How do you backup Scheduled Tasks?

It would be nice if I could actually backup Acronis itself, specifically I want to back up my automatic backup settings, so that if I have to restore my system from an image my tasks for backing up data will not have to be recreated. I have a bunch of tasks so it would take a decent amount of time to do.

I don't see anything on this in the users manual or help, nor on the actual software dashboard in the task area.

I tried tracking down actual files that might contain the task settings, but I didn't find any.

Please help. Thanks!

 

Sounds like one for the Wish List at the top of the forum.

 

I found the scheduled task files here:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Acronis\TrueImage\Scripts

Hope this helps.

 

Isn't it interesting that a program that can backup other program's settings cannot backup its own?

 

Thanks MathGuy07. You didn't happen to try running a backup of it and then deleting the original file, then replacing it did you? I am hessitant to try for fear if it doesn't work then I have to do all that work over again of creating tasks.

 

Hi stanman,

If you make backups of the partition or drive containing your OS and programs you will automatically have backed up Acronis itself and all its settings. So why make life more complicated than it is ?
The same principle applies to any other program and its settings.


Of course if you are not doing whole partition backups you are not getting full value from True image.

Xpilot

 

thanks Xpilot, I realize that doing a whole part image is an option, but some of us like to redo our whole system from time to time, or to switch from image to image of the system with different configs.

Its an obvious oversite on the part of the makers of this software, but no biggie.

 

Surely that applies to nearly all programs that one has installed. I for one do not see this an oversite however small.

I suppose it all depends on what you mean by "redoing a whole system".
One of the major advantages of the way I use True image is that I never have to "redo my sytem" ever!

Xpilot

 

Okay obviously you are a noble and loyal devotee of this software, for whom nothing could possibly be wrong with it. But some of the rest of us want more options that make sense. Overall its a great product. But, it is a little funny as an earlier post pointed out that a company that backs up stuff didn't value their own software enough to think that people would want to back it up.

 

What to you seems obvious is not necessarily the actual fact. I am aware of many shortcomings in the current and several previous versions of True Image. However I make use of its basic backup and restore facilities in which it excels. Having said that I have found on very rare occasions an image restore may fail.
Now if I used TI by the book I could have fetched up with no bootable drive which would be flagged as empty. So I developed the simple rule of always restoring to a spare hard drive and never overwriting a good working drive. Exchangable HDDs in removable drawers makes this an easy and simple process.

Your quote of someone else saying that TI does not bother to back itself up is a misunderstanding of what really happens when a backup image or a clone of the OS and programs is made. EVERYTHING can be secured by such backups.

Xpilot

 

I'll give some examples of when it would be useful to be able to backup True Image's program settings:

A regular reader of this forum knows that updating an installed copy of True Image to the next build is a dicey proposition. Sometimes installing 'over' an existing build works, and sometimes it doesn't. When it doesn't work, you're looking at a clean re-install of True Image. Some don't even try installing 'over' and do only clean installs.

Or maybe you need to do a clean re-install of True Image because your snot nosed cousin deletes some files he considers 'unnecessary'.

In any case, when performing a clean re-install it would be nice not to have to recreate all your scheduled tasks and re-do all your program options.

 

Not a very good example I am afraid. Unless one does a most exceptional clean up before a reinstall of TI all existing .tib files and backup schedules are in fact retained by design. These are then available for any subsequent reinstallation of TI.
This interesting and useful feature also permits such items to be carried forward not only across builds but also across all recent versions.

Xpilot

 

Useful? That just sounds sloppy to me. Another program that leaves crap behind after uninstall.

What would be useful is if there were defined separate files for each task that is created so that they could be transferred to CD or whatever and popped back into it any time you want. Instead all tasks exist together somewhere but who knows where within the file infrastructure.

By the Xpilot, you remind me of the comic book store guy on the Simpsons.

 

Apparently you haven't come across cryptic error messages when trying to work with leftover .tis files...like when you can't edit a scheduled task and are told that the task was created by a more recent version of True Image...or you are told that you can't edit a scheduled task because the task is corrupted.

And in any case, .tis files don't contain your program settings.

 

I am sorry Stanman but your intended insult is quite lost on me as I am not familiar with the cartoon character to whom you refer.

.tib files, your backup images, are stored where ever you decide to save them. Most thinking users will be happy that they are still available for use should it ever be necessary to re-install TI. Any user can of course delete these archives at any time should they want to do this. This might be your best choice if you consider that your backup images are crap.

A previous poster has already told you where you can find your backup schedule scripts. Most users who are doing a reinstall would be very pleased that they do not have recreate their scripts, however they can be separately deleted if that is what you want. Although I understood from you earlier posts that you actually wanted to back them up in some additional form.

I will think of you should I ever see an episode of the Simpsons featuring the comic book store guy. I would not even try to guess which character you most closely resemble DUH!

Xpilot

 

I just ran a brief test:
1) Created an image of my O/S partition

2) Copied the script files for Scheduled Tasks from C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Acronis\TrueImage\Scripts to a separate partition.

3) Deleted the script files from C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Acronis\TrueImage\Scripts

4) Opened TI, the Tasks were gone.

5) Copied the script files back to their default location

6) Opened TI and the Tasks were back. I was able to edit them but did not attempt to run any of them.

This appears to work; personally I would not trust it a bit. I don’t know if any of these have any registry entries, or other references, and TI is just too important a program to take chances with. My recommendation is to take the time and set up from scratch.

I do know that on Version 10, the Backup Location Feature does reference the registry, if you delete a Backup Location using Explorer and not the TI wizard, you will get an error message when you try to edit Backup Locations. There may be other scenarios that cause this error, I’m not sure. Mustang brilliantly found the solution to this, see this thread:
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=163491.

My next step is to restore the image I created in step 1, because, as I said, I’m not certain if the other steps affected TI in a negative way.

Regards, CatFan

 

I did the same test, and although the names of the tasks are intact when the scripts are plugged back, the actual details of the tasks are not. You can't even go back in and edit them. So, obviously the tasks have data in something else other than the scripts folder as I suspected.

by the way Xpilot, why don't you quit posting on this thread since all you're doing is telling all of us who are interested that we shouldn't be interested and implying that we're stupid if we dare think outside of the box that TI came in.

 

Huh? Each task *is* contained it's own script file. You can back them up, view them. copy them, etc.

 

Disagreement is not a basis for shooing folks out of the discussion. Xpilot has been around for long time, helping a lot of folks. You might not find what he says in this thread useful; some folks might not find your comments in this thread useful, but we all try to mind manners on these forums.

 

ok vibe checkers, sorry for expressing myself.

I have to say the xpilot has a very snotty tone in my opinion that provokes me and probably others. Sorry for going "over the top" and pointing that out with a little snide comment, but you get what you give. If you're a snot people don't just sit there and take that tone of voice. I didn't insult him, I just pointed out who he reminded me of and said that since he doesn't seem to agree with the need for this thread that there's really no point in us hearing from him.

honestly all he's doing is saying this thread doesn't need to be here. he's not trying to help just basically saying i'm smarter than you, if you were as smart as me then you would never hast posted this thread.

whatever, i don't really care.

have fun

 

In an attempt to stray back on topic...

If it's really true that all one needs to do to backup scheduled tasks is to copy the .tis files - and my experience doesn't convince me of that - but if it's really that easy why wouldn't Acronis add 'True Image Scheduled Tasks' to the list of program settings it can backup? Physician heal thyself?

And in any case, we still can't backup True Image program settings.

 

Those script files are not all inclusive of everything for the tasks unfortunately.

I actually tried copying the files to a separate location, then I popped the files in to the original location again after doing a clean reinstall of TI and it didn't work.

The task names are shown in the tasks area, but none of the info about the tasks is listed, and the tasks don't function, and you can't edit them.

The scripts files don't have all of the task info in them. The rest of the task info is who knows where... scattered some where else on the hard drive in the various archelpalago of data for the program.