Problem: When backing up my primary hard drive (100 GB, 3.2 GHz), the WD Backup (the default backup program that comes with my external WD hard drive (320 GB)) stops performing a Full backup short of all of the files that I have checked. I have scan disked and defragmented and restarted.

What can I do to fix the problem so I can use my external hard drive for backing up my files.

Please help. Thanks!

Is your external HD formatted with FAT32 or NTFS?

If the backup file you are trying to create is larger than 4G I believe, you will have to use NTFS.

What files are you trying to backup? Are you trying to 'ghost' your computers' hard drive to the external drive?

It is formatted as FAT32. But my last full backup was about 25 GB.

I wasn't trying to ghost my computers' hard drive to the external. Just a simple backup of all the important files on it. I'm trying to backup all the files in My Documents, C drive (labtop's hard drive), and my desktop folders which consist of documents, photos, music, video, Window settings, and program files.

Thanks!

Shorty -

I had that same problem.

Re-formatted the drive to NTFS,

and the backups had no problem.

You are trying to backup 25G's, but FAT32 has a maximum file size of 4G.

But I've backuped 25GBs before without formatting. So what is different this time?

Thanks!

I'm guessing that it tries to backup a file larger than 4GB which FAT32 won't allow and that it is this that stops the back-up process.

Are you giving us new information now?

Are you saying that it was backing up 25G before with that external drive, and it just now has started to give you this error?

If so, look on that external drive and let us know the file sizes of your previous backups and the amount of space left on that drive.

Also - did you update or change the backup program you are using?


Otherwise, we need to know if formatting that drive to NTFS resolves your issue. Remember, though, when you do, you'll lose all of your previous backups. You might want to move a few of the latest ones back on your main HD temporarily, and then move them back on the external HD after you've re-formatted it.

Let us know, OK?

No, this isn't new info. I think I mentioned before.

Previously, I have successfully back uped my hard drive files which in total was about 25 GB. And now when I try to back the hard drive again, it doesn't complete successfully.

Are you saying that the individual file sizes can't be largre than 4 GB? Okay.

No, I didn't update or change my backup program. I'm just using the default program WD gave me.

I'll check the file sizes right now.

Thanks!