Backup programs having probs writing image to ext hd, including windows own program??

Discussion in 'Software' started by icekool, Jul 10, 2010.

  1. icekool

    icekool Private E-2

    Hi guys,
    If anyone could help me with a suggestion I would be seriously grateful.

    Firstly, I have a new laptop running win7 64bit, all running fine so far, no system errors as such. I also have a new Toshiba External hd which is also error free (have checked disk integrity a few times and all seems fine, formatted to ntfs btw), I have copied a few folders to this external drive (documents, movies and music, thats all), my stuff is only taking up about 40gb out of 320gb on this ext hd.

    I want to create a disk image of my system and first tried the inbuilt win 7 "Create System Image" option, which worked the first time a few days ago but this was onto the freshly formatted ext hd (ntfs as I initially got a message that windows needed it to be ntfs instead of fat, so no probs). since then i have also done some drag and drop stuff, just copying my movies, music and docs folders so that I can do my own incremental backing up as and when, I only wanted the system/disk image for a total restore should the worst happen.

    In both the Windows backup app, and now also using Paragon Backup & Recovery software (correct version) I am getting errors saying that it cant read or access the disk, with both above apps, this is after writing at least a few hundred mbs of data, not at the very beginning, so the disk can obviously be accessed for a while, also the fact that I can drag & drop data perfectly fine without any probs indicates that this ext hd is working fine.

    Can anyone help please??, do these backup programs only write to a totally blank freshly formatted ext hd?? or is there something I'm missing here??

    I really want a full system image for a full restore (in addition to my own data backups)

    Any help much appreciated, thank you :)
     
  2. risk_reversal

    risk_reversal MajorGeek

    Re: Backup programs having probs writing image to ext hd, including windows own progr

    I have never used Paragon but use ImagesforDos as my imaging software.

    I have a 500Gb external usb HD and back up images of my pcs to that drive where I have several folders and create images as and when with no issues. I am sure that is how Paragon should work too ie no need for the hd to blank and freshly formatted as that would be ludicrous.

    If the external is operating as it should ie your can copy to it etc, with no issues, then I would be looking at the following

    1. Perhaps the win7 'inbuilt system create' option has something to with it.
    2. You are sure that you got the 64bit version of Paragon.

    Good Luck
     
  3. icekool

    icekool Private E-2

    Re: Backup programs having probs writing image to ext hd, including windows own progr

    thanks for your answer, yes I have the correct version of paragon as I said above, 64 bit.

    I have now also tried with Easeus Todo Backup and get a "read sector" error after about half an hour of activity.

    also as I said above, as far as I can tell, the ext usb hd is working fine, I have copied some folders onto, one of which 30gb, without any problem and I can read and copy files or folders from this ext hd as well. also have done chkdisk and verified the data and filesystem on this disk

    If anyone has some ideas it would be great
     
  4. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Re: Backup programs having probs writing image to ext hd, including windows own progr

    Hi

    No they should not need a blank HDD to save to at all, I have used those apps with Win7 x64 and a WD xHDD ok.

    In device manager do you have any yellow ! marks? if so by what? just wondering if you have a driver issue that could be the cause of I/O errors.

    Try the xHDD in a USB port at the back of the PC, the ones linked directly to the motherboard if you have not already, they normally have a better power supply than other ports so a stable I/O

    Could also try out Acronis True Image its not free but the trial period would allow you to see if its a software issue.
     
  5. risk_reversal

    risk_reversal MajorGeek

    Re: Backup programs having probs writing image to ext hd, including windows own progr

    Read sector error would seem to point the accusing finger at your laptop's hard drive or at least place that item high on the list of suspects for me. Especially, if both Paragon and Easeus are having similar issues.

    Have you tried running the manufacturer's diagnostic software on the HD just to make sure that it comes up clean. HD can go bad at any time.

    Sectors can become bad and have either read or write errors, so if there is a bad sector on the hard disk it could say be written to without issues but when you try to read from it you get an 'read sector error' message.

    One last thing the external that you have is it a 2.5" or 3.5" type. If 2.5" variety, I take it that there is no external power brick.

    Good Luck
     
  6. icekool

    icekool Private E-2

    Re: Backup programs having probs writing image to ext hd, including windows own progr

    thanks again for your answers, well I have now tried the above apps creating & saving an image to the internal hd and am getting the same errors.
    I ran chkdsk with "scan for bad sectors" enabled and it took a long time but showed that windows replaced some bad sectors in 4 files, so I thought it might well be an internal hd problem.

    I have tried again using the above apps but just saving the image to internal drive but still getting the same errors.

    maybe I will try Acronis as mentioned above (link doesnt show in above post btw, but shows in the email notification).

    Do the now replaced previous bad sectors indicate imminent hd failure?, it seems that everyone is able to create system/disk images but me, now it seems its nothing to do with the external hd :confused

    Went into device manager, no yellow marks, also ran the Toshiba diagnostics and no errors at all
     
  7. risk_reversal

    risk_reversal MajorGeek

    Re: Backup programs having probs writing image to ext hd, including windows own progr

    When you say: "also ran the Toshiba diagnostics and no errors at all", does that mean that the HD is a Toshiba.

    Which diagnostics prog did you run, copy paste a link please
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2010
  8. icekool

    icekool Private E-2

    Re: Backup programs having probs writing image to ext hd, including windows own progr

    I meant the pre-installed Toshiba Diagnostics app, the Laptop is a Toshiba and the hd is also Toshiba. Remember, as I mentioned above, chkdsk replaced the bad sectors in 4 files that it found, at least I hope it did as it said.

    Well, good news now !!, I installed Acronis True Image Home 2010 as mentioned above by Halo, it worked like a dream the very first time, absolutely perfect, created the full partition image (my whole C: drive) writing it directly to the ext hd as I wanted, no errors whatsoever.

    Well, I can only guess that it looks as though it must have been software errors, unless the chkdsk fix did something aswell,Ii would like to thank you guys above very much for your input, hopefully everything is now ok and I sincerely hope that my internal hd is fine as my laptop is only a few days old. Looks like I will be making the purchase of Acronis from this trial version:)
     
  9. icekool

    icekool Private E-2

    Re: Backup programs having probs writing image to ext hd, including windows own progr

    btw, the link Halo posted to the Acronis download does NOT show in the post above, but it does show in the email notification i received, just thought I would mention it as it might be a forum software fault
     
  10. Puppywunder58

    Puppywunder58 Master Sergeant

    Re: Backup programs having probs writing image to ext hd, including windows own progr

    icekool,

    Please remember to verify your backup in Acronis. Remember also to create a "Bootable CD", just in case the HD fails.
     
  11. icekool

    icekool Private E-2

    Re: Backup programs having probs writing image to ext hd, including windows own progr

    thanks puppy, yes I did both, I also created a bootable recovery disc from windows and from Toshibas own app, so I have recovery disks up to the eyeballs now. I noticed that Acronis calls it 'validation' instead of verifying.
     
  12. Puppywunder58

    Puppywunder58 Master Sergeant

    Re: Backup programs having probs writing image to ext hd, including windows own progr

    Did you make this bootable recovery CD from the Acronis program? If not, then that's what I'd do. On your other post, if that 400mb partition is your actual Toshiba recovery partition then I would make an image of that as well, because that way if your HD fails then you can always go back to original "out of the box" setup.
     

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