TI 9.0 Home Build 3633 - Imaging Direct to DVD

Hi all,

For those of you wishing to retain Nero InCD's normal drag-n-drop CD/DVD recording capability alongside TI's new direct imaging to DVD feature, you will need to ensure that InCD's auto-format option is disabled. See this <previous reply> for details.

Regards

 

Hi all,

Though it might be worthwhile cross-referring to the other issue that has come to light as detailed in the thread titled <TI 9 - Build 3633 - Can't span DVD disks>.

Regards

 

Well...I finally upgraded to TI9. Kudos to Acronis for adding the direct DVD writing feature. For me 4 DVDs is a lot cheaper than buying a Hard Drive. Eventually, I will buy an external HD.

I have successfully created and verified an image on 4 DVDs. However, I did encounter the same "issues" as Menorcaman did. But that was no big deal.

The one thing that seems odd to me is that verifying the image takes as long as burning the image. It took about 1.5 hours for both.

Is this normal?

 

The tib files are visible in My Computer... Is it my imagination, or can I exit TI, come back in, and validate the file as a separate process after the fact?

Regards,
Chuck Billow

 

Also the same problem with direct burning to dvd but the cloning from h/drive-h/drive was seamless. I did create images of my O/S and Programs partitions onto a spare storage partition of my h/drive. Does anyone know if burning these images to DVD using Nero, for instance, will work without a hitch?

 

Yes, it will.

Have a look at this thread:

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=133154

 

Thank you bVolk

 

Yesterday 5/29/2006 I was able to make a TI image direct to dvd+rw and to recover it. I could not do this in the windows XP environment but was able to do it using the TI recovery disk. I used the latest build 3633. I used Roxio to erase two used dvd+rw disks. The backup image spanned two disks without any problems. It took a couple of hours to do the backup and recoveries. For now the best way to do a backup and recovery using TI 3633 is to use an external 2.0 usb hard drive. I hope Acronis gets all the bugs out of writing and recovering to DVD'S as this is only real issue that I have with their software. You really should be able to backup to DVD'S a couple of times a year in case your external usb hard drive goes bad.

 

Hello computergeek2,

Thanks for the feedback.

When you say you couldn't do this in the Windows environment did you mean you couldn't image, restore or both? If you meant you couldn't restore then that's understandable as TI can't restore a system disk/partition from within Windows.

This confirms that the problems regarding erased DVD+RW rewritable disks only applies to certain CD/DVD recording software (so far, I've identified Nero Burning ROM and NTI CD&DVD-Maker as being problematic) and the disk spanning problem is limited to DVD-R media. Of course, there is still the problem of the .tib files not being accessible on DVD+R and DVD-R media after booting into the Linux based rescue environment.

Regards

 

I was not able to make a direct TI image using build 3633 within windows XP home. I kept getting a message windows locking but it just sat there and would never lock. I then used the TI 3633 recovery cd and was able to both create and recover the TI image using dvd+RW disks. In the past I have been able to make TI images within Windows Xp home but have never been able to recover them. I prefer to make them within the windows XP environment as it is much faster than using the Ti recovery disk. AT present the only way to successfully make a image and recovery directly is using the TI 3633 recovery cd and only using DVD RW+ disks.

 

Sort of an aside, but not really:

In all the talk about DVD backups, I keep seeing reference to backups "within the Windows environment".

Is an image created this way a "total, complete image"? What about all the open files that are supporting the Windows environment itself? Will they get backed up as well? How?

Regards,
Chuck Billow

 

Hello Chuck,

Yes they will. This <Acronis technical article> explains how.

Regards

 

Menorcaman:

Thanks.

Regards,
Chuck

 

Sorry Chuck, I missed this earlier post of yours.

You didn't say which type of DVD media you used and whether the image spanned two or more DVDs. As far as I can ascertain, the problem regarding invisible .tib files only comes to light if the image has been created directly to DVD+R or DVD-R media and you are trying access it from within the Linux based rescue environment. In addition, there is a problem with invisible .tib files when in Windows mode if the image has been created on two or more DVD-R disks.

Regards

 

When you are running windows normally Acronis locks windows for a second and in effect takes a snapshot of your system. It then makes an image from this snapshot. This is why you can continue using windows while you are making a image. You can also use the recovery cd without any windows programs being open to do the same thing. Making an image while windows is open is much faster than making an image with the recovery cd. The drivers are much more efficient in windows than in the Linox recovery cd. It takes me 12 minutes to do a backup image in windows but 25 min to recover it using the Linox Acronis cd.

 

Menorcaman:

It was a "regular" backup, booted from the Acronis CD, made to DVD+R, single DVD (trial) that wouldn't able to verify.

The error said there was no backup file...

I just tried it within Windows (XP-Pro-SP2), and it worked fine (to DVD+R) and verified as well...

computergeek2:

The rescue/boot CD is actually a Linux environment? If so, ya learn something new every day!

AND, if so, then maybe it's the Linux environment that is having issues with the DVD, NOT directly TI.

??

Regards,
Chuck Billow

 

FWIW, Acronis provides the Linux recovery environment for the sole purpose of running TI so it doesn't matter where the fault lies to the end-user - it still doesn't work.

Knowing a bit about program development, PC HW&SW environments, and the difficulty supporting a mix of high-quality and low-quality, obsolete equipment, I have sympathized with Acronis' plight. The version 9 initial releases should never have seen the light of day and I thought they had learned a hard lesson with it. Then along comes the direct-writing to DVD debacle. Big email announcements and heaven knows what else and the thing doesn't look like it was even tested! Doesn't just fail on some systems, most of it doesn't even work on one system.

If I was running the TI dept of Acronis there would be some past employees looking for work.

I salute any Acronis employees that tried to keep this thing from being distributed.

I feel better know, I have been wanting to say this for a while.

 

Hey seekforever,

Take it from me "now that I've given up all hope, I feel a lot better!"

 

Hello computergeek2,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

Could you please provide us with the more detailed information on the problem?

- Let us know what you mean exactly when saying that you are "not able to make a direct TI image using build 3633 within windows XP home"?

- What happens exactly when you try to create an image saving it to DVD using the latest build (3633) of Acronis True Image 9.0 Home from under Windows?

- Do you receive any error messages? What exact messages? When exactly do you receive them?

- What brand of DVD+RW discs do you use?

- Did you try using DVDs of any other type (+R\-R\-RW)? What was the result?

- What exact version and build number of Roxio DVD writing software is installed in your computer?

- Describe actions taken before the problem appears step-by-step.

Thank you.
--
Alexey Popov

 

OT reply removed - please keep in mind that this is the Acronis support forum.

 

Hello everyone,

I'm glad to inform you that the issue with Nero Burning ROM erased DVD+RW discs has been fixed. The fix will be implemented in the next build of Acronis True Image 9.0 Home which is expected to be released within the next few weeks.

Thank you.
--
Alexey Popov

 

Many thanks for the feedback Alexey. Has the fix been tested on a spanned image? I'm currently having problems validating volume 1 of a two disk image created on pre-erased DVD+RW media.

Also, do we take it that the other problem with DVD-R media, reported in the thread titled <TI 9 - Build 3633 - Can't span DVD disks >, is still being investigated? Namely, that the .tib files aren't visible within Windows on anything other than the last disk of a multi-disk backup.

Kind regards

 

I intended to raise a new thread regarding the latest problem I've had with spanned images on DVD+RW media but though it best to try to keep Build 3633 DVD recording issues under one roof.

It may be that Acronis are already aware of the issue and will fix it, along with the other DVD fixes, in the next build. Anyway here goes:

EDIT: Tests expanded and repeated due to some faulty DVD+RW media the first time around P). Results amended accordingly.

Creating A Full System Image (with or without the Acronis Media Components) To New Blank DVD+RW Media In Windows Environment

1. Option set to validate after image creation

a. Inserted 1st blank DVD+RW, waited for the recorder activity light to extinguish, clicked "Proceed" and received the same warning as per Screenshot 1 in Post #1. Clicked "OK", after which the backup task commenced.
b. Inserted 2nd blank disk when prompted, waited for the recorder activity light to extinguish and then clicked "Retry" to continue the backup.
c. After image creation, TI validated Volume 2 (2nd Disk) of the image and then requested that Volume 1 (1st disk) be inserted and press "Retry", which I did (needed to wait until recorder activity light extinguished first).
d. Shortly after clicking "Retry" I received the error message shown in Screenshot 1 below. Note that it says it's not the last volume of the backup yet is suggesting that you press "Retry" in order to continue with volume 1!! I tried inserting the last volume and pressing "Retry" to see what would happen but was merely prompted to insert Volume 1 again, which only resulted in the same error message. The only way out of the loop was to select "Cancel", after which a message came up saying the operation had completed but with errors.

Despite these error messages I was able to carry out a separate, successful, validation of the image.

2. Validate the image separately

a. Repeat of 1(a) above.
b. Repeat of 1(b) above.
c. Once TI had created Volume 2 on the 2nd disk, I opened the Validate Backup Archive tool and commenced validating volume 2 of the image. After Vol 2 had been validated I inserted Volume 1 (1st disk), waited for the recorder's activity light to extinguish and clicked "Retry" to continue. The validation then continued to successful completion.

So, apart from the receiving the warning message shown in Screenshot 1 of Post #1, there were no other problems with this particular test.

Creating A Full System Image To New Blank DVD+RW Media In Linux Based Rescue Environment

1. Option set to validate after image creation

Same result as for Windows environment.

2. Validate the image separately

Same result as for Windows environment.

Creating A Full System Image (with or without the Acronis Media Components) To Nero or NTI CD/DVD Maker Pre-erased DVD+RW Media In Windows Environment

1. Option set to validate after image creation

a. Inserted 1st DVD+RW, waited for the recorder activity light to extinguish, clicked "Proceed" and received the same warning as per Screenshot 1 in Post #1. Clicked "OK" but then received the error message shown in Screenshot 2 of Post #1 and needed to format via TI's native "Format" capability, after which the backup task continued.
b. Inserted 2nd disk when prompted and, again, needed to use TI's native "Format" in order to continue the backup.
c. After image creation, TI validated Volume 2 (2nd Disk) of the image and then requested that Volume 1 (1st disk) be inserted and click Retry, which I did (needed to wait until recorder activity light extinguished first).
d. Shortly after clicking "Retry" I again received the same error message shown in Screenshot 1 below, for which the only way out of the loop was to select "Cancel". After that the message came up saying the operation had completed but with errors.

Again, despite these error messages, I was able to carry out a separate, successful, validation of the image.


2. Validate the image separately

a. Repeat of 1(a) above.
b. Repeat of 1(b) above.
c. Once TI had created Volume 2 on the 2nd disk I was again able separately validate the image via the Validate Backup Archive Wizard.

Creating A Full System Image To Nero or NTI CD/DVD Maker Pre-erased DVD+RW Media In Linux Based Rescue Environment

1. Option set to validate after image creation

Same as for Windows environment.

2. Validate the image separately

Same as for Windows environment.

__________________________________


So, let's hope the Acronis Development Team manage to fix these and all the other DVD recording problems before they release the next build. Until then, I really am done testing TI's new (in)capability!!

Regards

 

I'm a very new user who had experienced a problem in doing a backup on DVD as well. Not quite sure if it's the same issue but I think it's better to put the problem in this thread as well.

I'm using True Image 9 Build #3633 as well. Yesterday I carried out a full system backup of my computer drive C: under Windows XP Professional. I followed the steps as indicated and True Image indicated that I had successfully backup the C: drive into two blank DVD-R disks. I tried to verify the backup but I couldn’t find any file in disk 1. I could only find a file in disk 2.

I went through the process again but the result was the same. Could anyone here please help? Thanks!

Danny

 

It's one of the known problems alright. I think the only media that works is DVD-RW but you had better search posts by Menorcaman for the definitive answer. If I were you, I would forget about fooling with directly wirting to DVDs with build 3633 and wait for the next release. Backing up to other devices works and you can make a backup and then burn it to DVD using your burning software like any other file(s) if you wish. Just make sure the split size is set so the file fits on the DVD.