Backup keeps failing...

[XtrGamer]

My laptop's getting slow so I want to format. But I can't seem to backup my data on my external hard drive. This 500GB drive already contains the backup of my other laptop, but it has just about enough space to contain the backup of this one, too. It has 283GB free and my computer has only 277.5GB stored data.

I tried backing up my data to it using Windows Backup & Restore, but around halfway through it says that a backup file could not be created because of an I/O device error (the error code is 0x8078002A). I've done this several times with the same results. I ran a Chkdsk on my hard drive as admin, but in normal mode. Windows found no problems.

How can I fix this?

[patio]

You need to make more room on the external...it needs swap space as well as backup space for the image to be successful.

[Geek-9pm]

You need to make more room on the external...it needs swap space as well as backup space for the image to be successful.

Best answer.
Here is another:

Some Windows 7 users complain that upon backing up the computer, they keep on receiving a message error code 0X8078002A every time. Thus, they cannot back it up properly. When searching the web, we find quite a number of cases involving this same problem; but none of them seemed to be resolved. If you are one of the victims of this error, here you may find solutions to deal with it immediately.

http://www.windowserrorhelps.com/how-to-get-rid-of-windows-7-backup-error-code-0x8078002a
Which basically says the same as Patio said.

[XtrGamer]

You need to make more room on the external...it needs swap space as well as backup space for the image to be successful.

Hey you're the one who always help me! 

How much space should I free up? It should work if I free up space on my internal too right?

[patio]

As much as you can...

[XtrGamer]

Please be more specific. I managed with great difficulty to free up a lot of space. I am now using 192.2GB of used data on my laptop and 300GB free space on my external. How much longer must I go on?

[BC_Programmer]

The Windows Backup/Restore tool is senselessly bad at either backing up or restoring, IMO.

-It will apparently fail on "Advanced Format" Drives, which use a 4K physical sector.
-It is reported that it often fails with USB Devices.
-A myriad of other issues, usually with equally descriptive errors and arbitrary, generic "Device I/O Errors" because the backup tool makes huge assumptions about the disks it is backing up to.

My advice would be to dump the Windows Backup/Restore tool entirely and use something like Macrium Reflect to create a disk image of your laptop drive and save it on the external. You'll be able to access the contents of the image piecemeal if desired as well.

[patio]

Couldn't agree more...

[Geek-9pm]

Macrium Reflect.
Good program!
Download for the site or fem Major Geeks
http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/macrium_reflect_free_edition.html
The program can also create a bookable CD. Which you must do before you need it.

[XtrGamer]

It worked thanks everybody.