Computer backup

[Newvalehouse]

For some time now I have been regularly backing up my computer to an external hard drive.
My first one was a complete backup of my C drive and that was fine.
Since then I have done an incremental backup about every two weeks and had no trouble.
I have tried to do another incremental today but the message says that it can't complete the task as either the external drive is already performing an operation or my C drive has corrupt files.
There is nothing running on the external and I have run checkdisc on the C drive and found nothing wrong.
I have windows XP home edition and I'm using Acronis software to back up with.
I tried to do a complete backup again but still get the same message.
Theres loads of spare space on all drives and plenty of memory.
Can anyone suggest what I could try next
Cheers.
Jim :russian_r

[tonymidd]

For some time now I have been regularly backing up my computer to an external hard drive.
My first one was a complete backup of my C drive and that was fine.
Since then I have done an incremental backup about every two weeks and had no trouble.
I have tried to do another incremental today but the message says that it can't complete the task as either the external drive is already performing an operation or my C drive has corrupt files.
There is nothing running on the external and I have run checkdisc on the C drive and found nothing wrong.
I have windows XP home edition and I'm using Acronis software to back up with.
I tried to do a complete backup again but still get the same message.
Theres loads of spare space on all drives and plenty of memory.
Can anyone suggest what I could try next
Cheers.
Jim :russian_r

switch off and go down t'pub:blum2: :drinks:

[Newvalehouse]

Hey Tony,
I've been rebooting the thing all day trying to get it to perform this backup.
I'm shutting down for the night now cause I'm fed up with it.
Don't drink so Ill watch telly.
Take care Tony,
Jim. :drinks:

[Keitht]

Sorry Jim, I can't explain what is going wrong or how to address it, but one thing in your backup process does concern me. You say you do incremental backups every couple of weeks. Incremental backups only back up files that haven't been backed up before. That means that in order to recover everything in the event of a system failure you will need to restore all the incrementals as well as the original full backup.
The better way is to do a full backup and follow it with Differential backups. Differentials backup all files created or modified since the previous full backup. That way you only have 2 backup files to worry about. Using a cycle of 3 differential files does require more space but saves a huge amount of effort if things do go 'tits up'

[Ade]

Sorry Jim, I can't explain what is going wrong or how to address it, but one thing in your backup process does concern me. You say you do incremental backups every couple of weeks. Incremental backups only back up files that haven't been backed up before. That means that in order to recover everything in the event of a system failure you will need to restore all the incrementals as well as the original full backup.
The better way is to do a full backup and follow it with Differential backups. Differentials backup all files created or modified since the previous full backup. That way you only have 2 backup files to worry about. Using a cycle of 3 differential files does require more space but saves a huge amount of effort if things do go 'tits up'

As i can vouch (spelling?) for after running a script 2 weeks back remotely from home on a server at work i inadverttantly managed to wiped the entire drive. This drive was basically every dept group and personal area for the entire company.....

Thankfully after a whole nights unplanned overtime lol i managed to get the restore complete with an hour to go before everyone started to arrive for work... Thank god we're not a 24x7 organisation :grin:

As for your backup problem are there any logs available? these may tell you where the folder / file is thats causing the error?

[Newvalehouse]

Thanks Keitht and Ade for offering advice.
I couldn't find anything to tell me what was giving me the problem. All my original backups were still there OK but I just couldn't add to them without the messages I mentioned earlier.
What I've done is to use another backup program called Roxio and there was no problem with that one. It backed up my whole C drive first time so the trouble may have been with Acronis program.
I have now uninstalled Acronis and deleted all my previous backups.
Hopefully I should now be OK again.
Keitht, I wasn't aware of the difference between incremental and differential backups so I'm grateful for that info.
Acronis didn't give me that option of differential but Roxio does..
Thanks for the help and I hope your restoring went OK Ade.
Cheers.
Jim

[Mike D]

Hi Jim
Being new to the forum, this is my first post, and reading of your back up problems, may I suggest you download the free software called "Synchtoy" you will find it is simplicity itself to use, and once set up it only takes a couple of mouse clicks each time you have finished work to back up any files you have worked on and altered or indeed any new files you may have created.
I would suggest you go for the Echo option, what this does is make an exact replica of your files and documents on the main internal hard drive on to your external hard drive.

Just Google Synchtoy and you will find it, I think the latest version is 1.4, I can certainly, from experience recommend it, hope this is helpful,

Mike

[lostmysnorkel]

Good tip Mike - thansk I've been looking for something like that for a while now.

Do you happen to know if it is compatible with XP? All the blurb on the MS site says 'Vista'

[Newvalehouse]

Hi Jim
Being new to the forum, this is my first post, and reading of your back up problems, may I suggest you download the free software called "Synchtoy" you will find it is simplicity itself to use, and once set up it only takes a couple of mouse clicks each time you have finished work to back up any files you have worked on and altered or indeed any new files you may have created.
I would suggest you go for the Echo option, what this does is make an exact replica of your files and documents on the main internal hard drive on to your external hard drive.

Just Google Synchtoy and you will find it, I think the latest version is 1.4, I can certainly, from experience recommend it, hope this is helpful,

Mike

Thanks for that info Mike. I'm going to look for it now with a view to installing it.
Kind regards.
Jim

[Newvalehouse]

Just tried it out Mike and although it works well, I can't see a way to copy on to my external drive.
Both folders remain on the same drive.
Any way of doing it.
Cheers,
Jim

[Mike D]

Hi Jim
Yes I can confirm that Synctoy is compatible with XP, that is my current operating system, and it has worked fine for me, it is probably one of the best, and for me simplest ways to keep peace of mind, in fact I now use it before I close each session, regards
Mike

[Mike D]

Hi Jim
When you set it up you will have your folders on your computer hard drive usually the "C" Drive, your external drive will have a Drive letter for example mine is the "H" drive.
You need to synchronise your "C" Drive on the left with the "H" Drive on your right on the screen.

As an example C:\Jpeg File to H:\Jpeg File

The option is to echo, that means when you have the above configuration showing if you click run, everything on the C: Drive is sent to the H: Drive and only changed files or indeed added files are altered, at the completion of the task you will receive a report which will show everything that has been changed.

If you are struggling, I would be happy to forward my telephone number and you could give me a call, if you are on broadband I could then talk you through the procedure, hope this helps, regards
Mike

[Mike D]

Hi Lost my Snorkel, I replied to Jim with your answer, Mike

[Newvalehouse]

Many thanks Mike D and Lost my Snorkle.
Grateful for the explanation. I was trying to copy to a folder on my external drive but the drive wasn't on the browse list.
I didn't have the sense to type the folder destination in the box.
This is the trouble with getting old!
Everything is now OK (except I am still old) and I am very pleased with the result.
Regards.
Jim. :tease: