Backup

[em21]

Hi, I am trying to backup my system's files to a 50 GB hard drive, but I can
only backup up to 4 GB. After reading other posts here, it seems that my
external HD must be formatted to Fat 32. (whatever that means). Somebedy said
you can "direct your backup to split the files at less than 4gb, say, around
3gb". How you do that?

If I can't backup to my external hard drive, can I do it to CD's, or
prefferably to DVD's, (more space)? And about how many would I need? The size
of of what I woluld like to backup is 12,631,699,375, bytes (how much is that
in GB)?

I use Windows XP/SP3

 

[Daave]

Hi, I am trying to backup my system's files to a 50 GB hard drive,
but I can only backup up to 4 GB. After reading other posts here, it
seems that my external HD must be formatted to Fat 32. (whatever that
means). Somebedy said you can "direct your backup to split the files
at less than 4gb, say, around 3gb". How you do that?

If I can't backup to my external hard drive, can I do it to CD's, or
prefferably to DVD's, (more space)? And about how many would I need?
The size of of what I woluld like to backup is 12,631,699,375, bytes
(how much is that in GB)?

I use Windows XP/SP3

What backup program are you using?

Have you thought about changing from FAT32 to NTFS?

 

[em21]

I was trying to backup the whole system.
How you change from Fat32 to NTFS?
Will changing to NTFS damage some things I already have in my external HD?
(Some files from My Documents. They are using less than I GB).

 

[em21]

I actually have a 250GB HD not 50GB. I found out how to convert Fat 32 to
NTFS at Western Digital, wich is the brand of driver. But, can anybody tell
me;
is it safe to do that?
Won't it ruin the drive?
Should I remove what I have there before I continue?

 

[Richard Urban]

I have converted many drives from Fat32 to NTFS while there were files on
the drive. I never had any problem at all. This is not to say that something
"can't" happen though. A power failure in the middle of the conversion that
will leave the files inaccessible and the partition totally corrupted.

You should be safe.

 

[Bill in Co.]

I actually have a 250GB HD not 50GB. I found out how to convert Fat 32 to
NTFS at Western Digital, wich is the brand of driver. But, can anybody
tell
me;
is it safe to do that?

My understanding it is generally safe, but slightly chancy IF you expect
everything to be kosh afterwards. But if you have a backup clone drive, it
could be worth trying (more below). Generally, it's best to install XP
using NTFS in the first place, but then again, since you already have XP
installed on FAT32, is there a real necessity to change? Admitedly NTFS
has advantages, however.

One limitation of FAT32 is that *no single file* can be larger than 4 GB,
but then again, how often does that really happen? (not likely unless you
are processing a some large camera video file)

Won't it ruin the drive?

Not likely, if you mean from the hardware point of view. But whether or
not the data is guaranteed safe in the conversion is another matter. But
from what I've heard or read, it generally goes ok, though. Perhaps
someone else can add to that.

Should I remove what I have there before I continue?

You should *always* have a system backup before you do anything like this.
And by backup, I mean a complete system backup clone of your entire C: drive
on another hard drive, so that if things go awry for any reason, you can put
that drive back in again. Programs like Casper or Acronis True Image can
make backup clones which is probably what you want here, instead of an image
backup.

 

[em21]

Well, doing a sytem backup is precisely what I am trying to do. I am still
kind of nervous about messing with changing the format in My Passport HD. I
am afraid to ruin it, besides being a bit costly, I am very fond of it.

What I am doing now is copying all the files from hard drive C to my
external HD, one at a time. So far is going fine. I just hope I can use them
if I ever have the need to. What you think?

However, I wil try changing the format in the drive later, when I feel more
adventurous. But, if what I am doing works, I may not have the need for it.

Thanks you all for your input, your comments have been most helpful.

Thanks,

 

[Bill in Co.]

Well, doing a system backup is precisely what I am trying to do.

I'm not sure what you mean by that; as a true system backup would require a
disk clone or disk image. Just copying the files and folders over to a
new drive doesn't make a real true system backup, but is just a backup of
your files. More on that below.

I am still
kind of nervous about messing with changing the format in My Passport HD.
I
am afraid to ruin it, besides being a bit costly, I am very fond of it.

I'm not really familiar with a Passport HD, per se (or laptops for that
matter), just a desktop computer and internal HDs or external USB or SATA
enclosure drives, but maybe that Passport HD is just an external HD.

What I am doing now is copying all the files from hard drive C to my
external HD, one at a time. So far is going fine. I just hope I can use
them
if I ever have the need to. What you think?

One *file* at a time? Probably copying the entire folders would be faster.
But, if I understand you right, you are just copying the files, rather than
making a true system (and bootable) disk clone. And that will work out ok,
so long as the FAT32 to NTFS conversion goes ok, which, as I understand it,
it generally does. And you will have copies of your files, at any rate.

The main disadvantage of just using a file copying method it is that in the
worst case scenario, if you can't boot up after the FAT to NTFS conversion,
or it fails in some other way, you would have to reinstall windows and the
programs again. That's why a disk clone (or disk image, in some cases) is
generally best, as it covers all cases, no matter what happens.

 

[Badger]

Hi, I am trying to backup my system's files to a 50 GB hard drive, but I can
only backup up to 4 GB. After reading other posts here, it seems that my
external HD must be formatted to Fat 32. (whatever that means). Somebedy
said
you can "direct your backup to split the files at less than 4gb, say, around
3gb". How you do that?

If I can't backup to my external hard drive, can I do it to CD's, or
prefferably to DVD's, (more space)? And about how many would I need? The
size
of of what I woluld like to backup is 12,631,699,375, bytes (how much is
that
in GB)?

I use Windows XP/SP3

--
edith
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FAT32 is the name given to a method by which hard drives handle files. The
newer version is called NTFS.
External drives are usually formatted for FAT32 by default because older
versions of Windows (95, 98 etc) will not recognise NTFS drives (the
standard for Windows XP). As you have discovered FAT32 doesn't recognise
drives bigger than 4GB so you will have to reformat the external drive to
NTFS.
This is really quite easy. All you have to do is open a Command Prompt and
type in CONVERT X: /fs:ntfs where X is the letter of the drive you want to
convert. Windows XP will do this for you without any loss of data on the
drive and you can then use the whole capacity of the external drive.
I don't mean to be offensive but the tone of your message indicates that you
are not very computer savvy so if you don't know how to open a Command
Prompt do this: Click Start - Click All Programs - Select Accessories -
Click on Command Prompt.
A window opens with white text on a black background (like DOS if you're
familiar with that). That's the window in which you type CONVERT X: /fs:ntfs

Having said that, are you trying to backup just data files or your entire C:
drive? If it's the former, no worries. If it's the latter then it's not as
simple as just copying all the files over. You really have to use some kind
of cloning software to make an exact copy of your C: drive otherwise you
won't be able to boot your computer from it.

Good luck.
Badger

 

[R. McCarty]

There are two different methods of backup. One is readable, this means
the backup holds the exact file in a useable fashion. The other is imaging
where data is compressed and stored in a container module.

You would probably benefit from a Imaging program. I'd recommend a
program from Acronis called True Image. Using it you would create a
backup set of modules called .Tib. The setup of TI allows you to create
modules that are 4.3 Gigabytes in size ( Fits on a DVD-R disk ). Once
created on the backup disk you would occasionally burn the set of disks
to optical media for longer term storage. If you opt for that I'd reformat
the external drive using XP's native format - NTFS.

You can also schedule backups with True Image to be taken at fixed
intervals. I believe True Image is offered as a fully-functional trial at:
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/download/trueimage/
*When setting up a backup always use the Verification pass which after
creating the image verifies it's integrity.

 

[dadiOH]

Hi, I am trying to backup my system's files to a 50 GB hard drive,
but I can only backup up to 4 GB.

That sounds like a problem or incorrect setting in your backup program...it
sounds as if that program is trying to dump everything into one file.
_____________

After reading other posts here, it
seems that my external HD must be formatted to Fat 32. (whatever that
means).

There is no reason that all your stuff can't be copied to a FAT32 drive.
The only limitation is the capacity of the drive.
_________________

Somebedy said you can "direct your backup to split the files
at less than 4gb, say, around 3gb". How you do that?

When all else fails, read the Help file (of the backup program you are
using).
_____________________

If I can't backup to my external hard drive, can I do it to CD's, or
prefferably to DVD's, (more space)? And about how many would I need?

A normal DVD holds 4.38 gigs. A CD, 700 MB.
______________

The size of of what I woluld like to backup is 12,631,699,375, bytes
(how much is that in GB)?

I use Windows XP/SP3

Then you have a calculator and can use it to determine how many DVD/CD
blanks you would need.


--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

 

[Anna]

Hi, I am trying to backup my system's files to a 50 GB hard drive, but I
can
only backup up to 4 GB. After reading other posts here, it seems that my
external HD must be formatted to Fat 32. (whatever that means). Somebedy
said
you can "direct your backup to split the files at less than 4gb, say,
around
3gb". How you do that?

If I can't backup to my external hard drive, can I do it to CD's, or
prefferably to DVD's, (more space)? And about how many would I need? The
size
of of what I woluld like to backup is 12,631,699,375, bytes (how much is
that
in GB)?

I use Windows XP/SP3

(Edith's WD external HDD is actually a 250 GB HDD, not 50 GB.)


Edith:
The 12 billion+ bytes you mention translates to about 12 GB. I assume that's
the total amount of data on your day-to-day working HDD (hard drive) that
you want to back up.

In addition to the suggestions you've already received, let me give you one
more...

First of all, forget about converting the file system on your USB external
HDD from FAT32 to NTFS. That won't be necessary given what I'm about to
recommend to you.

You're most wise to contemplate backing up *all* the data on your HDD. This
includes not only your personal data files, but your XP operating system
(OS), all your programs & applications, your email program, etc., etc. In
short, *everything* that's on your working HDD.

By so doing, should your system ever become dysfunctional because of a
corrupted OS - possibly a nasty computer virus or some other reason, or your
HDD becomes defective & unusable - you will have the wherewithal to return
your system to a bootable, functional state with a minimum of time & effort.

You can relatively easily achieve this comprehensive backup system through
the use of a disk-imaging or disk-cloning program such as the ones that have
been recommended to you by a number of responders to your query.

The beauty of these programs is that for all practical purposes they create
a precise copy of your day-to-day working HDD. It's hard to imagine a better
backup system for most PC users.

The program that I would strongly recommend for you is the Casper 5 program.
Casper is a disk-cloning program. It's extremely simple to use even for an
inexperienced user, reasonably quick in operation, and quite effective.
There's virtually no learning curve in undertaking the disk-cloning process
as one navigates through the few easy-to-understand screens with a final
mouse-click on the button on the screen which will trigger the disk-cloning
process. After undertaking one or two disk-cloning operations it should take
the user no more than 15 - 20 seconds or so to get to that point.

Your WD USB external HDD would serve as the "destination" HDD, i.e., the
recipient of the cloned contents of your "source" HDD. So that following the
disk-cloning operation you would have at hand a precise copy of your
"source" HDD. What better backup system can one have? (Note that following
the disk-cloning operation, the file system on your USB will be identical to
the file system of your "source" HDD, i.e., NTFS. So no "conversion" process
is necessary.)

So should the day come when you need to restore your system to a bootable,
functional state you would clone the contents of your USB external HDD back
to your internal HDD.

A trial version of the Casper program is available at http://www.fssdev.com
Give it a try and see how you like it. I can provide more details about the
program if you're interested.

Also, the Acronis True Image program has been recommended to you as well.
Since a trial version of that program is also available, by all means give
that program a try as well.
Anna

 

[em21]

Yes, I am copying one folder at a time, not file.

Badger is right. Althoug I can get around a computer pretty well, I really
don't know a whole lot about them.

About the backup. I am not sure what I want to do. All I know is that I
always hear that it is necessary to have a backup in case the computer
crashes.

I do have 2 recovery discs that came with the computer. As I understand I
can use them to reboot if it becomes necessary. I have also formatted my
computer once, and done Windows Restore once right from my hard drive by
pressing F11. My computer is about 2 years old.

When I did a Windows Restore, a backup of my driver C was made
automatically, but it was stored right in driver C. That was great. I was
able to use that to restore all my downloaded software, my games with the
current scores, and all my personal files.

That is what I want, but I want to put it in an external device, wether is
in my external hard drive, or on some CD's, or DVD's.

What would be better to do then, for something like that. Use the Windows
backup utility, or just "copying" the way I've started to do?

Thanks everybody, you've been most generous with your responses. I am
learning so much.[/QUOTE][/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

 

[Terry R.]

The date and time was Wednesday, June 17, 2009 11:22:01 PM, and on a
whim, em21 pounded out on the keyboard:

Well, doing a sytem backup is precisely what I am trying to do. I am still
kind of nervous about messing with changing the format in My Passport HD. I
am afraid to ruin it, besides being a bit costly, I am very fond of it.

What I am doing now is copying all the files from hard drive C to my
external HD, one at a time. So far is going fine. I just hope I can use them
if I ever have the need to. What you think?

However, I wil try changing the format in the drive later, when I feel more
adventurous. But, if what I am doing works, I may not have the need for it.

Thanks you all for your input, your comments have been most helpful.

Thanks,

Hi Edith,

Others have suggested backup software, and I believe that is best also.

But I am hesitant to recommend Acronis at this time. I own it, have
been backing up to external USB drives with it. I tried to restore a
backup with it a few weeks ago and it failed to even see the USB drive.
I also used the Acronis CD I had created and it failed also, as the
USB drive was not recognized. I have written to Acronis support but
have not received an answer as to why yet. Since I use more than one
backup method, I'm not shaken. But for those who are putting all their
"backup" eggs in one basket, and haven't tested it yet, they may be in
for a surprise.

I also have 3 hard drives on this workstation. I create copies of all
my partitions using a program like Partition Magic or even a free
program called EASEUS Partition Master (free). Those always work
without problems, but not for external drives.

I believe even your WD drive comes with free software, doesn't it?

Terry R.

 

[Terry R.]

The date and time was Thursday, June 18, 2009 3:48:23 AM, and on a whim,
R. McCarty pounded out on the keyboard:

There are two different methods of backup. One is readable, this means
the backup holds the exact file in a useable fashion. The other is imaging
where data is compressed and stored in a container module.

You would probably benefit from a Imaging program. I'd recommend a
program from Acronis called True Image. Using it you would create a
backup set of modules called .Tib. The setup of TI allows you to create
modules that are 4.3 Gigabytes in size ( Fits on a DVD-R disk ). Once
created on the backup disk you would occasionally burn the set of disks
to optical media for longer term storage. If you opt for that I'd reformat
the external drive using XP's native format - NTFS.

You can also schedule backups with True Image to be taken at fixed
intervals. I believe True Image is offered as a fully-functional trial at:
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/download/trueimage/
*When setting up a backup always use the Verification pass which after
creating the image verifies it's integrity.

And WHY Verification isn't checked by default is beyond me...

There are other issues I've found. See my other post in this thread
regarding Acronis.



Terry R.

 

[Daave]

I'm not sure what you mean by that; as a true system backup would
require a disk clone or disk image.

There is a limit to the size of the image archive file if the
destination drive is formatted FAT32. If OP decides not to change it to
NTFS, he won't be able to create one giant file; instead the archive
will need to be split up into smaller files.

 

[R. McCarty]

I'm seeing some issues with the latest True Image home. I use a wide
range of versions. I suppose my favorite is Version 10.0. As with so
many products as they evolve and offer more features they tend to get
more quirks and anomalies. I have some setups with the latest chipsets
that older TI versions don't support with their boot builder. I still like
and recommend the product. Just a few days ago I helped a customer
try out Windows Seven and the older TI missed the scheduled backup
so we had to upgrade to TI Version 2009. (~$29).

It's an going problem with product recommendations. You're always
at risk advising someone to use a product if you haven't actually got the
latest version yourself. Things change constantly.

 

[Daave]

(top-posting changed in order to preserve flow)

I actually have a 250GB HD not 50GB. I found out how to convert Fat
32 to NTFS at Western Digital, wich is the brand of driver. But, can
anybody tell me;
is it safe to do that?
Won't it ruin the drive?
Should I remove what I have there before I continue?

Edith, it is important to answer all the questions! Otherwise, I won't
have the information needed to answer you.

What is the name of the backup program are you using (this info is
important!)?

Also, what is the model (and number) of your WD external drive? What is
currently on it? How many partitions are on it? How much free space does
it have?

And be careful not to call drives drivers.

 

[Daave]

But I am hesitant to recommend Acronis at this time. I own it, have
been backing up to external USB drives with it. I tried to restore a
backup with it a few weeks ago and it failed to even see the USB
drive. I also used the Acronis CD I had created and it failed also,
as the USB drive was not recognized. I have written to Acronis
support but have not received an answer as to why yet. Since I use
more than one backup method, I'm not shaken. But for those who are
putting all their "backup" eggs in one basket, and haven't tested it
yet, they may be in for a surprise.

That doesn't sound good! Which version of Acronis? I'm still using
Version 9, and it works flawlessly.

 

[em21]

sorry Davee I miss your questions.
What is the name of the backup program are you using.
I was trying to use the Windows Backup Utility found in System tools.

what is the model (and number) of your WD external drive?
My external hard drive 250GB My Passport Essential from WD,

What is currently on it?
I have some pictures and music, not a whole lot, but important things to me.

How many partitions are on it?
I don't know. How do I find out?

How much free space does it have?
It shows 226 GB free space

Thank you[/QUOTE][/QUOTE][/QUOTE]