Windows 7: Back up hung for weeks

I run win 7 32 bit on 500gb and Windows 7 64 bit on 1Tb in dual boot mode.



About five months back I tried to back up across these drives, each to the other but,

Windows back hung with a backup in progress signal at the bottom of the screen
(32 bit).If I click on the little flag I get 'Back up in progress'

When I check the backup and restore page it says backup is not set up. Nor can I set it up. I can do nothing. There seems to be no way to cancel this backup which is not happening.

I finally changed to Comodo back up and that works fine but, I really would like to get rid of that hung signal at the bottom of my screen. I have tried Microsoft help and analysis but the problem never gets identified.

I believe it may be due to something that went wrong while backing up to disks before I installed the 1Tb drive. Not desperate though, just annoyed with such non responsive software.

Any advice appreciated.

Bobthequill

I use Windows imaging extensively without problem. Others have issues making a "straightforward" image.

I think your expectations are pushing the boundaries. You may stand a better chance if you were dual booting via the BIOS.

I'd be using Macrium Reflect (free) to store images on alternate disks.
ttp://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.asp

Not quite sure of the relevance of your reply but, I do use boot selection in bios,

and have both BCD edit and Vistaboot Pro installed, either of which can access the

boot sequence for editing.

What I just cannot find is a way to stop the Microsoft back up program from continually saying there is a back up in progress when there is not.

If these expectations are pushing boundaries, it suggests that Microsoft don't give a damn, or are leaving this little quirk in their software just to make it difficult for a third party backup software to operate.

I really don't know as I am not a software expert, just a poor sod stuck with a minor frustration.

Thank you for your input anyway. but I fail to see how Macrium will help. I am using Comodo quite successfully.

Bobthequill

Maybe you need to provide more information.

Windows Backup involves two separate backup mechanisms.
1) File/folder backup using zip files.
2) Full partition images using a vhd file.
You can use 1) and/or 2). These can be done manually and or scheduled. These need to be initially setup.
Given this what are you attempting?

I initially assumed you were doing imaging and hence my reference to Macrium which is highly regarded and used by members of this forum.
I'm not a spokesperson for MS, but I am unaware of any roadblocks they have put in place for third party backup software.

Other questions for people to help you would be:
1) How did you install your 2 separate licensed Window 7 OSs?
2) How did you setup Windows backup for each?

My all in one system, (glorified notebook chip) came with both win 7 oem disks last July. Win 7 32bit was loaded on an internal 1Tb drive. I swapped this to 64 bit OS just out of curiosity. I also experimented with dual boot with Vista.(Partitioned)
Four months later this drive started to fail. The supplier would not support warranty as I had had the back off to install an eSata port for a second hard drive and put the DVD drive into an external enclosure. I replaced the faulty internal 1Tb drive with a 500 Gb one and bought a new 1 TB drive and fitted it to the eSata port.(HDD dock with own PS).

Thus enabling a dual boot system. As I had found some of my older programs would not run under 64 bit, I loaded one drive with 32 bit and used that for my drawing programs.

Initially I was using dvd disk backup using file/folder backup zip files and then had a failure in disk identification. I think it was the DVD drive that was erratic.

I then attempted to cross back up the two drives but this is when the hang up started. Probably due to previously missing a second backup disk. An error I have since been unable to clear.

In the end I gave up and downloaded Comodo which happily backs up each disk to the other. So, I have an acceptable backup system, not that I have ever had to avail myself of it.

I am just unable to set up windows back up. It just ignores my attempts and the only evidence of the hang up for me is the little pennant in the bottom bar with a very small clock dial below it. If I put my mouse pointer over it, it displays 'back up in progress'. The hang up is on the 64 bit OS.
I am not game to try it on the 32 bit OS until I know and can fix the cause.


Bobthequill