xcopy batch for backups problem

[thrash-boy]

Before i begin this is on Windows XP media center edition.

 

 

 

Ive been looking around the net making a batch file to make backups of all the stuff on my computer whenever i run it. all has been going well until i encountered this error from xcopy:

 

Insufficient Disc Space

 

Sounds easy doesn't it? its NOT because i don't have enough space on the backup drive (theres plently), but because the backup drive is formatted in FAT32 which supports a maximum file size of around 4gb, and the file its trying to copy is a dvd ISO (4.7gb or so).

 

That isnt a problem because im planning to reformat the backup drive to NTFS eventually (when i get somewhere to backup my other data while i reformat), the problem is when xcopy gets this error it immediately stops, despite the next files easily fitting onto the drive. This is despite using /C, which is "Continues copying even if errors occur.".

 

 

 

It took me a while to figure this out, but when i did i renamed the 4.7gb file and put a x at the start (to send it to the bottom of the folder). When i tried the bat file again it successfully copied all the files it missed last time, except for all the ones starting with x that came after the 4.7gb file.

 

 

 

here is my bat file (removed some bits):

 

(The exclude file simply excludes files starting with 'Extract_', so i can unpack zip files and start there unpacked folder names with that, and they wont be put back on the backup drive and waste space)

 

@echo off

set drive=E:\System Backup

set backupcmd=xcopy /c /d /e /h /i /r /k /y



cls

echo ### Backing up Downloaded Programs...

%backupcmd% "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Downloaded Programs" "E:\Programs & Installers" /EXCLUDE:excludeListPrograms.txt



echo Backup Complete!

@pause

 

 

 

im just curious, is there anyway to get around this?

 

im curious because when i do goto NTFS, i dont want the same problem occurring. Even if it has to miss a file because theres no space, i want it to continue anyway and make sure there's no smaller files that can still fit. Better to lose 1 huge file than 1 huge file and all the small files alphabetically listed after it.

[Sbrideau]

I can assure you you won't have this problem when you will be on NTFS on the backup drive.

 

 

 

As for a solution, you could separate your .iso in small bits in .rar or .zip format. I don't remember which format or which program my friend used, but he put a 7GB file on my fat32 usb key that way.

[ClareJonsson]

OK, you can convert the drive to NTFS by doing the following:

 

 

 

1. Click Start and type CMD into the run box and press ENTER.

 

2. type CONVERT R: /FS:NTFS replacing R: with the drive you want to convert.

 

3. Press ENTER.

 

 

 

This will convert a FAT32 drive to NTFS.