Backup problem for Profiles folder, Netscape 7.1

Hi,
I'm always having a problem completing a backup/copy of my Profiles folder. I followed instructions re closing Netscape and deactivating Quick Launch. Yet I also found instructions that simply say Copy, then Paste the folder. I don't understand why every time I try either approach -- and even if copying starts -- I get some sort of error message and copying does not complete. I have a nice, big external hard drive that I'd like to back my mail up to on a regular basis. Help, please!

 

Brenda,

Have you created a folder for your backup? If you will post the exact error it would be very helpful.

Thanks!

 

I created a folder on my external Maxtor hard drive. One back up/copy attempt copied Profiles -> Default User -> *.slt folder and some 17 objects out of 45. I can’t tell where it stopped.

I made a similar attempt to back up/copy to a Zip drive. One back up/copy attempt copied Profiles -> Default User -> *.slt folder and some 27 objects out of 45. On another attempt, error message was "Cannot copy parent: It is being used by another person or program. Close any programs that might be using the file and try again." Repeated this with Netscape closed and Quick launch disabled. The same error message displayed.

With Netscape closed and Quick launch disabled, repeated attempt to back up/copy to external Maxtor hard drive. The same error message displayed.

 

Brenda,

You definitely have to close the program before copying the Profiles folder, thus the error. Do this for me: right click the Profiles folder, select: Properties. Please post the size of the folder.

 

Current size of my Profiles folder is 1.90 GB.

 

Brenda,

Even if your Zip Drive is a 250 MB, then that is why you cannot backup to that drive. Your Profiles folder is over 1 GB, which equals 1,024 MB.

On your external HDD, unless you have at least 1.9 GB free, then that may be why you are unable to backup the Profiles folder. You may have to free up some space on the external HDD.

 

In any event, it is vital to save as much as necessary. With a Profile as large as that, either the mail folders were not compacted, or a lot of mail is being saved.
With uncompacted folders, one may be backing up a lot of of unneeded mail, which is still associated with the Inbox, or whatever, though deleted.
If not compacted, mail will stop working.

 

I realized Zip was too small. I tried it just to see if a second location would react differently. Yes, my Profile is large. But my external Maxtor is 500 GB with more than enough free space. I have compacted before and, precisely, now I'm attempting to back up before new compacting (and also want to back up again after compacting).

I also tried backup again this morning, before even opening Netscape at all and with Quick launch disabled. Same error.

Does anyone understand the reason for the original error message : "Cannot copy parent: It is being used by another person or program. Close any programs that might be using the file and try again� Isn't it odd that one of my attempts copies 17 files, then another 27 files. What's causing the copying to stop? I once thought the *.slt file was a major issue. Is anyone having success with a simple copy of their Profiles folder?

 

Brenda,

This error:

"Cannot copy parent. There has been a sharing violation.
The source, or destination file may be in use."

means that the program is running. Have you checked the Task Manager to see if Netscape is listed? If so, then "End Task" on the program.

On the Maxtor Knowledge Base I found this KB Article: Answer ID 1222

So it appears that only those files which have changed are being copied. This is also the way my backup software works.

 

I am still trying to learn this and I'm curious what the backup software is that Brenda and Ramona are using.

Thanks, Ray

 

I use Iomega Backup for frequent backups to my Iomega External HDD, and I use Ghost for system backups.

 

Unreal! This time I tried the following and the backup/copy worked with a simple drag-copy: With Netscape closed, Quick Launch disabled, Netscape not listed in the Task Manager, I simply copied the *.slt folder. It worked! -- for the full 44 objects in my *.slt folder.

This means that I didn't try to copy the Profiles folder, even though my *.slt folder is within the Profiles folder. My tree has only two branches: 1) Profiles -> default and 2) Profiles -> Default User -> *.slt folder. The default folder has no subfolders and the Default User folder has only the *.slt subfolder, etc.

(I'm not sure backup software was an issue since for the moment it was an attempt to do a simple Windows copy-paste or drag-copy of the folder).

I wonder why some part of the process is unhappy with an attempt to copy the Profiles folder.

Thanks, everyone, for your input. I may try again without disabling Quick Launch and let you all know what happens.

 

I give up. I just tried the same process again, once with Quick Launch enabled and once with it disabled. Again, I got the same error message as before. Yet all other conditions were the same. Go figure? No wonder I'm never backing up my mail as often as I'd like to.

 

Brenda,

You must close Netscape and Quick Launch, before doing any editing in Netscape. Having Quick Launch open means that the program (Netscape) is open.

If you can't back up to your external HDD, then simply create a backup folder on your C: drive, and copy the *.slt folder there... Ensure that you exit both Netscape and Quick Launch before you attempt the copy/paste.

 

And, of course, one has to take into consideration the available space on the external drive.