Maxtor External HD for Backups
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TV ClubHouse: Archive: All Things Technical for BB 2003 (computer stuff): Maxtor External HD for Backups

Tobor7

Monday, August 11, 2003 - 08:17 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I hope I can talk about this here...

...but I just got a Maxtor 500DV external Firewire/USB2 hard drive to use to back up 2 of my computers as the tape drives are now too slow.

I backed up the first of one of my drives (through firewire) and the rate was FAST... as high as 149mb/min! Now as I am backing up the 2nd drive I'm getting around 4mb/min. AND the second drive is supposed to be faster thasn the 1st one. I'm trying to figure out why. My swap file happens to be on this second drive and I'm thinking of moving it to the 1st to see if that helps.

Anyone have any suggestions for the slow down?

Thanks.

Draheid

Monday, August 11, 2003 - 08:22 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Tobor7: There are a variety of factors that could affect the backup rate. What are you using to actually do the backup, just copying from one drive to the other or a software backup program? Either way, it could depend on the amount, type and average file size of the files on the different drives.

I have a few more questions but first I need to ask, are you referring to backing up from two different computers or two drives on the same computer?

Tobor7

Monday, August 11, 2003 - 08:34 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I have 2 computers that I want to use this new device with, each with 2 drives. I am only trying to work out the kinks with the 1st one.
The Maxtor drive came with the Dantz Retrospect Express backup ver 5.6. I am using the "duplicate" function, which copies the files over in the same form as on the original drive. (So you can go to your backup and actually access a file without having to restore it if necessary.)
I also tried to use a simple file sync program but it also seems to be slow.
The first drive is partitioned C through J, and the second is K through O. (Long story...) The 2nd drive partitions are 10gigs each. The 1st drive parts are much smaller, as it was an original drive in the computer. Now, norton says the 2nd drive is faster, and put my swap file there.

Thanks for the help. I don't know where to look first for the problem. (And I've been using PCs since the Trash80 days.)

Draheid

Monday, August 11, 2003 - 08:49 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Ah, the old Trash80s - know them all too well! lol

Anyway, as I recall, Retrospect does have some compression abilities, I presume those are disabled.

Also, the difference in types of files on the two drives, ie. many more smaller files on the 2nd drive vs the first could affect transfer rate as it has to open, copy, close more files. Have you looked to see the properties of each drive through Windows Explorer - determine the total content size & number of files on each drive - that might give some insight to the situation.

It may be struggling trying to copy the swap file, even though it isn't suppose to touch open files, there is a chance I suppose.

I know this isn't a solution, just trying to figure out if there is one to pursue or if it is a limitation to the structure of the system.

Let me know what you find out.

Tobor7

Monday, August 11, 2003 - 09:00 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm backing up the K drive now. The swap file is on L. Both are on physical disk #2.
The difference between 149mb/min and 4mb/min is huge.
I'll check the cables in the box first.
If not fix, then I'll move the swap file. Perhaps the swap file is buffering the transfers.

Next I'll take a 700mg file and back it up from each drive and see what happens.

Any other suggestions?

Draheid

Monday, August 11, 2003 - 09:07 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Well, you could talk to Costacat about Bellinis if that might help? lol

What is the status of fragmentation on each of the various drives? Do you keep them all defragged regularly or only the main drives??

Tobor7

Monday, August 11, 2003 - 09:15 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Usually very clean. But the common element is that all the partitions on the 2nd drive are copying much slower that drive #1.
Maybe I can try moving the 2nd drive to the 2nd ATA connector on the MB? Right now they are on the same cable I think.

The drive itself if nice. I have the USB cable going to one computer and the firewire going to the other. Keep the drive in the same spot. Just switch the cables over to backup each computer... if I can work this problem out.

Draheid

Monday, August 11, 2003 - 09:20 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
You might also want to check DMA and IRQ settings to see if the firewire port adapter is for some reason sharing, maybe. I don't think they should be but it's a possibility.

Tobor7

Monday, August 11, 2003 - 09:31 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Good thought. But wouldn't that affect the speed of drive 1 as well?

Draheid

Monday, August 11, 2003 - 09:45 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm not sure, since the IDE controllers usually have seperate IRQs for Primary & Secondary channels. (IRQs on my computer: Pri=14, Sec=15, & 1394=16)

Tobor7

Tuesday, August 12, 2003 - 12:19 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Well... switched the swap file drive. No evidential help. Getting about 6.8mb/min only. I'll try the large file copy now and see what happens.

Tobor7

Wednesday, August 13, 2003 - 12:11 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Did the large file copy test... one file 400mg. Copy from drive 1 to Maxtor. Then copy from drive 2 to Maxtor. From drive 1 = 430mb/min, from drive 2 = 8.4mb/min!
Dit this with 3 different backup programs and then the simple copy. Drive 1 took usually 40 seconds and drive 2 took over 40 mins!

The internal drive 2 happens to be a maxtor as well. Will call the company tomorrow.

No solution yet...

Crossfire

Wednesday, August 13, 2003 - 03:43 am EditMoveDeleteIP
That's a pretty drastic difference, I wonder if they are not already on different channels with a less than optimal DMA mode on the slower one.

Anyway, just thinking out loud, I'll let the resident tech do his job. :)

Draheid

Wednesday, August 13, 2003 - 06:03 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Tobor7: The only thought that I had about this so far is, what filesystem structure is on the 2nd drive vs the 1st drive. ie. are both configured and formatted for NTFS or is one using FAT32?

Still pondering other possibilities.

Tobor7

Wednesday, August 13, 2003 - 01:31 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Running Win98se on this computer. Both drives are fat32, both on the same cable going to ide-1 on mb. This drive has been working just fine for almost 3 years. Can't pinpoint the exact time of the slowdown. Sometime in the past few months. I noticed when the tape backups started taking 12 hours. I thought it was the tape drive... one of the tapes went bad at the same time.
DMA is active for both drives...

Tobor7

Wednesday, August 13, 2003 - 04:31 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
The good people at Maxtor are sending me a new hard drive for free even though the warranty just expired on this one.
I ran their diag program and it would never finish. They said the slow speed is a sign the drive will fail soon.
Huh. Who knew.

Crossfire

Wednesday, August 13, 2003 - 04:40 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Excellent, you get three more years out of it then. Given it's age, you may even score a larger and faster drive than the one you have now.

Draheid

Wednesday, August 13, 2003 - 04:43 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Tobor7: That's excellent news. I was hesitant to suggest the drive may be going bad but that had been a possibility. I am not surprised with Maxtor's willingness to stand behind their products, I have always liked them. Congratulations.

Tobor7

Wednesday, August 13, 2003 - 07:20 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Thanks for all the help guys. They won't send me a larger one though-- (I asked if I could pay them for a larger one.)
The new one will be here before I get this one backed up. I'm backing up a 9GB partition and it tells me that it will take 1 day, 9 hours. Boy is this drive slow now!
I hope I get all the data off it before... eh, I WILL get all the data off!
Thanks again.
(Now I have to figure out how to wipe the drive before I send it back. I wonder how long Norton secure erase will take?)