Skip to main content

Problem installing a backup to my seagate Slim ext.HDD

Thread needs solution

I keep getting the message backup failed because some paths are more the 256 characters long , I just got Acronis True Image and I don't know if I should get a refund or I f I should try it with a new ext HDD , maybe Seagate is not compatable with whole drive backups ? what do you think ?

0 Users found this helpful

Charles, welcome to these public User Forums.

Sorry but more information is needed before we can understand this issue and advise you?

What version of Acronis True Image (ATI) are you using here? 
This should be found on the Account page in the GUI for recent versions.
Is this a full, paid version of ATI or one supplied free with a disk drive?

Are you running ATI within Windows to create your backup?  What version of Windows?
I am assuming you are a Windows user, if not, what OS are you using here?

How is your Seagate external drive formatted, what file system does it have, i.e. NTFS, exFAT, FAT32 or something else?

What is the size of your source drive for this backup, used size and total size?

What is the size of your external backup drive (Seagate)?

The ATI backup file names are based on the name you've given the backup task.  For the old .tib format ATI can append up to 25-30 characters to create the file name.  Let's say 30 (although I've not seen that many).  For the newer .tibx format I know ATI will append 10 characters but I suspect it could be more.

Then there's the path name of the directory structure on your drive.  That also gets added to backup file's path name.

If, in fact, you really are running into the 256 character limit you have control over the backup task name; you can make it shorter.  Depending on how your drive is used (and who else is using it) you may be able to limit the number of directory levels and use shorter directory names.

There is also the possibility that the error message is wrong.  What is the exact message?  Could your external drive be too small to hold the backup?  (If that were the case, I would expect ATI to give a more clear message.)

This is a Windows limitation. What version of Windows is being used? You need to adjust your backup path name and/or backup file name to get the entire path and file under 250 characters. It doesn't matter what backup program you use.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/fileio/naming-a-file

 

Charles,  Win 10 has had support for longer files names.  This is disabled by default, and there is no guarantee that applications support these names even if Windows has the support enabled.  I have no idea if ATI supports this or not.  Have you enabled, and are you using long file names?