Disk/Image Backup with Exclusions of folders not working
Dong,
I believe the folders could be case sensitive. When you added them, did you type them in exactly (uppercase / lowercase) or navigate there from the browse button within Acronis?
If the files were previously backed up in the backup job, they will likely still show up when you check them in a later inc or diff (just because a version does exist).
As a test, make a new backup script, create the exclusions before it's ever run (making sure to use the browse button and specifically click the folder so it's exactly as listed on the system and then run a backup to see if files are being added to the backup or not.
Peter,
I just tested this in 2019 (so may be a little different).
To make sure if it was bringing in the full backup or not, I quickly created a new test.txt file and backed it up first. I then double clicked the newly created incremental file and navigated through it and verified it contained the new file.
I then deleted the backup from the Acronis GUI (selecting "remove" to only remove the settings and task in the GUI, but to maintain the actual backup files)
I then used the "add existing backup" option and navigated to the most recent incremental that was just created. I added it in, and like you, the file name defaulted to the original name with the version of the full in it. I believe that is just cosmetic though. You can rename it again and run the backup and it will keep the updated name.
Before I did that though, I clicked on the option to "clean up versions". That showed the original full and all versions of the incrementals in the chain too, including the one that was just run with the test file!
I then had to "reconfigure" the backup before it was usable again. Basically, I had to re-pick the source files. Without making any other changes, I ran the backup and it ended up doing not a full, but the next incremental in the chain!
So it all looks like it worked correctly, other than the weird naming of the import using "full" in it.
I then went back in and checked the other settings in the backup. It retained the backup scheme as Incremental and the # of incremental versions to keep. HOWEVER, it did NOT keep the version cleanup rule of store no more than 1 chain. Instead, it went back to delete versions chains older than (and it used 31 days, which I'm assuming is a default setting since I've never picked that for any backups).
I also checked the schedule and that was no longer correct - it defaulted to daily at the time the backup was just run. So I had to change that too.
So, to summarize, the import worked - at least as far as recognizing the entire chain and picking up where it left off in that chain. But I did need to go back in and tweak the settings of it again, to include the backup name, schedule and cleanup rules. Looks like other settings in the Advanced tab (other than the password), were also not retained and had to be updated too.
Hi Bobbo_3C0X1,
I can confirm that 'clean up versions' is showing the differential backups, too. However, it shows the backup scheme to be 'incremental'. I'll also have to re-configure the email notification and exclusions folders, but at least I don't have to create a new full backup. I will also export the settings, and hope my custom settings can be restored properly, if necessary.
Sorry that my reply went to the beginning of this topic.
Thanks.
Peter, no worries - I think it just went to the top of the new page 3 since the thread is growing. All is well.
I have a feeling that the settings will get reverted, regardless when importing. The best we may have is if you currently have the settings configured the way you would like (and would fit most default backups)...
Would be to "save as default" and save after you've configured a backup type. Then, any new backup (or an imported one), you should be able set the backup scheme in the drop down and it should use the majority of the settings again - although I'm not sure if it will use all of them.
Once that's done, to save the settings in case you need to install on a new PC, or delete Acronis and reinstall on this PC, make sure to export the settings and then you can import them. It probably won't restore everything exactly, but hopefully, if you import, and then create a new backup or import an existing one, you can then go back to the backup method an pick the type and the default or saved settings of that scheme will mostly be applied.
Hi Bobbo_3C0X1,
In my environment, it makes sense to change the default settings. Oddly, when I create a cloud backup, it doesn't show my exclusions or mail notification settings. It works fine for a non-cloud backup though.
When I 'save settings to a file', I choose a location on my local drive, but when I save the custom backup scheme, where does that go?
I've also moved most of my excluded folders into a single folder, to shorten the exclusion list.
Thanks.
When I 'save settings to a file', I choose a location on my local drive, but when I save the custom backup scheme, where does that go?
Honestly, I'm not sure. I believe it's built directly into the Acronis database and stored in there. I'm assuming it's outside of user access in the files located in C:\ProgramData\Acronis\TrueImageHome\Database.
That's why it may be possible to backup this up, or restore from an OS backup and replace the default settings. But it may have other behavior consequences down the road since this would restore the entire database, and not just those specific settings.
In 2019, when you export the settings and create the .zip file, you can extract the .zip and see individual configuration files that keep settings which look like they would be injected into the database then. You can open each one up with notepad, but doesn't seem to help locate where they are being applied/stored in the application.
backupfile.cfg
backupimage.cfg
backupmail.cfg
restorefile.cfg
restoreimage.cfg
restoremail.cfg
scheduling.cfg
Bobbo_3C0X1 wrote:.In 2019, when you export the settings and create the .zip file, you can extract the .zip and see individual configuration files that keep settings which look like they would be injected into the database then. You can open each one up with notepad, but doesn't seem to help locate where they are being applied/stored in the application.
Yes. As I commented earlier, I looked at the <ExclusionData> section of the 'backupfile.cfg' file . It only contained the default file masks, but not my custom folders. So much for reverse engineering :-). Maybe this part of the discussion should be posted in the 2019 forum. What do you think?