Cannot get MS Backup to work on large files

[docboardman]

I have been trying to backup my hard drive. It is about 4 GB in size and contains about 3 GB of data. I wanted to backup to CDs so I formatted 6 CD-RWs to look like floppies using Nero InCD. In test runs these CDs worked fine as long as what I was backing up would fit on one CD. When I tried to do the whole drive, Backup filled up the first CD and then gave me an error message saying that the disc was not big enough. I expected it to say something like: "Insert next disc" (like it used to do with floppies). Can anyone help out?

Cheers, -------- Doc

[Thephoenix3000]

Unfortunately the backup utility does not work like that. It saves all the information in a single file. If you selete only a total of 700MB you should be able to break it up into the multiple cd's, but other then that you would need a dvd to burn to which hold 4.7 GB.

[Alfons]

Although this isn't a real backup, you could try an imaging program like Norton Ghost.

Another point, I don't specifically format blank CD media unless the application program asks for it to be done. You might try just erasing a CDRW and then try the program again.

There are quite a few backup programs available that you can check out that should be able to give you a volume-set for a full-backup. I believe that "Backup My PC" will do that. Another way you could do that would be to back up to a hard drive and then burn a volume-set from the hard drive.

[docboardman]

Hi Pheonix. After I posted last night, I did some more research on the web. I discovered that the backup program that came with Win98 is like you say - it won't do a backup over multiple CDs. Pity. The next option was to break up what I have into 700 MB chunks. I guess I'll go dwn that root. Another option would be to go through the whole drive and weed out copies of various downloads I have. I could keep these on a CD on their own. I could then try to just backup personal things like photos, e-mail and other correspondence and hope that they fit onto one CD.

Either way, it looks like a good few days work to get everything sorted.

Thanks for your help. ---------- Doc

[docboardman]

Hi Alfons. Thanks for your reply. I've never tried imaging before, but I could give it a shot. On the Nero package I have for burning CDs, there is an imaging program. I haven't tried it yet, nor do I actually know what it does, but I'll give it a look.

When I tried an unformatted CD, backup said there was nothing in the drive. I then tried formatting a CD as a floppy using Nero InCD. That gave me a CD that worked like an ordinary floppy. I could write to it, read from it and erase files just like it was a floppy. I didn't have to burn anything like when I use the Nero - Burning ROM package. As a result of that, I thought that Microsoft Backup would treat it as a floppy - but it didn't. I'll investigate "Backup My PC" and see what it does.

Thanks for your help. ------------ Doc