TeraByte Unlimited

Hi,

A new laptop running Windows 10 64-bit, IFW 3.22a installed. I had let it default to using VSS but after having 2 backups hang midway (and not exiting gracefully in response to Cancel button), I thought I would try changing back to Phylock which I had always used on previous PCs. When the backup launched it reported the number of bytes to process as essentially the whole disk size. It did not end up backing up that reported number of bytes, but the image was substantially larger at 147GB versus 89GB for previous VSS backups. In fact the behaviour was similar to that experienced with 3.22. The only change made was the switch from VSS to Phylock.

My confidence is shaken. Any insights, please?

TomB

Is it using BitLocker? Some systems have BitLocker enabled and data encrypted by default, but in an unlocked state.

What used/free space is shown by IFW for the partition?

IFW reports on that partition: 135GB used, 325GB free; 153GB to restore.

No it is not using bitlocker. Although, bitlocker was defaulted to "sort of" enabled, or however it comes straight out of the box, but no key had been set (apparently) so it showed in Explorer with an exclamation mark. Since then I have explicitly turned off BitLocker. I ran another backup this morning. This time it reported the MBytes to process correctly (ie about 140,000+ instead of 480,000+) BUT, for the third time, it hung half way (can't find the USB drive). Below is the first of the event log error entries pertaining to this.

Update 2: I have since successfully run a backup and it behaved as expected with respect to reporting bytes to process, image size and time taken.

Log Name: Application
Source: Image for Windows
Date: 05-Oct-18 12:04:12 PM
Event ID: 259
Task Category: Backup
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: XPS15new
Description:
Error writing to D:\Backup\XPS15new\Backup-w0-2018-10-05-1154.TBI (Buf:0000000005C60000 CurFP:27551043584 Bytes:991232 Err:79h)
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Image for Windows" />
<EventID Qualifiers="49152">259</EventID>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>1</Task>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2018-10-05T19:04:12.387509400Z" />
<EventRecordID>24144</EventRecordID>
<Channel>Application</Channel>
<Computer>XPS15new</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data>Error writing to D:\Backup\XPS15new\Backup-w0-2018-10-05-1154.TBI (Buf:0000000005C60000 CurFP:27551043584 Bytes:991232 Err:79h)</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

Are you getting any Event Log errors regarding the USB drive?

If there are multiple USB controllers in the system, have you tried using a different one? Sometimes one will work better, especially when it comes to large data transfers.

Not that I can see. The first event log entry pertaining to this is that from IFW. I will try using the other built-in USB 3 port. I only have 2 "built-in" and was deliberately avoiding using a port hanging off an external hub. As mentioned this is a new PC, so there is maybe a question mark over it. Anyway, the IFW is behaving "properly" after that one anomaly immediately after switching to Phylock. Thanks for the reply.

if it's hanging and cancel is delayed, it sounds like it's waiting for
windows to return. Typically this happens when you hit bad sectors and can
take 10+ min to return the error (unless the drive ends up relocating bad
sectors).

vss skips more files and data so they will be smaller than phylock. The
total size you see in the UI is both backup and validate and adjusts as it
goes. The details of the partition will show the used/free size to know how
much will be backed up. The ifw.log will give the totals as well. If it
was all sectors then most likely bitlocker or perhaps chkdsk / f needed.

As far as error 79h writing the file, that comes from Windows.

ERROR_SEM_TIMEOUT

121 (0x79)

The semaphore timeout period has expired.


Which could be also a timeout from the drive having bad sectors. So it may
be your target drive that has bad sectors, cable, port or device controller.
Switch out the target drive and/or try new cables (and new port directly on
mobo instead of on the case). Also would want to run chkdsk /f on it.



"TomByrnes" wrote in message news:[email protected]...

Hi,

A new laptop running Windows 10 64-bit, IFW 3.22a installed. I had let it
default to using VSS but after having 2 backups hang midway (and not exiting
gracefully in response to Cancel button), I thought I would try changing
back to Phylock which I had always used on previous PCs. When the backup
launched it reported the number of bytes to process as essentially the whole
disk size. It did not end up backing up that reported number of bytes, but
the image was substantially larger at 147GB versus 89GB for previous VSS
backups. In fact the behaviour was similar to that experienced with 3.22.
The only change made was the switch from VSS to Phylock.

My confidence is shaken. Any insights, please?

TomB

I inadvertently misled you in my earlier reply. Below is a summary of the key event log entries surrounding this problem. It appears (guessing?) that the disk it is having problems with is the external USB drive (PDO name: \Device\00000069). I have since checked all of the drives using W10 scans plus chkdsk /f - no issues reported which possibly suggest the USB controller. Bottom line is that this appears to be either my problem or Dell's problem, but IFW is probably off the hook.

Event Log Entries:
----------------------------------------------------
3 of these in rapid succession:

Log Name: System
Source: Disk
Date: 05-Oct-18 11:59:01 AM
Event ID: 153
Task Category: None
Level: Warning
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: XPS15new
Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x5d5ac8 for Disk 1 (PDO name: \Device\00000069) was retried.
------------------
5 minutes later, one of these:

Log Name: Application
Source: Image for Windows
Date: 05-Oct-18 12:04:12 PM
Event ID: 259
Task Category: Backup
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: XPS15new
Description:
Error writing to D:\Backup\XPS15new\Backup-w0-2018-10-05-1154.TBI (Buf:0000000005C60000 CurFP:27551043584 Bytes:991232 Err:79h)
---------------------
Shortly after that the IFW error, 3 of these:

Log Name: System
Source: Disk
Date: 05-Oct-18 12:04:53 PM
Event ID: 153
Task Category: None
Level: Warning
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: XPS15new
Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x5d5ac8 for Disk 1 (PDO name: \Device\00000069) was retried.
------------------------
Followed by 4 of these. And then just one after another, a myriad of NTFS errors (failed to flush data to the transaction log ...)

Log Name: System
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Ntfs
Date: 05-Oct-18 12:08:20 PM
Event ID: 140
Task Category: None
Level: Warning
Keywords: (8)
User: SYSTEM
Computer: XPS15new
Description:
The system failed to flush data to the transaction log. Corruption may occur in VolumeId: D:, DeviceName: \Device\HarddiskVolume8.
({Device Timeout}
The specified I/O operation on %hs was not completed before the time-out period expired.)

as mentioned in prior message, it's your target drive (if it's USB, then it
could include the port, cable, device, and drive itself), trying to write
the file.


"TomByrnes" wrote in message news:[email protected]...

I inadvertently misled you in my earlier reply. Below is a summary of the
key event log entries surrounding this problem. It appears (guessing?) that
the disk it is having problems with is the external USB drive (PDO name:
\Device\00000069). I have since checked all of the drives using W10 scans
plus chkdsk /f - no issues reported which possibly suggest the USB
controller. Bottom line is that this appears to be either my problem or
Dell's problem, but IFW is probably off the hook.

Event Log Entries:
----------------------------------------------------
3 of these in rapid succession:

Log Name: System
Source: Disk
Date: 05-Oct-18 11:59:01 AM
Event ID: 153
Task Category: None
Level: Warning
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: XPS15new
Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x5d5ac8 for Disk 1 (PDO name:
\Device\00000069) was retried.
------------------
5 minutes later, one of these:

Log Name: Application
Source: Image for Windows
Date: 05-Oct-18 12:04:12 PM
Event ID: 259
Task Category: Backup
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: XPS15new
Description:
Error writing to D:\Backup\XPS15new\Backup-w0-2018-10-05-1154.TBI
(Buf:0000000005C60000 CurFP:27551043584 Bytes:991232 Err:79h)
---------------------
Shortly after that the IFW error, 3 of these:

Log Name: System
Source: Disk
Date: 05-Oct-18 12:04:53 PM
Event ID: 153
Task Category: None
Level: Warning
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: XPS15new
Description:
The IO operation at logical block address 0x5d5ac8 for Disk 1 (PDO name:
\Device\00000069) was retried.
------------------------
Followed by 4 of these. And then just one after another, a myriad of NTFS
errors (failed to flush data to the transaction log ...)

Log Name: System
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Ntfs
Date: 05-Oct-18 12:08:20 PM
Event ID: 140
Task Category: None
Level: Warning
Keywords: (8)
User: SYSTEM
Computer: XPS15new
Description:
The system failed to flush data to the transaction log. Corruption may occur
in VolumeId: D:, DeviceName: \Device\HarddiskVolume8.
({Device Timeout}
The specified I/O operation on %hs was not completed before the time-out
period expired.)