Smartest way to replace a ”source folder” disk to a larger

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johan12
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2021 9:27 am

Smartest way to replace a ”source folder” disk to a larger

Post by johan12 »

I have a backup scheme (mirror) where my image folders are backed up to a NAS. The disk where the source folders is getting full (and also old). My idea is thus to replace (and to remove) the old source folder disk (4TB) to a new one (8TB). All folders/files on the current 4TB disk thus needs to moved to the new 8TB disk and in the end this will be the ”Source folder” disk to be backed up to the NAS. This work can be done in different ways and I would like to get your advice on which way would be the smartest (if I do it in an unwise way then it would take weeks to accomplish the task). I use Windows 10 and the current 4TB disk is only used for files.

Adrian (Softland)
Posts: 1914
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:46 pm

Re: Smartest way to replace a ”source folder” disk to a larger

Post by Adrian (Softland) »

Hi,

You can replace the source drive with no problems.
Backup4all will mark the source missing files as deleted as they are missing from source drive, but it will include the new source files.

If you are using the Mirror backup type, please make sure the “Remove excluded or deleted files” option is unchecked in Backup Properties->Type.
Otherwise the missing source files will be deleted from destination.

johan12
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2021 9:27 am

Re: Smartest way to replace a ”source folder” disk to a larger

Post by johan12 »

I would like to use a procedure that is smooth as possible and I would hate to end up with a situation where it takes weeks to make a new backup. I have been considering the following setup:

- I make a clone. That is I clone the old 4TB (source) disk to a new 8 TB disk
- I will remove the old 4TB disk from the computer
- I will insert the new 8TB disk to the computer
- I will check so that the drive letter for the new 8TB disk is the same as for the old 4TB

Back4All will not recognize the hard disk change and thus the old scripts for the backup to the NAS can be used.....

Is it doable?

RussF
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2021 8:02 pm

Re: Smartest way to replace a ”source folder” disk to a larger

Post by RussF »

johan12,

Your plan is sound. Here are a few things to consider:

You mentioned that your 4TB drive is for files only. If and ONLY if your operating system (Win 10) is located on another drive (or partition), then there is no need to clone the drive. Simply create a partition on the new drive, format it (probably as NTFS) and copy the entire file structure from the root of your existing drive to the root of new one. If your existing drive doesn't have a fixed drive letter, the new one should assume that same letter when you physically replace it. (More on this later) Backup4All should then see the drive just as before, with all the Mirror catalog files in place, and will have no idea that it is a different physical drive.

If this 4TB drive DOES contain your OS, then a clone is the only way to go. I personally prefer Macrium Reflect and there is a free version that will clone. It also allows you to adjust the size of the target partition to the full size of the new drive prior to starting the clone process.

With the volume of data you want to migrate, I would highly recommend (if you can) using a spare SATA port on your PC to attach the new drive rather than using a SATA -> USB adapter cable for the transfer, ESPECIALLY if you don't have a USB 3.x port. USB 2.0 would take a MINIMUM of 24 hrs. to transfer, assuming full 2.0 speed (which you rarely attain). This would obviously give your new drive a different letter during the transfer, but again, is easily reconfigured with Disk Manager.

Hope this helps. Russ

(Edit) Something occurred to me after I wrote this. The whole time, I was assuming that your 4TB drive was an internal SATA drive. If it's an external USB drive and you plan on migrating to another external USB drive, well...that's going to take a while no matter how you slice it, especially if you don't have two USB 3.x ports. If that's the case however, again, you don't need to clone, just copy the contents from the root of your source to the root of your target (and go on vacation while it copies). :)
Russ

johan12
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2021 9:27 am

Re: Smartest way to replace a ”source folder” disk to a larger

Post by johan12 »

Hi Jeff!

It is people like you that makes the world going round!

I will follow your advice (and yes there are only files (no OS) involved in the transfer, the 4TB is an internal disk and I have an extra SATA internal port that could be used for the new 8TB disk). Thank you once again!

drtim
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2021 8:36 pm

Re: Smartest way to replace a ”source folder” disk to a larger

Post by drtim »

Adrian you stated:
"You can replace the source drive with no problems.
Backup4all will mark the source missing files as deleted as they are missing from source drive, but it will include the new source files.

If you are using the Mirror backup type, please make sure the “Remove excluded or deleted files” option is unchecked in Backup Properties->Type.
Otherwise the missing source files will be deleted from destination."

Does this also apply to the situation of the destination drive?

I just replaced a smaller destination drive with a larger destination drive. I carefully moved piece meal all the files into the new larger destination backup drive via large 500 GB copy and pastes. Once I was done I set the mirror backup to run. However, it is taking forever and looks like it is replacing each of the files in the destination drive as if they were not already there. At this rate it could take 2 days to do a backup using Backup4all.

Any tips on how to speed this up?

RussF
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2021 8:02 pm

Re: Smartest way to replace a ”source folder” disk to a larger

Post by RussF »

drtim,

Any time I have changed the destination of a Mirror backup, Backup4All warns me that the backup will be recreated. It doesn't matter whether the change is a new drive letter or just a different folder on the same drive.

If you gave your new drive the same drive letter as the old (after removing the old one) and EXACTLY the same file structure (as far as the backup destination folders are concerned), then you shouldn't have had to change your backup job at all. I replaced a 4TB drive with a 14TB in exactly this way and B4A didn't even notice. However, if you had to go in and actually change the destination in the backup job (because the drive letter was different, etc.), you would have received the warning. If you accepted it, then I suppose you tripped the flag that says you changed destinations and there probably (correct me Adrian if I'm wrong) nothing you can do but let the backup run its course.

If everything on the new drive is the same as the old except size and you DIDN'T change the job's destination and B4A is still recreating the backup, then I have to defer to Adrian. sorry.
Russ

drtim
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2021 8:36 pm

Re: Smartest way to replace a ”source folder” disk to a larger

Post by drtim »

Thanks Russ.

There were a lot of moving pieces so to speak on this change. I changed the source drive and the destination drive (just to larger drives - from 6TB to 16TB) at the same time as upgrading from FBackup to Backup4all Pro. I think it is possible that there was a drive letter that changed. I am not sure and not sure how to retrace my steps.

Guess I will just let a very long backup be the answer on this one.

Adrian (Softland)
Posts: 1914
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:46 pm

Re: Smartest way to replace a ”source folder” disk to a larger

Post by Adrian (Softland) »

drtim wrote:
> Adrian you stated:
> "You can replace the source drive with no problems.
> Backup4all will mark the source missing files as deleted as they are missing from
> source drive, but it will include the new source files.
>
> If you are using the Mirror backup type, please make sure the “Remove excluded or
> deleted files” option is unchecked in Backup Properties->Type.
> Otherwise the missing source files will be deleted from destination."
>
> Does this also apply to the situation of the destination drive?
>
> I just replaced a smaller destination drive with a larger destination drive. I
> carefully moved piece meal all the files into the new larger destination backup drive
> via large 500 GB copy and pastes. Once I was done I set the mirror backup to run.
> However, it is taking forever and looks like it is replacing each of the files in the
> destination drive as if they were not already there. At this rate it could take 2
> days to do a backup using Backup4all.
>
> Any tips on how to speed this up?

Hi,

If you replaced the destination drive with a new one having the same drive letter and files, there is no need to edit the backup in Backup4all. It will consider the destination is the same and it will continue the backups.

Adrian (Softland)
Posts: 1914
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:46 pm

Re: Smartest way to replace a ”source folder” disk to a larger

Post by Adrian (Softland) »

Hi,

Copying the sources to another drive will change their created date, which is one of the comparison criteria used by Backup4all. So they will be backed up again.
In such a case, a clone is recommended, to preserve the files dates and all attributes.

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