Acronis True Image 2018 Instruction Manual

2 Copyright © Acronis International GmbH, 2002-2017
Table of contents
1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................7
1.2.1 Alternatives to the removed features ........................................................................................................... 8
1.3.1 Minimum system requirements .................................................................................................................... 9
1.3.2 Supported operating systems ........................................................................................................................ 9
1.3.3 Supported file systems .................................................................................................................................... 9
1.3.4 Supported Internet connection types ......................................................................................................... 10
1.3.5 Supported storage media ............................................................................................................................. 10
2 Getting started .............................................................................................................. 16
2.2.1 Step 1. Backing up your computer ............................................................................................................... 17
2.2.2 Step 2. Creating bootable rescue media ..................................................................................................... 18
2.9.1 How we ensure security of your data .......................................................................................................... 26
2.9.2 Subscription information .............................................................................................................................. 27
3 Basic concepts ............................................................................................................... 28
3.5.1 Preparing a new disk for backup .................................................................................................................. 35
3.5.2 FTP connection .............................................................................................................................................. 35
3.5.3 Authentication settings ................................................................................................................................. 36
3.6.1 Acronis Nonstop Backup data storage ........................................................................................................ 37
3.6.2 Nonstop Backup - Frequently asked questions ........................................................................................... 38
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4 Backing up data ............................................................................................................. 42
4.2.1 Notarized backup .......................................................................................................................................... 45
4.5.1 Scheduling ...................................................................................................................................................... 52
4.5.2 Backup schemes ............................................................................................................................................ 54
4.5.3 Notifications for backup operation .............................................................................................................. 60
4.5.4 Excluding items from backup ....................................................................................................................... 61
4.5.5 Image creation mode .................................................................................................................................... 63
4.5.6 Backup protection ......................................................................................................................................... 63
4.5.7 Pre/Post commands for backup ................................................................................................................... 64
4.5.8 Backup splitting ............................................................................................................................................. 65
4.5.9 Backup validation option .............................................................................................................................. 65
4.5.10 Backup reserve copy ..................................................................................................................................... 66
4.5.11 Removable media settings ........................................................................................................................... 66
4.5.12 Error handling ................................................................................................................................................ 67
4.5.13 File-level security settings for backup .......................................................................................................... 68
4.5.14 Computer shutdown ..................................................................................................................................... 68
4.5.15 Acronis Cloud cleanup .................................................................................................................................. 69
4.5.16 Online backup protection ............................................................................................................................. 69
4.5.17 Performance of backup operation ............................................................................................................... 70
4.5.18 Selecting a data center for backup .............................................................................................................. 71
4.5.19 Laptop power settings .................................................................................................................................. 72
4.6.1 Backup operations menu .............................................................................................................................. 73
4.6.2 Backup activity and statistics ........................................................................................................................ 74
4.6.3 Sorting backups in the list ............................................................................................................................. 76
4.6.4 Validating backups ........................................................................................................................................ 76
4.6.5 Backup to various places .............................................................................................................................. 77
4.6.6 Adding an existing backup to the list ........................................................................................................... 77
4.6.7 Deleting backups and backup versions........................................................................................................ 78
4.6.8 Removing data from Acronis Cloud ............................................................................................................. 79
5 Recovering data ............................................................................................................. 80
5.1.1 Recovering your system after a crash .......................................................................................................... 80
5.1.2 Recovering partitions and disks ................................................................................................................... 88
5.1.3 About recovery of dynamic/GPT disks and volumes .................................................................................. 90
5.1.4 Arranging boot order in BIOS or UEFI BIOS ................................................................................................. 92
5.4.1 Recovering data from online backups ......................................................................................................... 96
5.4.2 Recovering a file version ............................................................................................................................... 97
5.4.3 Disk recovery from Cloud ............................................................................................................................. 97
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5.6.1 Disk recovery mode .................................................................................................................................... 102
5.6.2 Pre/Post commands for recovery .............................................................................................................. 102
5.6.3 Validation option ......................................................................................................................................... 103
5.6.4 Computer restart ......................................................................................................................................... 103
5.6.5 File recovery options ................................................................................................................................... 103
5.6.6 Overwrite file options ................................................................................................................................. 103
5.6.7 Performance of recovery operation .......................................................................................................... 104
5.6.8 Notifications for recovery operation ......................................................................................................... 105
6 Archiving data.............................................................................................................. 107
6.4.1 Data archiving options ................................................................................................................................ 109
7 Protecting family data .................................................................................................. 111
8 Synchronizing data ....................................................................................................... 114
8.5.1 Reverting to a previous file version ........................................................................................................... 117
9 Acronis Mobile ............................................................................................................ 120
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10 Disk cloning and migration ........................................................................................... 126
10.1.1 Clone Disk wizard ........................................................................................................................................ 126
10.1.2 Manual partitioning .................................................................................................................................... 129
10.1.3 Excluding items from cloning ..................................................................................................................... 130
10.2.1 What to do if Acronis True Image 2018 does not recognize your SSD .................................................... 131
10.2.2 Migrating to SSD using the backup and recovery method....................................................................... 132
11 Tools ........................................................................................................................... 134
11.1.1 Acronis Media Builder ................................................................................................................................. 135
11.1.2 Making sure that your rescue media can be used when needed ........................................................... 140
11.3.1 Using Try&Decide ........................................................................................................................................ 149
11.3.2 Try&Decide options and notifications ....................................................................................................... 150
11.3.3 Try&Decide: typical use cases .................................................................................................................... 150
11.4.1 Creating and managing Acronis Secure Zone ........................................................................................... 152
11.4.2 Acronis Secure Zone location ..................................................................................................................... 153
11.4.3 Size of Acronis Secure Zone ........................................................................................................................ 154
11.4.4 Acronis Secure Zone protection ................................................................................................................. 154
11.4.5 Removing Acronis Secure Zone .................................................................................................................. 155
11.5.1 Selecting a hard disk .................................................................................................................................... 156
11.5.2 Selecting initialization method ................................................................................................................... 157
11.5.3 Creating new partitions .............................................................................................................................. 157
11.6.1 Acronis DriveCleanser ................................................................................................................................. 159
11.6.2 System Clean-up .......................................................................................................................................... 163
11.6.3 Hard Disk Wiping methods ......................................................................................................................... 169
11.6.4 Acronis Active Protection ........................................................................................................................... 170
11.9.1 Converting Acronis backup ......................................................................................................................... 176
11.11.1 Creating Acronis Universal Boot media ..................................................................................................... 178
11.11.2 Using Acronis Universal Restore ................................................................................................................ 180
12 Troubleshooting .......................................................................................................... 182
6 Copyright © Acronis International GmbH, 2002-2017
13 Glossary of Terms ........................................................................................................ 188
7 Copyright © Acronis International GmbH, 2002-2017

1 Introduction

1.1 What is Acronis
®
True Image™?
Acronis True Image 2018 is an integrated software suite that ensures the security of all of the information on your PC. It can back up your documents, photos, email, and selected partitions, and even the entire disk drive, including operating system, applications, settings, and all of your data.
Backups allow you to recover your computer system should a disaster occur, such as losing data, accidentally deleting critical files or folders, or suffering a complete hard disk crash.
Online Backup allows you to store your files and disks on Acronis Cloud. Your data will be protected even if your computer is lost, stolen, or destroyed, and your data can be entirely recovered onto a new device, if needed.
Key features:
Disk backup to a local storage and to Acronis Cloud (p. 42) File backup to a local storage and to Acronis Cloud (p. 44) Rescue bootable media (p. 135) Hard disk cloning (p. 126) Data archiving (p. 107) Family data protection (p. 111) File synchronization (p. 114) Security and privacy tools (p. 134)
Getting started
Learn how to protect your computer with two simple steps: "Protecting your system (p. 16)".

1.2 New in this version

Backup activity and statistics—For every backup, you can easily view how many times it was
started, if the operations were successful or not, size of the backed-up data, status of operations performed on the backup, and other details. This information is collected on the Activity tab, which allows you to track the full backup history starting from its creation.
For every backup, except nonstop and mobile ones, the Backup tab displays a graphical representation of the backup content by file types.
Improved and simplified creation of WinPE-based media—When you want to create a WinPE
media, you first need to download and install AIK or ADK, packs of tools from Microsoft. The amount of data that you need to download is quite significant and can easily exceed 1 GB or even more. The new method optimizes this process and downloads only those files that are required for the WinPE media creation. As a result, you need to download only about 500 MB.
Moreover, instead of creating a WinPE media you can create WinRE media. This is much easier because Windows Recovery Environment is already included in Windows Vista and later versions of Windows, and you do not need to download additional components from the Internet. Similar to WinPE-based media, you can add your drivers for better compatibility with your hardware.
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Acronis Active Protection dashboard—This is your new command center of anti-ransomware
protection with all the necessary settings, statistics, summary, and exhaustive information on the current processes.
Acronis Active Protection 2.0In this version:
Detecting injections, that is attempts of ransomware to inject malicious code into healthy
processes.
Using Machine Learning technology. This technology allows us to analyze big data, update
the process behavioral patterns on the basis of the analysis, and therefore temporarily improve quality of ransomware detection engine.
Converting Acronis backups (.tib files) to virtual hard disks (.vhd or .vhdx files)—You can create
.vhd(x) files based on disk-level backups, and then mount these files as virtual drives or run them as virtual machines.
Backup settings transfer—You can import and export the settings of your backups via a .zip file.
This comes in handy when you need to transfer backups from one computer to another, or to the same computer after upgrading to the next Acronis True Image 2018 version.
User interface improvementsThe following interface elements were added or improved:
Three tabs for full control of every backup were added: Backup, Activity, and Recovery. Backup comments were reworked. Mobile backup and social network backup were moved to the backup source section. The
Dashboard tab was removed from the side pane.

1.2.1 Alternatives to the removed features

After a detailed review, it was decided to remove a number of outdated and redundant features from Acronis True Image. The following is the list of the features that were removed and alternative ways of performing the same functions and operations in your version of Acronis True Image 2018.
For more information, refer to the Knowledge Base article: https://kb.acronis.com/content/48662.
Email backup. This feature becomes less and less popular, since most of our customers use
web-based email systems. Please use disk-level backup instead. Refer to Backing up disks and partitions (p. 42) for details.
Local and mixed synchronization. We recommend that you use cloud-based sync, instead.
Acronis Cloud is much more reliable storage than a USB flash drive, an internal hard drive, or an external hard drive. One more important advantage your data in Acronis Cloud is accessible anytime, anywhere. Refer to Sync creation (p. 116) for details.
Backup version consolidation. You can control the number of your backup versions by specifying
it in the backup scheme. Refer to Backup schemes (p. 54) for details.
Manual backup deletion. You can delete an entire backup, configure automatic cleanup rules, or
delete a specific backup version while working in the recovery environment (bootable media). Refer to Deleting backups and backup versions (p. 78) for details.
The following features have been removed, as they were originally designed for Windows XP.
Acronis Extended Capacity Manager. In Windows Vista and later, hard drives of over 3 TB in size
are supported by the operating system.
Trim SSD. In Windows 7 and later, trimming SSD is natively integrated in the operating system.
9 Copyright © Acronis International GmbH, 2002-2017

1.3 System requirements and supported media

1.3.1 Minimum system requirements

Acronis True Image 2018 requires the following hardware:
Processor Pentium 1 GHz 1 GB RAM 1.5 GB of free space on a hard disk CD-RW/DVD-RW drive or USB flash drive for bootable media creation (about 600 MB of free
space is required)
Screen resolution is 1024 x 768 Mouse or other pointing device (recommended)
Other requirements:
An Internet connection is required for the product activation and all features that use Acronis
Cloud, including online backup, cloud archiving, and data synchronization. If your computer is not connected to the Internet, you can activate the product by using another computer that has an Internet connection. Refer to Activating Acronis True Image 2018 (p. 12) for details.
You need to have administrator privileges to run Acronis True Image 2018.

1.3.2 Supported operating systems

Acronis True Image 2018 has been tested on the following operating systems:
Windows 10 Creators Update Windows 10 Windows 8.1 (all editions) Windows 8 (all editions) Windows 7 SP1 (all editions) Windows XP SP3 (32-bit) * Windows Home Server 2011
* Limited support. Some features may not work properly. For example, Online Dashboard and Archiving.
Acronis True Image 2018 also lets you create a bootable CD-R/DVD-R or USB drive that can back up and recover a disk/partition on a computer running any Intel- or AMD- based PC operating system, including Linux®. Note that the Intel-based Apple Macintosh is not supported.
Warning! Successful recovery is only guaranteed for the supported operating systems. Other operating systems can be backed up using a sector-by-sector approach, but they may become unbootable after recovery.

1.3.3 Supported file systems

FAT16/32 NTFS Ext2/Ext3/Ext4 * ReiserFS *
Note: ReiserFS partitions and disks cannot be backed up to Acronis Cloud.
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Linux SWAP *
* The Ext2/Ext3/Ext4, ReiserFS, and Linux SWAP file systems are supported only for disk or partition backup/recovery operations. You cannot use Acronis True Image 2018 for file-level operations with these file systems (file backup, recovery, search, as well as image mounting and file recovering from images). You also cannot perform backups to disks or partitions with these file systems.
If a file system is not supported or is corrupted, Acronis True Image 2018 can copy data using a sector-by-sector approach.

1.3.4 Supported Internet connection types

The table below shows which Internet connection types are supported by the product functions.
Internet connection type
Acronis Console in Windows
Acronis Bootable media
Any connection
established in
Windows
Proxy server
Ethernet
cable
Wi-Fi
Proxy server
Disk-level and file-level backup to Acronis Cloud
+
-
- - -
Disk-level recovery from Acronis Cloud
+
-
+ + -
File-level recovery from Acronis Cloud
+
-
- - -
Data synchronization
+
-
- - -
Product activation
+
- *
- - -
Product update
+
- **
- - -
* - You can activate the product by using an activation code. Refer to the Activation from another computer section in Activating Acronis True Image 2018 (p. 12) for details.
** - To update the product, download the newer product version from the Acronis website and install it over your current one.

1.3.5 Supported storage media

Hard disk drives* Solid State Drives (SSD) Networked storage devices FTP servers** CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R (including double-layer DVD+R), DVD+RW, DVD-RAM, BD-R, BD-RE USB 1.1 / 2.0 / 3.0, eSATA, FireWire (IEEE-1394), SCSI, and PC card storage devices
* Limitations on operations with dynamic disks:
Creation of Acronis Secure Zone on dynamic disks is not supported. Recovery of a dynamic volume as a dynamic volume with manual resizing is not supported. Try&Decide® cannot be used for protecting dynamic disks.
11 Copyright © Acronis International GmbH, 2002-2017
"Clone disk" operation is not supported for dynamic disks.
** An FTP server must allow passive mode file transfers. Acronis True Image 2018 splits a backup into files with a size of 2GB when backing up directly to an FTP server.
The firewall settings of the source computer should have Ports 20 and 21 opened for the TCP and UDP protocols to function. The Routing and Remote Access Windows service should be disabled.

1.4 Installing Acronis True Image 2018

Installing Acronis True Image 2018
To install Acronis True Image 2018:
1. Run the setup file. Before starting the setup process, Acronis True Image 2018 will check for a
newer build on the website. If there is one, the newer version will be offered for installation.
2. Click Install.
Acronis True Image 2018 will be installed on your system partition (usually C:).
3. When the installation is complete, click Start application.
4. Read and accept the terms of the license agreements for Acronis True Image 2018 and Bonjour.
Bonjour software will be installed on your computer for advanced support of NAS devices. You can uninstall the software at any time.
5. In the opened window, sign in to your Acronis account. The product will be automatically
activated. You can skip this step. In this case, enter your serial number, and then click Activate. Refer to Acronis account (p. 25) for details.
By installing the application, you agree to participate in the Acronis Customer Experience Program. You can change this setting at any time.
Recovering from an Acronis True Image 2018 error
If Acronis True Image 2018 ceased running or produced errors, its files might be corrupted. To repair this problem, you first have to recover the program. To do this, run Acronis True Image 2018 installer again. It will detect Acronis True Image 2018 on your computer and will ask you if you want to repair or remove it.
Removing Acronis True Image 2018
Select Start -> Settings -> Control panel -> Add or remove programs -> Acronis True Image 2018 -> Remove. Then follow the instructions on the screen. You may have to reboot your computer
afterwards to complete the task.
If you use Windows 10, click Start -> Settings -> System -> Apps & features -> Acronis True Image 2018 -> Uninstall.
If you use Windows 8, click the Settings icon, then select Control Panel -> Uninstall a program -> Acronis True Image 2018 -> Uninstall.
If you use Windows 7, click Start -> Control Panel -> Uninstall a program -> Acronis True Image 2018
-> Uninstall.
If you used the Acronis Secure Zone or Acronis Nonstop Backup (p. 36), select in the window that appears what to do with the zone and Nonstop Backup storages.
12 Copyright © Acronis International GmbH, 2002-2017
Upgrading from old versions of Acronis True Image
If your current version of Acronis True Image is Acronis True Image 2016 or Acronis True Image 2017, the new version will simply update it; there is no need to remove the old version and reinstall the software. If your current version is older, we recommend that you remove the current version, first.
Please keep in mind that the backups created by the later program version may be incompatible with the previous program versions. Therefore, if you roll back Acronis True Image to an older version, you likely will have to re-create the backups using the older version. We strongly recommend that you create new bootable media after each product upgrade.

1.5 Activating Acronis True Image 2018

To use Acronis True Image 2018, you need to activate it via the Internet. Without activation the fully functional product works for 30 days. If you do not activate it during that period, all the program functions become unavailable except the recovery.
Activating Acronis True Image 2018
You can activate Acronis True Image 2018 either on your computer or from another computer, if your computer is not connected to the Internet.
Activation on a computer connected to the Internet
If your computer is connected to the Internet, the product will be activated automatically.
If the computer where you install Acronis True Image 2018 does not have Internet connection or if the program cannot connect to Acronis Activation Server, click Account on the sidebar, and then select one of the following actions:
Try again - select this option to try to connect to the Acronis Activation Server again. Activate offline - you can activate the program manually from another computer that is
connected to the Internet (see below).
Activation from another computer
If your computer is not connected to the Internet, you may activate Acronis True Image 2018 by using another computer which has connection to the Internet.
To activate the product from another computer:
1. On your computer, install and start Acronis True Image 2018.
2. On the sidebar, click Account, and then click Activate offline.
3. In the Acronis True Image 2018 Activation window, perform 3 simple steps:
1. Save your installation code to a file by clicking the Save to file button, and specify a
removable media as the file location (for example, a USB flash drive). You may also simply write down this code on a piece of paper.
2. On another computer which has the Internet connection, go to
http://www.acronis.com/activation/. The instructions on the screen will help you to get your
activation code by using the installation code. Save the obtained activation code to a file on a removable media, or write it down on paper.
3. On your computer, click the Load from file button and specify a path to the file with the
activation code; or, simply type it into the box from the piece of paper.
4. Click Activate.
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Additionally, watch the English-language video instructions at https://goo.gl/DHd1h5.
"Too many activations" issue
Possible reasons for the issue:
You exceed the maximum number of computers with installed Acronis True Image 2018.
For example, you have one license or a serial number for one computer and you install Acronis True Image on a second computer.
Solutions:
Enter a new serial number. If you do not have one, you can buy it in the Acronis built-in store
or at the Acronis website.
Move the license to your new computer from another one on which the product is already
activated. To do this, select the computer from which you want to move the license. Note that Acronis True Image will be deactivated on that computer.
You reinstall Windows or change hardware of your computer.
For example, you might upgrade motherboard or processor in your computer. Activation is lost, because Acronis True Image sees your computer as a new one.
Solution: To reactivate Acronis True Image on your computer, choose from the list the same computer by
its old name.
Managing your subscription licenses manually
If you use the subscription-based version of Acronis True Image 2018, you can manage the licenses manually at the Acronis website. You can do the following:
Move licenses between your computers Transfer licenses between your accounts Remove a license from a computer Resolve product activation conflicts, including the "Too many activations" issue Buy new licenses
To manage licenses:
1. Go to https://account.acronis.com/, and then sign in with your Acronis account.
2. In the Products section, find Acronis True Image 2018, and then click Manage.

1.6 Trial version information

General limitations
The trial version of Acronis True Image 2018 works only during the trial period of 30 days. It has the following limitations:
Disk cloning is disabled. When booting from an Acronis bootable media, the only available operation is recovery.
Synchronization
Data synchronization is available without any limitations, but when the trial period expires:
Your computer is excluded from all syncs. After activating the full version of Acronis True Image
2018 you will be able to connect to the syncs again.
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All the versions of synced files will be permanently deleted from Acronis Cloud.
Acronis Cloud
You have 1000 GB of storage space on the cloud during the trial period. You can use this space to store your online backups, archives, and versions of synced files. After the trial period is over, Acronis Cloud works in recovery-only mode for 30 days. After this period, you won't be able to use the Acronis Cloud service and all your data on the Cloud will be deleted.
Purchasing the full version
You can buy the full version at the Acronis website or using in-app purchase functionality. See details in Upgrading Acronis True Image 2018.

1.7 Upgrading Acronis True Image 2018

If your current version of Acronis True Image is Acronis True Image 2016 or Acronis True Image 2017, the new version will simply update it; there is no need to remove the old version and reinstall the software. If your current version is older, we recommend that you remove the current version, first.
Your backups created with a previous version of Acronis True Image are completely compatible with the newer product version. After you upgrade, all of your backups will automatically be added to your backup list.
We strongly recommend that you create new bootable media after each product upgrade.
Purchasing the full version while using the trial version
To purchase the full version of the product:
1. Start Acronis True Image 2018.
2. On the sidebar, click Account, and then click Buy full version. The built-in store opens.
3. Select the license that you want to buy, and then click Buy now.
4. Provide your payment information.
Updating Acronis True Image 2018
To update Acronis True Image:
1. Start Acronis True Image 2018.
2. On the sidebar, click Account.
If there is a new version available, you will see the appropriate message next to the current build number.
3. Click Download and install.
Before you start downloading, please make sure that your firewall won't block the download process.
4. When the new version is downloaded, click Install now.
To check for updates automatically, go to the Settings tab, and then select the Automatically check
for updates at startup check box.
Built-in store
Acronis True Image 2018 provides an in-app store. Using this store, you can:
Buy the full version of Acronis True Image 2018.
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Buy Acronis True Image subscription. Buy more storage space on Acronis Cloud.
To access the in-app store, go to the Account tab, and then click Acronis Store. You will see the in-app store and all available purchase options.
Installing Acronis hotfixes
Acronis hotfix is a small update for Acronis products. It makes changes to one or more application files or registry keys but does not change an application version. A hotfix targets only a specific Acronis True Image 2018 build, and cannot be applied to any other build.
To install an Acronis hotfix, follow the steps described in Updating Acronis True Image 2018 above. A list of available hotfixes for the current build will be displayed in a table, where you can select those you want to install.

1.8 Technical Support

Maintenance and Support Program
If you need assistance with your Acronis product, please go to http://www.acronis.com/support/
Product Updates
You can download the latest updates for all your registered Acronis software products from our website at any time after logging into your Account (https://account.acronis.com/) and registering the product. See Registering Acronis Products at the Website (http://kb.acronis.com/content/4834) and Acronis Website User Guide (http://kb.acronis.com/content/8128).
16 Copyright © Acronis International GmbH, 2002-2017

2 Getting started

In this section
User interface language ........................................................................... 16
Protecting your system ............................................................................ 16
Backing up all data on your PC ................................................................. 19
Backing up your files ................................................................................ 20
Cloning your hard drive ............................................................................ 22
Recovering your computer ...................................................................... 23
Recovering your files and folders ............................................................. 25
Acronis account ........................................................................................ 25
Getting started with Acronis Cloud .......................................................... 26

2.1 User interface language

Before you start, select a preferred language for the Acronis True Image 2018 user interface. By default, the language is set in accordance with your Windows display language.
To change the user interface language:
1. Start Acronis True Image 2018.
2. In the Settings section, select a preferred language from the list.

2.2 Protecting your system

To protect your system:
1. Back up your computer (p. 17).
2. Create bootable media (p. 18).
It is recommended to test the rescue media as described in Making sure that your rescue media can be used when needed (p. 140).
17 Copyright © Acronis International GmbH, 2002-2017

2.2.1 Step 1. Backing up your computer

When should I back up my computer?
Create a new backup version after every significant event in your system.
Examples of these events include:
You bought a new computer. You reinstalled Windows on your computer. You configured all system settings (for example, time, date, language) and installed all necessary
programs on your new computer.
Important system update.
To ensure you save a healthy state of a disk, it is a good idea to scan it for viruses before backing it up. Please use antivirus software for this purpose. Note this operation often takes a significant amount of time.
How do I create a backup of my computer?
You have two options to protect your system:
Entire PC backup (recommended)
Acronis True Image backs up all your internal hard drives in disk mode. The backup contains the operating system, installed programs, system settings, and all your personal data including your photos, music, and documents. Refer to Backing up all data on your PC (p. 19) for details.
System disk backup
You can choose to back up your system partition or the entire system drive. Refer to Backing up disks and partitions (p. 42) for details.
We do not recommend using nonstop backup as a primary way to protect your system, because the main purpose of this technology is protection of frequently changed files. For the safety of your system, use any other schedule. See examples in Examples of custom schemes (p. 58). Refer to Using Acronis Nonstop Backup (p. 36) for more details about the Nonstop Backup feature.
To back up your computer:
1. Start Acronis True Image 2018.
2. On the sidebar, click Backup.
If this is your first backup, you will see the backup configuration screen. If you already have some backups in the backup list, then first click Add backup, and then click Create new backup.
3. Click the Backup source icon, and then select Entire PC.
If you want to back up your system disk only, then click Disks and partitions, and then select your system partition (usually C:) and the System Reserved partition (if any).
4. Click the Backup destination icon, and then select a storage place for the backup (see
recommendation below).
5. Click Back up now.
Result: A new backup box appears in the backup list. To create a new version of the backup in future, select the backup box from the list, and then click Back up now.
Where do I store my disk backups?
Good: Your ordinary internal hard disk. Better: Acronis Secure Zone (p. 151). This is a special secure partition on your local hard drive for
storing backups.
18 Copyright © Acronis International GmbH, 2002-2017
The best: Acronis Cloud (p. 26) or an external hard disk.
Refer to Deciding where to store your backups (p. 34) for details.
How many backup versions do I need?
In most cases, you need 2-3 backup versions of your entire PC contents or your system disk, with a maximum of 4-6 (see above for information about when to create backups). You can control the number of backup versions by using automatic cleanup rules. Refer to Custom schemes (p. 56) for details.
Remember, the first backup version (the full backup version) is the most important. It is the biggest one, because it contains all data stored on the disk. Further backup versions (the incremental and differential backup versions) may be organized in different schemes. These versions contain only
data changes. That’s why they are dependent on the full backup version and why the full backup
version is so important.
By default, a disk backup is created by using the incremental scheme. This scheme is optimal, in most cases.
For advanced users: it is a good idea to create 2-3 full backup versions and store them on different storage devices. This method is much more reliable.

2.2.2 Step 2. Creating bootable rescue media

What is bootable media?
Bootable media is a product, such as a CD-R/RW or a USB flash drive, from which you can run Acronis True Image when Windows cannot start. You can make a media bootable by using Acronis Media Builder.
How do I create bootable media?
1. Insert a CD-R/RW or plug in a USB flash drive.
2. Start Acronis True Image 2018.
3. On the sidebar, click Tools, and then click Rescue Media Builder.
4. On the first step, select Acronis bootable rescue media.
5. Select the device to use to create the bootable media.
6. Click Proceed.
How do I use bootable media?
Use bootable media to recover your computer when Windows cannot start.
1. Connect the bootable media to your computer (insert the CD or plug in the USB drive).
2. Arrange the boot order in BIOS so that your rescue media device (CD or USB drive) is the first
device to be booted. Refer to Arranging boot order in BIOS (p. 92) for details.
3. Boot your computer from the rescue media and select Acronis True Image 2018.
Result: Once Acronis True Image is loaded, you can use it to recover your computer.
Refer to Acronis Media Builder (p. 135) for details.
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2.3 Backing up all data on your PC

What is an Entire PC backup?
An Entire PC backup is the easiest way to back up the full contents of your computer. We recommend that you choose this option when you are not sure which data that you need to protect. If you want to back up your system partition only, refer to Backing up disks and partitions (p. 42) for details.
When you select Entire PC as a backup type, Acronis True Image backs up all your internal hard drives in disk mode. The backup contains the operating system, installed programs, system settings, and all your personal data including your photos, music, and documents.
The recovery from an Entire PC backup is also simplified. You only need to choose the date to which you want to revert your data. Acronis True Image recovers all data from the backup to the original location. Note that you cannot select specific disks or partitions to recover and you cannot change the default destination. If you need to avoid these limitations, we recommend that you back up your data with an ordinary disk-level backup method. Refer to Backing up disks and partitions (p. 42) for details.
You can also recover specific files and folders from an Entire PC backup. Refer to Backing up files and folders (p. 44) for details.
If an Entire PC backup contains dynamic disks, you recover your data in partition mode. This means that you can select partitions to recover and change recovery destination. Refer to About recovery of dynamic/GPT disks and volumes (p. 90) for details.
How do I create an Entire PC backup?
To back up the entire contents of your computer:
1. Start Acronis True Image 2018.
2. On the sidebar, click Backup.
3. Click the plus sign at the bottom of the backup list.
4. Click the Backup source icon, and then select Entire PC.
5. Click the Backup destination icon, and then select a destination for the backup.
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We recommend that you back up your computer to Acronis Cloud or to local or network storage. Refer to Deciding where to store your backups (p. 34) for details.
6. [optional step] Click Options to set the options for the backup, including Schedule (p. 52),
Scheme (p. 54), and Password protection (p. 63). For more information see Backup options (p.
50).
7. Click Back up now.
When you back up your data to Acronis Cloud, the first backup may take a considerable amount of time to complete. Further backup processes will likely be much faster, because only changes to files will be transferred over the Internet.
Additionally, watch the English-language video instructions at https://goo.gl/KjW5sM.

2.4 Backing up your files

To protect files such as documents, photos, music files, and video files, there is no need to back up the entire partition containing the files. You can back up specific files and folders and save them to the following storage types:
Local or network storage
This option is fast and easy. Use it to protect rarely changed files.
Acronis Cloud
This option is reliable. Use it to protect critical files and files that you want to share between devices or people.
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To use Acronis Cloud, you must have an Acronis account and a subscription to the Acronis Cloud service. Refer to Subscription information (p. 27) for details.
To back up files and folders:
1. Start Acronis True Image 2018.
2. On the sidebar, click Backup.
3. Click the Backup source icon, and then select Files and folders.
4. In the opened window, select the check boxes next to the files and folders that you want to back
up, and then click OK.
5. Click the Backup destination icon, and then select a destination for backup:
Acronis CloudSign in to your Acronis account, and then click OK. Your external driveWhen an external drive is plugged into your computer, you can select it
from the list.
NAS—Select an NAS from the list of found NAS devices. If you have only one NAS, Acronis
True Image 2018 will suggest using it as a backup destination by default.
Browse—Select a destination from the folder tree.
6. Click Back up now.
Refer to Backing up files and folders (p. 44) for details.
Additionally, watch the English-language video instructions at https://goo.gl/i4J1AN.
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2.5 Cloning your hard drive

Why do I need it?
When you see that the free space on your hard drive is not enough for your data, you might want to buy a new, larger hard drive and transfer all your data to the new drive. The usual copy operation does not make your new hard drive identical to the old one. For example, if you open File Explorer and copy all files and folders to the new hard drive, Windows will not start from the new hard drive. The Clone disk utility allows you to duplicate all your data and make Windows bootable on your new hard drive.
Before you start
We recommend that you install the target (new) drive where you plan to use it and the source drive in another location, for example, in an external USB enclosure. This is especially important for laptops.
Warning! Your old and new hard drives must work in the same controller mode (for example, IDE or AHCI). Otherwise, your computer will not start from the new hard drive.
Using the Clone disk utility
To clone a disk:
1. On the sidebar, click Tools, and then click Clone disk.
2. On the Clone Mode step, we recommend that you choose the Automatic transfer mode. In this
case, the partitions will be proportionally resized to fit your new hard drive. The Manual mode provides more flexibility. Refer to Clone Disk wizard (p. 126) for more details about the manual mode.
If the program finds two disks, one partitioned and another unpartitioned, it will automatically recognize the partitioned disk as the source disk and the unpartitioned disk as the destination disk. In this case, the next steps will be bypassed and you will be taken to the cloning Summary screen.
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3. On the Source Disk step, select the disk that you want to clone.
4. On the Destination Disk step, select the destination disk for the cloned data.
If any disk is unpartitioned, the program will automatically recognize it as the destination and bypass this step.
5. On the Finish step, ensure that the configured settings suit your needs, and then click Proceed.
By default, Acronis True Image 2018 shuts down the computer after the clone process finishes. This enables you to change the position of master/subordinate jumpers and remove one of the hard drives.
Additionally, watch the English-language video instructions at https://goo.gl/bjWRLL.

2.6 Recovering your computer

Please be aware that recovery of a system disk is an important operation. Before you start, we recommend that you read the detailed descriptions in the following Help topics:
Trying to determine the crash cause (p. 80) Preparing for recovery (p. 81) Recovering your system to the same disk (p. 81)
Let’s consider two different cases:
1. Windows works incorrectly, but you can start Acronis True Image 2018.
2. Windows cannot start (for example, you turn on your computer and see something unusual on
your screen).
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Case 1. How to recover computer if Windows works incorrectly?
1. Start Acronis True Image 2018.
2. On the sidebar, click Backup.
3. From the backup list, select the backup that contains your system disk. The backup can be
located on local, network storage, or Acronis Cloud.
4. Depending on the backup type, click Recover PC or Recover disks.
5. In the opened window, select the backup version (the data state from a specific date and time).
6. Select the system partition and the System Reserved partition (if any) to be recovered.
7. Click Recover now.
To complete the operation, Acronis True Image 2018 must restart your system.
Case 2. How to recover computer if Windows cannot start?
1. Connect Acronis bootable media to your computer, and then run the special standalone version
of Acronis True Image 2018. Refer to Step 2 Creating bootable rescue media (p. 18) and Arranging boot order in BIOS (p. 92)
for details.
2. On the Welcome screen, select My disks below Recover.
3. Select the system disk backup to be used for recovery. Right-click the backup and choose
Recover. When the backup is not displayed, click Browse and manually specify the path to the backup. In
the same window, you can connect to Acronis Cloud and select an online backup. Refer to Recovering your system from Acronis Cloud (p. 98) for details.
4. At the Recovery method step, select Recover whole disks and partitions.
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5. Select the system partition (usually C) on the What to recover screen. Note that you may
distinguish the system partition by the Pri, Act flags. Select the System Reserved partition (if any), as well.
6. You may leave all settings of the partitions without changes and click Finish.
7. Check the summary of operations, and then click Proceed.
8. When the operation finishes, exit the standalone version of Acronis True Image 2018, remove
the rescue media (if any), and boot from the recovered system partition. After making sure that you have recovered Windows to the state you need, restore the original boot order.

2.7 Recovering your files and folders

You can recover files and folders both from file-level and disk-level backups.
To recover files and folders:
1. Start Acronis True Image 2018.
2. On the sidebar, click Backup.
3. From the backup list, select the backup which contains the files or folders that you want to
recover. The backup can be located on local, network storage, or Acronis Cloud. When you recover data
from Acronis Cloud, you first need to sign in to your Acronis account.
4. On the right panel, click Recover files.
5. Select the backup version (the data state from a specific date and time).
6. Select the files and folders that you want to recover, and then click Next.
7. Select a destination on your computer for the recovered files/folders. You can recover data to its
original location or choose a new one, if necessary. To choose a new location, click the Browse button.
8. To start the recovery process, click the Recover now button.

2.8 Acronis account

An Acronis account is required when you:
Register an Acronis product. Back up to Acronis Cloud. Synchronize your data. Archive your data.
How to create an Acronis account
If you do not have an Acronis account yet, perform the following steps:
1. On the sidebar, click Account, and then click Sign in or create an account.
2. Click Create account.
3. In the opened registration form, provide your email address, a password for your new account
and confirm the password by retyping it once more in the appropriate field.
To keep your personal data secure, choose a strong password for your online backups, guard it from getting into the wrong hands, and change it from time to time.
4. Click Create account.
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5. An email message will be sent to the address you specified. Open this message and confirm your
wish to create an account.
How to sign in
To sign in to your Acronis account:
1. On the sidebar, click Account, and then click Sign in or create an account.
2. Enter your registration email address and password, and then click Sign in.
How to sign out
To sign out of your Acronis account:
1. On the sidebar, click Account.
2. Click your email address, and then choose Sign out.

2.9 Getting started with Acronis Cloud

Acronis Cloud might be unavailable in your region. For more information, click here:
http://kb.acronis.com/content/4541
Remote storage
On the one hand, Acronis Cloud is a secure remote storage which you can use to store:
Backups of your files and folders Backups of your partitions and disks Versions of your synchronized files and folders
Because files are stored on a remote storage, they are protected even if your computer is stolen or your house burns down. In the case of a disaster or data corruption, you can recover your files and even the entire contents of your computer.
With one account, you can save data from several computers and all your mobile devices running iOS and Android operating systems. Refer to Acronis Mobile (p. 120) for details.
To start using Acronis Cloud, you need a subscription to the service. Refer to Subscription information (p. 27) for details.
Web application
On the other hand, Acronis Cloud is a web application that allows you to recover and manage the data you store on Acronis Cloud. To work with the application, you can use any computer connected to the Internet.
To access the application, go to https://www.acronis.com/my/online-backup/webrestore/, and then log in to your Acronis account.

2.9.1 How we ensure security of your data

When you use Acronis Cloud as storage for your backups, archives, or synced data, you want to be sure that your personal files won't get into the wrong hands. You may be especially concerned about your mobile device, because all of your data will be transferred through the Internet.
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Let us assure you that your data will be safe. First of all, we use encrypted protocols (SSL, TLS) to transfer all data through both the Internet and LAN. To access the data, sign in to your account by providing the email address and password for that account.
Furthermore, we store your data on our servers in encrypted form. Only you have access to your encrypted data.

2.9.2 Subscription information

The Acronis True Image 2018 features that use Acronis Cloud (such as online backup, cloud archiving, and data synchronization) require a subscription to Acronis Cloud Storage. To subscribe, start Acronis True Image 2018, go to the Account tab, and then choose if you want to start a trial subscription or buy a full one.
Please note that Acronis Cloud is subject to our Fair Usage Policy. See more details at:
https://kb.acronis.com/ati2018/fairusage.
Trial version
When you activate the trial version of the product, a 1000 GB storage and 30-day free subscription to Acronis Cloud is assigned to your account automatically. See details in Trial version information (p.
13).
Full version
You can purchase the full Acronis Cloud subscription in the Account section of your version of Acronis True Image or at the Acronis website. See details in Upgrading Acronis True Image 2018.
28 Copyright © Acronis International GmbH, 2002-2017

3 Basic concepts

In this section
Basic concepts .......................................................................................... 28
The difference between file backups and disk/partition images ............ 29
Full, incremental and differential backups .............................................. 31
FAQ about backup, recovery and cloning ................................................ 33
Deciding where to store your backups .................................................... 34
Using Acronis Nonstop Backup ................................................................ 36
Backup file naming ................................................................................... 39
Integration with Windows ....................................................................... 39
Wizards..................................................................................................... 40

3.1 Basic concepts

This section provides general information about basic concepts which could be useful for understanding how the program works.
Backup and recovery
Backup refers to the making copies of data so that these additional copies may be used to recover
the original after a data loss event.
Backups are useful primarily for two purposes:
To recover an operating system when it is corrupted or cannot start (called disaster recovery).
Refer to Protecting your system (p. 16) for more details about protecting your computer from a disaster.
To recover specific files and folders after they have been accidentally deleted or corrupted.
Acronis True Image 2018 does both by creating disk (or partition) images and file-level backups respectively.
Recovery methods:
Full recovery can be performed to the original location or to a new one.
When the original location is selected, the data in the location is completely overwritten with the data from the backup. In case of a new location, the data is just copied to the new location from the backup.
Incremental recovery is performed only to the original location and only from a cloud backup.
Before the recovery starts, the files in the original location are compared with the files in the backup by file attributes, such as file size and date of last modification. Those files that do not match are marked for recovery, the remaining files will be skipped during recovery. In that way, as opposed to the full recovery, Acronis True Image recovers only changed files. This method significantly reduces the recovery time and saves Internet traffic while recovering from Acronis Cloud.
Backup versions
Backup versions are the file or files created during each backup operation. The number of versions created is equal to the number of times the backup is executed. So, a version represents a point in time to which the system or data can be restored.
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Backup versions represent full, incremental and differential backups - see Full, incremental and differential backups (p. 31).
The backup versions are similar to file versions. The file versions concept is familiar to those who use a Windows feature called "Previous versions of files". This feature allows you to restore a file as it existed on a particular date and time. A backup version allows you to recover your data in a similar way.
Disk cloning
This operation copies the entire contents of one disk drive to another disk drive. This may be necessary, for example, when you want to clone your operating system, applications, and data to a new larger capacity disk. You can do it two ways:
Use the Clone disk utility. Back up your old disk drive, and then recover it to the new one.
Backup file format
Acronis True Image usually saves backup data in the proprietary tib format using compression. The data from .tib file backups can be recovered only through Acronis True Image, in Windows or in the recovery environment.
Acronis Nonstop Backup uses a special hidden storage for data and metadata. The backed up data is compressed and split into files of about 1 GB. These files also have a proprietary format and the data they contain can be recovered only with the help of Acronis True Image.
Backup validation
The backup validation feature allows you to confirm that your data can be recovered. The program adds checksum values to the data blocks being backed up. During backup validation, Acronis True Image opens the backup file, recalculates the checksum values and compares those values with the stored ones. If all compared values match, the backup file is not corrupted.
Scheduling
For your backups to be really helpful, they must be as "up-to-date" as possible. Schedule your backups to run automatically and on a regular basis.
Deleting backups
When you want to delete backups and backup versions you no longer need, please do it by using the tools provided by Acronis True Image 2018. Refer to Deleting backups and backup versions (p. 78) for details.
Acronis True Image 2018 stores information on the backups in a metadata information database. Therefore, deleting unneeded backup files in File Explorer will not delete information about these backups from the database. This will result in errors when the program tries to perform operations on the backups that no longer exist.
30 Copyright © Acronis International GmbH, 2002-2017
3.2 The difference between file backups and
disk/partition images
When you back up files and folders, only the files and folder tree are compressed and stored.
Disk/partition backups are different from file and folder backups. Acronis True Image 2018 stores an exact snapshot of the disk or partition. This procedure is called "creating a disk image" or "creating a disk backup" and the resulting backup is often called "a disk/partition image" or "a disk/partition backup".
What does a disk/partition backup contain?
A disk/partition backup contains all the data stored on the disk or partition:
1. Zero track of the hard disk with the master boot record (MBR) (applicable to MBR disk backups
only).
2. One or more partitions, including:
1. Boot code.
2. File system meta data, including service files, file allocation table (FAT), and partition boot
record.
3. File system data, including operating system (system files, registry, drivers), user data and
software applications.
3. System Reserved partition, if any.
4. EFI system partition, if any (applicable to GPT disk backups only).
What is excluded from disk backups?
To reduce image size and speed up image creation, by default Acronis True Image 2018 only stores the hard disk sectors that contain data.
Acronis True Image 2018 excludes the following files from a disk backup:
pagefile.sys hiberfil.sys (a file that keeps RAM contents when the computer goes into hibernation)
You can change this default method by turning on the sector-by-sector mode. In this case, Acronis True Image 2018 copies all hard disk sectors, and not only those that contain data.
Additionally, when you back up your system partition or disk to Acronis Cloud, Acronis True Image excludes the following data:
The Temp folders, usually located in:
C:\Windows\Temp\
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp The System Volume Information folder (usually located in C:\System Volume Information\) The Recycle Bin Web browser temporary data:
Temporary Internet files
Cookies
History
Cache
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