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Question

Windows 8 backup stalls at 97% on 2 laptops.

Jul 7, 2013 7:07AM PDT

This happens on 2 different laptops, a Lenova Ideapad and a Sony Vaio. There are several posts on the web about this, but I can't find any solutions.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Me too.
Jul 8, 2013 2:58AM PDT

If you've been around the block a few times in Richmond, WA you've learned to test MSFT's backup and then ignore it.

I know it probably worked in the labs but here it fails too.

My message? -> Use anything else.
Bob

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Answer
Just completed a backup
Aug 14, 2013 12:12AM PDT

Just completed a back-up on Windows 8 after looking at a 97% complete message for several hours, and cancelling and restarting the process a couple of times. In the end it turned out that what failed was the progress bar, and the percentage. With the default settings the backup program from Windows 7 first makes a backup of the user files, and then a complete copy of the system disk. Throughout most of the copy of the system disk the program reported that it was 97% complete. I ended up monitoring the amount of free space on the disk the backup was written to in Explorer to convince myself that something was happening and after more than 2 hours of 97% complete the backup did fully complete.

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My backup suggestions
Aug 14, 2013 1:07AM PDT

I suggest you get away from the Windows backup program and get yourself a good commercial backup program. I've seen forums fraught with problem reports for the Windows one. I know I was very unimpressed when I tried it. Three I'm familiar with and like are Norton Ghost (which I've been using since 2004 without the 1st problem), Easeus Todo Backup Free, which you can download from http://www.todo-backup.com/products/home/free-backup-software.htm and Memeo which has a 30 day free trial and you can buy it for $29.99 - you can download it from http://memeo.com . Unfortunately Symnantec in its wisdom is discontinuing sales of Ghost and decided never to provide a Windows 8 compatible version. Sad
The March 2012 issue of PC World was very high on the FREE program from Easeus and so is CNET. In my experience with a variety of configurations I have to say I'm very impressed. Like Ghost it will back up to a networked drive, and it will create a boot CD for when your PC won't boot. See CNET's review of it at
http://download.cnet.com/Easeus-Todo-Backup-Free/3000-2242_4-10964460.html?tag=mncol;1#editorsreview .
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CNET has a lot of backup program reviews at
http://download.cnet.com/windows/backup-software/?tag=contentBody;sideBar .

Some of these are free (last time I checked there were over 300), some have free trials (over 1000), and some are purchase only (over 200).
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External hard drives are best for backup. You can get a 500 GB one for around $60 and a 1 TB one for around $70. You can also buy a 32 GB flash drive for under $15. It's the best insurance you can ever buy!

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I hope this helps. Good luck