Paragon Backup & Restore keeps splitting my backups

Discussion in 'Paragon Drive Backup Product Line' started by gugarci, May 16, 2012.

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  1. gugarci

    gugarci Registered Member

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    I have the latest version of Paragon Backup & Restore free on 2 of my netbooks. I have it set not to split my backups but it keeps splitting them. Is this a bug or do I need to do something else besides checking not to split?

    Thanks.
     
  2. seekforever

    seekforever Registered Member

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    Is it splitting at 4GB? If so it may be that your archive storage device is formatted FAT32 which has a 4GB maximum filesize. If so, solution is to format the device as NTFS.

    The default format on many USB external drives is FAT32 because it is more universal than NTFS. I believe you can use a FAT32 external drive on a Mac as well as a PC.

    Note this has absolutely nothing to do with the format of the partition being backed up.
     
  3. gugarci

    gugarci Registered Member

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    Thanks and I thought you had nailed it. Just checked and my external Western Digital drive is formatted to NTFS.
     
  4. seekforever

    seekforever Registered Member

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    I realize this isn't the same version of Paragon as yours. I'm running the paid version, B&R Home 11, and as desired, it doesn't split the files if the check is removed.
     
  5. gugarci

    gugarci Registered Member

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    Unfortunately mine keeps splitting my images. It does it every time I make an image off my kids netbooks. I did 2 images today and both were split again. :(
     
  6. garioch7

    garioch7 Registered Member

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    Might it be that the netbook has a FAT32 directory structure? If so, that would explain it.

    Have a great day.

    Regards,
    -Phil
     
  7. seekforever

    seekforever Registered Member

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    The only way the netbook's format would matter is if the archive file was being assembled on a FAT32 partition before being written to the external. I know with Acronis the partition type on the device being imaged has no bearing on the FAT32 split but I'm not familiar enough with Paragon to definitevly make that statement.

    If you haven't, plug the USB drive into the computer and look at it's partition structure and format with Window's Disk Management and see if that provides any clues.
     
  8. gugarci

    gugarci Registered Member

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    Thanks for the replies but I'm not going to reformat my WD External drive again. If i do I will loose all my old images of my 5 PC's unless I moved them elsewhere. Since this is free software I'll learn to live with it. But one of my netbooks also has free Macrium installed and Macrium does not split it's image while backing up to same external WD drive.
     
  9. seekforever

    seekforever Registered Member

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    There are 2 places that you can access the split. One is from the main menu and the other is within the wizard. Have you checked the setting from within the backup wizard?

    I always leave mine split at 4G anyway because I can then if desired copy the split archive files to a DVD - but I've never done that but I could! I also hate dealing with very large files which is strictly personal.
     
  10. gugarci

    gugarci Registered Member

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    No I've only checked the one in the setting. I'll try that next time I make an image and report back.

    Thanks.
     
  11. gugarci

    gugarci Registered Member

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    Ok I checked the other setting and it set not to split also. But I think I know what's going on. Paragon separates all the different partitions and MBR's and backs them up separately. So I'm pretty sure it's working correctly.

    Here are some screen shots. First one shows all the drives that show up under my computer for my Asus netbook. The F-drive is my WD USB external drive.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/26596858@N08/7249352240/in/photostream

    Second image shows everything I check off when I back up the entire drive.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/26596858@N08/7249356984/in/photostream

    Third images shows all the files that Paragon creates after completing the backup.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/26596858@N08/7249358000/in/photostream

    Macrium, my favorite imaging program, and Acronis does not do that. I guess it's working fine.
     
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