backup utility

[manorway]

In an effort to try to negate the influence of my download of sp3 and its
negative effect on performance, I am getting ready to make some changes,
therefore, I want to do a backup first.

The utility that Windows supplies does does not allow me to backup if the
file size is the backup copy of the file size is larger than 4GB. It goes
back with a box thats says that is the max. size for fat32 file allocation.
How do we backup an entire drive to a USB harddrive (150GB). ??

Is there an easy way to back up and keep the file format of the exisiting
files, not security copy to a single file ??

 

[Big_Al]

In an effort to try to negate the influence of my download of sp3 and its
negative effect on performance, I am getting ready to make some changes,
therefore, I want to do a backup first.

The utility that Windows supplies does does not allow me to backup if the
file size is the backup copy of the file size is larger than 4GB. It goes
back with a box thats says that is the max. size for fat32 file allocation.
How do we backup an entire drive to a USB harddrive (150GB). ??

Is there an easy way to back up and keep the file format of the exisiting
files, not security copy to a single file ??

Change the usb to NTFS.

 

[Xandros]

While this answer may be unpalatable the best solution is to purchase decent
backup software. Remember that backups are the most important thing you can
do. While there are many good backup programs I personally prefer Acronis
TrueImage. www.acronis.com

 

[manorway]

Change the usb to NTFS.

THANKS FOR THE ABOVE. I got it figured out as I looked at it a little
closer. Do you know why the backup will not let back up the whole hard drive,
even thought that is one of the 3 options. I was only able to back up the
files created by the users. Not programs and such.

 

[Big_Al]

THANKS FOR THE ABOVE. I got it figured out as I looked at it a little
closer. Do you know why the backup will not let back up the whole hard drive,
even thought that is one of the 3 options. I was only able to back up the
files created by the users. Not programs and such.

I don't use the built in backup program. And the consensus is that its
not very good. Problematic at best. There are third party programs
better suited. Acronis True Image Home is one of the leaders.

 

[Twayne]

THANKS FOR THE ABOVE. I got it figured out as I looked at it a little
closer. Do you know why the backup will not let back up the whole
hard drive, even thought that is one of the 3 options. I was only
able to back up the files created by the users. Not programs and
such.

It isn't the backup program, it's the file type of the drive. FAT32
simply can not handle anything larger than that. NTFS can. The XP
backup utility is only echoing errors from the operating system, as
would anything else that encountered a file < 4 gig on a FAT32.

It's just a few keyclicks to change a drive from FAT to NTFS adn in
theory no data is damaged in the process.
BUT:
As with any operation like that, you should backup first (essentially
backing up your backup<g>, I know, but ... ).
If you have the room, just copy the USB data to a new folder on your
hard drive, do the switch to NTFS (in theory it's non-destrictive) on
the USB drive, then after it's been made NTFS, delete the copy you made,
unless something went astray and you need it. Unlikely, but wise to be
safe rather than sorry.
If you don't have the room, copy it to DVDs instead; you might need to
split it into smaller files with a splitter utility; lots of free ones
around. I put a backup on DVDs every three months and keep that at my
sister's home for off-premises storage.

NOTE: YOu can go form FAT to NTFS OK, it's easy to do, but you can
NOT go back to FAT the same way; it takes a reformat to go bck to FAT.

Proceed to do your backup using ntbackup from XP and you'll be all set
to make your system mods.

HTH

Twayne

 

[Twayne]

I don't use the built in backup program. And the consensus is that
its not very good. Problematic at best. There are third party
programs better suited. Acronis True Image Home is one of the
leaders.

The concensus isn't "good" because it's basic and no bells & whistles.
It's a perfectly acceptable alternative to purchased 3rd party programs
if/when they aren't available. In fact, I still use it all the time to
create system state saves.
It is NOT problematic; it just doesn't have the bells & whistles of a
Norton's Ghost or Acronis' True Image. It works very well except that
catastrophic recovery of an entire system drive is more of a pain to do
than with one of the two above alternatives.

Twayne

 

[Twayne]

While this answer may be unpalatable the best solution is to purchase

decent backup software. Remember that backups are the most important
thing you can do. While there are many good backup programs I
personally prefer Acronis TrueImage. www.acronis.com

It also deosn't answer/confirm the OP's original query.

 

[Big_Al]

The concensus isn't "good" because it's basic and no bells & whistles.
It's a perfectly acceptable alternative to purchased 3rd party programs
if/when they aren't available. In fact, I still use it all the time to
create system state saves.
It is NOT problematic; it just doesn't have the bells & whistles of a
Norton's Ghost or Acronis' True Image. It works very well except that
catastrophic recovery of an entire system drive is more of a pain to do
than with one of the two above alternatives.

Twayne

That's what I mean by problematic. It has problems. And 'not good'
means just that. It's not bad either, it just could be better.
Like anything else, if it works for the user, fine. But then, is
anything great?

 

[Jim]

In an effort to try to negate the influence of my download of sp3 and its
negative effect on performance, I am getting ready to make some changes,
therefore, I want to do a backup first.

The utility that Windows supplies does does not allow me to backup if the
file size is the backup copy of the file size is larger than 4GB. It goes
back with a box thats says that is the max. size for fat32 file
allocation.
How do we backup an entire drive to a USB harddrive (150GB). ??

Change the format of the USB drive to NTFS.

Is there an easy way to back up and keep the file format of the exisiting
files, not security copy to a single file ??

Perhaps you are looking for the cloning operation. I can't remember seeing
this option
with ntbackup. ATI or Ghost have provided cloning for a long time.

Speaking of time, cloning a 250GB drive to another 250GB drive take a lot of
it.

Now that I see that you mentioned file formats, there is no difference
between NTFS and FAT files.
The difference lies in the folders.

Jim

 

[Charles W Davis]

Change the format of the USB drive to NTFS.
Perhaps you are looking for the cloning operation. I can't remember
seeing this option
with ntbackup. ATI or Ghost have provided cloning for a long time.

Speaking of time, cloning a 250GB drive to another 250GB drive take a lot
of it.

Now that I see that you mentioned file formats, there is no difference
between NTFS and FAT files.
The difference lies in the folders.

Jim

Jim, you state: : there is no difference between NTFS and FAT files. You are
right. However the next sentence: "...The difference lies in the
folders...." The NTFS file system, introduced with first version of Windows
NT, is a completely different file system from FAT. It provides for greatly
increased security, file-by-file compression, quotas, and even encryption. I
suggest that you make the conversion.

 

[Xandros]

It also deosn't answer/confirm the OP's original query.

My response does answer/confirm the OP's original query. The easiest way to
backup and keep the file format of the existing files is to use a decent
backup utility.

 

[Twayne]

Now that I see that you mentioned file formats, there is no difference
between NTFS and FAT files.
The difference lies in the folders.

Jim

Perhaps you need to spend some time at wikipedia and drive vendors and
even MS sites to mention only a few. There is a huge difference between
FAT and NTFS. NTFS has far more capability and a different structure.

 

[Jim]

Perhaps you need to spend some time at wikipedia and drive vendors and
even MS sites to mention only a few. There is a huge difference between
FAT and NTFS. NTFS has far more capability and a different structure.

Perhaps you should try reading my reply which essentially was a very broad
summary of the difference between a FAT volume and an NTFS volumes.
Yes, that difference is entirely contained within the structure of the
folders.
Jim

 

[Twayne]

Perhaps you should try reading my reply which essentially was a very
broad summary of the difference between a FAT volume and an NTFS
volumes. Yes, that difference is entirely contained within the
structure of the
folders.
Jim

What, you feeling left out or something simply because your reply wasn't
there at the time I looked? Or I missed it somehow? Or it looked like
a tirade? Did I ask you for a response of some kind? Did I leave a
question for someone? I don't recall but I don't think I did.

Actually, I still don't see "your reply". Add: If it was there, great.
Add: If you took the time to details things so the OP understood it,
great. Add accuracy to that, and ... great. But since the post wasn't
to me, rather was for the OP, I would only care if you gave bad
informaiton.

So, whaddaya want, a medal or a chest to pin it on?

In the same vein as your post: Perhaps YOU should try to realize that
the world doesn't spin around you, your skin seems way too thin, and
your ego even thinner. No idea whether you have narcissistic
tendencies, but ... don't care either. Same's I don't care about
whatever it was you said in your supposed "very broad summary", unless
you gave misinformation, in which case I'll care a LOT.
So whether I simply missed your post or did read it and thought it
went over everyone's head or whatever, I really don't care. Get the
idea?

Twayne