Ghost4Me,
  I have much to still check on given all of the information that you have given me. It appears that I do have several updates on the Dell that are not yet installed but I have not yet identified as to whether or not the is a bios upgrade. I will be visiting the Dell website again today and reviewing all of the the Dell issues.
  Last night I did a complete update with Acronis and all looked well. I explored drives F & N backups and they looked normal. I did not mount them which maybe I should do.
  I attempted backups of drives N & F on NG10. Drive N went well and I made two backups. Drive F failed twice. Error/Information messages are herein attached. Apparently there is an I/O problem and difficulty reading certain sectors. This does not appear to be a problem with Acronis  or a problem for NG10 on Drive N which is a partition of Disk3. I am intending to  change Disk3  from Firewire to USB2 as it has both interfaces.

Friday, March 16, 20076:32:32 AM
Description: Error EC8F17B7: Cannot create recovery points for job: Recovery point of F:\. Error E7C3000F: Device \\.\SymantecSnapshot1 cannot read 4160 sectors starting at LBA 263888. Error EBAB03F1: The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error.
Details: 0xE7C3000F
Source: Norton Ghost

Friday, March 16, 20072:46:37 AM
Description: Info 6C8F0437: A scheduled base recovery point of N:\ completed successfully.
Details:
Source: Norton Ghost

Friday, March 16, 200712:44:58 AM
Description: Error EC8F17B7: Cannot create recovery points for job: Recovery point of F:\. Error E7C3000F: Device \\.\SymantecSnapshot1 cannot read 4160 sectors starting at LBA 263888. Error EBAB03F1: The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error.
Details: 0xE7C3000F
Source: Norton Ghost

Friday, March 16, 200712:20:51 AM
Description: Info 6C8F0434: A manual base recovery point of N:\ completed successfully.
Details:
Source: Norton Ghost

Ghost4Me,
 I haven't seen the Blue Screen of Death since I first reported to you that it occurred when shutting down the computer. Dell powered up ok and nary another sign. Don't you just love computers?
 I have looked at the USB configuration. I have a self-powered USB2 hub which has the CX4200 printer/scanner plugged into it, plus floppy, plus card reader, and is plugged into port1 USB2. Drive G: 500GB is plugged into port3. Each USB cable only uses one port of dual ports. Should I place the 2 HD's on the same pair of USB2 ports???, when I change Disk3 from FW to USB2?
 I don't remember there being a problem with defragging drive F and N. Did I mention this?  Anyway this am Analysis of F & N was kind of strange. F said it didnt' need to be defragged and N said it needed to be.  Attempts to defrag N showed little change but completed with "some files could not be defragged". I am currently engaged in defragging F. We will see how it turns out.

Drive N: Before Defrag

Volume DATA1 (N:)
   Volume size                                = 10.13 GB
   Cluster size                               = 8 KB
   Used space                                 = 6.48 GB
   Free space                                 = 3.65 GB
   Percent free space                         = 36 %

Volume fragmentation
   Total fragmentation                        = 27 %
   File fragmentation                         = 55 %
   Free space fragmentation                   = 0 %

File fragmentation
   Total files                                = 92
   Average file size                          = 72 MB
   Total fragmented files                     = 1
   Total excess fragments                     = 2
   Average fragments per file                 = 1.02

Pagefile fragmentation
   Pagefile size                              = 0 bytes
   Total fragments                            = 0

Folder fragmentation
   Total folders                              = 21
   Fragmented folders                         = 1
   Excess folder fragments                    = 0

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fragments       File Size       Most fragmented files
3               3.61 GB         \Downloads\Suse\openSUSE-10.2-GM-DVD-i386.iso



After Defrag:

Volume DATA1 (N:)
   Volume size                                = 10.13 GB
   Cluster size                               = 8 KB
   Used space                                 = 6.48 GB
   Free space                                 = 3.65 GB
   Percent free space                         = 36 %

Volume fragmentation
   Total fragmentation                        = 27 %
   File fragmentation                         = 55 %
   Free space fragmentation                   = 0 %

File fragmentation
   Total files                                = 92
   Average file size                          = 72 MB
   Total fragmented files                     = 1
   Total excess fragments                     = 2
   Average fragments per file                 = 1.02

Pagefile fragmentation
   Pagefile size                              = 0 bytes
   Total fragments                            = 0

Folder fragmentation
   Total folders                              = 21
   Fragmented folders                         = 1
   Excess folder fragments                    = 0

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fragments       File Size       Files that cannot be defragmented
3               3.61 GB         \Downloads\Suse\openSUSE-10.2-GM-DVD-i386.iso

Well Ok that now makes sense. It cannot defrag an ISO.

Guess I need to clean up Drives F & N:

Drive F is now, after removal of several GBs, 13.3GB free.

Failed to backup drive. Still connected FW.

C:\Documents and Settings\Henry>chkdsk F: /r
The type of the file system is FAT32.

Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by ano
process.  Chkdsk may run if this volume is dismounted
ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVAL
Would you like to force a dismount on this volume? (Y
Volume dismounted.  All opened handles to this volume
Volume Serial Number is 17EE-2827
Windows is verifying files and folders...
File and folder verification is complete.
Windows is verifying free space...
Free space verification is complete.
Windows has checked the file system and found no prob
  18,639,104 KB total disk space.
         804 KB in 15 hidden files.
       1,696 KB in 402 folders.
   4,612,004 KB in 2,081 files.
         128 KB in bad sectors.
  14,024,468 KB are available.

       4,096 bytes in each allocation unit.
   4,659,776 total allocation units on disk.
   3,506,117 allocation units available on disk.

Volume (F:)
   Volume size                                = 17.78 GB
   Cluster size                               = 4 KB
   Used space                                 = 4.40 GB
   Free space                                 = 13.37 GB
   Percent free space                         = 75 %

Volume fragmentation
   Total fragmentation                        = 0 %
   File fragmentation                         = 0 %
   Free space fragmentation                   = 0 %

File fragmentation
   Total files                                = 2,087
   Average file size                          = 2 MB
   Total fragmented files                     = 1
   Total excess fragments                     = 1
   Average fragments per file                 = 1.00

Pagefile fragmentation
   Pagefile size                              = 0 bytes
   Total fragments                            = 0

Folder fragmentation
   Total folders                              = 404
   Fragmented folders                         = 7
   Excess folder fragments                    = 21

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fragments       File Size       Most fragmented files
2               20 KB           \System Volume Information\_restore{202550A8-7A33-4BCA-9586-051D24DDBF8F}\RP631\CHANGE.LOG
2               8 KB            \Programs\2.0\BIN
2               8 KB            \Programs\GIMP-2.0\SHARE\GIMP\2.0\BRUSHES
3               12 KB           \Programs\GIMP-2.0\SHARE\GIMP\2.0\gradients
2               8 KB            \Programs\GIMP-2.0\SHARE\GIMP\2.0\PATTERNS
3               16 KB           \Programs\GIMP-2.0\SHARE\GIMP\2.0\SCRIPTS
12              48 KB           \Programs\GIMP-2.0\SHARE\GIMP\2.0\THEMES\Default\IMAGES
4               16 KB           \Programs\GIMP-2.0\LIB\GIMP\2.0\PLUG-INS

I have several programs installed on F including NG. Do you think that there is some sort of interaction here. None of the USB or FW conflicts makes sense. I had to dismount F to run chkdsk. Any thoughts?

I'm patient, what about you? I'm an old electronics troubleshooter from way back. At least this is not one of those here today and gone tomorrow and back the day after. It is persistant. The Blue Screen of Death may be that though.

ok, I can uninstall and reinstall NG10 but I was hoping that maybe I could just move the files. I guess it is cleaner to just do as you suggest.

I ran the check disk yesterday both ways and it was the same. No problemo.

Drive G is connected to the USB2 port on the back of the Dell. All other USB devices are connected to the self-powered hub which is not connected to the same USB pair as Drive G.

I can and will replace FW cabling with USB cabling but I believe after much thought that if that had been a problem it would have shown up on Drive N also since both are part of Disk3. Therefore I am leaning more to some sort of interaction between handlers on Drive F for installed programs. When I brought F up in Suse I noticed that iosys and msdos were both present on the drive.  I think these may be the problem.

I will get back to you after I have uninstalled all programs off of drive F and reinstalled them. Also after changing interface of Drive F to USB2.

Question: If I have backed up files on one drive and wish to reinstall them on drive C can I do so. Will all references in the Registry be correct?

Ok, I am now using USB2 on Disk3, Drives F & N. No change, well not exactly, it did fail to backup Drive F but it looks like the reason has changed at first look. It is now indicating a CRC error.

Description: Error EC8F17B7: Cannot create recovery points for job: Recovery point of F:\. Error E7C3000F: Device \\.\SymantecSnapshot2 cannot read 4160 sectors starting at LBA 266104. Error EBAB03F1: Data error (cyclic redundancy check).
Details: 0xE7C3000F
Source: Norton Ghost

Prior to it just said I/O error. Same thing I guess but some difference.

So now I will go ahead and uninstall NG10. On thing at a time, Baby Steps, until I know just why this creature is putting me through the wringer.

uninstalling and reinstalling:
You are really cautious aren't you. Good troubleshooting techniques to be so.

http://www.google.com/search?&q=EBAB03F1

Just one of many Google results:
http://service1.symantec.com/Support/powerquest.nsf/docid/2005111019380362

Quote:

I can't explain why Ghost 10 is having problems reading the data on F: but TrueImage does not have any problems.

I looked at one of your earlier posts about f: drive.

Quote:


What bothers me is that it says there is 128KB in bad sectors.  While that is not a large amount of bad sectors and the hard drive technology allows for bad sectors (by marking them bad and unusable), most of the time for disks there are 0 KB in bad sectors unless there is some problem with the drive itself.

I hate to give up on a problem and just say "Drive f/n is bad, get rid of it".  But...

I would probably uninstall any programs that are on F: and N: and re-install them on your c: drive.  That's just a safety precaution in case whatever problem is on f: spreads.

Then move all of the data files to either c: or g:.  Then use XP Disk Manager to delete f and n partitions and then define/format a new partition on the drive if you really want to save it.  Use NTFS if possible.

It's not a perfect answer, but gives you a couple options to consider.  (You could search the Internet or your drive manufacturer for drive diagnostics if you want to spend more time on it.)  What is the brand/model of the firewire/usb2 external?

Quote:

We don't know if the other possible errors on f: partition are in USED sectors or UNUSED sectors.  If the errors are in unsed sectors, then TI would not be reading them or trying to back them up.  The algorithms are different; its possible Ghost was writing to the f: partition at the end of the backup process as part of reconciling.  As I mentioned previously, TI uses memory primarily, not the drive for working space.

As I recall, you had only about 4gb of used space on f: so clearing that off should not be too bad.

I like your plan to reformat f/n into one drive.  Be sure and NOT check the quick format option.  You want the reformat process to rewrite every sector.

Please post back if Ghost 10 is able to backup the reformatted f/n.

What is the brand/model of the f/n firewire/usb2 external?