v2289 - Laptop Basic Test Results

Restore OLDER backup file from windows to reboot without CD - PASS
ADD Incremental backup to OLDER backup - Creates FULL SIZE backup

Create NEW Backup from windows - PASS no errors
Create INCREMENTAL backup - PASS only 50mb added incremental file
RESTORE these backups - PASS
Create INCREMENTAL backup to these backups after RESTORE - Creates FULL SIZE backup

Everthing seems to work except the INCREMENTAL backup AFTER a restore ... it forces me to keep creating NEW backups, which is a problem ...

If anyone else can comment on whether this works for them or not, it would be appreciated, I'd like to know if it's my system or the software ....

Nice to see the updates and fixes coming so quickly, keep it up guys ...

 

To be clear, are you saying that when you are expecting an incremental backup :

- TI creates a new full backup with the original full backup name,

or are you saying that

- TI creates an image with an incremental name (based on the original full backup) but it is the same size as the original ?

 

For technical resons, the first incremental after a restore will be as large as a full backup (if the incremental is incremental to a full backup that was done *before* the restore). This has always been the case.

 

I'll try to clear things up.
On my Desktop PC, I use TI v8. I have a FULL backup and many incremental backups added to it. Lets say the FULL backup is 10gb and each incremental is 100mb. When I restore to any point, and decide to do ANOTHER incremental backup, it's around 100mb, which is what I expect.

For the Laptop, I'll make a FULL backup, lets say around 15GB. I CAN add incremental backups with no problem now, lets say backup 2 incremental is around 100MB . So far so good.

Now when I RESTORE the backup, and then attempt to ADD the 3rd INCREMENTAL, it's size should be around 100mb like the 2nd, but instead it's 15GB like the original.

So Basically, my incrementals after restore are full size instead of just added data
I KNOW this can be done. My desktop proves it. I'm just looking to do it on my laptop.

 

I've never known that to work that way on any computer. Maybe there is an unknown factor at work here. For me, the first incremental after a restore, has always been equal in size to a full backup.

 

Thanks for the feedback ...

In theory, I would think it SHOULD work no ? If it's restoring the drive sector for sector, if you restore it, it should LOOK the the same to Acronis. Only thing I can think of is v9 is done different than the v8Corp CD I use on my Desktop or maybe date stamps have something do with it ...

At least I can backup and restore without a CD with this version on my laptop now ... hopefully it can be resolved sometime ...

 

I just downloaded build 2289, and it resolved a problem I had with the previous build (227something). My 'old' boot CD could'nt see my external firewire drive. The newly-built boot CD CAN see the external firewire drive, and it can see it from either the 'recover' window or the 'check archive' window.

I haven't actually tried a recovery, but when I tried to check the archive with build 2289's boot CD, I got an error message that it couldn't do this with a trial version.

So I hope this info helps someone!

 

In theory, it should not work. TI uses a modified sector copy that normally does not produce an identical copy.

 

Just created a Boot CD of v8 WS Build 1196 to test on my laptop

The only reason I went with v9, was because the old v8b9xx claimed it needed 10 hours to backup, so it was out.

This new v8 version seems to work fine. Quick backups, incrementals and yes ... for the doubters

SMALL INCREMENTALS AFTER RESTORE

 

Hi there beenthereb4,

You are right. As you know, TI determines which sectors are in use and archives the data contained on those sectors. However, during an image restore it's the hard drive's Integrated Drive Electronics that determine the actual sectors the data is copied back to. Hence, the new in-use sectors may well be significantly different to those used to create the original full image. It's therefore not surprising that the first incremental after a restore can turn out more or less the same size as the preceding full image.

Regards

 

Interesting. What both of you said sort of makes sense. As of now, I have two machines, that give me a small incremental after a restore.

Are you sayig this a result of my particular Hard Drive and the way it 'remaps' a restore ?

 

Possibly. It also depends on how much disk activity has taken place between the original full image and the first incremental after a subsequent restore (e.g. a defrag will have a huge effect).

Regards

 

Maybe I'm not looking at this right.

I usually RESTORE, make some changes and or new installs, then will immed do an INCREMENTAL, I'm careful NOT to run defrag as I know this will cause full size images again due to changing the 'drive map' or whatever.

Does Acronis CONTROL exactly where data is written to a drive or is it a case of it just tells the drive what to write and the DRIVE decides exactly where it goes ? I guess I'm interested in why it couldn't write an EXACT image for all drives ...

 

Merely booting into Windows, let alone opening any run-time applications, can significantly modify the "thumbprint" of the hard drive. Making some changes and/or installing new software will have an even greater effect on the thumbprint.

I guess it's not quite as simple as that. In reality, it's a combination of the application, operating system, system BIOS and possibly any special driver software for the disk that determine, in absulute terms, where on the disk platter the data is written to or read from.

If you want more info, have a read of this somewhat technical (and lengthy!) pcguide.com article on <Construction and Operation of the Hard Disk>.

Regards