Validate Archive problem

I tied Acronis True Image trial version a week ago. It loaded ok and I was able to set up backup areas, do scheduled backups, validate the archive, and everything worked great. Backups on my C; ran about 40 min. backup and 40 min. to validate backup archive. I am backing up to an external hard drive.
After a week I decided to buy TI.
I downloaded the regular version.
I uninstalled the trial using control panel, add or remove programs. I installed the regular version.
Now the C: backup takes about 1 hr 40 minutes and when it validates the archive it runs about 5 min and then I get “The archive is corrupted”, and it stops. It gets the error if a run as a scheduled task, or just start the task manually.
It only does it on C drive backups. If I backup my 2nd hard drive (D it backs up ok and validates the archive ok. I even did a disk restore on D: and it went ok. But I need the backups mainly for C:
I can restore individual files ok from the C: archive but I can’t test a full restore without gambling with a hard drive crash with no recourse.

What can I do? I have reinstalled 3 times with no change.



Andy32901

 

Hello andy32901,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

Please create Acronis Report and Windows System Information as it is described in Acronis Help Post. Then submit a request for technical support. Attach all the collected files and information to your request along with the step-by-step description of the actions taken before the problem appears and the link to this thread. We will investigate the problem and try to provide you with a solution.

Thank you.

Best Regards,
Alexey Bogomolov

 

Just an update. I did an complete uninstall manually like I saw in a post by acronis support by deleting certain registry keys and program folders. It uninstalled and reinstalled ok. I can backup my C: but still get the "archive corrupted". Now my second drive (Dbackups ok but now I get the "archive corrupted" on that drive also. I can recover individual files from either drive ok. I tried to recover the D: and it got the "achive corrupted" after a few minutes. My drive was not listed anymore. It was deleted when the recovery started.
Waiting for Acronis support.

Andy32901

 

Andy,

Welcome to the world of "corrupted" and corrupted images. BTW, please excuse my flippant approach but, as you will see by reading more entries on this forum, corrupted images have cropped up many, many times. If you haven't already read this thread, I suggest you start here:

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=185256&highlight=johnmeyer

I presume you are using ATI 11, which is interesting as it means that the problem has been 'transferred' from ATI 10.

JPC

 

Hello all,

Andy, please follow Alexey's recommendations and submit a request for technical support with the attached reports and the link to this thread. This This information would let us investigate the issue thoroughly. We will do our best to help you as soon as possible.

Thank you

--
Eugene Bogdanov

 

I am working with Alexey. but after the referral to the other thread I tried a few things.

I have done some testing.
I am backing up to an external hard drive (L. It is a western Digital 500 gb USB drive. When I backup to this drive is when I get the corrupt validate.

I tried to backup C: to a separate internal hard drive (D. The files backup and validate ok. If I backup the D: to C: it does a backup and validate ok.

It seems backing up to the external drive is the problem. I tried replacing the usb cable and using another usb port. It did not help.

I even did a restore to the D drive from a backup on the C: drive as a test, and it worked fine. I don’t dare to try a restore of my C: just in case of an error.


The drive worked ok for Norton Save & Restore backups so I know the drive will handle backups.

Andy32901

 

Do you get the corrupt archive message in Windows?

Run chkdsk X: /r on the USB drive, all partitions if there are more than one. Substitute the drive letter of the partition being tested for X.

Do an independent test of the file transfers by checking the checksums. You can get a free checksum program from: http://www.irnis.net/soft/xcsc/

Take one of your archive tib files and calculate its checksum using the above and record it. Normally, I just write down the last 6 digits or so since any diffrence results in a significant change in the value.

Now copy the same file to the USB drive using WIndows Explorer. Re-run the checksum calculation. The checksum must agree perfectly, if not there was an error in transferring the file or reading the file. If it is different, record the digits as before.

Now copy the file back to an internal HD and re-run the calculation. It should also agree with the first one. If you got the same checksum value for all 3 reads then your HW is working properly in Windows.

Normally, I'd say you have some kind of a HW issue but seeing how Acronis is handling some of the TI11 issues, there is a chance they have a coding problem.

 

I am running chkdsk now on my USB drive. it will take while becuase it is 500 GB.
I will try the checksum after the chkdsk.

I copied a good backup (one that backed up and verfied ok) from the internal drive to the external (USB) one and it verfied okay there. I copied a backup (one that failed verify) from the USB drive to the internal drive and it failed to verify there. So it sounds like it is the backing up to the USB drive is the problem.

andy32901

 

I am getting the corrupted archive in windows.

I have done the chkdsk on the usb drive. I ran for 6+ hours. I went to bed while it finished. I will attach a screenshot of when it finished. I don't know what it all means.

I did a checksum of a good backup on my D:. I copied it to my USB drive, and copied it back to the D:. All 3 checksums are exactly the same.

So thats where it stands now.

Andy32901

 

The checksum agreement shows that Windows can copy the large files without a problem. The chkdsk screen shows no serious problems on the drive (no bad sectors) and I think the "free space marked as allocated" message can be safely ignored.

You could try booting up the rescue CD and making an image and verifying it with the rescue environment which is Linux. You could also try to validate your "bad" images with the CD version as well.

Since this worked with the trial and now fails with the licensed version I suspect that something is not the same in the program or you have had a coincidental HW failure.

Since you are awaiting Acronis' reply, you could do a memory check to rule it out. You can get a free memory diagnostic, memtest86+, from www.memtest.org the version number is 1.7. Bad RAM can cause validation failures but, given your circumstances, it isn't that likely. OTOH, easy to run and marginal memory can cause all sorts of very strange symptoms. Let memtest86+ run for a few hours, overnight is best. It's also nice to have the diagnostic on your "toolkit" for checking your PC for other issues.

 

I have just run the memtest because Acronis recommended to. I have attached a screenshot. Can you tell if it is ok?

Andy32901

 

Yes, it is fine. When it gets an error the error count will increment and the underneath what you show now will have the information about the error such as location, good data, received data, .... This part of the screen will be red.

Let memtest86+ run for a few hours such as overnight.

 

Thanks.
I let it run for 12 hours and it still says 0 errors.
I booted up on the rescue CD and made an image, and it verified ok both within the rescue CD and in windows.

Andy32901

 

Fairly safe to assume the RAM is not an issue because of your Memtest86+ results and the symptoms didn't really support it as likely problem anyway. However, a diagnostic program does not run in the same environment as the apps so they aren't infallible. One side benefit you have achieved by doing this is that you know Memtest86+ will run properly on your system so if you run it in the future and it shows an error you can have confidence that it is indeed a real error.

Were the successful creation and validation done on your external USB drive?

If so, then you are not too bad off. The reason I say this is because it is necessary for the the rescue CD version to run properly to do a restore of the active partition, typically C, since Windows can't be running at the time. Although not as convenient as creating in Windows and starting a restore in Windows (after providing the info the PC reboots into the Linux rescue environment which is the same as on the CD) it does give you a backup/restore mechanism. Some users only use the CD version since they prefer to have the disk static when backing it up.

Did you try validating an existing "bad" image with the CD? If it validates, it would indicate that the creation process is not responsible for the bad validations.

 

Yes when I used the rescue CD I created and verified ok on the USB drive.
I tried to validate a 'bad image' while using the rescue CD and got a "archive corrupted".

Acronis came back and said to reinstall the Windows USB drivers or use a firewire cable. MY Drive only has a USB connection so I guess I will have to try and reinstall the drivers.

Can somone help me in reinstalling? I dont have a disc, everthing came preinstalled on my HP pc. Where can I find new drivers and how do I reinstall them?

Andy32901

 

I uninstalled the USB drivers and let the plug and play reinstall but that didn't help. It backs up to the USB drive ok but the validate fails.

Another question. If I backup to my internal drive how can I, in the backup options, pre/post command, could I make a batch file that would copy the completed backup to my external USB drive and delete the old file? How could I word such a file?

I want to free up the internal drive as much as possible for my video work. so putting the backups ther temporarily would be ok.

Andy32901

 

well I created a batch file to copy the original backup file to the external drive and it works. the only problem is that I am using backup locations and the file limit is not working. I set if for 4 files as a test and it is up to six now. I don't know what else to check for.
Can I limit it with the batch file? How would I write the programming?
How can I delete the previous backup.
Any programming gurus?

Andy32901

 

Howdy,

Few know less about batch files than I, but this may be useful anyway:

You could set things up so that each Monday, you create an image called Monday.TIB, and each Tuesday, you create Tuesday.TIB.

Each Monday, the copy process would overwrite the old Monday.TIB.

Each Tuesday, the copy process would overwrite the old Tuesday.TIB.

With that method, you would never have more than two images stored.

Using that approach, you can always have as many images as you would like but (with a bit of planning) need not worry about your storage location bursting.

All the best,

Kenneth

 

KennethS,

Thanks for the info. I will try It.

Andy32901

 

Let me add something here. I have been using Acronis TI for many years. Ever since I have been having this nasty external drive problem. And I have tried many different computers.

Problem seems to be the USB connection. External drives usually are connected via USB. And TI has a problem with that. I can say that, because image creation on internal drives or NAS/SAN is not a problem at all. Never got a corrupted image with that.

I usually have to try four, five or more times until I get an image that works when I am using an external drive. The best recommendation I can give here is to create an image on a separate partition on your internal drive and then transfer that image to what ever other medium you desire (burn it on DVD, transfer it to an external drive...). This way it usually works.

I am not exactly sure if it is Acronis or Windows that is having a problem here. But since a transfer of files between an internal an external drive works well, I assume it is Acronis's problem.

Bottom line: To save an image on an external drive using Acronis is a pain in the neck.

OOS

 

Thank you for the update. I am backing up to my internal drive, and its working fine. But because its not that big I am copying the backups to my external drive for storage. Then I am deleting the backup on the internal drive just for space. Its not perfect but its working.

Andy32901

 

I hope that you are verifying the image after copying to your external drive before deleting from the internal, either by using TI or checking the MD5 sum. I do the same, but sometimes the copy is corrupted on the external drive.
In fact if you have the space on the internal drive I would leave a couple of images on the internal, better safe than sorry.

 

Yes, I am verifying the internal backup before I copy it to the external drive. I do leave the last backup on the internal drive. I will have the last 5 backups on the external so I should be ok.

Andy32901

 

You need to validate it again after copying to the external, as I posted, if you have a flaky usb subsystem it may not copy correctly.

 

Yes, I just validated the backup on the USB drive.
I thought had done that when I was trying to get the backup to the USB drive working . It would backup to the USB drive but it wouldn't validate, but if I copied a backup to the USB drive would validate.
The validation now was just a double check.
So it seems to be working good enough now.

Thanks

Andy32901