Oops! Backup not found

I managed to corrupt my network adapter settings on my Acer Extensa 5620 laptop. No problem, I do regular backups and I have an Acronis True Image sector-by-sector backup of my laptop.
Er, no. (!?) I have a backup file labelled "Donn5620.tib", but it turns out to be a backup of another machine. So now I have to use the factory restore CDs. Like I need this in my life! Maybe it's a blessing in disguise, but right now the disguise is pretty effective.
Update 2am: Leaving True Image to do a backup of the broken software, just in case things get any worse. Reinstall will happen later.
Update 11.30am: Backup finished overnight sometime. Now the Acer "restore to factory default" begins, but is interrupted by lunch, etc.
2pm: Windows boot for the "first" time. And the second time, and the third time ...
Now to uninstall the following:

• McAfee Antivirus
• Yahoo Toolbar
• Adobe Reader 8.1.0
• MS Business Contact Manager
• Office 2003 Web Components
• Office Small Business Connectivity Components
• Acer eDataSecurity Management

3pm: Next, driver downloads from Acer Web site, and start the long and painful process of Windows Update: 104 important and 7 optional (500MB) updates.
Install software:

• CCleaner 2.29
• NUAC, the only Symantec product I have liked in the past 10 years.
• ESET Smart Security
• Google Chrome 5, with Adthwart, FlashBlock, Xmarks Bookmark Sync, Blog This, Search the current site, Chrome Flags.
• TeraCopy 2.12
• DS Clock 2.4
• Puran Defrag 7
• Sun Java 6.0.180.74
• Prio - Priority Saver
• Adobe Reader 9.3.1
• TrueCrypt
• AutoHotKey 1.0.48.03
• PrimoPDF 3.2
• Droid Fonts, which work particularly well with DS Clock and Chrome.
• PeerBlock
• Core FTP LE 2.1
• KatMouse
• Fun Desktop Wallpaper Changer
• HD Tune 2.55

8pm: Break for dinner and allow Microsoft Update to finish.

10pm: Office 2007 Professional SP2 install.

Installed software:

• WinRar 3.92
• WinZip 9
• WinAmp 5.572
• SysInternals Suite
• SyncToy 2.1
• Search and Replace
• EditPad Pro
• Remote Administrator 3.4
• RescueTime
• GoldWave 5.55
• Microsoft DirectX (for Winamp)
• Vista Battery Saver
• Audible Manager
• Total Recorder Standard Edition

Midnight: I've had enough for one day. Will try more tomorrow. Downloaded 771MB today.

Monday 2am: Woke up in front of the computer. Ran Windows Update for the umpteenth time, to install Vista Service Pack 2 and numerous other updates. Used up another 219MB.

Monday 1pm: Returned to the office after a long sleep. Feeling like a bear with a sore head. Installing "last 3" Windows updates, including Windows Live Essentials, which is "only" 1.1Mb (I guess they mean the installer), but ends up being much more (90MB) once you choose the apps you want. Microsoft are such liars. And they use language badly: Windows keeps referring to "your" computer instead of "this" computer. They just don't think.

3pm: Re-reading my SQL Server 2008 Express checklist article in order to install it. Also installed a trial edition of Carbonite in case my backup drives get lost or stolen. Thanks to the adverts on TWiT I save some cash.

5pm: Finally finished installing and updating SQL Server 2008 Express SP1. Installation list:

• SM Player 0.6.8
• Putty
• ExamDiff
• PlaySound
• OverDrive Media Console
• Microsoft Access XP (2002)
• AllMusicConverter Platinum.
• Google Earth
• Google Photos Screensaver with Picasa
• HostsMan 3.0.45
• Jasc Paint Shop Pro 8.10
• Unlocker 1.8.8
• AllSnap 1.33

6.30pm: Back to Windows Update for Office XP SP3.

9pm: Installing Access 97, and SP2. Then Visual Basic 6 and its service packs, followed by yet another 22 security updates, some of which just refuse to install. Finally, a quick defrag and backup to call it a night.

Tuesday: forgot to install Nokia phone software, InnoSetup and ISTool. Restored stuff from the TrueImage backup and corrupted the entire file system. Copied data files to backup drive.

Wednesday: Restored a sector-by-sector backup, reinstalled missing apps, copied some data files back.

Thursday: Finally I have a working system to do a complete backup.

Acronis True Image Home 2009 and the feature that is really a bug (Updated)

I promised the Acronis support team that I would test Acronis True Image Home 2009 build 9709 on my laptop because they had said

I understand your issue and assure you of a quick resolution for the same. The time variation in progress bar might take place because of particular software/hardware configuration. There may be some applications running on the background that may have higher priority level than Acronis software.

Clearly they did not understand the issue because I was running from their boot CD and so there were no background applications. But to disprove the "particular software/hardware configuration" nonsense I ran the software on my Acer Extensa 5620 last night. (See below for the same bug on my FRAGG desktop machine.)
My first problem was getting the software to see the drive, because I protect it with a password. After removing the password we were ready to go. I selected all the partitions on the drive, and asked for a sector-by-sector backup, as before. Here is the summary screen:
The progress bar appears to work OK, with the top one moving faster than the bottom one, but not for long.
The overall time estimate has dropped from 10 minutes to 17 seconds, when it still has over 4 hours to go.
Notice how the total progress bar resets itself for the verification operation. Why?
To add further lunacy to the equation, the verification estimate jumps from 10 days to 3 minutes. It actually took 65 minutes.
Now for the final amazing feature: I selected the "Shutdown the computer after completion" option because it was late and it would have been nice to leave the computer and go to bed, knowing it would shut down when done.
Of course I had forgotten about this incredibly stupid dialog box. Even though it defaults to the "shutdown" option, if you don't click it during the few seconds it gives you (i.e. you've gone to sleep or left the machine unattended expecting it to shut down) then instead of shutting down it "reverts" the shutdown option and reboots instead.
What kind of feature is that? You select it expecting it to do a shutdown, but unless you're standing by the machine it doesn't. According to the "What's New" article,

Automatic computer shutdown after backup or restoration finishes. You can now perform a backup at night and go to sleep without bothering about turning off the computer - the program will do this on its own.

Except it doesn't do this on its own. You have to be there to confirm the operation within a few seconds or it "reverts" and does something else.

Update 4th April 2009: Acronis Customer Support have allowed me to change my purchase from the 2009 version to 11.0.8101 with a legit serial number. They also gave me a link to the boot CD ISO image, and it all works fine. The problems described still occur, and will probably be fixed in a future release.

Acronis True Image Home 2009 and the progress bar from hell (Updated)

The opening boot screen of Acronis True Image Home 2009 build 9709 would be funny if it wasn't so ironic. My ability to "compute with confidence" has plummeted since I bought this product.
As part of the 2009 Defrag Shootout I have been using Acronis True Image Home v11.0.0.8027 that belongs to a friend even though I have bought my own copy of TIH 2009, because it has a nasty bug that is still not even properly acknowledged after 6 weeks.
These photos show what happens. I boot up off the CD and select "Backup". Then I choose the entire C: drive, with a sector-by-sector backup.
It must be a full backup to a new backup file on my external 400GB USB drive bought specially for this purpose.
I select High compression to reduce space. The estimated size is 54GB, but the file turned out to be 89GB, but there are a lot of ZIP and MP3 files on the disk, so that's OK I guess.
Then I ask for the backup to be verified.
The summary screen shows what has been selected, and then the fun starts.
Here are the opening progress bars. As expected, both are showing 0%
Then the remaining time estimate starts at around 30 minutes and soon drops. The "total progress" bar moves faster than the "current operation".
Eventually the "total progress" bar has hit 100%. The estimated time will remain at 13 seconds for the next 2 hours 47 minutes.
In the meantime the "current operation" moves slowly along from 12% to 100%
Nearly there after 3 hours...
Step 2 is quick, and then the verify begins. It will take 50 minutes, not 11 hours or 16 minutes.
How it guesses 1 minute and 57 seconds and then stays like that for the next 40 minutes I have no idea.
Eventually the operation completes, after 4 hours.
I originally reported this bug, along with photographs, on Monday, 2nd Feb 2009. I received a reference "Case 00062866" the same day. I sent an enquiry email on 11th Feb, and had the following rather sad chat with their online help on 12th Feb:

(Click for a bigger image).

After "only" 5 weeks I received a follow-up email, and was advised to download the same version (9709) that I used when I reported the bug. They also gave me the URL to a new .iso file (also version 9709), which I used to take these new photos. I have been told

"The time variation in progress bar might take place because of particular software/hardware configuration. There may be some applications running on the background that may have higher priority level than Acronis software."

I have pointed out that the boot CD only runs the Acronis software, and the problem occurs on different machines. I have promised to send additional photos when I do a full laptop backup this weekend.
Fortunately the backup images do work, in spite of the obviously bad programming on the display. I have never seen a beta product with such an obviously bad bug, let alone a final product. It was released before December 2008, and after 4 months it still isn't acknowledged, let alone fixed.

Update 4th April 2009: Acronis Customer Support have allowed me to change my purchase from the 2009 version to 11.0.8101 with a legit serial number. They also gave me a link to the boot CD ISO image, and it all works fine. The problems described still occur, and will probably be fixed in a future release.