Not enough space error - external hard drive

[Guest]

I recently purchased a La Cie 80GB external USB Hard Drive and Retrospect 5.6 to do back-up's from my C drive to the new hard drive. Everything was backing up automatically fine for two weeks and then I began receiving the message error - that there was not enough space on the 80 GB hard drive to complete the back-up from my C drive. My C-drive only has 10.8 GB stored on it, so how can there not be enough space?

 

 

 

I have fromatted the external hard drive, tried deleting everything on the hard drive, done a duplicate backup, recycle back-ups, but I always get the same message.

 

 

 

Please help with any suggestions. Thank you!

[AmyJ]

Excerpt from the Knowledgebase article on backing up to hard drives:

 

www.dantz.com/index.php3?SCREEN=knowledgebase_article&id=787&sid=3lMcRG569A5WyNBU

 

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File Backup Sets

 

 

 

A file backup set is a single file that contains all the files you have backed up, and that can be stored on any random access device (like a hard disk). Like tape or removable disk backup sets, you can incrementally backup to hard drives and optionally compress your data. The drawback is that hard drives are not removable media and cannot easily be stored off-site for safekeeping. USB or IEEE 1394 (FireWire) drives that are hot swappable offer greater flexibility in this. Incorporating more than one backup drive allows for true media rotation, increasing the security of your backup strategy. Unlike other types of backup sets, a file backup set does not have a separate catalog file. Its catalog is stored internally in the file itself.

 

 

 

A file backup set stored on a Windows volume is limited in size according to the format of that volume:

 

 

 

ß FAT16: 2 GB

 

ß FAT32: 4 GB

 

ß NTFS: 1 TB

 

 

 

Unlike other types of backup sets, a file backup set does not have a separate catalog file. Its catalog is stored internally in the file itself. Right-click on your drive in Windows Explorer and get Properties to see the file system.

 

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Bottom line, if you are using Win95, Win98 or WinME, you are limited to a FAT32 file system. If you are using WinNT, Win2000 or WinXP, you should format the drive as NTFS. You may want to schedule regular Recycle Backups so that the file does not continally fill up and error out.

[Guest]

I'm completely new to backups, so I need some clarification. Are you saying since I am on a FAT32: 4 GB format volume that I can only back up 4 GB using retrospect? How is that possible when it worked for two weeks backing up all 10.8 GB on my C drive to my external hard drive? Is there a way to backup more? Can you give me an idea where to start. I've look at the tutorials and knowledge database, but without knowing what I'm looking to do it's difficult to find an answer. I've noticed people talking about partioning is this what I need to do or do I need to set up multiple backup sets to accomodate the volume I need to backup?

 

 

 

Greatful for the help.