Consolidation taking way too long
I'm running TI 2011 on Win7 x64. Every night I do a validated, encrypted, complete system backup (about 460GB using normal compression) to an external USB HDD. These used to take about nine hours using a 1TB USB 2.0 drive. I recently upgraded to a 2TB USB 3.0 drive, and initially the backups took about half the time. Lately, though, the task hasn't been completing. Sometimes it says there's a CRC error during validation (I've run CHKDSK), sometimes "Teminated by user" (not), and sometimes I'll start up TI after it's churned for 10 hours or so only to find it's a few minutes, or seconds, from completing. I let it complete and it shuts down my system as it should. The log for one of these events is attached. As you can see, consolidation is the culprit, in this instance. I have TI set to only keep the three most recent archives, so it should just write the new one (which it's already done by the time it starts consolidation) and delete the oldest; that shouldn't take seven hours, obviously. Any ideas what's going on? I've deleted and rebuilt this task a couple of times as that often fixes odd TI behavior, but that's not working here.
Thanks for your help.
You might want to consider avoiding the consolidation option completely and just let the task handle the deletion automatically. Consolidation adds time and complexity to the mix--like fitting a 1000 piece puzzle together and all the pieces look the same.
This link is an example of how to use automatic cleanup and you could set the keep number to"2" or no more than 3. Before the program performs the delete, it adds the replacement full before it deletes the oldest. So the setting of keep 3 really needs to provide enough space for 4 complete backups based on your condensed size of 460GB for each full. A keep of 3 would keep 3 full backups with the oldest full being deleted after each new backup beyond the keep 3.
Tuttle:
It's not specifically green but it does have an auto-sleep mode which I've now disabled. I also disabled validation per GroverH's suggestion. I'll see how it goes.
These may be of interest. I am an advocate of validation.
> These may be of interest.
Thanks, I made the changes.
> I am an advocate of validation.
As am I, but since it wasn't passing validation I figured I lost nothing by turning it off. After pondering the "logic" of that choice, however. I ran the disk's own test utilities and it failed both the fast one and the detailed one, so I'm RMAing it. Fortunately it has a 3 year warranty and is < 6 mos. old. Hopefully that will solve the problem.
In retrospect, I should have done those tests first. Apologies for wasting your bandwidth. ;-)
Jeff
Curious. Did this happen to be a 2TB WD My passport?
Bingo! How'd you know?
Jeff
I just had one fail on me after 6 months of mostly non-use. Reason for failure was
08 Too many bad sectors.
It could not be formatted.
The replacement arrived 2nd day air last night and it installed its software and I tested this one.
At first appearances, all was normal but then I ran the extended WD test and it failed first test.
After a few minutes, the replacement disk failed with almost the same errors
04- Too many bad sectors.
At this just happened with the replacement, I must now contact WD for a new replacement.
Now I am really wondering why. The replacement was connected to a Win7 Asus Laptop for only a hour or so when it failed the testing.
I don't know about the first one but the replacement was preformatted with 4K clusters and a 1mb beginning offset.
Great. Looks like I'm in for the same experience as MY replacement's in the mail. Unfortunately, I have two of these I rotate between the PC and storage, so I'll probably have to deal with it with the other one, too. I guess the price/performance form factor were too good to be true.
Jeff
Jeff,
An update. To begin, my 6month old WD My Passport 2TB went bad after very little use.
WD replaced the disk but the replacment ended up being bad as well.
The replacement for the replacement arrived and so far it "appears" to be working but there have been issues.
The drive has passed three short term tests which is farther than the others would go.
I tried using it as the storage disk when booted to Mustang's PEBuilder2 which I wish everyone would use.
Already included in my special drivers were usb3 drivers but evidently not the right one for this disk.
The disk was recognized as usb3 and began the backup. The computer is an Asus Win7 laptop with one usb3 port.
About 30 seconds into the backup, the backup halted with the "could not find backup file" error message. After a retry, it failed again. I repeated the same for 3 different usb3 cables. Each backup stopped immediately after beginning only a few seconds. On one of the tries, I reduced the data transfer speed by about 15% but same error.
Finally, I plugged the usb3 cable into a usb2 port and had a success backup but more lenthy in time--twice as long.
(note but not relative. The same Mustang CD was used to do a usb3 backup and restore using a usb3 docking unit without any issues whatsoever and at usb3 speeds.
At this point, I will give WD the benefit of the doubt and believe my problem was lack of specific WD drivers as this is a new style disk with 4k clusters. The disk was pre-formatted and easy to self-instlal its needed drivers for Windows.
At this point, I don't have 2014 installed on my laptop so unable to test the new replacement on that one.
The problem that I have been having with this disk is
1. Win7 kept insisting via desktop messages that the disk needed to be formatted. When I give it permission to do, it tried but not able to format. This message kept appearing. The disk was pre-formatted and had data on it but Win7 did not agree.
Running the WD test utilities, the found error 08 --to many bad sectors. Unable to format.
2. The first new replacement had the same malady. The preceding #1 errors was repeated both within Windows and the CD. windows was unhappy with both my first disk and the first replacement and wanted to format a pre-formatted disk on each.
3. After running a successful backup via usb2, I connected the disk to Win 7 and run the extended test. It ran for about 15 minutes with no errors and then I cancelled the test.
4. Win 7 still wants to format the pre-formatted disk which has backup files on it. At this point, I am not sure what to do about this error--which may be a driver error or a hardware error. The disk does pass the WD tests.
PS: I believe each WD 2-tb My passport comes programmed with a 30 minute sleep setting.after non-use. I turned mine off.
I got my replacement last week and immediately submitted it to both quick and complete tests from the WD utilities. It passed both (complete took about nine hours). A couple days later it failed the quick test, and continues to. It hasn't solved my backup issues, though I forgot to turn of sleep mode until reading your PS. I'll RMA it and try again, but I still have to send in the one this one's replacing. I've never had the issues you're having with Win7 wanting to format it; all three have been immediately recognized.
My Win7 machine has always immediately recognized the disk after a minute or so delay for the drivers to be instllaed. I can use Explorer and see the contents and look at it in a variety of ways, but within a minute or two, up pops the windows, "disk needs to be formatted".
While doing the long test on last WD 2tb disk, my laptop froze with an empty black screen and required a forced shutdown. I have never had a freeze with a blank screen before. In order to restart, I had to force shutdown the computer which stopped the testing of the long test. Maybe I'll post on some other forums about this issue and see what I can find.
Do you have any other storage disks available? If yes, try a backup using a new backup task.
Do you have any other backup issues not related to the WD MyPassport?
The WD My passport is new to me. I much prefer to use my standalone Thermaltake docking unit in which I can insert an internal 2-1/2 or 3-/12 hard drive of which I have several. My backups are to both internal and external drives and the external is mostly to the docking unit of which I have both usb3 and a usb2. They really work great so never had much use or need for a standalone storage disk but I have to admit the size and convenience is nice. Maybe I will try a 2TB from Toshiba but that won't be anytime soon as it is at the botttom of my wish list.
I have a couple of 1TB HDDs which were working fine when I replaced them with the WDs to get more space and speed. I could try them again as a test, I guess, but I replaced them because I really do need the space and speed.
> I much prefer to use my standalone Thermaltake docking unit
Wouldn't work for me. I view my backups as protection against my house burning down, in addition to drive failures. If the house went up in smoke, I'd go to Staples, buy a laptop, plug in my backup HDD (stored in a shed in the backyard), and be up and running again pretty quickly. With a dock, I'd either have to track down a new one or buy a desktop, display, keyboard, etc. and install the drive internally. Marginally more hassle, but given the shambles my life would be in, every little bit would help. I know, different strokes for different folks. ;-) ontiuously
So after RMAing one or two more Passports (I've lost track, but the total's at least four), my pair have been stable for the last couple of weeks, which is longer than any time since I've been testing them. As if to confirm this, my backups and validations are working consistently, too. The only remaining problem is the system doesn't shut down as it's supposed to after the consolidation. Instead, if I come in in the morning and start TI, I get a message that TI will shut down in 30 seconds (regardless of what time I start it up). If I let it it run for the 30 seconds (or click Shutdown), the system shuts down and TI logs a successful session. Naturally, I'd much prefer it do all this without me intervening, as it's supposed to.
See post #2.
What type consolidation are you using? what type bachup scheme?
> What type consolidation are you using?
2 backup copies max.
> what type bachup scheme?
Custom - complete system (but not sector-by-sector), 3 partitions on 2 drives (1 SSD, 1 HDD).
Not understanding. Would you post picture of your backup scheme--similar to post 2.Thank you.
Here you go.
Thank you. You do not have the program set to do consolidation so I don't know why the log says you are. Your are NOT combining data--just automtically deleting the oldest file.
I am assuming that the program is doing the automatic deletion so you always are only keeping the 2 full backups.
For users which have your type problem, I wrote this some time ago.
Change the program setting so the shutdown is not being done by the program.
Add this batch file as a post command as illustrated below.
Your fix works great! Thanks, Grover.