Secure Zone Choices

I now have two full backups in my ASZ. The latest from yesterday. I understand it is a FIFO sequence and the SZ is large enough for both images. However, when I tried to test restore the latest backup, I saw no choices for which of the two to select. Did I miss something? I don't think you can delete the backups, so why allow you to put multiple backups in the SZ and have no choice on which one to select. The most recent may not restore and you may need to pick another one. Hope I was not dumb enough to overlook the obvious.



Thanks,

Ken

 

It's first in first out.

If you don't use a SZ but create Backup Locations instead, you can copy and delete files all you want AND you can have ATI limt the number of backups based on collective filesize, number or age. It doesn't invovle any hidden partitions but it's much more flexible.

 

When you start the recovery wizard you would then select the secure zone. The next screen will show the total size of the secure zone and the amount of any free space. Next will take you to the archive date selection sceen from which you can select the image you want.

If the above screen does not appear it is because there is only one image available in the zone. This can happen if the size of the latest image was such that there was not room for it and a previous image. Backup images can grow for many different reasons a typical case is a build up of Windows restore points.
The solution is either to turn them off altogether or to run the advanced part of Windows disk clean up to remove all but the latest restore point.
An increase in size of the secure zone is another possibility to enable more images to be stored there.

Xpilot

 

Thanks guys,

Xpilot,

I have have 11gb left of 40gb. That sounds a little off because the first one and the ones put on my ext usb drive have been around 17gb all with normal compression. My restore area stays maxed and no new programs. Seems like I should have only 6gb left. But either way, there is space left and I should have two full backups. But, no option to restore which one I want. If I test mount image, it only gives me one choice also. I haven't mounted yet, never tried that. If I do, the drive letters are only changed for the mounting and revert automatically back to original letters after I unmount. Correct? This is not a big deal, I have multiple backups of full images and my data, apps, and email. I can resize SZ the original 60gb and see if that changes any thing. Just wanted to find out what I was doing wrong or if it's an Acronis problem.


Ken

 

Hi Ken,

Is it possible that the latest image sent to the secure zone was run without compression? That could account the 29 GB of used space for a single image. Apart from that I am a bit short of ideas as to what has gone wrong.


Xpilot

 

Thanks Xpilot,

It is baffling at this time. But, with other backups, I'll let it go for now. I know of no way to look inside the partition. Increasing to 60gb is the only idea at the moment. But, at this point not worth my time to do that.



Ken

 

Ken,

You could mount the image from the secure zone and it's size shown in explorer will be the uncompressed size. If my theory is correct that will be the same as the used space in the secure zone.
Oops I could be wrong here. I just mounted an image from my own secure zone and it was the uncompressed size but I had forgotten that I recently changed to using uncompressed images in the first place. Time for bed!

Xpilot

 

Goodnight

 

Another day, same theory. If you mount the available image from the secure zone and then look at it in Explorer you should see it is the same size as the used space in the secure zone. This should be evidence enough that there is only one image in the secure zone.

If on the other hand it is nearer to the 17GB you expected there is probably an anomaly with the SZ partition. The way to run CHKDSK on the part of a drive used by a SZ is to start over by removing the zone allocating the space to an existing partition, running the check and then recrecreating the zone. This would result in the old contents of the zone being lost.

Xpilot

 

Xpilot,


I did a full backup to my ext last nite with the boot cd. It used about 29gb. That accounts for the 11gb left on my SZ after I put my second image there. It pushed the first one out. Now, I will do another image to ext thru windows and see if that is 29gb. Not sure why I am jumping from from 17 to 29. I'll look at each backup and see what all was backed up. I only select my c: drive and the recovery partition to image. I don't add the SZ from the laptop to the ext backup. I'll post my findings in a few days.

Ken

 

Xpilot,


Haven't done the full image thru windows yet. But, compared folders/files in older backups to the most recent 29gb one. The other backups are 17 to 21gb. The 29gb one has a folder called Config.Msi that the others don't. Not sure if that accounts for the difference, since I can't see how much memory is in it. Don't know what it is. Will do more research. I believe this is a hidden folder that is used for backing up data during installs. It is used with Microsoft Installer. I know nothing about this and can't find it on my C: drive, even though I have show hidden files checked. I found this info thru google. Maybe it is gone, I will do a backup thru windows and see if it this there. Seems wierd that it would be my xtra 11gb problem.


Ken

 

Did a full image thru windows to my ext usb. 29.95gb compared to last windows one of 21.3gb done about 3 weeks ago. Found Config.Msi, it says zero bytes. Deleted a couple of downloads like SnapApi. These are a few mb not gb. But, SnapApi is a windows installer. Can't see were any of this has a 9gb effect on my backups. I'll stay confused with no further action as long as everything is working fine, unless someone has firsthand experience with such an increase with no major additions to their computer. It may be something simple like my computer expertise.


Thanks,

Ken