Problems Found in True Image 9.0

After extensive testing I have found a few failures and defficiencies in Acronis True Image 9.0:

1. File backups -- will not restore a large file (5gb tested, within hard disk entirely), failing on "corrupted archive" at the very end -- even though the archive passess the initial integrity test and similar post recording. Yet it does work on 100mb files -- the size restriction is not documented. This is in NTFS file system, Windows XP. The whole-partition backups of the same material do restore, so it's good for that -- and worth only that much.

This failure is severe and could not possibly be missed by the most cursory testing of the product in development.

2. The drive designation letters change in some of the wizard screens within the same job; the initial and last screens are correct, though. Not pleasant on critical data.

3. The "manual setting" option within the backup wizard does not identify all the default settings, when run in windows (the stand-alone generated boot disks use a different interface). This could be a problem if default settings have been changed (which they have to be if you want to use a split archive), and this includes compression as well as archive splitting. Pretty serious. But you can set the options in the default tool -- if you can find it.

4. The program places background tasks in the Windows Start Up list (not shown for the user in the start-up directory), and the accessed program appears to be just an interface to the background. So when this infrequently used program is not used, valuable memory, in unknown quantity, is taken up by this useless program. Fortunately we have tools to eliminate this, but the casual user might not.
Some of my applications require a full gigabyte of memory just to run intensive scientific data analysis, so this is serious when repeated across numerous utilities, all of which think the system memory is exclusively for their use, and that their program is the only thing anyone uses -- a sort of product egotism.

The functions of these background processes are also not documented, and I consider all such operations potential security risks. So many of these utility application programs engage in external communications for "automatic updates" and such they can all be potential avenues for intrusion.

5. The program is marketed with descriptions that it supports DVD media, but the manual specifies the program will not write DVD media any more than Windows does, requiring 3rd Party burning software -- if you can find the obscure reference. This is not the case universally with this type of program, the way they are described. That is not good in an application for a critical task where trusting the product is more important.

Obvious advantages weigh against these defficiencies, so I will still use the program, but only in carefully designed procedures.

 

Hello GLNC,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

Please be aware that as I have already mentioned in other forum threads this problem is known and will be fixed in the future builds of Acronis True Image 9.0. Please accept our apologies for the current inconvenience.

Could you please provide us with the more detailed information on these problems?

- What exactly do you mean when saying that the "manual setting option within the backup wizard does not identify all the default settings"?

- Please make a screen shots of all the respective wizard screens illustrating the issues;

- Describe actions taken before the problems appear step-by-step.

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

Please submit a request for technical support. Attach all the collected files and information to your request along with the link to this thread. We will investigate the problems and try to provide you with the solution.

Please take a look at this previous thread. It should answer your questions concerning the so-called Acronis True Image "background processes".

Actually, the need to have the third-party UDF packet DVD writing software in order to be able to write to DVD directly is clearly indicated at Acronis True Image 9.0 System Requirements page.

Thank you.
--
Alexey Popov