Save to a Windows 7 drive from within XP Mode

RP McIntosh · 23 Apr 2010

I have an older program that I am running in XP mode, and it runs just fine except for one item. It includes a backup feature, and it lets you choose the location of the backup. If I choose a folder on a Windows 7 drive, it recognizes that there is already a file there with the name of the backup file, and asks if I want to overwrite it. When I click YES, it starts, but then I get an error message that reads, "Could not create output file (//tsclient/Y/FolderName/FileName).

If I open Windows Explorer within XP mode, I can right click the backup file, choose COPY, and then choose the Y drive in Windows 7, and choose PASTE, and it pastes it with no problem. But I'd like to be able to save it directly there, if that is possible. Do you think this is a limitation of the older program I am using, or is there some setting I need to make to be able to copy or save to a folder on one of my Windows 7 drives?

Night Hawk · 23 Apr 2010

As far as I could say about that is that you have to realze you are still running the older program on a virtual machine where the program was written with physical locations only in mind then. The XP Mode allows access for file transfers and installation of programs but isn't best suited for automatic backups by older 3rd party apps.

You would be better creating a new folder since the vhd will expand as needed for the backup. From there you would manually back up your work to a regular location on a physical drive.

Another option to consider depends mainly on whether or not you use the Windows Live SkyDrvei option and Gladinet's Cloud Desktop on the XP Mode to upload the designated backups online there. That would a rather interesting idea if it worked out.

RP McIntosh · 24 Apr 2010

Thanks for the comments. I have, more or less, instituted an alternative approach. I simply use the program's backup feature to backup to its default folder, then use Windows Explorer to copy the backed up file to my Windows 7 backup drive. That works fine. I just thought that perhaps there was something I was missing in settings that kept me from writing to my Windows 7 drives from within the virtual application. Apparently, your conclusion is that it is a limitation of the older application. I can live with that. Just wanted to be sure that there wasn't something I was missing that would enable direct disk writing from the virtual application. Thanks again for taking the time to answer.

Night Hawk · 24 Apr 2010

That's about the only real way you can do it since you are still in a virtual environment. If you were running the program as a regular installation on C then you wouldn't or shouldn't anyways have any problem assigning a specific backup location.

But manually copying to your regular drive's backup folder there is the option available once you have a vhd location working for the automatic process. At least you know your files are safe and available once you see them manually backed up however. You can then verify they are in good shape.

Save to a Windows 7 drive from within XP Mode

Save to a Windows 7 drive from within XP Mode

Backup Options