Copying files to a network drive + there is not enough space - noprompt to overwrite ?

Hi All,

Ok, old problem that I gave up on a while back, revisiting now I have
installed Vista SP1

Though it's made diddly squat difference.

I have a Windows 2003 fileserver which I copy my main data folder on
my PC onto for backup purposes.

The network share is about 40GB total size.

The data on my PC is about 25GB

So if I overwrite the data each time there is planty of disk space.

I've copied this to the server many many times over the years,
overwriting the data on the network share with the newer data on my
PC.

ie I overwrite say 25GB data on the network share usually with
slightly more each time I do it and elect to overwrite all files on
target destination when prompted to do so.

Since I've had Vista when I try and do the same thing it does this
calculating disk space monkey business and then says that the is not
enough disk space and that I need about 10GB more free disk space in
order to do the job ! ..What ! ????

It's not figuring or asking me if I may just want to overwrite files
on the target destination !

If it asked me if I wanted to overwrite the files on the target
destination, like all other operating systems do, then I'd be fine..
I've been doing this woth XP for years..

Anyone know the solution to this ?

Up unitl now I've gone through the labourious process of deleting all
the files on the target destination before I start..but that's just a
complete pain.

What is the solution, there has to be one....surely this isn't a
bug ? ...is it ?

Jim.

> What is the solution, there has to be one....surely this isn't a
> bug ? ...is it ?
>
> Jim.


BTW...it works if I use xcopy.....

Why shouldn't the GUI/Windows Explorer work exactly the same way ?

Puzzled..( but not surprised..)

Jim.

Try copying from a command prompt or a batch file with the /y switch.
e.g. xcopy /y [path] [destination]
-------
*Report back, please*

<> wrote in message
news:970ce156-1672-4d80-81ad-...
> Hi All,
>
> Ok, old problem that I gave up on a while back, revisiting now I have
> installed Vista SP1
>
> Though it's made diddly squat difference.
>
> I have a Windows 2003 fileserver which I copy my main data folder on
> my PC onto for backup purposes.
>
> The network share is about 40GB total size.
>
> The data on my PC is about 25GB
>
> So if I overwrite the data each time there is planty of disk space.
>
> I've copied this to the server many many times over the years,
> overwriting the data on the network share with the newer data on my
> PC.
>
> ie I overwrite say 25GB data on the network share usually with
> slightly more each time I do it and elect to overwrite all files on
> target destination when prompted to do so.
>
> Since I've had Vista when I try and do the same thing it does this
> calculating disk space monkey business and then says that the is not
> enough disk space and that I need about 10GB more free disk space in
> order to do the job ! ..What ! ????
>
> It's not figuring or asking me if I may just want to overwrite files
> on the target destination !
>
> If it asked me if I wanted to overwrite the files on the target
> destination, like all other operating systems do, then I'd be fine..
> I've been doing this woth XP for years..
>
> Anyone know the solution to this ?
>
> Up unitl now I've gone through the labourious process of deleting all
> the files on the target destination before I start..but that's just a
> complete pain.
>
> What is the solution, there has to be one....surely this isn't a
> bug ? ...is it ?
>
> Jim.

<> wrote in message
news:970ce156-1672-4d80-81ad-...
> Hi All,
>
> Ok, old problem that I gave up on a while back, revisiting now I have
> installed Vista SP1
>
> Though it's made diddly squat difference.
>
> I have a Windows 2003 fileserver which I copy my main data folder on
> my PC onto for backup purposes.
>
> The network share is about 40GB total size.
>
> The data on my PC is about 25GB
>
> So if I overwrite the data each time there is planty of disk space.
>
> I've copied this to the server many many times over the years,
> overwriting the data on the network share with the newer data on my
> PC.
>
> ie I overwrite say 25GB data on the network share usually with
> slightly more each time I do it and elect to overwrite all files on
> target destination when prompted to do so.
>
> Since I've had Vista when I try and do the same thing it does this
> calculating disk space monkey business and then says that the is not
> enough disk space and that I need about 10GB more free disk space in
> order to do the job ! ..What ! ????
>
> It's not figuring or asking me if I may just want to overwrite files
> on the target destination !
>
> If it asked me if I wanted to overwrite the files on the target
> destination, like all other operating systems do, then I'd be fine..
> I've been doing this woth XP for years..
>
> Anyone know the solution to this ?
>
> Up unitl now I've gone through the labourious process of deleting all
> the files on the target destination before I start..but that's just a
> complete pain.
>
> What is the solution, there has to be one....surely this isn't a
> bug ? ...is it ?
>


The best way to do this is with robocopy.

ROBOCOPY source destination /MIR

will mirror the source. This only copies files that are different. It will
also delete files at the destination if they don't exist at the source. I
use this for backups all the time. You can create a script (.CMD file),
create a shortcut to the script on your desktop, then double click the
shortcut to do a backup. If you don't want to mirror the source then
robocopy has a very rich set of switches that can do almost anything you
want when copying files.

--
Kerry Brown
MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/

On 6 Apr, 15:38, "Kerry Brown" <ke...@kdbNOSPAMsys-tems.c*a*m> wrote:
> <jdr.sm...@virgin.net> wrote in message
>
> news:970ce156-1672-4d80-81ad-...
>
>
>
>
>
> > Hi All,
>
> > Ok, old problem that I gave up on a while back, revisiting now I have
> > installed Vista SP1
>
> > Though it's made diddly squat difference.
>
> > I have a Windows 2003 fileserver which I copy my main data folder on
> > my PC onto for backup purposes.
>
> > The network share is about 40GB total size.
>
> > The data on my PC is about 25GB
>
> > So if I overwrite the data each time there is planty of disk space.
>
> > I've copied this to the server many many times over the years,
> > overwriting the data on the network share with the newer data on my
> > PC.
>
> > ie I overwrite say 25GB data on the network share usually with
> > slightly more each time I do it and elect to overwrite all files on
> > target destination when prompted to do so.
>
> > Since I've had Vista when I try and do the same thing it does this
> > calculating disk space monkey business and then says that the is not
> > enough disk space and that I need about 10GB more free disk space in
> > order to do the job ! ..What ! ????
>
> > It's not figuring or asking me if I may just want to overwrite files
> > on the target destination !
>
> > If it asked me if I wanted to overwrite the files on the target
> > destination, like all other operating systems do, then I'd be fine..
> > I've been doing this woth XP for years..
>
> > Anyone know the solution to this ?
>
> > Up unitl now I've gone through the labourious process of deleting all
> > the files on the target destination before I start..but that's just a
> > complete pain.
>
> > What is the solution, there has to be one....surely this isn't a
> > bug ? ...is it ?
>
> The best way to do this is with robocopy.

You're all missing the point..

Why can I not do this in Windows Explorer anymore ?

Like I said in mu second post, I already tried xcopy, it works just
fine.

It only doesn't work if I do a copy and paste from Windows Explorer..

Earlier I just rebooted into XP Pro and did it from there instead..

But why should I need to go to these lengths ? surely Vista should
just start the copy and prompt me to overwrite when it gets to the
relavent data that already exists on the target, the same way that XP
works.

Jim.

<snipped>

>> > Anyone know the solution to this ?
>>

<snipped>

> But why should I need to go to these lengths ? surely Vista should
> just start the copy and prompt me to overwrite when it gets to the
> relavent data that already exists on the target, the same way that XP
> works.
>

You asked if anyone knows the solution for this. The solution is to use
robocopy which is the replacement for xcopy.

--
Kerry Brown
MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/