How to Fix: Acronis 2016 Won't Open, Load (Win10)

Infopackets Reader Eugene C. writes:

" Dear Dennis,

I have a very strange and perplexing problem. I am running Windows 10 and Acronis True Image 2016 on my desktop PC and my laptop. A few days ago, both machines updated with a Windows 10 update, and now Acronis True Image 2016 won't open its main page. The program appears to load when it's launched: it shows the True Image icon on my task bar; however, when I hover my mouse over the icon all I see is a blank page for thumbnail. If I click the True Image 2016 icon on the task bar, it does nothing. When things are working properly, True Image 2016 opens with the main screen which shows all my backups. Since I can't run my backups, I feel that my system is at risk. Can you please help? "

My response:

I asked Eugene if he would like me to connect to his system using my remote desktop support service in order to have a closer look, and he agreed.

Below I will discuss my findings.

How to Fix: Acronis 2016 Won't Open, Load (Win10)

Here is what I did to fix the issue:

1. Whenever a program was working previously but suddenly stops working, the first thing to do is to try adjusting the permissions on the program to run as Administrator. This often fixes the problem, especially for older programs (and especially ones that are no longer supported by the vendor). In this case, True Image 2016 was released around the same time as the first release of Windows 10, so there may be compatibility issues - even if it stopped working years later. The same holds true, even after a Windows Update.
   
   To adjust True Image permissions using administrative privileges, do the following:
   
   (a) Look for the True Image icon on your desktop. If it is not there, you will need to place a shortcut. To do so: click Start, type in "true image" (no quotes); wait for True Image to appear in the list, then right click it, then select "Open File Location". A Windows Explorer window will appear and will have the main executable already highlighted. Right click over the executable and select Send To -> Desktop.
   
   (b) Next, right click the True Image icon on the desktop and select "Properties". The True Image properties window will open; go to the "Compatibility" tab. Under the heading "Settings" heading, tick the box that says "Run this program as an Administrator".
   
   (c) Click "Apply", then "OK", then attempt to launch True Image again.
   
   If that did not fix the issue, continue on.
    
2. Sometimes a program can go corrupt, or permissions on the program's executables become corrupted especially after a Windows Update. To fix the permissions, you can attempt to repair the program using Control Panel. To do so:
   
   (a) Click Start, then type in "control panel" (no quotes). Wait for Control Panel to appear in the list, then click it. If your Control Panel is sorted by "Category," look for the "Programs" heading and click "Uninstall program". If your Control Panel is sorted by "Big" or "Small" icons, click the "Programs and Features" icon.
   
   (b) Look for True Image in the list of installed programs, then right click over top of it and select "Repair". This should will start the True Image installer, then reinstate permissions on the program.
   
   (c) When the repair reinstall finishes, attempt to launch True Image again.
   
   If it still isn't working, continue on.
    
3. The next thing to do is to uninstall True Image and then reinstall it with the latest patches. Oftentimes reinstalling the program (especially with the latest patches) will fix the issue. To do so:
   
   (a) Go to the Acronis Account Login portal.
   
   (b) Enter in your email address and password associated with your Acronis account. If you do not have an account you will have to create one; if you forgot your password you will have to reset it. (Note: if you are having issues with this, I can assist using remote support - use my contact link here). Assuming you are logged in, locate your True Image product and click the link to download the latest revision of True Image. Save it to the desktop for now.
   
   (c) Uninstall True Image using the Control Panel. Refer to Step #2 above; this time, instead of specifying "Repair", choose "Uninstall".
   
   (d) Reboot the machine after True Image has been uninstalled.
   
   (e) Reinstall True Image using the executable you downloaded. You will be asked for your True Image account login information in order to activate the product.

At this point True Image should reinstall and the program should work properly. If it does not, you are welcome to contact me for additional support, described next.

Additional 1-on-1 Support: From Dennis

If all of this is over your head, or if you can't get True Image to load properly, I can help using my remote desktop support service. Simply contact me, briefly describing the issue and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Got a Computer Question or Problem? Ask Dennis!

I need more computer questions. If you have a computer question - or even a computer problem that needs fixing - please email me with your question so that I can write more articles like this one. I can't promise I'll respond to all the messages I receive (depending on the volume), but I'll do my best.

About the author: Dennis Faas is the owner and operator of Infopackets.com. With over 30 years of computing experience, Dennis' areas of expertise are a broad range and include PC hardware, Microsoft Windows, Linux, network administration, and virtualization. Dennis holds a Bachelors degree in Computer Science (1999) and has authored 6 books on the topics of MS Windows and PC Security. If you like the advice you received on this page, please up-vote / Like this page and share it with friends. For technical support inquiries, Dennis can be reached via Live chat online this site using the Zopim Chat service (currently located at the bottom left of the screen); optionally, you can contact Dennis through the website contact form.