Acronis ???

[davmax]

I have seen a number of recommendations for Acronis. My experience is that it has a fatal flaw if you create partitions on your primary drive and then add an external backup drive (eSATA in my case). An image of the primary partition (Windows etc) can be made but a restore will entirely corrupt your primary drive. This has happened to me. The boot sector and OS are lost . This is because Acronis apparently cannot cope with the primary hard drive having partitions C:\ and D:\ and the backup being E:\. A restore can only be achieved if the backup drive is D:\ and the second partition of the primary is E:\. To achieve this means that the backup drive must be present when the partitions of the primary drive are created. This problem occurrs independent of whether restore is initiated in Windows or via the Recovery CD using Safe Mode (not very safe).

I have been very frustrated with Acronis support. Twice now I have received the same unsmart response " We recommend you create a Recovery CD". Clearly they do not read or understand the information sent. How will they fix this flaw????

[WNG]

Re: Acronis ???

Thanks for the heads-up!

Which versions of Acronis True Image are affected?

I have been using v.7. The only limitation I ran across in this older version is the following:
If you created an image of an entire disk containing 2 equally sized primary partitions (dual boot), it can't write to a new larger disk and span each partition to fill the new disk.
ie. a 10GB image of (2) 5 GB partitions. Can't create a 20 GB disk with (2) 10 GB partitions.

Also, I had trouble trying to save to a DVDRW drive.
I assumed it was shortcomings in an older version.

I have not configured any of my disks to be restored in your manner. I think the next time I'll try it to see if I can reproduce this.
So far, it's been restores to whole disks, from DVD-Rs and USB external drive, without any troubles.
My current system's disk is split with an OS partition and data partition (400 GB Seagate). I'll remember this just in case I need to restore my OS partition.

[starfury1]

Re: Acronis ???

although I got version 10
I dont use it extensively so haven't really looked into issues....
I believe there are some if you look at the forums.

So Davmax it doesn't surprise me. possible some work around may exist
but the bottom line is you shouldn't have to look for work arounds for a product like this....

Some images I have made will not boot, I think this was via USB attached HDD

I really mainly use it for cloning and creating a backup and not very often at that so don't have extensive knowledge of the program.

At this point although it has been given good reviews I don't totally trust it to do what you want, admittedly I am ignorant of some of the ways to use it.

I would advise caution and prove your method first before you risk your hdd in a critical restore
there are issues last time I looked.

Tech support....although I've never had to use them....
probably just a couple of words they found somewhere.

Id search the net Davmax you might have better luck.

sorry Davmax can't really offer any help here, really wish I could
but thanks for the info

I haven't been to the Wilders forums on it in awhile but anyone with issues may find some info on it there

Cheers

[gonzo0815]

Re: Acronis ???

Said it didn`t worked out for you.
I am aware, that there are some issues, like bad images etc.
But i have used it mainly as PC> network backup or as HDD>HDD copy tool.
I think i used the 8.0 version or newer.
Until now, i have had no problems, but i don`t use it on a daily basis.
And sure, i always are very carefully with it, e.g. i never deleted something before i tried the recovery on a spare HDD.

[davmax]

Re: Acronis ???

Further facts.
I am using the lastest True Image 10.
For those that want to avoid a problem here is what happened.
With the unfavourable partition arrangement first stated in initial post.
1. When recovering data it went horribly wrong. Acronis support advised me to use a Recovery CD and to use Safe mode that runs a version of DOS.
2. After the first experience I was not willing to trust the Windows operation for creating my disk images. There the CD based Safe mode was used.
3. Happy with my Safe mode images I went to restore in Safe mode. The process started then posted a message that the image is corrupt. It was suggested to verify the C:\ image. The verification went to completion and confirmed image as OK. I then started the restore process again and to my horror the C:\ had disappeared and had been replaced by the Backup drive!!!!.
4 Suspecting a boot sector corruption I executed a MBR to restore it and then tried a boot. A message stated that no op. system could be found.
5 Using Diskmanager 5 I re-partitioned the primary drive and formatted. Understanding what had happened I made sure that the Backup drive was connected and operating before the partitioning. This process then created the primary drive with partitions C:\ and E:\ and the Backup as D:\
6 With the drives now reorganised I was able to restore my image back on to C:\

Note that C:\ is used for Windows and applications and E:\is used for data including My Documents.

Amazing experience. I am still trying to get the Acronis support guy to read the environment and process description. He just came back with a totally off the mark statement.

[dood]

Re: Acronis ???

I prefer Symantec Ghost, but I haven't tried doing anything like what you're describing here

[starfury1]

Re: Acronis ???

Yeah Davmax...I am not overly impressed with this...its seems a lot stayed with 9 or earlier from memory...10 had issues and by the sounds of it not sorted totally either

I dont think your asking too much of a program thats claim to fame is "Backup and restore"
and you pay for it.

Sounds like the tec dude is on another planet
just to add insult to injury

Thanks for the update and yeah I know a little of the horror you must be feeling about this. mostly for me it works but I know I can't fully trust it

[gonzo0815]

Re: Acronis ???

Have i got it right you have not used the boot cd version of Acronis? you mean you used Acronis within the safe mode of wxp?
This would may be explain why i never run into this kind of problems, as i usually and purposely have always used the boot cd option, thus avoiding any os related issues.
Same for Ghost.
I simply do not trust a backup or other hdd related application running under wxp, if the whole system should be backuped.
The only exception from this are some kind of partition resizing tools, which i avoid to use with no backup media.

[davmax]

Re: Acronis ???

You did not get it right Gonzo. My explanation quotes using the Recovery CD in Safe mode and that I avoid Windows method because that is where I got my first problems (Item 1) and was advised to use the CD method that had the problem I described in detail.

Because I lost data (not a disk image) in the Windows operation I am not yet willing to trust Acronis so I still use my tried and trusted AIS Backup for data , it does not have problems with any partition arrangement or change of hard drive.

I originally bought True Image 10 instead of upgrading Ghost, I had hoped that TI 10 would replace both AIS Backup and Ghost 2003. Unfortunately this is not the case.

Hopefully sometime soon the Acronis tech support will actually read and understand the problem description and do something about the problem. Like most front line tech support it is hard to get past the standard and inappropriate responses.

[Fizzycapola]

Re: Acronis ???

I couldn't understand Ghost. Always used Acronis, I remember reading the new versions are buggy and significantly slower; trialed a new version recently, old version (~6/7): 2min ... new version 10min (exactly same operations).

Almost 90% efficiency evaporation, bit like mobile phone towers (I read only 10% is used for telephone related activity), I wonder whats in that 90% processing inefficiency.

Cogito ergo sum (some dude circa. 1596)

[starfury1]

Re: Acronis ???

Generally speaking from what I found out so far

yeah seems you really need to learn what it will work with hardware wise and how it operates version build wise.

So this from what I am gathering is causing a lot of issues....there are lots that really don't know how to fly it but this is then complicated by
"what you need to know of how it works in relation to what you want to do".

So yeah be prepared to put sometime into understanding what its suppose to do and how you can archive this with the hardware you got.

I use to use Ghost for cloning or doing an image then burning that back
it worked ok for me, dont know what the latest is like.

I don't do much more with Acrons and mostly it works.

One thing I think a lot tend to think is they can image a networked drive and the burn it back as a working HDD....from what I gather you cant, thats what they have
True Image 9.1 Workstation for ...I think I got that right....could be wrong still looking into it.

I dont use it much so thats why I haven't put the time into it.

I think you are right thought Fizzycapola, adding more features bells and whistles they have bogged it down a bit and made it more bloatware and more bugs
So if you have an older version and it does what you want reliably Id stick to that.

Apparently the recovery CD (Depending) uses Linux, so you may end up having to build a custom build with the drivers for the hardware you got.

It gets complicated but i think most things, with the right info you can get it to do what you want.

Lastly I would carefully look at exactly what you want to do before spending the money....if it just cloning they have a cheaper product if it more for
network usage, I think you need to go the next level up to Workstation 9.1

anyway thats if I understand it all right so far

Cheers

[Fizzycapola]

Re: Acronis ???

Just to spam whilst my sports injuries are healing, I remember getting paragon backup suite free off a magazine a few years ago, I just binned it as it was "free crap"...

http://www.paragon-software.com/

BTW Acronis has always backed up my primary easily and restored without error, usually anytime I got bored of C: a 2min operation (I store on all other partitions incase a hacker gets troublesome and nukes a few partitions with their ingenuity auto nuke hacks from edonkey/kazaa etc - which did happen once - thankgod for mutliple partitions, Z: one of my favourites) and back to fresh install. This is all prior SATA drives ofc.

Don't really mind newer being slower and more inefficient as long as it doesn't ask questions whilst it's doing what I want, I've learnt the enjoyment of vacuuming walls and ceilings of recent, when the latest versions come out, I have a whole array of toothbrushes (ready) for scrubbing the flooring with.