Trouble Making Image Backup with Acronia True Image 2016 -- apparent misread of space

Anonymous
2020-06-18T23:54:58+00:00

I have been trying for days now to make a backup image of my internal Windows 10 hard drive, fully updated to current Windows 10 level May 2020. I have been using Acronis True Image 2016, as I always do. I have been backing up to an external, USB2 connected hard drive with 160 GB of free space on it (a 320 GB hard drive), the same drive I normally backup to. This is a Gateway laptop, NE56R from 2012, which shipped with Windows 8.

I have been trying to backup all partitions, including the C, and recovery partitions (including the Push Button one, which is about 15 GB) and whatever others are there. In total, they are about 109 GB. So I ought to have plenty enough free space.

I have checked all partitions to back up with True Image. It runs the whole backup, takes a good five hours. At the end, it throws up amessage saying ther eis not enough space for the image.

I have never had this problem before. The machine is booted from the True Image disk, so that should rule out some issue wiht my Widows 10 OS. I am doing a full disk backup, and I am even using Maximum Compression, which is what I always use, so I should need something lessthatn 109 GB of free space. and Ihave 160 GB of free space on the external drive.

I have a backup of Win 10 I made in April, shortly before the new OS level cam out on the drive -- I always keep two, just because. I deleted the older of the two on there, so now have only the one. I certainly don't want to delete the one on there, and still have this problem but no backup at all. But Ihave more free space than shudbe needed.

The external drive has been used only for backups since I started using it brand new, and I make a backup once or twice a year -- and I have been using it no more than four years. So, the external drive has very little, hardly any actual use on it, it is not far from brand new.

I read something this morning about a real problem found in the new Win 10 update, something to do with Storage Space, that is some sort of function in the OS now. I don't know what that is, or what it does. But the story said if your drive is not showing as RAW, then it should be OK, not affected. I checked Disk Management, and none of my volumes nor the external drive are marked as RAW. So, that should mean that issue is not the case here.

I have done enough backups in the past four years using the Acronis True Image 2016 software. It has always worked fine, and actually with less free space (I had another item on the drive too, but have deleted it. I also have deleterd about 32 GB of stuff from my C drive in an attempt to make this backup fit, but to no avail -- that is, my last two backups were actually larger than this one, and they fit fine.)

So, why do I keep getting the message about not enough space? I should have way more than enough.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Windows update

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  1. Anonymous
    2020-08-16T03:11:26+00:00

    Hi,

    The problem is that different machines are different as far as Bios goes.. There are several companies that write Bios for manufacturers, some of which then modify them to their liking.. Some manufacturers may write their own..

    It is a function of the Bios as to whether a CD\DVD drive is recognized as a UEFI CD\DVD drive..

    A CD\DVD drive is not configurable as UEFI Specific.. It is a function of the Bios to allow selecting it as a UEFI device primarily for the purpose of installing Windows as a UEFI installation..

    A Flash Drive may be recognized as both a UEFI and Standard (Legacy) device.. Some of this is determined by the file system and GPT\MBR designation.. All of the stuff being discussed from what I can tell, is simply a failing of the way Bios was coded to function in a logical fashion.. Or not function..

    The Lenovo laptop is a perfect example.. Their support site specifically states that Legacy Media is not recognized as a valid boot device when the Bios is set for UEFI.. This is due to an incredibly narrow minded view of the world as far as computers are concerned... A Bios update may improve the situation if Lenovo so desired..

    My main machine is 8 years old.. It was UEFI capable long before I had even heard of UEFI Bios..

    This machine automatically switches from Legacy to UEFI and Vice\Versa, depending upon how it detects the connected media..

    I should note that my CD\DVD drive only appears a a UEFI CD\DVD drive when a Windows Installation DVD is inserted... That again is entirely dependent upon the function of the Bios.. Some machines work that way, and others simply will not allow the use of a Windows 10 Installation DVD for a UEFI Installation..

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-08-16T16:59:41+00:00

    Just FYI, I just booted to the F12 what I call the boot manager. I see that unlike what PCR was describing, there are no tools there of any sort for me, all that can be done is to select whatever bootable volume is listed there (which is only those atttached when you boot) and execute.

    So, I can't do anything to add any there permanently.

    But I don't have very many different kinds of things to boot, just all the install disks from each version of Win 10, Acronis, Parititon Wizard and Parted Magic. It appears I can boot anything that can boot in Windows EFI via F12, but anything else will require going into bios and changing to Legacy.

    Of course, I also learned that the installer will not allow an upgrade install from the booted DVD, I have to be able to start to the desktop and install from there, which undermines one pirmary reason to bother booting the install disk.

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-08-16T18:06:01+00:00

    Hi,

    What is seen in the F12, (Boot Manager, Boot Options), and under what circumstances, is dictated by how the Bios is written..

    Like any other program, it can only do what it is coded to do... Why some manufacturers leave out useful features is beyond me, but that is how it works.. If it refuses to show Legacy Devices when in UEFI mode, that is what you are stuck with unfortunately.. I seem to have lucked out with the Bios coding in my machine..

    It is true that a Upgrade\Repair Install must be done from within Windows.. It has always been that way..

    The installation media is good for re-installations that will save files in a Windows.old file, but the programs are not installed, and will not work.. It's only benefit is that important files are recoverable, and not overwritten..

    The Installation Media also has a Repair function for Startup Repair, Imaging Recovery, System Restore, Command Prompt, and a number of other useful features should they be needed..

    You might have better luck with your Acronis, Partition Wizard, Parted Magic, and similar, if they were on a flash drive.. But that is still dependent upon how the Bios is coded.. It is just that Flash Drives are far more likely to be recognized as usable in a UEFI system than a CD\DVD..

    It is possible that there are tools\features that could be added to your F12 menu through internal Bios settings.. Like the Network Boot for instance.. It can usually be enabled or disabled.. Adding a Legacy Device to the UEFI menu is probably not possible... The only possible way that might be done would be to enable "CSM" in the Bios, but that is still dependent upon Gateway's bios coding..

    I would think the Windows 10 DVD would appear as a potential UEFI device, but that is still something that varies by manufacturer..

    You are correct in your thoughts that it is absurd that there is no standard for this stuff, but in a way, maybe that is good.. If Gateway and Lenovo were the standard, that would mean my Bios features would not be available either..

    It is also absurd that Windows Installation Media needs to be created and installed in a significantly different fashion for UEFI than Legacy..

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  4. Anonymous
    2020-08-16T19:24:07+00:00

    It shows any bootable device if the boot volume is included (as in the DVD is in). That doesn’t mean it will boot, Legacy still needs the bios to be set to Legacy. And in mine, that can be switched manually only after booting to bios.

    The upgrade (when you save files and applications) issue is not merely it needing to be booted within Windows. The install disk is already booted within Windows. It requires it to be booted from the volume you want to upgrade.

    Yes, I know about the repair function on the install media. But I also know not all of that is usable when booted from the Install disk. I learned some time back you cannot restore to a restore point when booted from the install disk, you need to boot from the volume you want to restore to the restore point, because that is where the restore points are stored, it can’t find those when booted from the install disk.

    I might test out putting Acronis, other on a flash drive, see if you are right about that. But I doubt it.

    My boot to F12 is not specifying whether the volumes in the list are UEFI or not. But all bootable volumes appear, but that doesn’t mean the will boot if you don’t switch to Legacy. It seems the Windows volumes that will boot can boot in UEFI.

    But at least I now know this faster way to boot volumes that boot in Windows.

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  5. Anonymous
    2020-08-16T20:29:50+00:00

    Hi,

    That is where your Bios coding is different than mine..

    Mine specifically lists both a UEFI CD\DVD drive and a CD\DVD drive, but only when a Windows Installation disk is inserted.. It will start a UEFI or Legacy Install from the DVD..

    The Flash Drive is the same way depending upon how it is created.. Some of my bootable flash drives appear as both a UEFI Flash Drive and Flash Drive.. You are correct in that it probably will not boot to both, but only the correct selection.. Some only appear as Legacy..

    I can't speak of the System Restore from within Windows or the Installation Media as I have not used it since XP..

    The installation media is not technically "Within Windows" as it is not yet installed.. It is in the WinPE preinstallation environment and is running from memory or a temporary file..

    Anyway... We all learn as we go.. A lot of stuff in the Forums is due to issues I have never encountered for instance.. Sometimes it is not possible to get involved, and others I can make an educated guess, and sometimes I link to the thread because it is interesting and I want to find out the solution, if any.. Just as a method of learning new stuff.. PCR's coding is quite deep.. That is something I have never wanted to invest the time in.. I find different ways to achieve the same end result..

    I'm glad it worked out for you so that you can have a clean backup image and be rid of the unnecessary Bad Sector issues..

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