Max 4 full backups

Is there any way, with True Image 11, to back up a full image of your hard drive so that you always have the last 4 days of images on your backup drive (an external hard drive in my case)? In other words, when the image is backed up the 5th day, I want the oldest image to be deleted.

Or some way to achieve the same as described here?

Thankfully,

Hans L

 

Yes. Please search the forums, as this has already been explained many times and there are many beginner's guides available that are linked from various forum members' signatures. I don't have time to search for them now for you, so please use the forum search or browse past threads. All the information you need is here.

 

Darn pitty Acronis never read those posts so that they could have put the information in the Help file! What words do you search on for this? I'll try, but ...

THanks,

Hans L

 

If anyone knows where that which I asked about originally is explained, please do not hesitate to direct me there.

I am looking, but it is not easy to find.

Thanks,

Hans L

 

Look for "Backup Locations". I think that feature is one way to do what you want.

 

Download the text file. Change the type or number of backups but the procedure is there.
Create and Configure Backup Locations Incremental.txt by CatFan432
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=172470#13

Vers 11 User Manual on Backup Locations
Chapter 3.5 and Chapter 8
Note particulary the last paragraph under Ch 3.5 Setting rules for backup locations which reads:
"When creating a backup task, be sure to select the backup location from the Backup
Locations list, near the top of the directory tree. Doing so will enable the above processing
of backups. If you select a backup location as a normal folder, the processing will not be
performed." ​

 

And don't forget to rtm. Lots of useful stuff to pick up in the manual.

 

Many people come here asking to be told how to get ATI to work, yet they've never read the manual. For an application as important and complex as ATI, rtfm is mandatory.

 

Thanks, everyone. I have now set the max backups to the number I want for the time being (until I get my bigger external drive) – 3 in my case.

For the task, I have specified only Full backup, and I was sure to follow this instruction:

"When creating a backup task, be sure to select the backup location from the backup location from the Backup Locations list, near the top of the directory tree. Doing so will enable the above processing of backups. If you select a backup location as a normal folder, the processing will not be performed."

So, I am now waiting to see if I get 3 full backups, and when the 4th has been created, if the 1st (oldest) is deleted. (Nowhere I looked have I seen this scenario described.)

I am also very interested in knowing if a previous backup (I have deleted its task) with a different file name (TrueImage.tib) will affect the 'max 3 files' specification. Or if previous backup files created with Disk Image 7.0 (now defunct) will affect the 3-file limit.


As to the "complexity" of this application, I do not think it is a terribly complicated user process. If, for instance, in the "Backup Archive Location", where My Computer was expanded, the list of folders had been shown with "Desktop" at the top of the 'archive location' area, I would have seen "Backup Locations". As it now were, "My Computer" was at the top of the area, and I did not see "Backup Locations".

In addition, there could have been an explanatory text that did not depend on which folder you happened to have highlighted, which would have said, among other things:

"When creating a backup task, be sure to select ... if you want the Setting Rules to apply." (From the top of my head; there are most likely better ways of writing this.)

I read in the forum that many people have stumbled on the above, so there are good reasons for trying to make the windows of the backup process as informative as possible.

Best regards,

Hans L

 

Amen, brothers and sisters, amen.

 

With the advent of the brick-size software manuals/books of 10-15 years ago, I became allergic to manuals. I remember beginning to use Drive Image (the application), where I simply went through the screens and set it up and never really had to look in the manual for that part.

But, I understand your frustration. However, another line of defense for me is that I have about 100 apps on my computer, all with huge help files or manuals, and if I had to read every one of them (and not only read, but *learn*, which would take much more time than just reading), I would not have the time to do anything else in life.

It feels strange to be one of the few people in the computer world that thinks that apps' GUIs should be like Norton Commander's (developed by the genius Peter Norton), and that manuals should basically not be needed (context-linked help pages is the way to go).

That was a little venting, if you wondered Again, thank you for your help. Tomorrow morning, I will know if my setup works.

Regards,

Hans L

 

It's one thing to avoid reading the manual if everything is understood without it; but when in doubt rtfm or at least the stickies on the forums.

 

I agree with shieber. Also, think about the significance of the application and consequences of less-than-ideal use.

Sure, most apps can be learned just by using them, and if you don't learn it correctly so what? So what if drawing that green triangle takes longer than it would if you had learned the ideal process? No big deal. But imaging your entire system is highly important and you want to get it right. IMHO, that means that imaging software is one application for which you should read the manual.

At the very least it would be more respectful of the valuable free time of the volunteers here. It's unfair for people to show up here asking all kinds of basic questions which they could have answered themselves by browsing the manual or searching the forums.

 

I want to let you know that I now have 3 full images of my internal drive backed up on my external drive. In other words, I have achieved what I wanted.

Quite honestly, I do not think that I would have understood how to achieve this on my own. I was only able to understand how to interpret the manual with your help. So, your time was not in vain.

A sincere thanks,

Hans L

 

I'm glad to hear it's working for you. You did what many don't do: you checked the manual. Trying out ATI in conjunction with reading the manual helps to understand how it all works.