Acronis True Image: management of incrementals

Hi all,

Does anyone know if it's possible to delete unwanted incremental images, without jeopardising later ones?

e.g. We have a full image for Jan, then incrementals for Feb, Mar and Apr. If we know we'll never want Feb or Mar, can we delete these, without losing the ability to restore April?

IN other words, are the incrementals relative to the full image, or relative to the previous incremental?

Thanks,
Matt

 

All incrementals relate to the previous 'full' backup. If you back up to Acronis Secure Zone then when you do a full backup any previous backups are left intact UNTIL the Secure Zone becomes full and then Acronis True Image automatically utilizes the space occupied by the oldest 'full' backup and it's incrmentals. You don't have to manage the Secure Zone manually.

 

I just realised I haven't fully answered your question. No you cannot delete previous incrementals manually if you are using Secure Zone. I think it would be dangerous if you did do that because you may find when you are in a restore situation that you have deleted something that you need to restore. Just do a periodic 'full' backup and that in effect makes all previous backups redundant although they are still there, subject to what I said in my previous post, should you need to go back further.

 

Hello Matt,

Thank you for choosing Acronis True Image (http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/).

We regret to inform you that after you delete incremental image all the subsequent incrementals images will be useless. It is recommended that you create the new full back up periodically. Also you may move the created incremental to another folder and then create another incremental to the full image directly.

Thank you.
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Ilya Toytman

 

Hi PJB, thanks for your thoughts so far...

We use True Image 8, but I don't think we use the Secure Zone thing.

I now appreciate that incrementals relate to the first full image. However, I'm still not clear whether I may or may not delete unwanted incremental .TIB files.

Basically, we image a PC once a month. Say we've got the following:

Jan: full backup
Feb: incr
Mar: incr
Apr: incr

Then, say we know that April's image is a good one, but we can live without Feb and Mar images. By deleting Feb and Mar, does it make April impossible to restore?

Hope I'm not being too thick. Thanks for your rapid response!!

Matt

 

Oh thanks Ilya, you must have replied while I was writing the last message!!

That sort of answers it. Thanks very much.

Matt

 

Hello Matt,

As a workaround (quite time consuming but it should be done only once) I cansuggest that you image (full image) of your system current state, restore the April image (or which you want to keep), create the full image of the system state and then restore the image of your current system state. This will give you the full April image that doesn't depend on any other images. In future I would suggest that you create full images periodically as I have posted in the previous post.

Thank you.
--
Ilya Toytman

 

Thanks, that's very helpful. Keep up the good work.