An odd issue when copying a HDD

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Drunkard #1

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I need to backup a hard drive so that I can load a new OS. Problem is that the copy process never stops. The "time remaining" runs down to 0:00, the "percent completed" runs up to 100%, and then it just carries on going, listing new files being copied. I cancelled the copy after two days. That was with Windows 7, booting off the drive I was copying. I then put ran Linux off a CD, and the same thing happened! It's not all folders, just some. Could there be some sort of endless loop? How can I find it and kill it?
 
Drunkard #1 said:
I need to backup a hard drive so that I can load a new OS. Problem is that the copy process never stops. The "time remaining" runs down to 0:00, the "percent completed" runs up to 100%, and then it just carries on going, listing new files being copied. I cancelled the copy after two days. That was with Windows 7, booting off the drive I was copying. I then put ran Linux off a CD, and the same thing happened! It's not all folders, just some. Could there be some sort of endless loop? How can I find it and kill it?
Click to expand...

What folders are being copied? What's inside them?
 
Drunkard #1 said:
Program files, Program files (x86) and Users, IIRC. Don't know what's inside.
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I would be more selective over what you copy. If you have multiple users those folders can be flooded with tiny files that take forever to copy (e.g. browser cache, temp internet files).

Or use a proper backup tool, that way you should have a much better idea of how much data is being backed up and how far it is.
 
DrJohnZoidberg said:
I would be more selective over what you copy. If you have multiple users those folders can be flooded with tiny files that take forever to copy (e.g. browser cache, temp internet files).

Or use a proper backup tool, that way you should have a much better idea of how much data is being backed up and how far it is.
Click to expand...

But I don't wanna be selective. Selective takes time and I might miss something.

What backup programs (free or pirate) would you suggest? If it's easier than picking through those folders one file at a time, it's worth a try.
 
Drunkard #1 said:
But I don't wanna be selective. Selective takes time and I might miss something.

What backup programs (free or pirate) would you suggest? If it's easier than picking through those folders one file at a time, it's worth a try.
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You could just use the backup tool provided with Windows 7. What OS is being loaded on?
 
If the copy never ends, it could be that your hard drive has a few corrupt sectors.

Have you run a chkdsk on the drive, and attempted to re-copy the data?
 
you could use Acronis, or ghost,

you trying to clone across or enlarge a drive from the old one?

can take a while just depends on the drive speed.
 
There's no point in copying Program Files if you're going over to a new windows. Most of those applications won't run as they require registry values to operate and will have to be reinstalled regardless. Its the argument that is had with every Windows upgrade if you work in IT Support, "What happened to all my programs?"...

Maybe use a Hirens disc and boot into miniXP, there is a copy tool that has never failed me (unstopabble copier I think). Use that to backup the Users folder, it's what I used to use when I was an IT Techie. If there are errors on the disc it will tell you and allow you to skip it without cancelling the whole copy thread. Just make sure your BIOS is in IDE mode or else it will BSOD with a STOP 7B issue as Windows XP doesn't like AHCI.
 
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Spooner said:
There's no point in copying Program Files if you're going over to a new windows. Most of those applications won't run as they require registry values to operate and will have to be reinstalled regardless. Its the argument that is had with every Windows upgrade if you work in IT Support, "What happened to all my programs?"...

Maybe use a Hirens disc and boot into miniXP, there is a copy tool that has never failed me (unstopabble copier I think). Use that to backup the Users folder, it's what I used to use when I was an IT Techie. If there are errors on the disc it will tell you and allow you to skip it without cancelling the whole copy thread. Just make sure your BIOS is in IDE mode or else it will BSOD with a STOP 7B issue as Windows XP doesn't like AHCI.
Click to expand...

Not all programs are well behaved. I've had programs storing user data in the Program Files folder, so I copy everything, just in case.

ponder said:
Are you coying to a usb drive?
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Yes, a 1TB USB3 WD drive.

I'll try again later and report back.
 
Your destination drive has some bad sectors probably,you should try to use Teracopy and not standard windows copying for large batches.Using Teracopy will isolate the problem file , but if its the destination drive then it wont show.Do a chkdsk on the destination drive.
 
Drunkard #1 said:
Yes, a 1TB USB3 WD drive.
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I dunno about windows but in linux the copy is cached to ram and the progress indicator says it finished when copy to ram is done, because usb is so slow the copy from ram to usb hard drive takes a LOT longer and that is why you see it sitting there saying 100% but it's still busy copy and the usb/hdd light is flashing. Some times this takes ages if you have lots of files and big ones.

I would rather look at imaging the drive or using a tool like rsync (grsync in linux has a simple gui for nooblets).
 
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