Clone Drive Does Not Have All The Bytes

[BobN]

I am running Windows XP Home SP2.

My C: drive is a WD, EIDE, 20Gb, single partition, FAT 32 containing some 8
Gb of data.

The clone drive is as above in an external enclosure connected through the
USB port.

I usually clone the C: drive about once a month using Retrospect Express.
No errors are reported. By chance, I compared the two drives and found
that the clone drive contains only some 6 Gb of data. I do not know where
the other bytes are. I notice that the clone drive has no "My Documents"
folder or Recycle Bin, neither of which contains more than a few Mb of data
on my C: drive. All the other folders and files seem to be there, but I am
coming up short 2 Gb.

Can anyone provide an explanation?

TIA

 

[Paul]

I am running Windows XP Home SP2.

My C: drive is a WD, EIDE, 20Gb, single partition, FAT 32 containing some 8
Gb of data.

The clone drive is as above in an external enclosure connected through the
USB port.

I usually clone the C: drive about once a month using Retrospect Express.
No errors are reported. By chance, I compared the two drives and found
that the clone drive contains only some 6 Gb of data. I do not know where
the other bytes are. I notice that the clone drive has no "My Documents"
folder or Recycle Bin, neither of which contains more than a few Mb of data
on my C: drive. All the other folders and files seem to be there, but I am
coming up short 2 Gb.

Can anyone provide an explanation?

TIA

Your computer uses a swap file for its virtual memory.
Does that get backed up ?
Maybe that is where the space went.

Paul

 

[ScottL]

I'm not familiar with Retrospect Express, but see if it has a
"forensic mode" similar to Ghost's. This will copy all sectors
of a drive, even reserved sectors and hidden partitions.

I'm thinking your drive has a 2GB hidden partition (some from
Dell, HP etc do).

 

[Rod Speed]

I'm not familiar with Retrospect Express, but see if it has a
"forensic mode" similar to Ghost's. This will copy all sectors
of a drive, even reserved sectors and hidden partitions.

I'm thinking your drive has a 2GB hidden
partition (some from Dell, HP etc do).

That doesnt explain the amount of data on the C drive,
or the missing My Documents folder on the clone either.

 

[johns]

You'll see that if Retrospect is using a compression
algorithm ... and that would be about right. I use
an imaging program, and it use to spook me to
see 10 or more gig difference between the listed
size of the data that was being imaged, and then
have the image program "finish" at many gigs
less than what it listed. I finally had a dream about
it ... .... and figured out that the compression
size was what was finally listed at finish. If that
is true about Retrospect, go in and set it for "
no compression". By the way, Retrospect
Sucks !!!! I use Drive Image 2001 which is much
faster, and a lot safer.

johns

 

[ScottL]

That doesnt explain the amount of data on the C drive,
or the missing My Documents folder on the clone either.

True.

Maybe it's a slack space issue? Compare cluster sizes on the
two drives. Or as someone else pointed out, maybe the disk
imaging program is compressing data.

 

[Rod Speed]

Maybe it's a slack space issue?

Unlikely, the discrepancy is too much for that, and it STILL doesnt
explain the missing My Documents folder on the clone either.

Compare cluster sizes on the two drives.

Or as someone else pointed out, maybe the
disk imaging program is compressing data.

No evidence that there is any imaging going on, looks more like a clone.

STILL doesnt explain the missing My Documents folder on the clone either.

 

[ScottL]

Unlikely, the discrepancy is too much for that, and it STILL doesnt
explain the missing My Documents folder on the clone either.

Isn't the My Documents folder movable? Maybe the guy
is assuming it's on C: when it's not.

No evidence that there is any imaging going on, looks more like a clone.

STILL doesnt explain the missing My Documents folder on the clone either.

Hey I'm open to other ideas. Have any?

 

[Rod Speed]

Isn't the My Documents folder movable?
Yes.

Maybe the guy is assuming it's on C: when it's not.

You dont know that there is more than one partition.

Hey I'm open to other ideas. Have any?

Since its a backup app, not a simple imager, one obvious
possibility is that it wasnt told to include that in the backup.

 

[John Weiss]

That doesnt explain the amount of data on the C drive,
or the missing My Documents folder on the clone either.

Compression could explain the number of bytes.

If the OP has the My Documents folder redirected to another folder (e.g.,
D:\Documents), My Documents would only be a link, and no longer a discrete
folder.

 

[Rod Speed]

Compression could explain the number of bytes.

Yes, tho the amount of compression achieved is a bit high.

If the OP has the My Documents folder redirected to another folder (e.g., D:\Documents),
My Documents would only be a link, and no longer a discrete folder.

Since its a proper backup program and not an imagers, its
more likely it wasnt actually included in what was backed up.