Problems Backing up old laptop with DOS archivers

[Computer Nerd Kev]

Hello,

I have an old laptop from 1992 running MS-DOS 5. I wish to
format the machine's HDD due to an incorrect disk size
specification in BIOS when it was last formatted.

The computer has 16MB RAM and a 100MHz 486DX2 CPU.

On this machine are about 500MB of files with over 5000
directory entries which I want to replace on the HDD after
formatting by storing the data on 100MB Zip disks.

After ruling out many backup programs which would only create
a disk image and thus replace the formatting if the files were
to be restored, then finding that transferring the files to
another computer via serial link won't work because MS-Kermit
doesn't handle directory sending, I decided on using a
compression program for the job.

To cut to the chase, five archiving programs later I'm still
no closer to my (seemingly simple) goal.

Here are the programs I have tried, the problems I have had
with them and the CLI switches used (modified greatly in later
attempts):

Info-Zip:
^^^^^^^^^
Out of memory error after a significant number of files.
Switches: -9 -v -S -sv -sp -sb -s 95M

PKzip:
^^^^^^
Only allows disk spanning for floppy disks.

IMP:
^^^^
Stops after about 66 files, this changes
depending on TSRs running.
Switches: -e -p -r -u800 -v95000k

ARJ:
^^^^
Always stops at 61 files, 1,413,906 bytes.
TSRs make no change.
Switches: -hm! -r -v95M

TAR:
^^^^
Seems to convert filenames to forwards slashes,
then crashes.
Switches: -M -P


I'm running EMM386 and HIMEM.SYS and at the very least, the
documentation for IMP indicates that it shouldn't be running
out of memory, especially so early on.

I would love recommendations of other programs or different
CLI switches because frankly, I'm out of ideas.

[Klaus Meinhard]

Hallo Computer Nerd Kev,

Post by Computer Nerd Kev
To cut to the chase, five archiving programs later I'm still
no closer to my (seemingly simple) goal.

IIRC, DOS 5 had native but external backup and restore commands. Have
you tried these?

[A***@NOT.AT.Arargh.com]

On Sat, 22 Oct 2011 11:10:18 +0200, "Klaus Meinhard"

Post by Klaus Meinhard
Hallo Computer Nerd Kev,

Post by Computer Nerd Kev
To cut to the chase, five archiving programs later I'm still
no closer to my (seemingly simple) goal.

IIRC, DOS 5 had native but external backup and restore commands. Have
you tried these?

But, you had to use DOS 5 for the restore, IIRC.

[Computer Nerd Kev]

Post by Klaus Meinhard
IIRC, DOS 5 had native but external backup and restore
commands. Have you tried these?

Oh good grief, here I was looking all over the net for software
to do this when it was right under my nose!

The MS-DOS backup program worked perfectly and I now have my
laptop back in action.

Many thanks for pointing it out to me.

[Todd Vargo]

Post by Computer Nerd Kev
Hello,
I have an old laptop from 1992 running MS-DOS 5. I wish to
format the machine's HDD due to an incorrect disk size
specification in BIOS when it was last formatted.
The computer has 16MB RAM and a 100MHz 486DX2 CPU.
On this machine are about 500MB of files with over 5000
directory entries which I want to replace on the HDD after
formatting by storing the data on 100MB Zip disks.
After ruling out many backup programs which would only create
a disk image and thus replace the formatting if the files were
to be restored, then finding that transferring the files to
another computer via serial link won't work because MS-Kermit
doesn't handle directory sending, I decided on using a
compression program for the job.
To cut to the chase, five archiving programs later I'm still
no closer to my (seemingly simple) goal.
Here are the programs I have tried, the problems I have had
with them and the CLI switches used (modified greatly in later
^^^^^^^^^
Out of memory error after a significant number of files.
Switches: -9 -v -S -sv -sp -sb -s 95M
^^^^^^
Only allows disk spanning for floppy disks.
^^^^
Stops after about 66 files, this changes
depending on TSRs running.
Switches: -e -p -r -u800 -v95000k
^^^^
Always stops at 61 files, 1,413,906 bytes.
TSRs make no change.
Switches: -hm! -r -v95M
^^^^
Seems to convert filenames to forwards slashes,
then crashes.
Switches: -M -P
I'm running EMM386 and HIMEM.SYS and at the very least, the
documentation for IMP indicates that it shouldn't be running
out of memory, especially so early on.
I would love recommendations of other programs or different
CLI switches because frankly, I'm out of ideas.

You did not indicate how many zip disks you have available. Do not try to
create a backup using a single zip command. Instead, figure out the size of
each directory on the root and back them up separately in groups of 100mb.
It's DOS 5 so the root only holds 255 entries but most people do not have
that much on the root.

[Computer Nerd Kev]

Post by Todd Vargo
You did not indicate how many zip disks you have available.

7 zip disks and a bit over 500MB data, so no real limit in
that regard.

Post by Todd Vargo
Do not try to create a backup using a single zip command.
Instead, figure out the size of each directory on the root
and back them up separately in groups of 100mb.

A lot of the data is small files in different directories and
I couldn't think of an easy way to work out 100MB groups of
these files using DOS (the laptop isn't running anything
else).

Post by Todd Vargo
It's DOS 5 so the root only holds 255 entries but most
people do not have that much on the root.

The DOS 5 manual states that the limit is 512 for directories
in the root (less for floppies), however it was sixty
directories when DOS decided it wouldn't let me write any more
in the root and I'm definitely on DOS 5. Not that it matters
much.