New disk claims to be 98% empty, but really isn't

johnscott99

johnscott99

New Member
TLDR: Old HDD backed up via FTP. New HDD wont recover back over FTP.


Note: Due to lack of space over the last couple of years - we don't record in HD only SD.

Long version:
I backed up my 500GB factory installed HDD using FTP (FileZilla) overnight. ~80-% full.
I then installed 2TB HDD (Seagate Pipeline). Timed it and it took 14 minutes to undo all 11 screws, replace HDD and rebuild the Humax (hardest part was the fan power wire).
Formatted the new drive using TV interface and it's reporting 100% free. It's kept the schedule of upcoming recordings.

Then I use FTP (FileZilla) to copy back.

It's all looking good and is putting recording back.
ACE!

Then after about an hour it stops. It's done all the root programs, and a couple of folders.

I check the Humax via TV and the disk is 98% full.
I check via CFW webpage and it's practically empty. (the pie chart on the main page)
I click on disk usage in web page and it's showing as 100% full.

Thing is, it continues to record and work as a HUMAX with a massive empty HDD. While I'm checking web pages and this forum for clues it's recording Tony Robinson talking about cowboys.

Odd.

I think it could be a problem with FTP. I'm using the HUMAX built in FTP - not CFW offering (yet).

Because I backed it up to a portable USB HDD attached to my PC (I'm not as thick as I sound), I took the USB drive to the HUMAX, attached it and started the copy back via USB. (slow and I can't see progress other than programmes appearing in the recordings).
This is how I left it when I left for work this morning. It had created two folders and copied back the entire series of "American History's Greatest Fibs" and was working on "Back in Time for School".

(I'm in work now and can't get any further information until tonight - in case anyone asks me to run some command line diagnostics).

Has anyone experienced this. Am I doomed?

Ta
John
 
It's not very good at handling large transfers, even connected by USB. You will probably be better switching off FTP and using the CF betaftpd package, but I advise managing the transfers in batches.
 
Excellent: someone with a bit of experience.

Thanks Black Hole!

To be honest, when we move stuff over to external HDD hard drive we move in small batches. I guess I'm just being a bit eager.
The FTP from the HUMAX worked in one batch without any problems. But that's going to a Windows PC with 32gb ram, i5 processor, SSD etc. Poor little HUMAX will have been swamped with my FTP abuse.

This makes complete sense.
 
I would advise connecting the backup by USB as you have and then using rsync -- see my previous post for instructions to be adapted.

Then you can have a verified copy with progress indication in the telnet session. Use abduco, discussed elsewhere in this forum, to run the copy in a detachable session that will survive the loss of the telnet connection.
 
Hmmm. I would have used a tower PC with several SATA ports, cloned the old drive to the new drive with a G4U LiveUSB, then booted a PartED LiveUSB and resized the media partition to fill the newer, bigger drive space. In fact I'm pretty sure I did just this when I upgraded my old Foxsat HDR from 320GB to 2TB about six years ago. Saved a lot of ballache worrying about slow FTP transfers that may or may not work etc.

As a general rule of thumb, the main problem I have with these boxes is asking them to do too much. At some point they run out of RAM or the Humax software underneath the CFW trips and the whole box locks up. Removing that element where possible makes a big difference, especially for things that can be done externally
 
zekepliskin said:
Hmmm. I would have used a tower PC with several SATA ports, cloned the old drive to the new drive with a G4U LiveUSB, then booted a PartED LiveUSB and resized the media partition to fill the newer, bigger drive space.
Click to expand...
great tip for the future. I seem to have managed quite well with my original hdd spacewise. and I know that all good things (hdd) come to an end. so, i'll try to remember this.
 
mihaid said:
great tip for the future. I seem to have managed quite well with my original hdd spacewise. and I know that all good things (hdd) come to an end. so, i'll try to remember this.
Click to expand...

Yep as soon as you start getting SMART errors and/or you can hear the disk starting to struggle (like making the same noise over and over, usually a sign it's repeatedly trying to read a bad sector and failing) it's time to move everything if you haven't already been backing it up.

Cloning and resizing drives has saved me a lot of time over the years. Even for NTFS partitions which could be done under Windows, it's usually quicker to just take the source drive and clone it block by block onto the new drive. The speed is usually more consistent over time as it's moving the same amount of data per chunk rather than being slowed down by having to copy lots of tiny files in a row which for mechanical devices isn't ideal. Then when you've cloned it, fix the partition table to fill the space if the new drive is bigger. Using a dedicated Linux-based LiveUSB almost guarantees stability as the PC you're using for the job is dedicated to one task, not trying to also run an entire OS underneath which may or may not slow things down by accessing the disks you're using for the copy.
 
zekepliskin said:
Yep as soon as you start getting SMART errors and/or you can hear the disk starting to struggle (like making the same noise over and over, usually a sign it's repeatedly trying to read a bad sector and failing) it's time to move everything if you haven't already been backing it up.
Click to expand...
Would cloning not copy the bad sector?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top