Backup image file of Ghost 9 is bigger than used space on source disk C:\

[Josh]

I have just installed Ghost 9 and after making the first backup I was
surprised to get a message: "Backup of C:\ did not complete
successfully Error EA390719. Target disk is full". This was done with
the default Standard compression.

My backup device is a 40GB hard disc F:\ which I have formatted prior
to backing up and my source is a 120GB hard disk C:\.

Now here are the size readings:

C:\ has 65GB of free space out of 111GB so the used portion for backing
up is 46GB.
F:\ has 37GB of free space out of 37GB so it is empty.

Question 1: Why F with 37GB got full at a standard compression ratio of
40% when the source on C occupied just 46GB?

In the course of backing up F reached 32GB with 60% of the backed up
image so this calculates to an image file size of 32/60*100=53GB.

Question 2: Is it at all possible that with C having just 46GB to
backup the image file size is 53GB?
Thanks for your help in resolving this strange behavior of Ghost 9.

 

[Irwin]

Some thoughts:
1) Some files compress better than others. Things with repetition in
them like pictures compress very well, but things like executables on
an OS partition do not compress well at all.
2) 60% may not be of the number of GB, maybe is the number of files. So
all the big ones are getting backed up first? So it wouldn't really be
53GB.
3) Could be an issue with sector size and waste space on one of the
drives.

 

[Lil' Dave]

I have just installed Ghost 9 and after making the first backup I was
surprised to get a message: "Backup of C:\ did not complete
successfully Error EA390719. Target disk is full". This was done with
the default Standard compression.

My backup device is a 40GB hard disc F:\ which I have formatted prior
to backing up and my source is a 120GB hard disk C:\.

Now here are the size readings:

C:\ has 65GB of free space out of 111GB so the used portion for backing
up is 46GB.
F:\ has 37GB of free space out of 37GB so it is empty.

Question 1: Why F with 37GB got full at a standard compression ratio of
40% when the source on C occupied just 46GB?

In the course of backing up F reached 32GB with 60% of the backed up
image so this calculates to an image file size of 32/60*100=53GB.

Question 2: Is it at all possible that with C having just 46GB to
backup the image file size is 53GB?
Thanks for your help in resolving this strange behavior of Ghost 9.

Initally, it looks like this doesn't quite make sense. In retrospect, I
would say that you've made an error in determing freespace somewhere.

 

[Josh]

Irwin and Dave,

I have thought so too but it is a fact that my backup disk F:\ is an
empty 40GB Western Digital hard disk and the properties of my source
disk C:\ shows 46.8GB of used space.

I have tried also to set the compression to High but am still getting
the "Target is Full" message.

I appreciate your attempt in trying to help me in solving this problem.
Josh

 

[Josh]

Hi All,

I have contacted Symantec support and got a reply that clears up my
problem:

"Josh, please be aware that when Ghost is running a backup task it
requires more space to store the backup image. The destination drive
space should be higher than the source drive."

Josh

 

[Dracir Venostos]

Hi All,

I have contacted Symantec support and got a reply that clears up my
problem:

Actually, your real problem is that you are using Symantec software. I used
Ghost up until Ghost 2000. I bought Ghost 9, but discovered that it had
followed the rest of Symantec's products into bloatware. I returned it for a
refund. I use Acronis True Image now. A much better program that is well
written, well behaved and reasonably priced. Much better than Ghost.

 

[SloPoke]

Actually, your real problem is that you are using Symantec software. I used
Ghost up until Ghost 2000. I bought Ghost 9, but discovered that it had
followed the rest of Symantec's products into bloatware. I returned it for a
refund. I use Acronis True Image now. A much better program that is well
written, well behaved and reasonably priced. Much better than Ghost.

Maybe so, but since it boots Linux, or some variant, from the restore
CD, it has limited support for Windows disks and hardware. For
instance, it won't restore my striped RAID set except as a basic disk,
which doesn't cut it for me.
_______________________________________________
Colin Sewell mailto:[email protected]
Vancouver, BC