An Acronis Question

I am using True Image to back up my computer. I have done a complete backup and also 2 incremental backups. I am not sure now, what I am doing. If my computer crashes, would I have to go to each backup folder to restore my computer or is it just the last backup that would need to be reinstalled. Thanks, David

 

The last restore point (or back up disc) when things were running smoothly is usually good when things go amiss!
Assuming its a complete backup..

 

I guess that is my question. It says it is an "incremental backup". Do I assume it is "complete"?

 

I've just purchased Acronis TI v 9, so I don't know all the wrinkles of using it, as yet.

My understanding is, depending on how bad the crash is of course is, that you would need to use your last full backup first then each incremental backup in earliest date sequence first.

If you elect to do differential programs instead of incremental backups, my understanding is, depending on how bad the crash is of course is, that you would need to use your last full backup first and then your most recent differential backup.

Differential backups are cumulative, since the last full backup, and keep on growing in size each time you make one.

As I said, I am NOT up to speed yet on this, program so anyone else please step in.

@Halo@, your thoughts and methods would be greatfully accepted. Bazza

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So I would think it would be best to do a full backup each time and never an incremental one, no?

 

No, not IMHO. I'm going to do a full backup and a differential one (very frequently) so only 2 sets to worry about.

I'll do the last full backup and differential backups route (as soon as I can figure out how).

Say you do a full backup once a month (on the first of the month, for example), and do incremental backups daily, you would have to restore the full backup, then up to 30 incremental backups, in sequence, if you system crashed on the last day of the same month.

By doing a differential backup with the same scenario, you would only need the full backup and your differential backup of the 29th, or 30th.

There may be no difference in the number of disks required to carry out either backup procedure, in fact the differential method may require MORE disks because of the increasing size of the differential backup.

The advantage is when you have to do a full restore.
Thus 2 sets of disks instead of up to 31 sets.

As I mentioned earlier, I haven't tried this yet but it is on the to-do list.

Also, someone already using Acronis, please step in and confirm, or correct my suggestion. Bazza

PS: Daily may be too frequently for you, but even weekly, the same principle applies, except 5 sets of disks versus 2, instead of up to 31 sets versus 2.

The choice of backup method is yours of course. Depends on how much data and time you have.

A full backup every time may suit you better than the 2 options above. Your choice.

Bazza

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first of all in simple words differential and incremental backup:

An incremental image contains all changes that have been made since the latest incremental or full backup was created. If one full image and several incremental were created, all of these images must be saved in the same folder so that you will be able to restore the data. If one of incremental images or a full image is deleted, there is no way to restore the set, since all images are dependent on each other.

A differential image contains all changes that have been done after the full image creation.

so i think it's better to make full backup every week, and differential backups every day, it's my stratagy of backup. so if something goes wrong, i need to restore only the full image and last differential.

 

Thanks. That makes alot of sense. I appreciate all the remarks! David