Backing-Up
Backing-Up
(OP)
General question:
Should I have a reasonable expectation that I can drag and drop a 24 GB file into a 40 GB hard drive?
More information: the 40 GB HD actually has 33 GB of free space.
I get a message that the 40 GB HD doesn't have enough room. I've encountered this problem in the past, with another backup HD. In that case, I was trying to use a back up program called Silver Lining to back up my 30 GB of "stuff" onto a 250 GB hard drive. Silver Lining just wouldn't do it. The 250 GB hard drive just didn't have enough free space. I don't understand how this is possible since the 250 GB HD was empty. What I ended up doing was scrapping the idea of using back up software (there went the reasonable expectation that the program would function as advertised) and simply dragged and dropped my folders into the backup device.
I really would've preferred an automated backup routine, but, alas, they don't seem to be all they're cut out to be.
My last effort began with using the Windows XP backup utility. It seemed to be just the thing I needed: drag and drop everything into the backup wizard and... and... oops, the backup wizard only handles files up to 5 GB in size. So, I ended up making lots of little backup files. That was a pain to manage.
Any ideas, thoughts, etc. are welcome.
Should I have a reasonable expectation that I can drag and drop a 24 GB file into a 40 GB hard drive?
More information: the 40 GB HD actually has 33 GB of free space.
I get a message that the 40 GB HD doesn't have enough room. I've encountered this problem in the past, with another backup HD. In that case, I was trying to use a back up program called Silver Lining to back up my 30 GB of "stuff" onto a 250 GB hard drive. Silver Lining just wouldn't do it. The 250 GB hard drive just didn't have enough free space. I don't understand how this is possible since the 250 GB HD was empty. What I ended up doing was scrapping the idea of using back up software (there went the reasonable expectation that the program would function as advertised) and simply dragged and dropped my folders into the backup device.
I really would've preferred an automated backup routine, but, alas, they don't seem to be all they're cut out to be.
My last effort began with using the Windows XP backup utility. It seemed to be just the thing I needed: drag and drop everything into the backup wizard and... and... oops, the backup wizard only handles files up to 5 GB in size. So, I ended up making lots of little backup files. That was a pain to manage.
Any ideas, thoughts, etc. are welcome.






RE: Backing-Up
TTFN
RE: Backing-Up
Regards,
RE: Backing-Up
The XP backup utility only allows (this I discovered) a maximum backup file size of 5 GB - discovered when an error dialog box popped up as I tried to do an intuitively simply backup: i.e., just back up the 20 GB folder containing all my work, in many, well-organized subfolders, of course.
I did not expect this kind of thing to happen at all. I have a feeling that the programmers either were limited to 5 GB for whatever reason or they just didn't think to put those kinds of warnings/limitation info at the front of the user's manual.
Do you folks have similar problems or are you able to backup large files without any problem? What software do you use (Mac and/or PCP? Please let me know.
RE: Backing-Up
Fry's Electronics ad from this morning lists a 500GB external HD for $249.99 or get a 200GB drive for $119.99 each.
TTFN
RE: Backing-Up
htt
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Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions FAQ559-1091
RE: Backing-Up
On the other hand, my initial problem was that a 24 GB .zip file was "too big" for my 40 GB (33 GB free) auxiliary HD. That's something I do not understand. What I ended up doing was simply copying by selecting and dragging/dropping my un-zipped folders into the HD and it worked just fine.
Bottom line: I consider it counter-intuitive that a 24 GB file won't fit in 33 GB of free space.
RE: Backing-Up
I tried to drag a 15 GB file to a new 120 GB drive and it wouldn't go, saying the same thing. I found that any file bigger than 4 GB would give the same error.
I'm guessing there's some Windows setting of which I'm not aware.
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NTFS is the latest, greatest file system for Windows systems after W98. Reportedly, NTFS has no file size limit. That is, you could create a file as large as the partition. I have not tested this myself. There is a conversion utility program provided in WinXP (only in the command prompt window) that Microsoft claims will convert a FAT16 or FAT32 partition to NTFS without loss of data. I believe the command name is CONVERT, but I have never used it myself and I don't know the syntax. Before proceeding with any changes to partition formats, be sure you have a good back-up of any data on that partition. It should be noted that conversion to NTFS is not reversible with the CONVERT command, though some other commercial programs like Partition Magic can, I think, convert back to FAT32. Messing with disk formats is inherently dangerous to your data. Although I share your aversion to laborious web searches, it is worthwhile to educate yourself about this subject for your own protection.
RE: Backing-Up
RE: Backing-Up
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions FAQ559-1091
RE: Backing-Up
RE: Backing-Up
OK, there are many subjects about which I know just enough to be dangerous, so I find someone competent to handle the high voltage power supply, or whatever. To answer your original question, yes, it is reasonable to expect a hard drive of sufficient capacity to accept your file. Hopefully, you can find some computer guy to fix up your drive with NTFS and get what you need. I think there are only a few people that need to store files of gigabyte size, so the question only rarely arises. I recently bought an external 100GB hard drive and discovered that it was formatted as FAT32. This surprised me at first, but after thinking about it a bit, I guess it makes sense to provide FAT32 because that is a more generally compatible format for the mix of operating systems in current use.
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I would just get another drive, format it for NTFS and copy everything. Then, format the old drive. Given the prices of HD's today, it's a cheap way to go.
TTFN
RE: Backing-Up
NTFS has file security on top of the large file sizes that are on a FAT32 formatted drive.
I run my home computer on NTFS as I have programs that will not load on FAT drives.
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RE: Backing-Up
I believe that I have a reasonable expectation that "plug and play" means "plug and play." I also am not convinced that the problem's on my end...
"I think there are only a few people that need to store files of gigabyte size, so the question only rarely arises."
Don't take this as confrontational, but how can that be? Backup files are, by their general nature, more than a GB in size. And the selling point(s) of all backup software is that they efficiently back up everything into a single file or similar scheme.
RE: Backing-Up
I know it sounds strange, but I have seen this.
Hope this works...
tg