Siren

Simon · Aug 30, 2015, 12:36:13

I've recently started taking backups a bit more seriously, and have been using Acronis 2012 to back up all of my drives, onto a new 4Tb external hard drive. Despite a few initial hiccups, I've managed to get everything backed up, and am now waiting to see if my schedules work.

However, one thing is causing a problem. I want to take a separate backup of my iTunes folder and have this on a different drive to the other backups (as well as), so I have set up a File Backup in Acronis from the main iTunes folder on my E drive, to a folder on another external hard drive. When I start this backup, it gets a certain way through, then a 'siren' noise starts up from the actual computer tower (not the speakers). I'm assuming there's a hardware issue, but can't work out what it is. As soon as I cancel the backup, the siren stops. The entire E drive backs up with no problem (although it is an old drive and a bit 'clicky' at times), and all the other backups work, so why would this single folder backup be causing a problem?

colirv · Aug 30, 2015, 12:52:00

Something to do with iTunes copyright protection?

Simon · Aug 30, 2015, 13:18:01

I'd be surprised if it was that, Colin, otherwise why would it backup iTunes within the full E drive backup?

Besides, the vast majority of my iTunes content is stuff I've ripped from my own CDs.

Also, this is coming, I think, from the motherboard, as it's like the beeps, only, a "nee nar nee nar" noise. Googling seems to suggest an overheating CPU, but that doesn't explain why it only happens in this scenario.

Clive · Aug 30, 2015, 13:23:18

You can probably expect a visit from the FBI Simon.

Simon · Aug 30, 2015, 13:38:13

That's OK, the doorbell isn't working so I won't hear them.

colirv · Aug 30, 2015, 14:09:29

Quote from: Simon on Aug 30, 2015, 13:18:01
I'd be surprised if it was that, Colin, otherwise why would it backup iTunes within the full E drive backup?

It might not have noticed within a full image backup, which I assumed is what you'd done. However, from the rest of your reply it seems not to be that.

Steve · Aug 30, 2015, 18:12:11

Just wondering if that particular directory is very fragmented , also have you checked whether you can restore as there's not much point having a backup if you can't restore from it.

Simon · Aug 30, 2015, 18:20:15

I haven't done a full recovery, but I've recovered one or two folders from the main backups and they seemed OK. I think you can only hope, can't you?

Simon · Aug 30, 2015, 21:08:33

Well... The latest attempt worked without any alarms. I changed the backup folder location, so maybe that had something to do with it?

Steve · Aug 30, 2015, 22:08:44

Quote from: Simon on Aug 30, 2015, 18:20:15
I haven't done a full recovery, but I've recovered one or two folders from the main backups and they seemed OK. I think you can only hope, can't you?

It depends how you wish to restore I know on the Macs I can perform a full restore of OS and files, obviously personal data files are the key as the OS can be restored by other methods albeit more time consuming as updates are required in top and software needs to be re installed.

Simon · Aug 30, 2015, 23:00:37

From what I can see, the backups are stored in the same sort of structure as they were originally, ie, I can dig down inside the backup folders and locate the original documents. But being a bit new to this, I may be a bit optimistic that they can be restored that easily. As you say, the documents are more important than the OS, but I would assume they would also be more straightforward to restore.

davej99 · Aug 31, 2015, 15:30:45

I have never really trusted backup software because I find it hard to test. Not interested in full restore. If I get a rare irrecoverable crash, I would do a clean install anyway. The most common need for backup I have is for files that get corrupted, wrongly edited or deleted. I only back up /users/me/[non-system directories] and less frequently /users/me/appdata. One or other will include off line email.

Started using FreeFileSync in mirror mode. (Years before that Synctoy - Rik's suggestion). Can run on demand or from Windows Task Scheduler. You can run as many jobs as you like, whenever you like, from wherever you like, to anywhere you like. You could run a music backup as a separate job. Some friends/family use an ext USB drive, as and when, plug in and press mirror sync. Simple, incremental, cheap, fast, reliable, easy to recover files.

I back up to a cheap NAS, which will also streams protected content and backs that up on its own internal schedule to a separate USB drive. Wife uses the same NAS for her machine. I like to have backups I can just plug into another device in case the laptop/PC dies or goes walkies. BU devices get locked away. No work stuff. Only encrypt bare essentials, not drive. Keep encryptor on portable medium as well. Experts will laugh at my amateurish efforts, but it suits me.

Simon · Aug 31, 2015, 16:37:56

I can seen certain benefits and simplicity in a 'mirror' system. I've either been very lucky so far, or the whole backup thing is generally overhyped, as I've only rarely had to recover old files, and have never lost a whole drive.

I'll keep Acronis going for a while and see how it runs. Nothing really seems untoward now that the air raid siren has stopped.

Clive · Aug 31, 2015, 17:00:43

Quote from: Simon on Aug 30, 2015, 13:38:13
That's OK, the doorbell isn't working so I won't hear them.

Technical Ben · Sep 07, 2015, 21:54:02

A "siren" usually suggest a lockup (warning sound on loop) or a PC overheating.

Is the backup software tasking the HDD/CPU etc and causing a lot of heat?

But then again, I only work with broken PCs... not Macs.

Simon · Sep 07, 2015, 22:29:08

The CPU was fluttering between 80 and 100 percent during the backup, so I think it possible safe to assume an overheating issue. What caused it, however, remains a mystery, as it hasn't happened again.