True Image 9.0

I am evaluating a trial version, and have a few questions:
1. My "C" drive has 13GB of data, a full backup has 7GB. Am I correct the difference is due to compression?
2. After performing a full backup I perform sequential differential backups. The first differential has approximately the same file size as the original full backup. The next few differentials have a much smaller file size. Why does the original differential backup contain so much data if it is only backing up data changed from the original backup? Each additional differential does not ovewrite the prior one, but is listed as a separate backup ((1), (2), (3), etc.) which seemd more appropriate for a sequential backup rather than a differential. Is this the proper protocol?
Any help would be really appreciated since I am reluctant to purchase if these issues are problems.
Thanks!!!

 

Yes, if you do an *image* backup the default is with some compression. I don't ever use differential so I cannot tell what is going on there. With hard drives so inexpensive today, I always do a full backup.

 

1. The compression ratio that you report is roughly the same as what I see, so you shouldn't worry about that.
2. A differential backup only has one backup file after the first one. An incremental backup adds a new file with each new backup.

If you defragmented your drive after the initial image was taken, the next incremental backup file would be quite large because it would interpret much of the partition as being new, since it's in a different spot on the disk.

 

Bill:
Thanks for your reply. I did a full backup and a series of Incremental backups, creating a new, small word document between each incremental. Hewre's what my backup folder looks like:
Full: 7.3 GB
Incremental (1) 7.7GB
Incremental (2) 21.8MB
Incremental (3) 28.5MB
Incremental (4) 33.9MB
Does this seem proper to you?
I'd sure appreciate hearing back from you because Acronis Tech Support doesn't reply.
Thanks!

 

I believe there was a problem with the pre-2323 builds of ATI9 where the first incremental was as large as a full backup. If you are using something other than 2323, that will be the problem. Your other incremental sizes look fine.

 

hi ozmaniac,

can you elaborate on what you posted please.

I was using the 2302 build and did a full backup, which was 20gb, and then a few days later an incremental, which was about 1gb.

I ask as the incremental shouldn't have been 1gb... we barely did anything. Could the windows swap file play a part in the size of the incremental backup?

Thanks,
Craig.

 

True Image images at sector level. If even 1 byte has changed in a sector, the entire sector will be included in the image. Just opening and closing applications or saving something can move things around enough that several sectors are affected.

Sector based imaging allows everything on a drive to be backed up including open Windows files, system files, the MBR etc. File based backup methods generally cannot do this. You may find this article http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/company/inpress/2003/01-ctr-disk-imaging.html to be of interest in explaining how True Image works. It goes beyond the scope of your question, but it's very interesting.

 

Hello Ozmaniac:
I really appreciate your reply. I am using a brand new trial download (build 2323) and still getting file sizes as indicated. I am considering going back to Norton Ghost.
Any thoughts?
Thanks!!!!

 

Hello azgeezer2004,

Sorry, I can't add much more to my previous posts. I'm using 2323 and my first differential was about 20% of my full (after 2 weeks work) and the following ones not much larger. AFAIK, the spooky one also uses sector based backup and unless TI has a problem that I haven't come across, I'd expect similar sizes (though it doesn't have differentials, does it?). Differential sizes should grow from one to the next as they contain all of the changes since the last full backup.

Perhaps someone else can shed some more light on this.

 

Hi Ozmaniac:
No other posts, so I sent a detailed inquiry to Acronis (hopefully I'll get a respone "some day"). Do you have any experience with Norton Ghost? I used it on my last computer, never had any problems, and the backups a much faster. I'm evaluating TI as a result of a favorable review in PC Magazine, but I'm not sure all these issues are worth the time I'm spending in consideration of switching. Any thoughts you have are appreciated.
Thanks!!
Howard

 

Hi Craig,

Having trawled back through the forum, I think I'm correct in say that the "size of first incremental" bug was fixed in Build 2302.

Also, in addition to what ozmaniac has said about changes to in-use sectors, TI doesn't actually copy the Windows Page/Swap File, or Hibernation File for that matter, to the image. It merely includes a few bytes of "placeholder" information for both files if they are being used.

Regards

 

azgeezer I am one of many TI8 users who upgraded to TI9 but are still using TI8 (v937) till the soap opera plays out. I am also a registered user of Norton Ghost. I believe that TI8 is still superior to Norton and has proved very reliable for me. From what I understand TI9 beta testers (that means you) can get a copy of TI8. If so try it out. Cheers.

 

Thanks Menorcaman!

 

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