You must be kidding!

Ever since the initial installation of True Image 9.0 incremental backups posed an annoying problem.
I always thought that an incremental backup would only fetch files which have changed since a prior backup. Why is it then that it keeps gradually filling up my external backup drive to the tune of twice the size of my complete C Drive? Also the incremental backup takes longer then backing up the entire C Drive.
Now I further invested in True Image 11, hoping to have improved software, and not necessarily needing a degree in computer science to implement. But now it gets worse! Incremental backups do not work! I am not a Dodo when it comes to the use of software or following instructions and I have tried everything to make this program work.

Here is the problem:
Following the guide for setting up an incremental backup, the procedure is either not initiated at all or I get an erroneous “Operation has completed with errors”. What does it mean completed with errors? Nothing has completed. The log shows it started and ended one second later.
On one occasion the backup procedure started and after five hours still showed that the process will require another 19 hours to complete. It just was grinding in place. To shut down the process was only possible by rebooting the computer. Then another surprise;
The initial backup file of the complete hard drive disappeared from my external drive.

The only thing that works with this software is a full backup and I like the Mount Image Feature. It appears that as it stands now I am better of to do a full backup every time because it is faster then an incremental backup and it works, but to do that I would not need Acronis and spend my money somewhere else.


Answer to a week long correspondence with tech support from Acronis:

Hello, Sir.

Thank you for using Acronis True Image http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/

Device Tree utility showed you have Symantec Software installed. Please, disable it when using Acronis products. We also recommend you to temporarily uninstall/switch off all third party applications like antiviral software and disk utilities.

We are always at your service should you have any further questions.

Thank you.



My reply to this answer:

Hello, Sir.

You must be kidding!
First of all with True Image 9.0 I had the same configuration and device tree results, and the incremental backup worked. Nothing has changed on my side other then spending money to "upgrade" to True Image 11.0 and now it is my fault to use Symantec Software like millions of other users.

How to you expect the ludicrous suggestion of yours to work? I get up in the middle of the night when the backup is scheduled and turn off my fire wall and anti virus protection?

As always with poorly designed software, blame the anti virus software. I am not even asking for my money back, but you can rest assured this experience with True Image is going to make the rounds in various forums and reader comments columns.

Have a good day,

Oskar F. Neuhold

 

Hello dawoergla

Thank you for using Acronis Disk Backup software

Could you please let me know your Acronis request # (e.g. [Acronis #123456]) which can be found in the subject of the letters that you received from our Support Team? I will find out how the investigation of your issue is going.

Thank you.

--
Michael Levchenko

 

I have received a follow up from the tech person (RE: [Acronis #1191098] incremental backup problems) to my reply to the ludicrous suggestion “to disable the Symantec software when using Acronis products”. He clarified that only temporarily I should shut down Symantec to reproduce the situation; so much for a failure to communicate.

I am gladly going along with Acronis technical support department in working out glitches in software applications. I had plenty of opportunities to be exposed to tech support personnel from Bangalor to Manila and marvel about the task to train this people and then let them be the good will ambassadors for a company. <Snip> ~ Patronising comment removed - Menorcaman ~

 

As so many times before with tech support, I finally had to solve the problem myself. In my process of reverting back to True Image 9.00, which had no backup problems, I on-installed 11.0 and all related files.
Since the upgrade to 11.0 was done over the installed 9.0, I wanted to find out what would happen if I make a clean install of 11.0 with 9.00 no longer present on my drive. It worked! An incremental backup starts with no issues other than it takes for ever to do so, which judging from all the posts in the forum is an Achilles Heel of the software.

At no time during the trouble shooting process with your tech support was a fresh re-install of the software suggested.

Oskar F. Neuhold