DriverImage XML

I'm up-dating a laptop to a 500gb drive. I am using DriveImage XML to copy the entire old HD and to place it on the new HD. The old HD is removed and attached via usb to my DeskTop.The strange event is I have made 4 copies of the drive (w/ XML) and each is a different size. All the HD on my DeskTop are 4096 byte sectors. I have used XML and it has always worked. I am very curious on how why the XML file (DAT) varies in size. Any Ideas / Answers?
The numbers in the pics my be hard to read since I had to shrink them to load.
The DAT file sizes is (from XML): 86,311,961,088 Drive_I.dat
85,912,338,944 Num2.dat
86,501,720,576 Drive_I.dat
86,763,684,352 Drive_I.dat

 

SpcMan...

Could this have something to do with a log file created by the backup program itself each time a backup is made? If you used the PC in between runs, maybe it could also be temp/temporary net files?

Looks like a relatively small amount of data...200-400 bytes...

 

I thought about that to late -- I couldn't try to change it until I was "authorized". That's another story. Please change my name to SpcMan

 

This may be possible but the HD is attach to my desktop the backup is run from the desktop. The HD is removed from the LapTop. It is not run as a primary drive. The change in size was not always an increase.

 

SpcMan...

I zoned out. I see that there is a big difference in the size of the backups. That is unusual, especially if they were created at roughly the same time.

Apologies. maybe someone will come along who knows. Looks like that was more like 200-400MB...:eek

 

I use DriveImage XML and it has a similer function. I can run 2 copies of XML with each on a different backup. The problem (MY PROBLEM!) is unless the difference is obvious (it's not) it is not easy to search 85+ Mb of data.

Today I am going to install one of the backups on the new HD and see what happens.

 

SpcMan...

Might be a good idea to run a backup to use for this purpose. Then you can get the numbers on your folder sizes where you keep your important personal files on the current installation before running the restore. When you run the restore, you can compare the sizes, which should be identical (unless you have added/removed files since the backups were run)...

You could also install the backup on the new drive and hook it up as a backup (slave) drive and compare folder sizes. This would at least make sure all of your personal files are being backed up and restored fully.

Now that I think about it, I guess you could use donetao's method to check the folder sizes of each of your backups to make sure all of your personal files are contained in each of them. I don't have that feature in Paragon Backup and Recovery, so I am not familiar with its use...