directly to ISO DVD" button. At least as an option.

Thank in advance to a well intended and friendly soul, who is eventually going to answer the first three ones...

Regards, Lodan

 

Sorry for the mess, I've just figured out the answers to 2. and 3. questions myself. Answer to #1 still bothers me, though... Is it possible, that the UDF-written (which means: directly-written-to-dvd) backups are ment only to be restored under Windows i.e. one can only use the direct-to-dvd function for backuping drives other than system drive? I hope I'm wrong about it...

And also, I forgot, the 5. question:
how is incremental backup going to work if I do disk defragmenting between two backups?

 

Hello Lodan

Your reference to burning an image in 2GB chunks via InCD worries me. I hope you're not using the InCD drag-and-drop method because if you are then you've been doing it all wrong. Please check out this <post>, and its link to my other post, for an explanation of some of the points you raise.

Regards

 

Thank you for your answer and the link. I saw the posts earlier. I'm not sure what you mean by "drag and drop", I simply format DVD-RWs under InCD4 and insert them when Acronis program asks for media to write to.

The written backup files are there (visible) under Windows, but disappear when in boot rescue version of the application. But when I copied the same files to hard disk under Windows, erased the DVD-RW-s and then burned the files onto them in Nero as regular ISO/UDF files, they appeared even in the boot rescue version of the application. So (obviously) the boot rescue version is having problems with reading the UDF formated DVD-RWs in my case - I wonder why.

Presently, I temporarily "resolved" it so that I prepare the backup files on hard drive (635 MB - so that I can span them easily over more DVD-RW, as you suggested) and then burn them as ISO/UDF in nero. But it takes too much time, I'd like to burn backups directly to DVD media...

 

Hi again Lodan

Provided TI detects your CD/DVD burner after booting from the rescue CD, there should be no problem restoring from an InCD UDF formatted, directly written, DVD + or - RW. Therefore, all things being equal, I don't understand why you can see the .tib files burnt by Nero using the indirect two-stage method but not when created directly from within TI. However, it's probably worth checking your InCD Format options as follows:

1. Load a DVD+/-RW. From within Windows Explorer right click on your burner, select "InCD format" and check that "Format" is selected not "Quick format (erase file system)".
2. Select "Options" and ensure "Enable the advanced format options" is ticked. Also, if your burner is Mount Rainier capable, uncheck the "MRW format on all MRW-capable drives" option. Click "Apply" and then return to the previous window.
3. Select "Advanced" and ensure the File system is set to "UDF 1.50 (recommended)" and that the "Remember that choice" box is ticked.

Have a look at this <post>.

Regards

 

Hello Menorcaman,

I checked the format options, I selected exactly as you mentioned. "Slow" (full) format, no MRW and the UDF 1.5. Thank you for taking your time anyway and also thanks for answering the question about deframenting - it is as I suspected: not much sense in doing incremental backups when one defragments drives often?

BTW is there a possibility that not seeing the files has something to do with the fact that I use other DVD drive for booting (a DVD-ROM drive) and not the DVD-R(W) recorder, used to bake the backups? I have two DVD drives, and the recording one is not the one, capable of booting. Both of them are recognised by the BIOS, though.

My dvd rw is: NEC ND-2510A
My dvd rom is TOSHIBA SD-M1712

 

No, it shouldn't make any difference which DVD you use to read the image (as you can see from my signature below, I too have a dual DVD setup) .

Just a thought but, after booting from the recue disk, have you looked for the .tib files under all the available drive letters (click on each of the + signs if need be)? Note also that sometimes each .tib files will only be represented by an icon. In which case you need to click on "Back" and then click on "Next" again in order to display the .tib file names.

Regards

 

NEW problem !

When I finally somehow accepted the fact that I'd have to burn my backups on my HD first, as a set of 635 MB files, another problem came in.

I tried to make another backup today (since I installed a couple of programs since the last backup). I ran the True Image, doubleclicked on Create Image, choose the same destination directory as before, chooose the Full Backup again (I defragment often, so the incremental option is not of much use for me), choose Fixed size (to 635 MB), choose Minimal Compression, no password and no comment.

On the summary screen I then choose Proceed and... ...NOTHING HAPPENS!

Only The Commit Pending Operations window appears. Also in the main window a new icon (Current operation) appears. But nothing seems to be going on. Neither in the Current Operation and Total progress displays nor with disk activity. I have two options: Cancel and Hide. After a couple of minutes of nothing going on, I click the Cancel button and then Yes. The Cancel button goes dead (unavailable) buth the Commit Pending Operation window stays. If I click the Hide button, the window disappears, but the Current operation icon in the main window stays. When I click the close icon, the program closes as expected.

I tried shutting down all running programs in the background. No help. Any idea what might go wrong Thanks in advance.

 

Hello again Lodan

Looks as if the TI sheduler service have gone AWOL. Try the following:

1. Open the C:\Program Files\Common Files\Acronis\Schedule2\ folder and check that it contains "schedhlp.exe" and schedul2.exe. If negative proceed to Option 2, otherwise copy and paste the following text into Notepad and save it as schedhlp.reg

Open Windows Explorer, right click on schedhlp.reg file and select "Merge". Reboot Windows and then try again.

or

2. Uninstall and reinstall True Image then try again.

Regards

 

Hi again Menorcaman,

Strangely enogh, the registry key to start the scheduler was missing ! I entered it and now everything seems to be fine... (I'll know for sure when the backup finishes). Any idea how or why the key dissapeared (I definitely didn't erase it!). I'm going to check the Registry Cleaner recent logs - but Registry Cleaner usually doesn't kill neccessary keys, especially not in the autorun section.

Thank you again for your help. The program (like any other) might have its minor problems - but the technical support is doubtlessly GREAT (respect!)! Keep up with the good work - I hope I won't need you so often in the future

regards.

 

Hi Lodan,

Glad we were able to sort out the scheduler issue (although I still can't fathom your problem with direct imaging to DVD ).

As for the reason why the scheduler service occassionaly stops working, who knows? It just does!! So far neither Acronis Support nor other users have been able to pin down the cause.

Regards