What are the correct settings for Automatic Cleanup?

CotS, my preferred cleanup method is using 'Store no more than 2 recent version chains' which in conjuction with creating 5 incremental backups then a new full backup means that my backup drive only ever has a maximum of 3 x Full files, 10 x incrementals.  3 full because cleanup only runs after the next chain has been started with that new full backup, after which one complete chain (full + 5 inc) gets deleted.

Looking at your files listing, it seems that you have many more backups than should be present!

I would recommend setting the options to as above for both your backup tasks, then doing a manual cleanup of any much older chains that are no consequtive with the most recent, i.e. keep the Win 10 b94 & 95 files, but delete all the older ones given b93 is already missing.

IMPORTANT: run a validation of the backup task after deleting files manually.

The local data files show that you have changed the number of inc files to be created from 6 down to 3 which tends to have a side effect of starting the count again, so again keep the b207 - 209 chains and delete the older below that then run a validation for that task.

Hi Steve,

We're talking about my backup's, so out of an abundance of caution:

Allow me to recap:

Keep b94 and b95 since b93 is missing. And run a validation of the backup task after deleting the files manually.

Shouldn't I validate b94 and b95 before I delete all the others? (They were validated during the backup procedure.)

Because in case they are found to be "invalid," I'd be left with nothing.

CotS, if protecting your backups is important, then copy the probable unwanted chains to another location rather than deleting them initially.

Validation can take some time with the number of chains involved.

Hi Steve,

Well, Lo and Behold, it worked. The great news is, I didn't have to do a thing. :) It still goes back to May, though. (Probably too old to use at this point.)

So now I have some 464GB of free space.

Since you brought it up, how do you validate a specific tib file? I saw how you could schedule validations to take place, or include validations at the time that the back up were being made, but as far as "please validate this (or these) file(s), now," I haven't a clue.

CotS

Validation will be performed for all the files within a backup version chain, i.e. with the same _b?_ value.  You can do this either in the ATI GUI by clicking on the drop-down menu for each task shown, or else in Explorer by right-clicking on the .tib file and opening the True Image menu to see the options to Mount or Validate.

Thanks. That's good to know.

It may be my due to my unfamiliarity with ATI 2017, but, is there a log of sorts that keeps the end user apprised of the events going on in the system? (Like what was validated...)

In the potential absence of an "Event Log" I couldn't tell you what files were validated.with the exception of (from the bottom of the attached .jpg) I know the first one was validated, because, I was here during the validation process.

As for the other two at the top, I set those two in motion, just as I left. (because I knew it was going to take a long time.)  So, I couldn't tell you to what extent Acronis validated what files.

Thanks in advance,

Crime of the Scene

No specific log detailing all the files that may be validated, just the normal ti_demon log to show that the validation (for the selected chain) was successful or not.

Where can I find the ti_demon log?

And if you've seen the .jpg, what do you think got validated?

Please download the MVP Log Viewer tool (link in my signature below) and use this to review the log file for your backup or validation operation.

The files for the task that you selected for validation are those that were validated.

Hi Steve,

I've validated all of the files that could be validated. 14 out the 21 in the directory.

Because I have chosen the differential backup method, in the chain, does it have to be _b1_, _b2 _,b3_, _b4_, Or, can one of those be missing and the chain still be ok? i.e. are there any I can delete to save even more room?

Thanks

CotS

Normally the chain identifiers are sequential and ascending, i.e. b1, b2, b3 etc and there shouldn't really be any gaps, though the chains themselves should still be ok.

If you have set the cleanup rules to only keep X chains, then when the next new Full backup for a new chain is created, the extra chains exceeding the X value should be deleted.

Well, I finally bit the bullet.

What I did was delete all of my backups except the last 4 which were running / being stored in perfect sequential order.

Whether I did the right thing or not, remains to be seen...

Now both my Data and OS  backups have the same backup in sequential order, and everything is in "balance"; between one having  more backups than the other.

Now I have plenty of room on the drive; for the moment, anyway.

Thanks Steve for all your help.