Partition Contents

Most likely your backup got split because the external drive is formatted in FAT32. Anyway, clicking on a particular backup will show you all content of the archive to that day, no matter if the data is physically located in this backup or previous, or if it is physically split.

Thanks for prompt reply.
I am still not clear as to why there are folders with exact same contents, i.e. partition 1 .../aaa/file names xxx, partition 2 .../aaa/file names xxx.
They are duplicate backups surely?

You have not confirmed for us if your external HD is formatted FAT32. If it is, then that's why the image is split. Exploring one part of the image actually loads all of them, so those are not duplicates. Acronis True Image must load all parts of the image in order for you to be able to see any contents.

Unless there is a reason to retain FAT32 on an external drive, such as for compatibility with Macs, it's better to format it to NTFS.

Many thanks for prompt & helpful reply.

I am worried about reformatting my external FAT32 drives.
If I move contents to desktop prior to format to NTFS will I be able to just move them back to external drive with ability to read them?
Thanks for bearing with me.

Sure, if you have the space on your internal HD. To be really safe, you could run a checksum on the files/directories now, and then verify it after copying the files to your internal HD, and again after restoring those files to the newly-formatted NTFS.

Once again, many thanks for prompt help.

Inexperience showing!
How can I run checksum for drive ?/ please? Searching has shown several programmes I can d/l but being suspicious ...

I like Corz Checksum: http://corz.org/windows/software/checksum/
If you install it it integrates into Windows so you can run create or verify a checksum by right-clicking on a folder or file.
If you prefer, you can run as non-installed portable app, but then of course you don't get the rigght-click ability.

Many thanks. Will try Corz

Have copied contents of external drive to Desktop & tried to verify by right clicking Folder C:\ etc then selecting create checksum then right clicking external drive E:\ and am informed that checksum is already running and that I must "allow_multiple=true" in checksum.ini.
Same applies if I try to verify checksum.

At the moment there is a small box: "creating checksums : [folder: 2 of nnnn] [file n of nn] c:\users\etc" showing to inform me of progress.
corz web site states just drag & drop or right click. I am obviously doing something horribly wrong! Is it ok to change .ini file?

Please help.
Thanks

I don't think you should run it on the root of C:, as there'd be all kinds of hidden system files there. I think you'd be better create a new folder into which you would move all the stuff you want to backup. Create checksum on that folder, copy that folder to the other drive and verify checksum. Reformat your drive. Copy the folder back to the drive and verify checksum.

You might also, in checksum.ini, choose the option to create a single checksum rather than multiple checksums. It's not required, but I think it's cleaner to work with a single hash file for the highest-level directory rather than have multiple hash files created.

I must be very dense!

This is all rather beyond me. The content has been copied to a folder which is on my Desktop. This folder surely must be within Windows which is C:\user\me\desktop\Sea_Disc. Are you saying that this should be elswhere?

I now have original folders & files still on my external and the copied folders/files as above.

Thanks for your very prompt attempts to assist this old duffer but I think its all in vain I fear. Will probably "bite the bullet" tomorrow and reformat external.

Very best,
Sellick

Sorry, you said you right-clicked Folder C:\, so it sounded as though you selected the root.

Running the checksum is not a requirement. I just offered it as a safety measure since you were concerned about file loss. But, you must create the original checksum on the files when they are on the external HD.

If you still want to try the checksum:

1. Create a folder "Sea_Disc" at the root (top-level) of the the external HD. Into that folder, drag all the files and folders that you want to preserve.
2. Right-click that folder and create checksum.
3. Copy that folder to your internal HD.
4. Right-click that folder on the internal HD and verify checksum. If it verifies, that means contents are exactly the same as the originals on the external HD.
5. Reformat the external HD (which will delete all contents).
6. Copy that "Sea_Disc" folder to the external HD.
7. Right-click "Sea_Disc" folder on the external HD and verify checksum. If it verifies, that means contents are exactly the same as they were before you began this process.

tuttle,

Once again, many thanks for your prompt and helpful reply. Now I get it! My excuse: Anno Domini - he whined...

Sorry for delay in replying. Am following your advice now.