True Image 9.0 Problems

I didn't see any threads dealing with my specific issues so here I am to ask for some guidance. I wanted TI originally because Windows System Restore keeps deleting my previous restore points even though I haven't changed the space allotted for it and I'd like to be able to schedule routine points every now and then just to be sure. I have Win XP Pro, 500MHz P3. I installed TI 9 without any problems and after an initial hangup with creating the secure zone partition (the program froze and I restarted the computer) of 1GB, it showed that everything was ready to go to create the backup. So I started the full disk image creation and it got about ~33% finished and froze again. I stopped the process, rebooted tried again. This time it wouldn't show any progress on creating the backup. Stopped, rebooted- same story. I tried to remove the partition and the program freezes. Uninstalled and reinstalled the program- still no go. So I used Windows System Restore to revert everything before all this mess started thinking maybe there was something that could be cleared out, but still nothing when I try to create a backup or remove the partition. So here's a stupid question: How do I get rid of a partition when the program that created it doesn't let me? If I can get my computer back to what it was prior to the first install, I thought I would give it one more try and then if it still doesn't work, call Newegg.com back and get my money back for this piece of junk.

 

Well, after more than three years of using TI with success I wouldn't call it a piece of junk, but yes, it takes some learning. You can download the User's Guide from the Acronis site.

The Secure Zone should be managed (created, resized, deleted) with the same Manage Acronis Secure Zone tool. I'm not shure you can still delete it that way after the other attempts you made.

I would guess the problem stemmed from the inadequate size you assigned to SZ. With normal compression, 1 GB SZ will allow to store the image of a disk/partition with no more than 1.7 GB of used space. You may try to increase the size of the SZ to see if that unlocks it. If that helps and you have another drive to store images on (internal or external), just delete the SZ and leave it at that, since you do not need the SZ.

 

bVolk- "Piece of junk" is a term of affection I also use for Symantec and MacAfee software so TI hasn't quite earned the title yet and let's hope it stays that way. My harddrive only has ~9.5GB out of 14 used so I thought 1GB would certainly be enough for the secure zone size, but perhaps that's part of the problem. I still can't understand why it seems to start the process of creating a backup just fine, but it hangs in the exact same way that it does when I tried to remove the partition.

 

With 9.5 GB used that means you need about 5GB SZ. Acronis compresses the image about 40%. I'm not expert on the SZ but I don't think you gave it enough space.

 

tab,

Normally, when the free space in SZ is not large enough to hold the next image you started, TI will either carry out a deletion or prompt you for some other action, if the deletion based on the FIFO rule left you without any backup.

Maybe you confused the TI cleaning routine with that sigle first image being too large? Anyway, I would expect a warning, not a lockup.

Do you have another drive to store the image on?

Edit:: You'd better give us more detail about your avilable drives and their partitioning. Also tell if you can see the Acronis partition in Disk Management and if you right-click on it whether the option to delete the partition is active.

 

Whether one uses a secure zone or not is a matter of personal choice.
The size of the storage area is critical whatever the designation of the storage area.
The rule of thumb I would start from is 2 to 3 times the size of the original used space.
It really needs to be that big to store more than the original image and leave some room for expansion.
For example 10 GB of used space would perhaps need an image of say 7 GB. Now the next step would be to create a new backup at a later date or perhaps a series of incrementals which could total say another 7 GB.
Now if the storage zone was set at 25 GB there would be room for another full base image and some incrementals before the original image is deleted.

So your 1GB secure zone is far too small to be of any practical use and I am surprised that the operation was not errored out or no warning message was shown.


Xpilot

 

Disk Management says:

C: Layout-Partition,Type-Basic,File System- FAT 32, Status-Healthy (System), Capacity-13.32GB, Free Space- 2.13GB, % Free- 15%, Fault Tolerance- No, Overhead- 0%

Acronis SZ:Layout-Partition,Type-Basic,File System- FAT 32, Status-Healthy (Unknown Partition), Capacity-1.00GB, Free Space- 0.0MB, % Free- 0%, Fault Tolerance- No, Overhead- 0%

The rightclick "delete logical drive" option does come up with everything else greyed out.

 

Okay- So my first mistake was giving it only 1GB as several of you mentioned. Lesson learned. When it said "compression" I thought 1/10 the space would be adequate, but clearly that was wrong. If my measely 10GB HD needs another 7-8GB to be backed up, how is it that Windows System Restore needs only a fraction of that kind of space? Forgive my ignorance about this, but that doesn't seem right.

So given that Acronis may need much more room on my hard drive than I have available, I'll get take it off this computer for now. Second problem is can I get rid of the partitions it created without losing any data?

 

Windows System restore does what it says . By making a regular copy of the Windows registry a user is able to revert the system to a prior date.
It does nothing in the way of backing up the operating system in toto or securing any user data.
So system restore can roll back a working operating system to an earlier date while leaving current data un- touched. This has it's uses but is in no way equivalent to the total HDD backups that can be done with TI.

Xpilot

 

To get rid of SZ,
Go to "Manage Acronis Secure Zone" Once in their Find "Remove Secure Zone"
Follow the instructions to remove. It will not delete any of your files.
As far as System Restore versus Ti backup there is no comparison. TI makes and image of the hard drive. System Restore only backups some system files.If you had a drive failure system restore would do you no good. However TI would restore your new drive completely without having to reinstall anything even Windows within a mater of minutes.

 

To compare win system restore with ATI is like comparing a windmill with a nuclear plant...
Be sure if and when you get ATI working to completely turn it off (with the help of ATI,read inside)..

 

tab,

The storage you have available will not let you use TI unless you buy an external drive. I regard imaging to DVDs to be too cumbersome. But do not uninstall TI yet, you may need it to get the space used by the SZ back.

If the SZ can't be deleted from the TI wizard and you can borrow an USB external drive I would go this route to recover the SZ space:

- create the TI Rescue CD
- create an image of the HD to the borrowed external
- boot from Rescue CD an validate the image on the external
- delete the SZ hidden partition through Windows Disk Management
- restore C: (with resize to full disk space).

Someone else may be able to show a simpler way.

 

Thanks for the help everyone. I'll try bVolk's method of regaining the space used up by the SZ and let you know how it goes.

Thanks again-

 

tab,

You might try to increase the size of the SZ (from the wizard) for a very small amount, just enough to change that zero free space into some positive number. Other partition parameters would be reset as well, hopefully unlocking it for regular deletion.

Grabbing at straws, sure.

 

How's this for strange? Turned off internet connection, disabled spyware doctor, firewall, and antivirus then started up TI and removed the partition without any trouble at all. Since with this old computer space is at a premium so I won't bother trying to keep it on here, but save for a serious hardware upgrade next year. I hope this software does work as smoothly on a new computer as you guys claim, since that's just the reason I bought it for.

I appreciate all the help- thanks again bVolk.

tab

 

I'm glad you made it tab