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Problem Copying Some Files


RichardB

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One of the guys at work is trying to make a copy of four folders from a network drive onto some external USB drives - it doesn't seem to want to work and causes his machine to hang or crash.

He's using a HP workstation with 4Gb of Ram.

Did I mention he's trying to copy 3.55Tb of survey data ?

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One of the guys at work is trying to make a copy of four folders from a network drive onto some external USB drives - it doesn't seem to want to work and causes his machine to hang or crash.

He's using a HP workstation with 4Gb of Ram.

Did I mention he's trying to copy 3.55Tb of survey data ?

Well, even with high speed network connections it's going to take a hell of a long time to copy 3.55Tb over a network.

Is his destination drive large enough and with enough free space to take a file of that size?

Is it formatted in an appropriate way as some formats have file size limits?

Is his computer really "hung" or is it working away at full belt trying to complete this mammoth task?

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Well, even with high speed network connections it's going to take a hell of a long time to copy 3.55Tb over a network.

Is his destination drive large enough and with enough free space to take a file of that size?

Is it formatted in an appropriate way as some formats have file size limits?

Is his computer really "hung" or is it working away at full belt trying to complete this mammoth task?

The largest folder is 1.25Tb, each folder going onto a 2Tb disk; one folder at a time - he's got 25 of the 2Tb disks; once he's got the four folders off he needs to make copies of the copies ! (to send out to vendors) - it's going to take a while. His desk area looks like a hard-disk shop, oddly he's got 15 of the 1Tb (passport-style) drives as well the ones without power supplies - they could be even more fun !

A computer that hasn't "moved", "flashed" or "squeaked" for four hours qualifies as "dead" to me ...

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The largest folder is 1.25Tb, each folder going onto a 2Tb disk; one folder at a time - he's got 25 of the 2Tb disks; once he's got the four folders off he needs to make copies of the copies ! (to send out to vendors) - it's going to take a while. His desk area looks like a hard-disk shop, oddly he's got 15 of the 1Tb (passport-style) drives as well the ones without power supplies - they could be even more fun !

A computer that hasn't "moved", "flashed" or "squeaked" for four hours qualifies as "dead" to me ...

It may not work over a network drive as I have never tried it but he could use something like Norton Ghost to copy files from one drive to another. Norton Ghost and other similar programs are on a bootable CD-ROM (the program itself isn't very big) and at start up you make the computer boot to it so that Windows isn't even running!! The program then allows you to transfer files from one drive to another fairly quickly and it does this as a dedicated task. As the normal operating system isn't running it is possible to copy that and make a "system image" backup copy of the operating system (Windows) for security purposes and that is this programs main use.

However, it may be worth looking into.

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What you need is the advise of somebody who works in IT support

Do we know anybody

Hang on a minute!!!

Doesn't RichardB work in IT support?

Now if an IT support worker posts a question about helping him out with IT support then there is the small problem of our CONSULTANCY FEE

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Hang on a minute!!!

Doesn't RichardB work in IT support?

Now if an IT support worker posts a question about helping him out with IT support then there is the small problem of our CONSULTANCY FEE

Tell you what Richard,

If I get a serious chemistry problem I can't solve, instead of going to the Royal Society of Chemistry I'll just ask you by use of a post on Sheffield History ;-)

DaveH B.Sc., M.R.S.C., C.Chem.

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Hang on a minute!!!

Doesn't RichardB work in IT support?

Now if an IT support worker posts a question about helping him out with IT support then there is the small problem of our CONSULTANCY FEE

I posted it for amusement. There is another network (somewhat unofficial) with a big fat pipe to the outside; we'll see when my mate, the boss gets back from Sweden - either that or we buy more servers and separate everyting even more - direct connection to a distinct server sounds good to me - its a big project, long term - they've already got 10Tb of disk allocated to them alone - and it ain't going to get any easier.

Overnight copy to tape or 8" floppy disk is also a possibility ... just how many 8" disks are we talking for 3.5Tb ? approximately ...

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