try to backup and it puts 656Gb on backup drive

[martygene]

i just installed win7 64 home premium on a new 320gb hard drive and there is 49gb of info on that drive. i start a backup to another drive on my system and it takes hours to complete the backup and when it's finished there are 656gb of info on the 1TB drive. as soon as i delete the backup file the 1 TB goes down to nothing...
i have tried to do this backup several times to the same result. trying to backup C to New Volume E witch is the 1 TB drive...
any ideas?
thanks

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I'm confused by a few things. Perhaps you can explain.

1: I wouldn't expect a new installation of Windows 7 to amount to 49 GB.

2: You say you backed something up and it amounted to 656 GB. What drive or partition did you think you were backing up and how much space is occupied on that source drive or partition?

3: What application are you using for this backup?

4: Obviously, if you are trying to backup only a 49 GB partition, the result should not be 656 GB. But it's not clear exactly what you are trying to do.

5: Are you trying to make an "image" file of an operating system? Or trying to "back up" individual files?

More detail needed.

 

[whs]

Post a full picture of Disk Management. Then we can probably clarify the matter. I suspect it dragged other partitions along because those had some system files.

I assume you used Windows7 imaging - which is the worst choice anyhow. But we will discuss sensible options later.

 

[martygene]

Thanks. i am using the windows backup that comes with wondows 7. i didn't partition the 320 hard drive the the OS is on. then reason there is 49 gb on C is that i now have installed some programs. when i open the backup page it doesn't give me any options other than to backup. while it's backing upit says backing up drive c to drive e..

 

[martygene]

i think i have what you want but i can't tell yet

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I'll let WHS try to steer you to Macrium.

But post a picture of your Disk Management.

 

[martygene]

is that the picture want?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Several problems with that picture.

Drive D is not shown at all.

Drive K is shown as both Dynamic and as a system disk. Dynamic disks are generally a no-no.

What is your intended purpose for drive K?? What do you want to do with it??

Normally, you would want to have NO dynamic disks and to have C showing as system and active.

And your tiny "system reserved" partition has a D drive letter. It should normally have NO drive letter.

 

[martygene]

how about these?

 

[martygene]

i don't know hown any of that happened. can i change the K to something other than dynamic? how and to what? would it change the OS so that i can't boot or run?

 

[martygene]

k just is fir file storage

 

[ignatzatsonic]

That's pretty much a mess.

You say it is a fresh install.

If it were me, I would start over.

Disconnect ALL drives except the one you want Windows to be on.

Install Windows and update it.

Then reconnect one more drive and make a single basic NTFS partition on it.

Then reconnect the third drive and make a single basic NTFS partition on it.

As it is now, you have "system reserved" on the wrong hard drive. You have a dynamic disk, which is bad.

It may be repairable, but in your shoes, I'd cut my losses and start over.

Where you probably went wrong is having more than 1 drive connected when you began.

If K is just for file storage, it definitely should NOT be dynamic.

Look at my setup, 3 drives, each with one partition. D and E are strictly for data:

 

[martygene]

i had a lot of troubele getting win7 installed so maybe somehow that is how all that got messed up. is there any fixing it to make it "normal" again?

 

[martygene]

one of the things that happened was that the first install went ok but while doing updates i got the BSOD and after that i had a lot of trouble getting everythng to work. probably should just start over. the K drive has lots of files on it. if i re-install and then plug that drive in will it still show up as a dynamic disk?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

if i re-install and then plug that drive in will it still show up as a dynamic disk?

I doubt it will show up as dynamic.

But if it does, it can be corrected---but it takes some work.

It's simpler to begin again and worry about K then.

Get a single C going, with Windows.

Then add a drive, partition it, format it, and give it a drive letter.

Then add the last drive.

Begin with ONLY 1 drive connected.

Choose to delete all partitions on that drive when given the choice.

 

[profdlp]

...If it were me, I would start over...

I would second the motion.

If I have a computer I've spent several weeks or months in tweaking and getting everything "just right", I might be tempted to go to extra lengths to straighten it out. With a brand new installation it makes far more sense to backup your stuff, then wipe-and-reload. It will never be easier than it is right now. If you don't do it and run into even more trouble down the road you will have wasted all the time you spend between now and the point when it becomes unavoidable.

 

[martygene]

ok. thank you VERY MUCH for all your help. i guess i know what i'm doing tomorrow

 

[martygene]

you are correct...i will let you know tomorrow how it all went.. with disk management pictures to boot...

 

[martygene]

so you don't think then that i have to try to copy all the files on K to another drive before hooking it up after the install tomorrow?

 

[whs]

Get those files off from K to an external disk because you have to correct that Dynamic situation. Easiest is to reformat it. All your other user data files from the other disks should also first go to an external before you start revamping everything. I have hardly ever seen such a mess.