TI 2009: Recover corrupted archive?

Discussion in 'Acronis True Image Product Line' started by SiM99, Feb 12, 2009.

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  1. SiM99

    SiM99 Registered Member

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    I have True Image 2009 installed and I'm having trouble with a backup of my laptop C: drive that I created last year. That laptop was dropped and replaced via the insurance, so I can no longer access any of the files stored within the archive in question.

    The problem may be to do with the storage medium - I had the archive stored on an external (USB2) hard drive which I have been instructed by Windows to scan with chkdsk, as there may have been some corruption. I have no idea which files (if any) were found to be corrupted, so the tib file may have been one. I don't actually recall finding any CHK files after checking. (This raises another question which I'll ask below. **)

    When I attempt to open the file through Explorer, open it through TI Home or validate it through TI Home, I am given the following message:
    Title: Failed to open the volume number 1
    Message: The file is corrupted.

    So my question is: Would it be possible to recover the archive, or at least "ignore" the corrupted parts and just view the files that could actually be restored?


    ** The other question that I have was this:
    If chkdsk/scandisk finds corruption, then it created CHK files. Does the fact that I had no 1GB+ CHK files and the fact that the tib files still exist after checking for errors mean that these files were in fact not found corrupted by the program?


    Thanks.

    SiM99
     
  2. SiM99

    SiM99 Registered Member

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    Oh, a quick addition....

    I don't think I mentioned that the archive is split over 4 files - each with the maximum size of a DVD disc.

    I have tried copying the 4 tib files from the USB HDD onto my local disk and had no luck. I also tried copying the files between internal HDDs and had no luck with either one.
     
  3. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    Do get the same error if you try to Mount the image (assuming it was a partition backup and not a "data" type backup)?

    Can you list the filenames and sizes for each of the four splits?

    What build of TI 2009 are you using?
     
  4. SiM99

    SiM99 Registered Member

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    Mounting the image gives the error "Cannot assign a drive letter to a partition from the backup archive."

    File sizes:
    c_drive1.tib 4,194,304 KB
    c_drive2.tib 4,194,304 KB
    c_drive3.tib 4,194,304 KB
    c_drive4.tib 1,558,955 KB

    True Image Home 2009 (build 9,709)

    EDIT: I've just verified that the file sizes are the same across all three copies of the files. (They are)
     
  5. Acronis Support

    Acronis Support Acronis Support Staff

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    Hello SiM99,

    Thank you for your interesting in Acronis True Image

    Are you using the same version and ideal the same build number of the program you created that image? You see Acronis guarantee one version back compatibility, but still it’s better to restore images with version of Acronis True Image they were created.

    Have you tried to use Acronis bootable disc to restore this image? Do you receive the same “backup corrupt” error message? If it is so then I’m afraid there is no way to restore it.

    Best regards,
    --
    Dmitry Nikolaev
     
  6. SiM99

    SiM99 Registered Member

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    Thanks for the response! :)

    No, I'm definitely not using the same version to restore it. I think that may have been TI 9 or 10, but I'm not sure... Is there any way I can find out from the archive itself? (I think we're on version 12 now, with TI Home 2009, is that right?) I haven't got a boot disc from version 9 on hand, is there somewhere I can download an ISO?

    I haven't yet attempted to use a boot disc. That would also need to have been built with the older version of TI, right?

    I had no idea that you're only supposed to be able to restore using the same, or the next, version of the program. Am I correct in assuming that you mean one major version and not one build update?


    EDIT: cleaned up a little and added a question
     
    Last edited: Feb 16, 2009
  7. SiM99

    SiM99 Registered Member

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    When attempting to verify the archive using a boot disk built with True Image 10, the program crashes with the message
    When I first clicked on the archive file, the program did say that the tib file is not a valid backup archive. It shown this message on all 4 of the backup parts.

    I am still to attempt this with a True Image 9 boot disk (or the True Image 9 program itself) So.... is there anywhere I can get TI9?

    Just a thought... maybe I should be trying TI11 too...
     
  8. Acronis Support

    Acronis Support Acronis Support Staff

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    Hello SiM99,

    Thank you for your interesting in Acronis True Image

    Can you send me any confirmation of previous version purchase, e.g. Acronis True Image 9.0 Home or Acronis True Image 11 Home?

    When you provide me this information I will give you the links to the appropriate ISO images of Acronis True Image bootable discs.

    Best regards,
    --
    Dmitry Nikolaev
     
  9. SiM99

    SiM99 Registered Member

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    I'm afraid I haven't purchased TI 9 or 10, I was just using the demos at the time of creating the archive. I knew that I wouldn't need to get any files from the backup for a while so didn't see the need to rush and buy TI when I would have to pay again if there was a new major version out when it came to me implementing a proper backup schedule on my desktop computer. When I came to buy it, there WAS a new major version out, so it would have been pointless for me to have bought it back then!


    I still have some unanswered questions:

    Is there any way I can find out what version of TI was used from the backup archive(s)?

    When you say that you need to use the same version of TI that the archive was created with in order to read the archive, you do mean major version, don't you? E.g. TI 12.1 would read a backup created with 12.0?


    I'm going to try and find the older demo versions and install one on my (new) laptop to see if I can mount the backup, but if I need to find the exact build, then I think that may be impossible unless I can find out the version of TI that it was created with.

    I would like to know the answers to these questions regardless of whether it will help me restore this backup or not. It will be handy to know if I need to keep a copy of the installer for every build, just in case I need to do a restore from a backup created with it.
     
  10. seekforever

    seekforever Registered Member

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    Can't help you with how to find which version of the program created an archive.

    However:
    Major releases of TI are called versions. Minor releases within the same version are called builds.

    Normally file formats are changed with versions but they aren't always changed.

    In TI9, a new imaging engine was implemented which caused a format change in the middle of the version's life. Note that new builds were frequently released in the TI9 era, now it appears there are only 1 or 2 new builds per version.

    Acronis guarantees that a given version will read the files produced by the previous version. Their compatibility record is much better than that, I think TI2009 (which would be TI12 if they hadn't changed the number scheme) can read TI8 files and maybe even earlier ones.
     
  11. SiM99

    SiM99 Registered Member

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    Having attempted to read the archive with a few different versions of TI, I have come to the conclusion that the first archive of the backup is definitely corrupted, but the rest of the files seen to be readable. What I mean is that highlighting the first tib file gives the message that it is corrupted, but highlighting the rest of the files individually will show the information about the file, i.e. the comments, the fact that it's password protected etc.

    So, another question for Acronis Support - will it be possible to read the contents of volumes 2-4 of the backup, or will I have lost everything if file #1 is corrupted?
     
  12. seekforever

    seekforever Registered Member

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    When TI deals with a multi-volume archive, selecting any one of the tib files causes the validation to take place on the entire archive, it does not just validate one file. Having TI give summary details about a file is not the same as validating.

    The validation process opens the archive file(s) and reads the data into RAM. A checksum for each 256K of data is calculated (4000 checksums/GB) and compared to the one that was calculated and placed in the file when the archive was written. If they do not all agree perfectly the archive is declared corrupt.

    To do a restore of an image all of the parts of the image have to be perfect. The only exception is in the case of an incremental/differential where the full and the last good incremental/differential can be restored. That is, you can restore up to the bad incremental but not past it.

    If you can't restore an archive you may still be able to Mount/explore it and pull various files out of it. This process does not subject the archive to the rigorous validation process so it will often work when a restore doesn't.
     
  13. SiM99

    SiM99 Registered Member

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    The mount archive option gives the same errors as anything else, so I guess I may be fighting a losing battle :|
     
  14. Acronis Support

    Acronis Support Acronis Support Staff

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    Hello SiM99,

    Thank you for using Acronis True Image

    You are unable to identify the version of the program by means of the archive file. Could you please send me your license number for Acronis True Image Home 2009 via PM? I will try to find you in our database.

    Thank you.

    --
    Oleg Lee
     
  15. SiM99

    SiM99 Registered Member

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    Would it be possible to add this feature? In my situation, it would help if I could see what version of TI the archive was created with :)
     
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