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Read This If You Use an SSD and/or Acronis True Image

The SSD in my laptop died over the weekend - aged 1.5 years - and without any warning. I didn't even bother thinking about data recovery. As I understand it this just isn't an option.

Since buying the SSD I'd known that a) it would fail at some point and b) I had to have a daily backup in place.

This is something I mused about back in February when the SSD turned 1 year old and I considered swapping it at that point. Instead, based on advice back then, what I did was buy a spare SSD and make sure I backed-up on schedule once a day. Then, when the day came I'd be ready for a quick swap.

However, when the day did come I was NOT ready and it was my own stupid fault. I did have a spare SSD and had been doing a daily backup. But, what I'd done was corrupt the backup files.

A few weeks ago I'd noticed my 6TB NAS box was running low on space. Looking for likely space hogs I noticed that Acronis True Image was creating lots of separate files. Assuming the older ones weren't needed I deleted some to save space. At the time I knew this was foolish and that I should have completely rebuilt the backup then and there (it was incremental). But I didn't and then, as soon as the SSD failed, I instinctively knew I was in trouble.

Sure enough Acronis could not recover any files from the remaining .tib files without being able to also read the ones I'd deleted. OUCH. At this point I assumed I'd lose a lot of data. Including a project I'd been working on in Visual Studio for the past week or so.

Luckily and by the grace of God, Windows Backup hadn't disabled itself when I installed and enabled Acronis, so I had a second backup running each day. Although the Windows one was selective and was just my Documents and Desktop folders. But that's where most of what I didn't want to lose was stored! I could have kissed Bill Gates when I realised all was not lost.

After an afternoon of messing I had rebuilt my machine, re-installed most applications and restored Dropbox data, Documents and Desktop folders. No work had been lost!

However, my Notes data directory was missing. The databases in there aren't that important but my workspace is a carefully-organised set of 200+ icons. I really didn't want to recreate that, but had resigned myself to the fact I would have to.

There were other files I really wanted back too. Such as my "hosts" file and the Adobe Lightroom "catalog".

Then, while taking a second look to see why my 6TB NAS only had 500GB free space I noticed that 3TB was being used by the "Network Recycle Bin" share. What's that? A recycle bin on the NAS?! Praise the lord.

Sure enough, the Acronis TIB files I had deleted were all in there. True Image was deleting old backup files, but the NAS was keeping them. This meant I soon ran out of space, but also that I had the files when I need them, like now.

What I Learnt

SSDs just seem like a ticking time bomb to me. I feel like I should be saying "told you so". To myself!

I'm uneasy about the fact I'm still using an SSD. I will continue to do so but only because I have faith in my backup. This lesson taught me not to mess with the backup files and to have a second backup process in place!

If you use an SSD and don't do a regular backup you really, really should!

Looking on the bright side I now have a "new" laptop. I could have done without wasting a day of my life building it but, hey, there you go. Rebuilding a laptop is something I like to do every could of years anyway, so it was about due.

Another lesson I learnt is that Windows Backup, although free, is a good tool. Just because I paid for Acronis True Image doesn't make it better and, in fact, it only failed me. I know it was completely my fault but would it be so hard for Acronis to check the integrity of the complete backup each time it runs? To save it from idiots like me.

Comments

  1. I think I've had too many USB thumb drive just up and die on me to feel real comfortable with SSD yet. And your story justifies the concern. Wasn't too long back here at work I was standing nearby when they brought in a dead SSD laptop drive. "How do we recover the data?" "You don't." At least, not without a good backup, which they don't have here due to security concerns (of all things).

    • avatar
    • Brad Hair
    • Mon 24 Sep 2012 08:07 AM

    thanks for the reminder, Jake! Been putting that task off for a while.

    I have a Samsung PM800 SSD drive in my Dell that I've been running blissfully for about 2 years now. I love the bit of a boost in speed that it gives me, but otherwise pay no mind to it.

    Your point about doing backups (daily!) is well taken. So I guess I will be setting up a couple more backup jobs today.

    • avatar
    • David Wall
    • Mon 24 Sep 2012 08:19 AM

    Guess what I did yesterday....

    Fortunately it is only in the wifes notebook for browsing the internet phew.

    Ill be interested to see how long it lasts in her hands.

  2. I have had normal hard drives fail after 18 months - it happens. They also come with warranties - does your SSD not have one?

    Backups are all determined by your level of paranoia and the amount of NAS space you have to satisfy that paranoia :)

    I have two backups using Acronis scheduled:

    A full backup scheduled every weekend which over writes itself - so I am never more than a week out

    An separate full backup and incremental every day which I can trash any time cos of the above.

    What is you offsite backup plan? I have considered the new amazon service which doesn't cos to fill - just to download (I think).

    Marky

      • avatar
      • Jake Howlett
      • Mon 24 Sep 2012 08:36 AM

      If I have a NAS in the office/garage and one in the cellar (basement) does that count as off-site?

      Hide the rest of this thread

        • avatar
        • Jake Howlett
        • Mon 24 Sep 2012 08:38 AM

        A fire in one wouldn't affect the other.

        Also, a burglary in one shouldn't mean losing both. I can't imagine a burglar (robber) bothering to look in the cellar. My worry with the office is the lack of security and that the Mac mini could be stolen along with the NAS meaning I've lost the backup to it. The NAS is hidden though. Kind of. It's not openly visible, which I hope will prevent theft. I've considered bolting it to the floor...

      1. Are you asking me or the flood?

          • avatar
          • Jake Howlett
          • Mon 24 Sep 2012 08:42 AM

          You've seen the weather here today then.

          The basement may be prone to flood, so the NAS is on a table 2ft off the floor. If the water ever reaches that I'll eat my hat. The office NAS is completely safe from flooding. I hope.

            • avatar
            • Brian Miller
            • Mon 24 Sep 2012 10:13 AM

            For the record, I've seen floodwater come up to about four feet (122cm) high. And, this is in New Jersey - not normally a place that you think of when you consider flooding.

            Anyway, I'm glad that you had just enough backup to save you. And, the experience teaches you.

    • avatar
    • Rami
    • Mon 24 Sep 2012 01:46 PM

    My SSD equipped T500 steered myself away from purchasing a new Notebook. If it lasts one-two more years money well spent.

    You motivated me to make a more current restore image though.

  3. This is one of the areas where Apple did a good thing with its Time Machine. Most Easy Setup. Good For Stupid User Like Me.

    My current setup is a 13' MacBook Pro and a MacPro. Both have SSDs as main drives (OS and Data), and normal hard disk drives as a backup drive for Time Machine.

    I had to sacrifice the dvd writer in the laptop for this, but I like the setup.

  4. So sorry to hear this happened. :-(

    I confess that when I read the header of this blog post, I thought "probably an OCZ". Very surprised that it happened with a Crucial!

    I've been considering getting an SSD for my desktop as well. This unfortunate issue with yours has only strengthened my resolve of going for a 60Gb one for the OS only, and leaving my good mechanical HDs for data.

    • avatar
    • Erdy
    • Mon 29 Oct 2012 01:00 PM

    Next time you want to look into separating your documents from the operating system. They are not meant to be put in the same partition. The daily backup should be done only for the partition that holds your documents. This backup should not be a compressed file (not a .tib file) but instead a file to file simple copy.

    You can have another backup of the operating system and programs partition. This should be of course a compressed single acronis file (a .tib file). You need to create this file only once after you have divided your SSD into 2 paritions.

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Written by Jake Howlett on Mon 24 Sep 2012

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