Backing Up 8TB Storage Drive via Command Prompt or similar

[Senseh]

Hi Folks,

 

Let me give you a introduction to the problem that I am facing at the moment.

 

The latest security update that Microsoft pushed onto my Work Desktop successfully rendered the system unbootable, putting it into a boot up loop.. well done Microsoft for that! They basically managed to lock up all the drives so that the only way of re initiation windows is to format and reinstall the operating drive.

 

I was still able to see all my data checking misc. command prompt commands. That were great news at this point!

 

I initiated a BackUp of the storage drives onto a external Drive by running Ubuntu from a USB stick, but after 2.5 days it only managed to do 2.6 TB at a decreasing speed of approx. 10 MB per sec. So I decided to cancel and look for a faster way of backing up the data.

 

I now started a back up using a usb stick with windows media tool to access the command prompt, using Robocopy to clone all the files from the intern storage drive to the external back up drive, but it also feels awfully slow. 

 

Basically I am out of ideas on how to speed up the backup process and wondered if you guys have ideas on how it could be done faster?

 

Would really appreciate your thoughts on this!

 

Cheers,

Senseh

[Electronics Wizardy]

What drives are you using? Lots of small files. 10mB/s doesn't seem that far off for hdds with smaller files, fragmentation, and maybe smr drives.

[Senseh]

Hi Electronics Wizardy

 

Backing up alot of pictures ( size between 26 mb to 60 mb each) and the occasional bigger ones ranging around 600-1200 mb..

 

It is reading from a WD Red 8tb drive , writing to a seagate external 8tb hdd 

 

oh well, that is kinda bad news then.. I guess I am looking at a further couple of days before I can start repairing the operating system on the pc then.. 

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!!

[vanished]

I would have suggested robocopy so you're on the right track.  It doesn't have any throttling behaviour by default so whatever speed you get is about as fast as you can expect it to go.

 

That said, if you have a lot of small files and if the disk is relatively full, theoretically it might be faster to just make a disk image than copying all the files individually since it would turn the whole operation into one big sequential read, which is much faster.  I would expect speeds over 100 MB/s sustained in that case.

[Senseh]

@Ryan_Vickers Which Robocopy command would you suggest using for what you just wrote?

 

It sounds like the perfect solution to my problem..

[vanished]

2 minutes ago, Senseh said:

@Ryan_Vickers Which Robocopy command would you suggest using for what you just wrote?

 

It sounds like the perfect solution to my problem..

actually I've never done that before so I don't know the command off-hand pretty sure it wouldn't even be robocpoy though, it just does files, not a full disk image afaik

[Senseh]

Just now, Ryan_Vickers said:

actually I've never done that before so I don't know the command off-hand pretty sure it wouldn't even be robocpoy though, it just does files, not a full disk image afaik

I see, so I would need to find a way of either finding a command prompt solution or trying to get a disc image done in ubuntu to achieve that kind of write speed.. I'll look into it and see what i can find out!

 

Thanks!!

[Senseh]

33 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

What drives are you using? Lots of small files. 10mB/s doesn't seem that far off for hdds with smaller files, fragmentation, and maybe smr drives.

@Electronics Wizardy forgot to tag your name!

[Electronics Wizardy]

13 minutes ago, Senseh said:

I see, so I would need to find a way of either finding a command prompt solution or trying to get a disc image done in ubuntu to achieve that kind of write speed.. I'll look into it and see what i can find out!

 

Thanks!!

what exactly are you doing in ubuntu?

 

What hdds?

 

Are you just making a image with dd or copying files with something like rsync.

[Senseh]

16 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

what exactly are you doing in ubuntu?

 

What hdds?

 

Are you just making a image with dd or copying files with something like rsync.

ubuntu was my quick first thought of running an OS from a usb stick, since windows is bricked which only left me with that or the command prompt. 

 

internal WD Red 8TB to external Seagate 8TB

 

What do you mean with dd?

[Electronics Wizardy]

Just now, Senseh said:

ubuntu was my quick first thought of running an OS from a usb stick, since windows is bricked which only left me with that or the command prompt. 

 

internal WD Red 8TB to external Seagate 8TB

 

What do you mean with dd?

how are you copying the data? What program?

 

Id probably use rsync.

 

Also that segate 8tb is a smr drive so it will be very slow with random writes, so that explains the speed.

 

Just let it take its time, nothing you can do.

[vanished]

1 minute ago, Senseh said:

ubuntu was my quick first thought of running an OS from a usb stick, since windows is bricked which only left me with that or the command prompt. 

 

internal WD Red 8TB to external Seagate 8TB

 

What do you mean with dd?

dd is a command you can use for this in Linux

[Senseh]

Just now, Electronics Wizardy said:

how are you copying the data? What program?

 

Id probably use rsync.

 

Also that segate 8tb is a smr drive so it will be very slow with random writes, so that explains the speed.

 

Just let it take its time, nothing you can do.

I see.. It will have to happen slowly then.. thanks for your advice !! really appreciated!

[Senseh]

2 minutes ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

dd is a command you can use for this in Linux

Thanks Ryan!

[Senseh]

@Electronics Wizardy @Ryan_Vickers

 

Turns out that the external Seagate Drive was faulty. Just switched to another external ssme model seagate drive and now it is copying at a blazing 150mbs using the standard copy to function in ubuntu..  will return the newly bought one tomorrow..

 

Thanks for your thoughts and help on this!!