Disk full, 1 full backup, doesn't delete old backup

I have been recommending True Image Home to friends based on Work experience. Based on the Home version specs and what my friend already had. He has a 300 GB internal C drive and has a 300 GB external USB drive. It's not full, but it's over 50%... so 2 full backups exceed the 300 GB limit of his external drive.

So we set his backup limit to 1, but True Image doesn't delete the first (and only) backup before doing the next backup. So part way through it fails. And since it's automated, it wastes a few hours and then fails, filling the log file and of course keeping the first backup the whole time and never making a new backup.

I am just about to look into a pre command to delete all .tib files from the backup location before it does a full backup. But seems True Image should be smart enough to do this when you have the backup limit set to 1. Or at least an option should be there for deleting the old backup before or after the scheduled backup.

I am fully aware that if the backup fails for other reasons and has deleted the successful backup, that there is then NO backups. But that is an acceptable risk and can be dealt with as it happens, if it happens.

So am I right and there is nothing I can do except for the pre command method I have already talked about? This is Version 10, another friend just got version 11, but they have enough space right now for this not to happen just yet.

 

Hello Xenon2000,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup software

If you want to keep only one full backup than you can schedule task to create a full backup with specified name. This backup image would be overwritten automatically with the new full image. You do need to set Backup Location for this task. You can create new scheduled task using "Backup&Restore->Manage Tasks" tool.

Thank you.

--
Michael Levchenko

 

Ah, ok, that will work too. I didn't even think of trying that. Thanks.

 

I had a questions for this, too.
A thought of the following: One full-backup, then 2 diferential. Then the full-backup should be overwritten o that the disk-space is almost the same. I havn't manage it by now. Can you help me?

 

I fyou use Backup Locations and an ATI Scheudled task to save the backups so that ATI can automatically manage the number of files, then note that if you want to limit to x number of files, then you need to leave room for x+1 files. This is because ATI will create a bcakup before deleting an old one -- this ensures that you don't get your backups deleted if anyting interferes with the backup creation. If you only have room for one backup, you'll get a similar disk full prob.

 

I created an scheduled task, and choose "Diferential backup". But i had no chance to specify this (1 full, 2 diferential...)

 

Maybe I am wrong. But I thought Diff backups meant it keep 1 full base backup and then just kept making new diffs. So if you chose a limit of 2, then I would think that would make 1 full backup and then limit the collection of Diffs to 2. Which during restore you would only need the base and the last diff file.

That is how I understood it to work. But haven't tested myself.

But I wonder when it ever makes a new base. Though I don't see why it would ever need to make a new base.

 

If you specify, say a flie limit of 10 files and inthe task you specify 3 incs before next full, then yould get

Full
inc, inc, inc
Full2
inc2, inc2, inc2
Full3
inc3

After the next inc you'd het 11 files so ATI would consolidate the first set

Full
Full2
inc2, inc2, inc2
Full3
inc3 inc3

If it can't consolidate tomake room, then it deletes the oldest full first.

 

If you're not seeing it then you choosing the wrong place to back up. For example, if you made a Backup Location called D:\data, you're choosing "data" under "D:\" instead of "D:\Data" udner "Backup Locations".

sh

 

What do you mean with "Backup Location"? A "Backup Space" or just a new folder where to put the backups?

 

In ATI 11, Open ATI, Select Management Tools, select Manage Backup Locations and Archives, select Create Backup Location from the left hand list, pick a place for a new directory or use an existing directory, specify the limits you want to use, finish out the creat Backup Locatin wizard.

Then, under Management Tools, select Manage Tasks, select Create New Task frm the left hand list, click Next, select Backup, select what you want to backup, follow thoruhg with this wizard until you get to the screen where you pick the target for the backup. Look at the top o fthe left hand list for "Backup Locations" and double click on that to open it up and show you the Backup Location you made a few steps above. Select that location as the target for your task's backups,select Next, then click the box for Incremental and click the box for "create full backup after" and then enter the number of incs you want the task to make before ATI makes a full. Follwo through to finish the wizard.

Now, ATI will automatically uniquely name the backups, and observe the limits specified for the Backup Location, and observe the number-of-incs limits for the Task.

Well, it will unless ATI 11 doesn't work on your machine.

For ATI 10, it's allthe same steps except some of the "menu" layout is a bit diff.

sh

 

I did it now.
Under "Backup Location" I choose: up to 3 archives
Under diferential backup i chose: 1 full backup, next full-backup after 2 diferential backups

Should work, shouldn't it?