The file or directory is corrupt and unreadable

I have Acronis 9.0 on my Toshiba laptop with Windows XP Pro. I use Acronis backing up the files to an external hard drive using firewire (6 pin to 4 pin). I use file splitting (4 GB files). The external hard drive is a 200 GB Seagate Barracuda-ATA.

Acronis backs up to the external drive. When the process is completed, I can see the files that were created on the external hard drive. The problem is when I use windows "safely remove hardware" feature. I get a message: "Windows-Corrupt File. The file or directory E:\$Secure is corrupt and unreadable. Please run the chkdsk utility". The external drive is then unaccessible.

Sometimes, running "chkdsk /f e:" does in fact get the drive back. Sometimes it does not. Obviously, I do not want access to my recovery back up to be unreliable and undependable.

If I back up to the computers hard drive, I do not get this error message. Only when backing up to the external drive.

Has anyone else seen this problem? I have reformatted the drive and started from scratch, but the problem still arises.

 

This primarilly happens with external usb devises.
I am assuming that you physically unplug the firewire cable as well.
Xp should find the new hardware when the cable is reconnected.
If you do not use the "safely remove hardware" and simply unplug the external when there is no drive activity, and then replug at a later time, does it work?
Is it onboard or a card?
The safely remove hardware really only powers down and/or stops drive activity. It should have no effect on the data contained.

Try this;
You may go into drive management and assign your external a drive letter near the end of the alphabet. Sometimes this helps.
In device manager, uninstall and reinstall your firewire host controller.
In device manager, if you have firewire listed as part of your network adapters, disable it.
In device manager, you go to the toolbar and scan for hardware changes when it next happens.
Down load and run this from the command line for the same effect. "Devcon.exe Rescan" (easier)
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q311272

 

I have my drives optimized for quick removal with write caching disabled. This allows me to disconnect the external drive without using the safely remove icon. Same problem though.

The firewire port on my laptop is onboard.

Something is corrupting the Master File Table on the external drive.

 

Hello Alanw2006,

Some external USB/Firewire subsystems have problems handling very large file transfers. Try setting TI's manual split size to, say, 700MB and see what happens.

Regards

 

An excellent idea. I will try it. I noticed that my DVD burner needs to use a UDF bridge to burn a DVD larger than 4 GB. As a consequence, I keep my TI files at 3.8 GB.

700 MB is a little small as my TI back up is 35 GB. I Like to burn to the computers drive, an external drive and to DVD just to be safe.

 

The only way to assure safe removal is to use the OS provided mechanism, otherwise, you are asking for trouble. I would enable write caching, to play safe.

 

Isn't the maximum file transfer size 4 GB for FAT32 and 1 TB for NTFS?

 

Yes it is but that's not the problem. Some brands of motherboard USB/Firewire chipsets and external HD enclosure chipsets have been known not to handle very large file transfers correctly. Check out the somewhat lengthy thread <Who DOES NOT have a problem with corrupt images> and this slightly shorter one titled <External USB/Firewire drives that work>.

Regards

 

Thanks. My external drive is a USB/1394 combo with a Prolific chipset.

 

I'm not familiar with it but do you still get the problem if you use the USB interface?

Regards

 

I mentioned Prolific because the thread you directed me too, mentioned concern with the Prolific chip set in a combo enclosure.

I will try buring through USB and will let you know. Thanks. Alan