Norton 360 v.6 - backup deletion REALLY SLOW!!!

weirving · ‎05-01-2012

I have been running Norton 360 backup for some time now, backing up to an external drive (NOT online backup). Eventually, Norton tells me my drive is full and will not accept any more backups. I cannot delete my backup set because I only have one and Norton won't let me do it. So I follow the directions, select ALL my backed up files in my backup set - all 500 GB of them - and start the deletion process.

When I say "process" I'm not kidding. The deletion is SO SLOW that emptying my drive so that I can start backing up again, if I extrapolate from my current rate of file deletion, will take around FORTY-SIX DAYS!!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME????

Let's see... How is this going to work? How shall I manage this?

Set up deletion of backup files according to Norton 360's recommendations.
Go get a haircut.
Wait until I need another haircut. <cue in audio of chirping crickets>
Check my computer! Deletion "process" should be just about done!

As far as I can tell, there is not any other way to delete my previous backup files. Apparently this snail-like speed is a common complaint. I read one recommendation on these boards to just "re-format" the drive and start over. SERIOUSLY??? Is that the best that Norton tech support can come up with? Or maybe I should just go down to Staples and buy another drive; they're cheap these days!

Did you folks actually DESIGN this backup to work this way?? PLEASE say no....

bkout · ‎05-02-2012

LOL! Yes! I also was concerned that it would take 30 days based on the number of files deleted overnight. It's not that bad -- chat helped me figure it out. Use Explorer to find the N360_Backup file and delete it directly. Then run a backup so that you only have the latest info. The first backup will take a while (overnight??) since it has to do everything from scratch. From that point the backup should only run based on incremental changes and I'm hoping the space required will not be as great.

weirving wrote:
I have been running Norton 360 backup for some time now, backing up to an external drive (NOT online backup). Eventually, Norton tells me my drive is full and will not accept any more backups. I cannot delete my backup set because I only have one and Norton won't let me do it. So I follow the directions, select ALL my backed up files in my backup set - all 500 GB of them - and start the deletion process.

When I say "process" I'm not kidding. The deletion is SO SLOW that emptying my drive so that I can start backing up again, if I extrapolate from my current rate of file deletion, will take around FORTY-SIX DAYS!!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME????

Let's see... How is this going to work? How shall I manage this?

Set up deletion of backup files according to Norton 360's recommendations.
Go get a haircut.
Wait until I need another haircut. <cue in audio of chirping crickets>
Check my computer! Deletion "process" should be just about done!

As far as I can tell, there is not any other way to delete my previous backup files. Apparently this snail-like speed is a common complaint. I read one recommendation on these boards to just "re-format" the drive and start over. SERIOUSLY??? Is that the best that Norton tech support can come up with? Or maybe I should just go down to Staples and buy another drive; they're cheap these days!

Did you folks actually DESIGN this backup to work this way?? PLEASE say no....

weirving · ‎05-01-2012

bkout wrote:
LOL! Yes! I also was concerned that it would take 30 days based on the number of files deleted overnight. It's not that bad -- chat helped me figure it out. Use Explorer to find the N360_Backup file and delete it directly. Then run a backup so that you only have the latest info. The first backup will take a while (overnight??) since it has to do everything from scratch. From that point the backup should only run based on incremental changes and I'm hoping the space required will not be as great.

_______________________________________________________________

N360_Backup??? This appears to be a folder, NOT a file...

So, do I just deep-six that whole folder, with all its zillions of files (Well...I exaggerate - there are only 123,115 files, but who's counting?) with long filenames of alpha-numeric hash that make sense only to Norton 360? Then run the backup again as you recommend? Will I have to worry about Norton 360 Backup becoming confused by that action? To preclude this, maybe it would be wise to create a new backup set, and then delete the old one? Or am I overthinking this? Can I really just re-run backup using that same original backup set? It would be less of a P.I.T.A. for sure.

Thanks for your help!

redstick · ‎02-21-2010

There are several current post with similar issues. With V6, i can not find the settngs for an incremental backup. Everytime I run the backup, it creates a new backup, and eventually, I run out of HDD space.

bkout · ‎05-02-2012

Based on going thru this with the chat guys it seems more straightforward than I might have thought. There are several Norton/

Symantec folders/locations so it can be confusing. If you highlight your C drive in Explorer you should see the Backup folder on the right like below. I deleted it and then did an immediate backup. The folder is about 1/4 the size now so I gained a lot of space. Good to clean the registry and defrag the registry and disk afterwards. If you want to play it safe (I'm no techie!) just go to chat and have them walk you thru it or they can take over control and do it for you. Let us know your experience -- seems like this problem has come up a lot and it would be good to have a solution.

weirving · ‎05-01-2012

Hmmm....

I see no

bkout wrote:
Based on going thru this with the chat guys it seems more straightforward than I might have thought. There are several Norton/
Symantec folders/locations so it can be confusing. If you highlight your C drive in Explorer you should see the Backup folder on the right like below. I deleted it and then did an immediate backup. The folder is about 1/4 the size now so I gained a lot of space. Good to clean the registry and defrag the registry and disk afterwards. If you want to play it safe (I'm no techie!) just go to chat and have them walk you thru it or they can take over control and do it for you. Let us know your experience -- seems like this problem has come up a lot and it would be good to have a solution.

I see no "backup" folder on my C:\ drive or anywhere else. Nor do I see anything that looks remotely like the GIF you attached. I've just said **bleep**-it-all and decided to go with "The Nuclear Option" - I've just grabbed the "N360_BACKUP" folder and dropped it in the trash... THERE! .... It's done! Either it will recreate itself when I run the backup or I will have broken the application.

I tried diplomacy... It's late, and I've run out of patience... Now it's time to do it the American Way - by force and intimidation!

I'll let everyone know what the end result is.

redstick · ‎02-21-2010

I'm thinking that the actual location might vary, based on OS. My XP Pro has the folder in Windows\system32. The bigger question is why does 360 keep creating/adding to the existing backup, rather than only replacing the files that have been changed.

bkout · ‎05-02-2012

hmm -- I'm confused -- if you didn't see the 360_BACKUP folder on your C drive or anywhere else then where did you grab it from?

I guess if you do a backup you can then do a search for the folder if you want to know where it is. I would suggest that you run your fresh backup right away so you're not out there nekked

bkout · ‎05-02-2012

redstick wrote:
I'm thinking that the actual location might vary, based on OS. My XP Pro has the folder in Windows\system32. The bigger question is why does 360 keep creating/adding to the existing backup, rather than only replacing the files that have been changed.

see my post on http://community.norton.com/t5/Norton-360/Over-writing-back-ups/td-p/704303 for some thouhgts

weirving · ‎05-01-2012

bkout wrote:
hmm -- I'm confused -- if you didn't see the 360_BACKUP folder on your C drive or anywhere else then where did you grab it from?
I guess if you do a backup you can then do a search for the folder if you want to know where it is. I would suggest that you run your fresh backup right away so you're not out there nekked

I was directed to find the 360_BACKUP FILE - NOT folder. I didn't find any FILE so named. I did find the FOLDER named 360_BACKUP - In TWO PLACES!!!

I found it on the external drive I designated, AND another external drive NOT designated as a backup destination. I don't know how or why Norton did this, but I deleted both locations. Norton STILL showed the one location and not the other as its destination, and when the backup was started, STILL tried to backup to BOTH locations!

So, I deleted both locations again, dismounted BOTH drives, then rebooted. After that, I remounted ONE of the drives - the one to which I actually want the backup to go. FInally, I re-designated the desired destination and started the backup.

It appears to be backing up properly now. But I won't say "Eureka" until the end and the backup is deemed "successful."

You know, the FIRST THINGS about a good backup program is that it should not only be easy and intuitive (Norton 360 is turning out to be NEITHER), it should be ROCK RELIABLE! If it's too much of a PITA to use, IT WON'T GET USED! If one can't trust it, IT WON'T GET USED!

I am seriously considering, when my renewal time comes up in about a month, dumping this kludge for something I can TRUST! I don't know what Norton did to this program, but the previous two versions worked. THIS ONE does not seem to work worth a **bleep**. Is this somebody's idea of PROGRESS??

Another good rule of thumb that ALL software companies should heed - Norton is not the only offender here - is that UNLESS THEY WORK AT LEAST AS WELL AS THE OLD VERSIONS, there should not be any NEW versions!! Sounds obvious, right?