Using True Image 2015? Check your images asap!

Is there a topic on this or can you specify what 'went south' ?

Well just google it, the web is full of complaints about True Image 15 and all the features they silently removed. But that's not my concern. What makes True Image 2015 a no-go for me is the fact that out of 5 different full backups and the corresponding differentials not a single one was completely error free. All the differentials failed to restore and there where even some full backups that where not usable. What's more True Image 2015 suddenly refused to backup onto one of my external hdds event though there is absolutely nothing wrong with that hard drive. Support was not able to tell me why True Image stopped accepting that hdd and "advised" me to format the hdd. I ended up demanding a refund and got myself Paragon Hard Disk Manager instead which works reliably and has no problem at all with my external hdd. Luckily I discovered those problems while testing True Image 2015 and not in a live situation. But I actually was shocked that all my backups were worthless and my data which means a lot to me (emotionally, not in terms of money) had in fact been unprotected for several weeks. How could I ever trust such a piece of software again?
 

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Hi there

While absolutely 100% agreeing with people that they should back up their OS regularly -- don't forget also to back up YOUR IMPORTANT DATA such as multi-media files etc. Agreed these don't change very much so after an initial backup (can be done over a period say of days) incrementals will probably do for this data. Always take a FULL image of the OS though. If as it should be where humanly possible it's installed on an SSD backup and restore will only take MINUTES and the amount of time amd aggro you save is beyond any sort of price calculation.

I'm sure retrieving 1000's of tracks from ITunes or re-ripping and tagging zillions of CD's and DVD's won't be too much fun even if you can retrieve the data completely. Similarly some of those video files you want to keep might take forever to download them - always assuming they are still available.

The WEAKNESS in FREE MACRIUM is that it doesn't do Folder / File backups. But even if you use Windows / File explorer it's 1,000,000% BETTER THAN NOTHING. A decent free file backup system is the old TAR utility which you can run from any Linux live CD - but IMO BUY a decent version of a commercial backup system and backup BOTH system and data - remembering that data backups can be run differently to full images.

If you only have a small amount of data then maybe if you are a trusting person things like Ms's onedrive (or whatever their cloud system is) then OK keep stuff on there -- but as always the first time you URGENTLY NEED to restore a document your Internet won't be working !!!!.

Cheers
jimbo
 

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jimbo; you echo my thoughts. A lot of people won't do a complete backup because it takes so much time. This is why I was attracted to True Image in the first place because it allowed me to exclude my data files, about 300 gb, and reduce the task to imaging the OS in case of a crash or infection, about 25 gb or about 30 minutes. So I do that a couple times a month. I sync my data every few days using GoodSync and it takes less than 10 mins since 98% of it is unchanged. It's essential that you keep up with both tasks because you just don't know when you'll need a backup. In my case, an infection forced me to recover the computer after two yrs of unused backups but very quickly, I had the computer up and running again. The data recovery took a couple hrs but I had a completely recovered machine by day's end.

After these comments on TI 2015, I made a 2nd image on a stick and tested both the ext HDD and usb stick versions and they worked perfectly. So, I'm not sure whether the negativity is due to external hardware issues or what but it does the job for me.
 

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Hi there

I'm still interested in "What features were silently removed".
.
What "Features" does a Backup and recovery suystem need other than it can IMAGE a DISK, BACKUP files both as complete backups and incrementals / differentials (i.e just save changed data after a full backup) and restore things.

Of course it should be possible to boot from a recovery media such as a USB stick and for removable media be able to back up on to multiple media (for example over several DVD's if you use DVD for backup).

Other than that I can't see "What features" a backup needs --so I'd be greatful if the OP could tell me what's been removed.

Cheers
jimbo
 
Last edited:

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I only do full drive backups (images). Incrementals can be a hassle unless they are restored correctly.
 

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Hi there

I'm still interested in "What features were silently removed".
.
What "Features" does a Backup and recovery suystem need other than it can IMAGE a DISK, BACKUP files both as complete backups and incrementals / differentials (i.e just save changed data after a full backup) and restore things.

Of course it should be possible to boot from a recovery media such as a USB stick and for removable media be able to back up on to multiple media (for example over several DVD's if you use DVD for backup).

Other than that I can't see "What features" a backup needs --so I'd be greatful if the OP could tell me what's been removed.

Cheers
jimbo

Try and Decide, for one, has been removed. A great utility that would create a temporary partition to allow you to test new apps or changes to your system without physically actually doing so. When through testing, everything would be as it was.
 

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Hi there
I'm still interested in "What features were silently removed".
What "Features" does a Backup and recovery suystem need other than it can IMAGE a DISK, BACKUP files both as complete backups and incrementals / differentials (i.e just save changed data after a full backup) and restore things.
Of course it should be possible to boot from a recovery media such as a USB stick and for removable media be able to back up on to multiple media (for example over several DVD's if you use DVD for backup).
Other than that I can't see "What features" a backup needs --so I'd be greatful if the OP could tell me what's been removed.
Cheers
jimbo

Last post said this - "Try and Decide, for one, has been removed. A great utility that would create a temporary partition to allow you to test new apps or changes to your system without physically actually doing so. When through testing, everything would be as it was. "

Like I said, I've had the last two versions. The newest just has a new interface, like the diff between Malwarebytes old and new. It offers more cloud storage options, if you subscribe. I like TI because I can easily exclude the data files or OneDrive folders that I sync elsewhere. This saves a LOT of imaging time.

I did notice Try and Decide, the sandbox feature, did not work but it was because the new laptop has a UEFI drive not a SATA disk. I suspect it would have worked on my old one. So I still can't see anything that was 'silently removed'
 

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Hi there

I'm still interested in "What features were silently removed".
.
What "Features" does a Backup and recovery suystem need other than it can IMAGE a DISK, BACKUP files both as complete backups and incrementals / differentials (i.e just save changed data after a full backup) and restore things.

Of course it should be possible to boot from a recovery media such as a USB stick and for removable media be able to back up on to multiple media (for example over several DVD's if you use DVD for backup).

Other than that I can't see "What features" a backup needs --so I'd be greatful if the OP could tell me what's been removed.

Cheers
jimbo

If you want a list I advise you to visit the Acronis forums, there are various threads about what has been removed without Acronis saying even a word about it.

But that does not matter to me. What does ist the fact that True Image 2015 managed to f... up 5 of 5 different images of 5 different partitions, stored on 2 different external hdds. So that was the show stopper for me and not the removed features which I didn't care about.
 

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@jimbo45

I went over to the Acronis website and dug out this impressive list of removed features. 2015 was quit an "update" wasn't it ;)
 

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@jimbo45

I went over to the Acronis website and dug out this impressive list of removed features. 2015 was quit an "update" wasn't it ;)

I have read all these posts and Acronis's attempt to answer them have lead me to one conclusion. The next Upgrade request will go directly into the Junk email folder. Too many key utilities are gone.
 

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Hi there

I probably didn't use a lot of that stuff.

However I'm looking at what seems to be a really EASY to use FREE backup which has all the things I need in it and can enable / disable VSS too if running under Windows rather than in Stand alone mode. I LIKE its interface so I'll try it out -- supports W10 and GPT volumes as well as Linux partitions etc.

Free Backup Software and Disk Partition Manager - AOMEI Technology

Cheers
jimbo
 

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Me neither. Like I have said more than once it's the reliability of True Image 2015 that is my problem. But it's nonetheless strange to offer an "update" to existing customers which removes a lot of features that were included in the precedent version. I still remember the mail I received from them about version 2015, there was not a word in it mentioning that they had removed features. It's not how I would communicate with my customers. And that's why I'm not a customer anymore ;)
 

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I use Acronis TI 2015. I have it doing a full backup (ALL partitions, 512GB SSD), then up to 7 incremental backups. It does another full backup after 7 incrementals, and cleans up the previous backup afterwards (keep only 1 version chain). This is all to an SMB share on my NAS.

I had to restore my system recently, A full backup + 3 incrementals was on my NAS. The Linux based recovery that comes with it couldn't connect to WiFI or see my USB 3.0 ports (at least I didn't see a way to, I have a Razer Blade 2014), so I created a WinPE USB flash drive. Installed Microsoft Automation framework, create the WinPE .iso, used Rufus to create a bootable flash drive from it. After using the WinPE recovery media it successfully put my system in the exact state it was in 3 days previous by recovering the latest incremental. Worked beautifully..

Since then I've actually done another test run by replacing the exisiting SSD in my system with a spare M.2 512GB SSD I had laying around and restoring a brand new backup with 2 incrementals and that worked as well.

Maybe they've fixed whatever problem you were having.

I have a 3rd M.2 512GB SSD on the way (all three are different brands and models). I'm going to use Acronis to recover to all of them and do some benchmark shootouts. :)
 

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hfm; rather than go thru all that connection routine, go to Tools/More Tools or program folder/Tolls and Utilities and Activate Startup Recovery Manager. Whenever you start your computer, it will display an F11 option to go straight to TI instead of Windows and you can specify your backup at that point, assuming your backup device is attached.

Screenshot_1.jpg
 

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Me neither. Like I have said more than once it's the reliability of True Image 2015 that is my problem. But it's nonetheless strange to offer an "update" to existing customers which removes a lot of features that were included in the precedent version. I still remember the mail I received from them about version 2015, there was not a word in it mentioning that they had removed features. It's not how I would communicate with my customers. And that's why I'm not a customer anymore ;)

Actually I don't think the Acronis Crew really give a f*ck Seems like what tech support the do have sucks really bad. It took them until late 2014 updates to actually restore a booting UEFI GPT OS disk all the while claiming since the 2011 version that they were Compliant with UEFI. I've been with them since 2009 updating every year. I did purchase the 2015 update and installed on 1 of my 4 units. While working offshore the last 3 months I purchase 4 Macrium Reflect Pro Licenses. I have had failures with THI never successfully restored a GPT OS image. And have never had a failure with Macrium Reflect. In Acronis credit I never has a failure to restore a MBR OS image. They have been really crappy people to deal with where as MR has very competent tech support both have support forums that are good. Unless the MR team goes south I think I'm covered for local back ups and Images.
 

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