Acronis

Hello After performing a full image a while ago I performed an incremental one for the first time today as incremental is recommended. Usually I did just full images. It took the same amount of time which puzzled me. I noticed the word "Update" on the home page. When I want to recover, do I have to do anything like click 'update' first or just recover by selecting the date as I always did? Thank you

You select the date you want to restore to.

Rich I appreciate the information. Peter

Hi Peter, Just an extra thought for you…. When you do an incremental image using Acronis the file size of the increment is usually quite small (compared with a full image) and therefore its usually relatively quick (as the incremental image is concerned mostly with files that are new or modified since the last image was made) However if you have defragged your drives then Acronis may see all your files as modified (as they will likely have been rearranged) and decide that as they have all been altered it will image them all…. in these situations and in some circumstances you will find little difference in file size and time taken to create the increment image, compared with a full image…. When I'm using incremental imaging ( that only backs up the modified or new files) I make sure I have resisted the temptation to defrag…. I am not a gamer and do not move huge amounts of data around, neither do I use most of my computers for trialling new software ( I have a dedicated test machine for that) so there is little need for me to defrag frequently, and this has practically no discernable effect on the performance I enjoy. Hope this helps. Regards paws

Hi Paws You are right about defragging. I had installed a new program and thought you were suppose to defrag when you do. Now that I have your information (which is logical) I will not be doing any defragging before I image. Thank you for the tip. Weekly I do a system restore, tune up FF + explorer 9, do a disc clean on C:, then update my flash drives with new data not kept in the pc. Finally, I image at the end of the month. I have just begun incremental ones and think I will do a full every fourth image. So, full, incremental, incremental,full. Any corrections appreciated.. Peter

I defrag every 6 months or so (if I remember). I know people really like to do this and it makes them feel good but it makes no noticeable difference in performance unless you are severely fragmented, low on disk space and don't have enough memory. It about the same as running a registry cleaner. Gets rid of a lot of junk, makes you feel good but make no difference at all in performance or reliability.

Hi Peter,
I agree with Rich's comments…. as usual he has hit the nail on the head!
Just one final thought ;you did mention Peter that you:

Weekly I do a system restore

I hope this means that you create a new Systetem Restore Point, and not that you revert back to an earlier System Restore point on a regular basis …as this should not be necessary….

In any event if your System Restore Point utility is working OK it should automatically create new Restore Points for you on a regular basis and when for example new software is being loaded….. just check the diary in your System Restore utility so you can see exactly when a Restore Point was created…

The only time I create a new restore point is if i am going to make some system changes that have the potential to go wrong…(most do have that potential!) for example just before installing an update for Windows or any other software or installing anything new….
Hope this helps
Regards
paws

Yes,Paws, I only create one but do not revert back to one unless necessary. I also try to create one when I might need to perform a restore like before a program installation if it does not do it automatically. I did not know setting a restore point would be useful before a Windows update but will do so from now on. I have seen restore points created automatically so will only do so myself if one has not been created in a week. My machines are on during every other day,i.e., lap one day then desk the next. At times we run both but whether they are run depends upon need to use. Thanx again Peter

I defrag every 6 months or so (if I remember). I know people really like to do this and it makes them feel good but it makes no noticeable difference in performance unless you are severely fragmented, low on disk space and don't have enough memory.

It about the same as running a registry cleaner. Gets rid of a lot of junk, makes you feel good but make no difference at all in performance or reliability.

Rgeistry cleaning and defragging are advertised more than any other function yet the first should not be used unless you can maneuver the registry and the second, as I have just learned , shuld be done way less frequently.
One less thing to do regularly and thanx again.

Before installing any software I'm not 100% sure of or any windows update, I back-up the registry with ERUNT and then create a restore point. If I need to do a system restore, I can also restore the registry with ERUNT to exactly as it was …which system restore will NOT do

I know most elevated users take advantage of ERUNT but it is a bit too much for me. I am happy for those who can use it.

If you're interested, read here: ERUNT - How to backup and restore the registry, Windows Made Easy - XP, Vista, Windows 7.

It's really not complicated and is easy to use and to restore from if needed. A System Restore point does this and a lot more but RUNT is quicker and I have never seen it fail where I have seen System Restore fail, though not in Windows 7 (yet).

Hey Rich I am triple posting you to death but do not mean to. 1-I stuck my nose out for my neighbor but b/c she is not familiar with WTT(or any forum use) she is waiting for her boss and Verizon to reply -she asks if she can work with you if they fail. I tried the notepad on my pc nd it is cool. As she has no internet I would put her log on my pc to send to you. 2- We had two ERUNT threads going for which I apologize. I am on thre fence because Norton, UAC and system restore argue for keeping things as they are. The reputation of ERUNT argues for disabling others and using it. Sorry about the triplicity and confusion which I will work to corrrect. Peter

Hi Peter,
Just an extra thought for you….
When you do an incremental image using Acronis the file size of the increment is usually quite small (compared with a full image) and therefore its usually relatively quick (as the incremental image is concerned mostly with files that are new or modified since the last image was made)

However if you have defragged your drives then Acronis may see all your files as modified (as they will likely have been rearranged) and decide that as they have all been altered it will image them all…. in these situations and in some circumstances you will find little difference in file size and time taken to create the increment image, compared with a full image….

When I'm using incremental imaging ( that only backs up the modified or new files) I make sure I have resisted the temptation to defrag….

I am not a gamer and do not move huge amounts of data around, neither do I use most of my computers for trialling new software
( I have a dedicated test machine for that) so there is little need for me to defrag frequently, and this has practically no discernable effect on the performance I enjoy.
Hope this helps.
Regards
paws

>>Paws, after you do an Acronis full image then do a couple of incremental ones each week, if you delte the original full one because it is older, does that spoil the incremntal ones? Or should you click update to the incremantal ones?

Hi Peter, don't delete the full image…. you need this and then the incremental ones just add an image of the new files or changed ones… Hope this helps Regards paws