My backup's getting fat

[t3rockhall]

When I first started using SD, it was "evaluating" and backing up about 180,000 "files." That jumped to 290,000 (when I started to have some issues with my system). I was having some problems with a corrupt something-or-other in my system (10.3.9) so today I did an archive and reinstall. After I brought it up to date, I moved the archived system folder to a separate external disk partition and deleted it from my HD. then ran TT4, and finally defragged the HD to eliminate all traces of the old system folder (or so I thought). This took one full day -- 8:30 - 5:00. Whew!

But then, after all this work, when I used SD to make an erase and copy backup on the LaCie, it said it was copying 450,000 files. Where the heck are all these "files" coming from?? Should I care? Disk usage in GB is actually down a few, so I'm confused, to say the least.


Edit: I guessed (correctly) that there were some duplicate files. I had put stuff I don't use, like Garage Band, into a folder called "Unused Apps" to clean up the applications folder. Of course, all the apps that get installed with the system ALSO went back into the Applications folder, and I had a bunch of dupes. Now I'm down to 294K -- an improvement, but still fat. Oh well...

Comments would be appreciated.

Edit: The problem with the computer is NOT solved, after all that work. I'm bringing it into the Apple Store today. (If I put it to sleep at night, in the Morning, it's OFF).

Thanks.

[sdsl]

I use SuperDuper on a 10.3.9 system and it evaluates about 400,000 "items" each time, which includes about 65,000 folders and 330,000 files.

Your 450,000 count seems consistent with what I have (considering that there should be a natural variation depending on what software you might have installed that is different from mine). The earlier counts of 180,000 to 290,000 seem to be on the low side, maybe related to your system problems (some components were deleted or missing, file system damage preventing access to some files, or some blocks of your disk went bad?). However when one installs the operating system (whether the original install, or your archive and install), one can select or deselect certain items and that can lead to up to a factor of two or so in disk space needed, and can also certainly affect the file count as well. If you just did an archive and install, I'd strongly suspect your current system is "correct" and it was the earlier system and its lower file counts that were "bad."

In any case, your file counts seem in line with mine in SuperDuper with 10.3.9.

[dnanian]

That doesn't seem unusual to me; individual applications can have thousands of items in their "bundle"... but, are any of your drives showing up with numbers after them?

[t3rockhall]

Originally Posted by dnanian

That doesn't seem unusual to me; individual applications can have thousands of items in their "bundle"... but, are any of your drives showing up with numbers after them?

No, thank heavens. Anyway, my G5 iMac is back at Apple for (probably) a new logic board and (maybe) a new power supply.

Like I said, SD naved my butt again.

[dnanian]

Ugh, again -- sorry to hear it, but I'm glad we were there for you.

[t3rockhall]

I ended up with a new power supply but no new logic board. Tomorrow morning I'll know if the problem is solved. FWIW, Apple turned the iMac around in 24 hours, and I was impressed. I used SD to bring the repaired iMac back up to the external, which I've been using on the old G4 and once again, it proved its worth! Tomorrow I'm heading to my other house and my other iMac, and will use the external and SD to update THAT Mac. This is soooooooo easy....

[dnanian]

Just too bad it's necessary!