Can't validate backup

Discussion in 'Acronis True Image Product Line' started by hc6700, Nov 4, 2008.

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  1. hc6700

    hc6700 Registered Member

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    I'm reinstalling XP and having been making backups of my entire system as the install progresses, using TI 11 and DVD-R and DVD-R +DL discs.
    The backups always yield a successful message, but validating the backup has been working about 40% of the time, until recently. The last backup I tried to create (with my entire system installed but I haven't gone online yet for updating XP, etc.) has been impossible to validate. The backups finish successfully but they won't validate.
    I'll put in the last disc of the backup, click on validate but the file won't show on the left side of the ACronis panel. On the right side, it shows the DVD drive I've chosen and the amount of info on the disc (usually about 4.35GB) but the file name won't show on the right side, under the correct DVD drive (under my computer).
    I've rebooted and tried again, but to no avail.
    I've also tried to find the file on the DVD doing a mock recovery, but the file doesn't show.
    If I boot into windows the acronis file shows on the DVD disc.
    Any help would be appreciated.
    for security reasons, I really need to make backups that I can take with me, so using an internal or external HDD won't do.
    thanks
    hc
     
  2. hc6700

    hc6700 Registered Member

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    I'm trying to complete this reinstall and I'm just waiting for a response to my question.
    Is anyone out there
     
  3. jonyjoe81

    jonyjoe81 Registered Member

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    What brand blank dvd's are you using? There are some real bad ones out there. The only ones I recommend for backup purpose are sonys and verbatims 16X+.

    My advice is to do a disc quality test on nero or similar program on the dvd's you burned. You need to get a score of at least 90 percent to have any confidence that they will restore properly.

    Even the worst brand of blank dvd's (memorex/TDK among others) will say burn completed succesfully, but when you try to read them or verify them that's when you run into problems.

    That's what I would check first.
     
  4. hc6700

    hc6700 Registered Member

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    Thanks Jony. I appreciate your response.
    I'm using Verbatim -R 16X and +R DL. I tried +R 16X Verbatim once and the process stopped with a message of bad media. So I stuck with -R 16X.

    It would be nice if a site moderator would respond. I've wasted close to 30 hours trying to make this work. It's bad enough that this product is so complex to use and has a manual that is almost 100 pages and would take a semester graduate level course to understand. But to have tech support that takes days and days to respond is unbearable.
    My entire build is on hold until I can get this resolved.
    By the way my the build is 8053 of ATI Home 11
     
  5. seekforever

    seekforever Registered Member

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    You should raise an official support ticket with Acronis at their site. Acronis staff do look at this board but it is rather a hit and miss proposition.

    I don't know exactly what you have done but I recommend you do some "baby steps" and work towards your goal of reliable archives on DVDs.

    Create an archive on an internal HD and see if you can validate it in Windows. Use the same split-size as if you were going to put it on a DVD. If you can, then validate it using the TI rescue CD. If you can then it means your PC is in good shape for the basic functionality and the rescue CD has support for your disk system. Writing archives to internal disks tends to be the least troublesome.

    Copy the archive to your DVD (which is why we set the split-size). Use Nero, Roxio, or whatever your favorite burning software is. Be sure you validate it with your software's "Verify after burning" feature.

    You should be able to read the archive with TI in Windows. Validate the archive. If that is sucessful then boot up the TI rescue CD and see if you can validate it. If either validate fails then run a checksum calculator on the archive files on the HD and DVD. The checksums must agree or the copy is bad, or not being read properly. A free checksum calculator is available at:
    http://www.irnis.net/soft/xcsc/

    If burning the DVD this way cures your problem then it is likely the TI burning routine doesn't like your hardware for whatever reason. A lot of us will only consider making DVD archives as described above - the so-called 2-step process.

    If all works except for the validation in the rescue CD Linux environment then you likely have a Linux driver issue.
     
  6. MudCrab

    MudCrab Imaging Specialist

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    Do you have another internal DVD drive to try? Do you have an external USB DVD drive you could try? On one of my computers, TI writes the image successfully to the DVD, but then it can't find it. The DVD is fine if I look at it in Windows or another computer or using a different DVD drive.

    Another thing you can try is to type the name of the TIB file into the box and see if TI can then find it. I think others have reported success with this in some cases (you would need to type in the full path (E:\myxpbackup.tib, for example).

    You might also consider updating to the latest build of TI 11 (build 8,101).
     
  7. hc6700

    hc6700 Registered Member

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    Thanks folks.
    I've done a few things which have led to some success.

    1- I followed Jony's advise and started using Verbatim 16X +R media.

    2 - I have 2 DVD drives and switched from my Samsung drive (I thought that drive might be having problems not recognizing discs, etc) to the second one (LiteON).

    3 - I tried creating the backups in Windows (I never tried that before - I always used the ATI rescue bootable CD and created the backups in that environment). I then validated in Windows.

    4 - I then used the rescue CD and booted into that environment and did a mock recovery to make sure the backup file created in Windows was viseable and useable. That also worked.

    With these 4 steps I've created 2 good backups. Hopefully I'm on the right track.

    Mud,
    You suggested I upgrade to the latest version. How do I do the upgrade. The last time you suggested that to me (about a year ago) it involved uninstalling the previous version which involved some very complicated steps (going into the registry, etc.)
    Is that still necessary, or can I just download the 101 file and upgrade over the old version.
    If I can do that, or just uninstall the old version in the Add/Remove section of the Control panel and install the new version, that would be fine.

    HC
     
  8. jmk94903

    jmk94903 Registered Member

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    Well, given my choice, I'd prefer a Sony drive or a Memorex drive. In spite of Jonyjoe's comment, I have a 100% success with Memorex +R disks with Memorex drives. However, if you have success with Verbatim +R, that's fine.
    Stick with creating the DVDs in Windows. The Windows drivers are better, especially for writing which is critical, than the Linux drivers on the Rescue CD.
    And always validate your backups from the Rescue CD. That's where you'll be working if you have to do a restore of the boot partition. Even if you start a restore in Windows, it reboots into the Linux environment that's the same as the Rescue CD. So, validation from the Rescue CD is critical.
    I think you have found the right way to backup and will be in good shape if you ever need to do a restore.
     
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