TIH 2014: can't backup one of the partitons of my harddisk
I have a new computer with a 1 TB harddisk and use Windows 8. Also HIT 2014 is new for me. In the past I used HIT 11.
I have defined 5 backup jobs: one for partitions C:, F: and the system to the ASZ and one for each partion fron C: to F: to different orders on an external disk.
There are no problems exept one: the partion E: can't be backuped. The log says the reason is a corrupted archive.
Some information about E:
- this is the biggest partion with 349 GB, 109 GB are used (on the old PC this partion had 139 GB
and 88 GB were used).
- on this partion are a lot of very small files, I guess much more than 300.000
Exists there a restriction regarding partion size or number of Files?
kind regards
kilix
Hi tuttle,
thanks for your information!
I ran chkdsk /r for all partitions on this drive and I use Western Digital Data Life Guard Diagnostic, which I loaded down from the WD site. Zhe result for both was: "no problem"
What else could I do?
The log says the reason is a corrupted archive.
So are you doing different backups for each partitions? Are they all disk and partition backups? Do you get this error message the first time you backup? Is it after a validation that you run?
@Pat L
I do the following backups (Windows 8):
1) partion C and System (on SSD) plus partition F: (with my apps) to ASZ, which is on the same harddisk as the
partitions D:, E:, F:
2) partition C: to an own folder on an external Diskdrive
3) partition D: to an own folder on the same external diskdrive
4) partition E: to an own folder on the same external diskdrive
5) partition F: to an own folder on the same external diskdrive
The problems are only with partition E:.
The options in the backup jobs are the same for all backups
I get the failure message at the end of the backup during the validation.
A copy of the messages is in the attached log file (hope it helps because it is German)
Please launch Windows Disk Management, take a screenshot of it showing all volumes, and post it here.
I'm concerned that your current scheme may not result in easy restoration of the entire system in the event of total drive disaster.
sorry, i'm not sure what you need. I send you a screenshot from Windows which show the disks. If this is not what you want, please, let me know where I can find the Windows Disk Management.
That is as I expected. Disk 0 contains C: and System Reserved partition. The System Reserved partition is required for your system, and is the Active (booting) partition. If you had to do disaster recovery with your current backups to a new disk, it would not boot.
Instead of backing up C:, you should create full disk mode Backups of disk 0. Select the checkbox for the entire disk (not just individual partitions). For this option, switch to disk mode (upper right blue link) until you see disks and not partitions to select. Select the disk. That ensures that you have everything you need, and you won't need to understand how the disk is laid out with possible hidden partitions. A full disk mode Backup captures everything, and is the simplest, safest backup method.
Thank you, I will do this!
But I have one question: the partition which couldn't be saved is not on Disk 0 but on Disk 1 and all other partitions could be saved without problems. Is this because of the reason you described in your answere?
Your largest partition on Disk 1, 451 GB, has no drive letter assigned. Did you run chkdsk on it as I suggested? You could not have done so unless you assigned it a drive letter, so I suspect that you did not check that partition.
Assign a drive letter to it, and then run chkdsk /r on it.
Thanks, this explain it! I didn't think about this area on disk 1 because this is the Acronis Secure Zone. But you're right for Windows is this a hidden partition!
I did the same as I did on the old PC with XP and TIH11 for years. But at the end for me it is much convinient to backup the whole disks.
last night I ran the disk backup for the whole disk1 (which includes the partition E). The reult is the same: the archive is corrupted. The log shows exactly the same message as before when I tried to save the partion E: only.
Because this problem is only on disk1, do you think it would help the define a partition letter (f.e. N:) for the Acronis Secure Zone? On the other hand when I defined tthat I want to save the whole disk1 HIT asked me if I also want to save the ASZ. My answere was "no". This says to me that HIT would not need a partition letter for the ASZ.
Why would you want to image the Secure Zone partition, which itself contains only backup images?
You still haven't done the chkdsk that I recommended on that partition.
FYI:
I advise against creating the Acronis Secure Zone. It's a sub-optimal method of backup intended for people who have no external target to which to backup. If your drive fails, you would lose your system, files, and your Secure Zone backups.
It's much better and safer to make backup images to an external hard drive.
Also, in the past there were occasional reports of the Secure Zone causing problems to the system. When I installed Secure Zone on one PC, it corrupted the hard drive causing data loss and rendering the system unbootable. Perhaps the latest versions of Secure Zone are improved, but that experience coupled with its inherent insecurity and lack of redundancy cause me to be wary of Secure Zone.
ok, now I gave tghis hidden system-partition on drive 0 the letter P: and ran chkdsk P: /r. Result: "no problems". Now I have started the disk1-backup again.
An other question: I also went an other way too to find the reason for this error and found a handful folders wich could not be saved (I didn't search with of these directories is it but one of these should it be). Now my question: could it be that a bad file is the reason for my problems?
Only I had the problem that my mouse didn't work anymore. It is a cordless mouse with an USB stick which I used with a hub because the alternative USB plug on the PC is under the table which disturbed the communication mouse-PC. But after the change of the letter of the system partition the mouse was dead. Ok, now I changed the mouse to the PC.
referring to the question of ASZ: I am using a ASZ now for years on the old PC with XP and HIT11 (earlier HIT10) without any problems! Off course this can't be the only backup. As you wrote if the disk crashes the ASZ would also be ruined. Therferore I always save the system partition (with XP the partion C:) to the ASZ and all partitions, included C: to an external drive!
In the past I had one or two times problems with the system because it did not start. With the ASZ this could be solved within a half hour!
After the assignment of the letter P: to the system partition on Disk0 and the run of chkdsk P: /r (without any problem) I did both backups, this for disk0 (ssd) and disk1. The backup of the SSD worked fine, there was no difference to my earlier test. But the backup of disk1 failed again with the same error message as before (the validation was stpped because the archiv was corrupt).
Interesting is, that I can open the archiv with the Windows Explorer and open all files I want to see. It seems that the archiv is not really corrupt.
How is the external drive (target for backups) connected?
Don't connect via a hub, a port in a monitor, a USB extension cord, etc. Connect the external drive directly to a USB port on the rear of the computer case.
yes, it is on the hub, I will connect it directly.
edit: the backup failed again. Today I made a memory test with memtest86+ > the memory is according to this test ok
a test with sfc/scannow had no success because it was not possible to run it (see attachment, hope it doesn't matter that it is in German)
I think (hope) this problem is solved! I changed the external disk by an other external disk from the same brand and type. Result: backup is valid!
There must something be wrong on the first external disk.
Thanks a lot for your help!
@tuttle
I assigned the letter P: to the system partition on the SSD in order to do chkdsk. I would like to remove this assignment because I have problems with my cordless mouse if the USB-stick is in the USB-plug on the PC under my table. I would like to put it back to hub. But with the assignment of the systempartition I cannot use the mouse as long as the plug is in the hub.
You can remove the drive letter safely. It should be possible with Windows disk management. If there is any issue, you can also use DISKPART
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc766465%28WS.10%29.aspx
Thank you, I did it, it works fine!