Trouble with incremental backups and more

I'm using the TI 7.0 demo. I'm not thrilled (though I see most of you are). Too often the program dumps a backup in process because it doesn't like the CD that was offered. Rather than offer an opp to put a new one it just stops the backup and declares it failed.
My biggest problem is that it doesn't do incremental backups, despite claims to the contrary. I've done an incremental DIRECTLY after the full backup and it consumes as many CD's as the full.
Finally, support is the singularly worst I've ever experienced. Emails to support go unresponded to (except) the auto reply. The phone number is voice mail that is responded to as the email is. I finally managed to get a guy in marketing who explained the impact on revenue of customer support. I replied suggesting a greater impact on revenue of no revenue.
If anyone can help me with the incremental problem I may buy this product. Short of that I'll have to declare this product broken and look elsewhere.

 

I've success with incremental backup.

But I agree with you regarding support. It's not too good for a critical software such as TI. I am trialing this software for a very large install base due to the fact that it can do live imaging. So far so good, but I'm a bit worry about the support in the event that something goes wrong.

I hope TI uses this forum to better their effort.

 

I am/have used email to report an issue, & Acronis has responded. I've worked with them thru emails, and was notified of progress today. It seems to me that there will be a release of #612 in the near future. I would suggest you keep in touch with them, supply info if requested. Perhaps your concerns are already being investigated, or you have been contacted in reply to your email ?

 

Hello Misterz --

Thank you for taking the time to contact us and for your interest in Acronis
True Image (http://www.acronis.com/products/trueimage/)!

I apologize for the inconvenience.

Please ensure that you are using the latest build of the program. Also please try to create the backup on HDD and see if it also creates such a big incremental right after creating a full one.

Please provide me with as much info as possible, it can speed the process of resolving the problem.

Thank you.

--
Best regards,
Anton Gromov

Acronis, Inc.
395 Oyster Point Blvd. Suite 213
South San Francisco
CA 94080 USA
http://www.acronis.com/

Acronis... Compute with confidence

 

Mr. Gromov,
I am using the latest demo. The incremental backups on HDD are also not incremental as they are very large as well. The OS is W2K. I am also very careful to make sure that when specifying an incremental I point to the last backup (which was full). In the case of setting up an incremental to CD's I have had the last CD from the full backup inserted and still the same outcome.

I've also finally received responses from email support. They are as follows.

Dear Mark,
The most probable cause is Windows paging file. Acronis True Image 7.0 always images this file, and since this file changes rapidly, the incremental backup is not just a few bytes.
We have fixed the problem. The fix will be available in the next build of Acronis True Image 7.0. Please keep an eye on our updates page: www.acronis.com/support/updates


Thank you!

Dear Mark,
I have something to add to my previous letter.


I have just got some new information -- the fix for this issue (preventing the paging file from backup) will be added only in the next version of Acronis True Image. We would like to provide you with this new version for free as soon as we release it.

Thank you for co-operation!


So, it would appear that the software is not capable of doing incrementals to CD's. Therefore, my question is will you be removing the claim from your promotional materials until it can?

In closing, I think you need to rethink support in this fashion. This a very long drawn out process to get resolutions on such a sensitive product. One can hardly afford to go for days to get answers when their entire system may be down. Moreover, when a brand new product doesn't work it is simply broken. Offering people help to get their brand new products working for an extra fee is unethical. I realize that concept falls on deaf ears in the business community. But, the market will flee from lousy service which will seriously dent your revenue. I know that's a concept y'all will hear.
Thanks!

 

The following is email between myself and support team member in order to resolve the issue brought up in this thread.

Dear Mark,
Incremental backups should contain changes which happened since the latest full backup. From this point of view this feature is really embedded in Acronis True Image 7.0. As the paging file changes this change is also included in an incremental image. But if the paging file changes too rapidly this may skip one of the main advantages of incremental backups -- their small size. We will fix the latter in the next version. But now Acronis True Image 7.0 is able to create incremental backups.


I suggest we could add this to our extensive FAQ area.


Thank you!


Dear Vlad,
The problem is NOT the paging file. When I perfom a full backup and it consumes 4 CD's and then follow IMMEDIATELY (the VERY next action) with an incremental backup and it consumes 3 CD's, the problem is evidently not any single file (ie., the "paging file"). Now, the problem here may not be the software at all. The problem is the inability to get someone on the phone to walk through the correct process for doing incremental backups. I have been discussing this problem via email support for nearly a week without resolution. As it stands now the product does NOT do incremental backups. I think though, if we can talk in real time over the phone we can resolve the problem. At least, if we cannot your team will be provided with needed data to further research the issue. My cell phone number is xxxxxxxxx. Call me and we can set up a time when I can set aside time to work on this problem with you.
-Mark

 

Hello Mark --

Well, the thing is that Acronis True Image backups are *sector* dependant, not *file* dependant, thus if it happens that in your drive the files are exactly the same, but for example *each* sector will move by one, the size of the incremental backup will be almost as big as of the full one. So we do our best to resolve the issues that may cause similar problems when creating the backups.

The product really does create incremental backups - just due to some reasons on some computers it might work not as it is intended and we are working on eliminating such glitches.

Thank you.

--
Anton Gromov

Acronis, Inc.
395 Oyster Point Blvd., Suite 213
South San Francisco, CA 94080 USA
http://www.acronis.com

Acronis Support Department
e-mail: support@acronis.com

Acronis... Compute With Confidence

 

The following is a return email from Acronis on 5/21/04. As mentioned before, the service on this product is abysmal. If there was any doubt on anyone's part, this should put that doubt to rest. I would recommend this product to anyone with a high enough level of software expertise such that they never need support. Anyone else, should pass.

Dear Vlad,
I'll bet you will. I'll be sitting right by the phone.

Your welcome!!

Sincerely,

Mark Zilberman


At 01:26 PM 5/22/04, you wrote:
Dear Mark,
We will call you as soon as possible.

Thank you!

--
Yours truly,
Vladimir Strokov

Acronis, Inc.
395 Oyster Point Blvd., Suite 213
South San Francisco, CA 94080 USA
http://www.acronis.com

 

Hello Mark --

I'm really sorry for your inconvenience. We will do our best to resolve the problem.

Thank you.

--
Best regards,
Anton Gromov

Acronis, Inc.
395 Oyster Point Blvd. Suite 213
South San Francisco
CA 94080 USA
http://www.acronis.com/

Acronis... Compute with confidence