Error: Not enough disk space

[girg]

I'm trying out Retrospect Desktop. I want to backup from my 20GB C drive to my 30GB D drive. The C drive has 8.4 GB stored and the D drive now has 11.3 GB free disk space (although when I first tried to backup it had about 9GB free space). Every time I attempt to backup I get the following error message: "Not enough disk space for selected files (short by about 2.2G)." I've now deleted or moved over 2.2G, defragmented both drives, and restarted the computer (Windows 2000). I have not tried compressing yet, but I'd prefer not to have to compress the backup anyway. Is there a minimum amount of space needed in addition to the actual amount being backed up for the backup to work? Do I need to free up more disk space on my D drive?

 

 

 

Thanks.

[lv2ski]

It appears that you are hitting a 4GB file size limitation of a drive

 

formatted in FAT32. File backup sets are limited to the maximum file size

 

allowed by the file system used to format the disk:

 

 

 

o FAT: 2 GB

 

o FAT32: 4 GB

 

o NTFS: 1 TB

 

 

 

If you were running Windows NT or 2000, you could reformat the drive in NTFS

 

(or convert it).

 

 

 

In order to get around the 4GB file size limitation in FAT32, you have two

 

choices:

 

 

 

You can break your backup into multiple backup sets, making sure each set is

 

below 4GB. The easiest way to accomplish this is to break up your source

 

volume into subvolumes (from Configure > Volumes), and select these as

 

sources for different backup sets.

 

 

 

You can also choose to use Retrospect's "Duplicate" function, which will

 

make an exact copy of your hard disk in Windows format. The disadvantage to

 

the Duplicate function is that compression will not be supported, as the

 

data will be kept in Windows format. However, the 4GB file size limit will

 

not come into play here. Another disadvantage of using Duplicate is that

 

the registry will not be copied to the external hard disk using Retrospect

 

Express. if you are using Desktop, make sure you turn the option to copy

 

the Registry on under Options > Windows > System > System State.

 

 

 

What is the difference between backups and Duplicate?

 

 

 

* Backups copy files in a proprietary format only accessible using

 

Retrospect. Duplicate copies files in Windows format so they can be opened

 

or used right on the backup disk without having to go through Retrospect.

 

 

 

* Backups can employ compression whereas Duplicate cannot.

 

 

 

* Backups can save old data incrementally so files deleted from the source

 

are still available in the backup. Duplicate basically keeps a mirror image

 

of the source so each Duplicate operation destroys previous data and only

 

retains the current files.

 

 

 

 

 

How do you do a Duplicate?

 

 

 

(This can be done manually or with a script).

 

 

 

1. Immediate > Duplicate.

 

2. Select the hard drive or folder you want copied.

 

3. Select the hard drive you want to store your data on.

 

4. Make any necessary changes in options or in what files you want copied

 

and click Duplicate. It's that simple.

 

 

 

Subsequent Duplicate operations will be incremental, only copying files that

 

have been modified or are new.

 

 

 

Retrospect Express for Windows does not copy the registry during the

 

"Duplicate" operations, only during Backup.

[girg]

Thanks for all the useful information. I remember now about the 4GB file size limitation; I ran into that using the Windows 2000 backup utility. One of the main reasons I'm trying out Retrospect Desktop is to avoid segmented backups. You've thoroughly covered the issue and how I can get Retrospect to work (or otherwise convert my D drive to NTSF format--something else to consider). For now, I'll try your suggestion to use the Retrospect Duplicate feature. Thanks again.

[dleone]

This is the 4gig limit that Dantz has ignored for over a year. This problem is not hard to correct, it really is easy but Dantz does not want to fix it. For all of us ME users there is really no solution. A Few If Statments in Dantz code could get this fixed.

 

 

 

If BackingUpToHardDrive = True then

 

amtavail = GetAmountOfSpaceAvailableOnDrive(whateverdrivewearebackingupto)

 

If amtavail <= 1000 bytes then

 

SendError("You are out of drive space to bad")

 

else

 

filecnt = filecnt + 1

 

BackupFileName = WhateverUserSpecifiedforbackupfile + "_" + filecnt

 

....continue with backup.

 

end if

 

end if

 

 

 

There are a few other ways they could do this also...Make the users map a drive letter to the directory that they want to back up to, and never back up more than 3gig into one file before incrmenting the file counter. That way if they ever get the error that the drive is out of space it is really out of space.

 

 

 

The point is this is not a hard problem to resolve. I like the Dantz backup solution better than most other companies, all except they won't respond to this problem and they don't care about their customers. This can be shown by the way the handle their support. (By the product and install it. If you have a problem just getting it to work you either pay for support or you have to sit on this fourm (slow http fourm) and try to get an explanation for your problem.

 

 

 

Dantz should do several things.

 

1.) fix this problem, its should be fairly easy and it would make alot of people happy.

 

2.) Get a real news server.

 

3.) Give 30 days inital installation support. Let people get up and working the product before you charge for support.

 

 

 

By the way I sent the same piece of code to another backup company that had the same 4 gig limitation (that is 4 gig in one file not on a drive) within 2 months they had the problem resolved.

 

 

 

David.

[girg]

Thanks, dleone.

 

 

 

I'm "test driving" the Retrospect Desktop version. After I got the first response to my post it occurred to me that, because of the 4gig file limit, the Dantz software does not offer me anything I cannot already do using the Windows 2000 backup utility (which as you probably know is pretty limited itself) except for their file compression feature. The "Duplicate" feature can be done with a simple, mass Copy-Paste via Windows Explorer. Already have to deal with the 4gig file limit with Windows backup, which is why I'm shopping around for a "better backup."

 

 

 

Please correct me if I'm mistaken about my assessment above.

 

 

 

I appreciate your taking time to show me a code workaround, but unfortunately I'm not familiar enough with what you're talking about to be able to use it. I'd like to learn, but it's probably to impractical to attempt to explain it through this forum. I'll check back in a couple of days to see if you respond, though. If you don't, thanks for the information you gave.

 

 

 

I am disappointed to hear that Dantz hasn't (won't? can't?) do anything about the 4gig file limit. By the way, do you still recommend Retrospect Backup software given your experience with their lack of support? If not, what program do you recommend? The same company that used your workaround code? Maybe I should check them out.

 

 

 

Thanks again.

[lv2ski]

Dantz is addressing this issue in the next release. We will get around the 4gb limit and have a better way of backing up to hard drives.

 

 

[girg]

And when will the next release be available? Dantz has been so slow in responding to my questions this week that I've already decided not to purchase the current version. I haven't purchased another backup program yet, either, but I need an efficient backup program soon and my have to look elsewhere.

[BillN]

Girg,

 

 

 

This is off topic somewhat, but....

 

 

 

Why would you have an NT box with FAT or FAT32 partitions? I have heard the argument for putting the OS and swap file on separate FAT partitions, but, the main bulk of the drive NTFS for the security of it.

 

 

 

There are about 16 quadrillion ways to do this stuff, and maybe yours is the only one that works for you.

 

 

 

BillN