Backup Locations cleanup problem

Discussion in 'Acronis True Image Product Line' started by randman, May 12, 2007.

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  1. randman

    randman Registered Member

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    I have a task which is defined to do a full image backup on weekdays. Its backup location is defined to keep up to 5 full image backups. The task correctly detects when the backup location has exceeded 5 backups. However, when it tries to delete a backup, it reports the error mesage "Archive is invalid or its type is unsupported." This is certainly a bug.

    I have another task, which is defined to create a full file backup after every 6 differential backups. The backup location is defined to store up to a maximum of 8 backups. When this task runs, it correctly detects when it has exceeded 8 backups, and CORRECTLY deletes/consolidates old backups so that it only keeps 8 backups around.

    I've read other threads where reinstalling ATI 10.0 has helped other folks, but I'm somewhat skeptical that this will help me, since backup location cleanup does work for my second task (but not for my first task). Reinstalling doesn't seem to make intuitive sense, given that backups are working properly, just not cleanup.

    Anyone have other suggestions? Has Acronis acknowledged this to be an issue?
     
  2. Acronis Support

    Acronis Support Acronis Support Staff

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    Hello randman,

    Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

    We are sorry for the delayed response.

    Please make sure you use the latest build (4942) of Acronis True Image 10.0 Home. To get access to updates you should first register your software.

    Please try deleting the backup location via Acronis True Image interface and then recreating it again.

    If the issue persists, please collect some information to let us investigate it thoroughly:

    Please create Acronis Report and Windows System Information as it is described in Acronis Help Post.

    Please create a screenshot of contents of the backup location in question.

    Please also clarify where the backup location is created at.

    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.
    --
    Marat Setdikov
     
  3. randman

    randman Registered Member

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    I was already using the latest build (build 4942). I will recreate the backup location to see if it helps.
     
  4. thomasjk

    thomasjk Registered Member

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  5. randman

    randman Registered Member

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    I've already read the various other posts regarding backup location problems. When I created my task, I correctly chose the backup location folder under Backup Locations on the upper left hand corner of the window when prompted for where to save the backup. I don't select the actual folder name that appears under the drive letter. I select the backup location name that appears towards the top of the window under the Backup Locations tree.

    I have two backup tasks. One cleans up correctly, and the second doesn't cleanup correctly:

    1. The first task, which cleans up correctly, is defined to create a differential file backup, and is configured to do a full file backup after every 7 differential backups. The backup location is defined to hold 8 backups. So, at any given time, I should have 2 full backups and 6 differential backups. Note that this backup task CORRECTLY deletes old backups so that there are only 8 backups at a time in the backup location..

    2. My second task is defined to do a full image backup each time it runs on weekdays. The backup location is defined to hold a maximum of 5 backups. Thus, at any given time, I should have 5 full image backups in the backup location. When the task runs, it correctly determines that there are more than 5 backups in the backup location, and the logs says that it will need to cleanup old backups (it says something to the effect that max # of backup files quota has been violated or exceeded). However, I later get an error message saying something like unknown or unidentified file (I don't recall the exact wording, since I'm traveling and I'm not currently in front of the PC with the problem). The backup task fails to delete old backups. I now have more than 5 fullimage backups in the backup folder, even though I defined the backup location to only keep 5 backups.

    Thus, for task #1, which contains a mix of differential and full file backups, the backup task successfully deletes old backups. Task #2, which only does full image backups, does not correctly delete old backups.

    It seems that the cleanup algorithm just doesn't work correctly if the only backups in the backup location are all full backups and no differential or incremental backups.

    Anyway, I'm currently traveling so I don't have access to the PC that has this problem. I'll file a bug report against Acronis for this issue, unless anyone else has any suggestions. I haven't tried the uninstall/scrub/reinstall Acronis software suggestion discussed in other threads. It seems odd that backup locations works correctly for task #1 above but it does not work for task #2. Argh!! The main reason I upgraded from ATI 9.0 to 10.0 is for the backup locations feature!
     
  6. CatFan432

    CatFan432 Registered Member

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    randman,
    If you haven't tried this suggestion from Acronis yet, be sure to do so before you move on to other solutions, such as uninstall/reinstall. No need to delete your image files. I had similar behavior on mine and the delete/recreate Task solution worked. No problems since with a backup location of only full backups.
     
  7. randman

    randman Registered Member

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    Yes, as Acronis suggested, I deleted the backup location and recreated it. Same problem. I did not try to delete the entire task and recreate the task, as you suggested. I can try that once I get back in town from my travels.
     
  8. shieber

    shieber Registered Member

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    Besides deleting and recreating a Backup Location, delete and create new task. If that doesn't work. Then delete them and reinstall and then create them.

    In very rare circumstances, which I haven't been able to pin down but have experienced, Managed Backups can stop working correctly. Something, either in the backup location cfg file, the task, or a registry entry, or some file used in doing Bckup Location management can get corrupted. It's happened to me twice on diff machines and delete, reinstall, recreate has solved for me.
     
  9. randman

    randman Registered Member

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    Thanks for the info. I'll give your suggestions a try once I get back from traveling. Question - if I have to uninstall Acronis, should I run a registry cleaner (like CCleaner) before reinstalling Acronis?

    Thanks.
     
  10. shieber

    shieber Registered Member

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    That probably won't be necessary, so I suggest trying the steps without trying to do manual surgery onthe registry.
     
  11. randman

    randman Registered Member

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    To summarize, my image backup location was defined to hold a maximum of 5 full image backups. The Acronis task detected that it had to cleanup old backups once there was more than 5 backups in the location. However, it would error out saying something about invalid archive. So, I did the following:

    1. Delete the task
    2. Delete the backup location
    3. Delete the file named acronis_backup_place.cfg in the backup location folder.
    4. Create the backup location (same folder as before).
    5. Create the task (and yes, I selected the folder under the backup locations subtree).

    At this point, there were already 10 full image backups from before. I didn't delete them manually. I ran the task, and, like before, the task's log said:

    - 'Number of backups' rule violation is detected. Maximum allowed: 5 Current number: 11.

    - Trying to fix limit violation: by backup count.

    - Deletion is started. Rule: by backup count. Number of backups will be deleted: 6

    - Backup deletion Location: atis:folder?file:I:\backup\acronis\imagebck\
    Number of backups: 6

    - Error. Archive is invalid or its type is unsupported.

    - Error. Archive is invalid or its type is unsupported.

    ....

    - Verifying bakcup archive


    Note that the backup worked. It's just that it couldn't cleanup the old files. to make matters worse, since there were 11 full backups, the task wanted to verify all 11 backups (and not just the last one it just created).

    Argh!!

    Anyway, I will try to reinstall Acronis next.
     
  12. Acronis Support

    Acronis Support Acronis Support Staff

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    Hello randman,

    Thank you for providing additional information. However, please notice that it will help more if you submit a request for technical support, attaching the log file and the information requested in my previous post and the link to this thread. We will investigate the problem and try to provide you with a solution.
    Please be aware that is a known issue, and our Development Team is working on it. Most likely it will be fixed in the next build of Acronis True Image 10.0 Home. I'm sorry, but the exact timeframe is not defined yet.

    Thank you.
    --
    Marat Setdikov
     
  13. randman

    randman Registered Member

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    I submitted a report to Acronis for this issue (entitled 'Backup locations cleanup problem').
     
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