Backup copying seems at a standstill

Hi Steffani
Thats not much Info to go on.....?
Are you using TimeMachine or perhaps Carbon Copy Cloner to "BackUp"?

Is the drive full? Click on drive icon then Cmd I for Info.
Use the Drive Utility in your Applications / Utilities folder to wipe and erase & reformat your hard drive.
The best way to Test your drive is to Run the Drive Utility once a year, If security Option is selected it will test the whole surface for faults. But it takes 2-3 hours (good for overnight test)
Make sure you copy any needed files first.

My rule of thumb is
If your in an Office environment working on the computer all day then use TimeMachine
Otherwise use CCC as TimeMachine hourly backups are a waste of time for the average home user. And harder to recover data.
One CC Clone made every couple of months is adequate and if you need a little more then drag the USER folder over to the external HD each week. The rest should be in your clone, Which.... By-The-Way is Bootable in an emergency,
Thats why we call it a Clone.
Just hold the option key down directly after Power On.
The choice of boot drive will show up on Screen.

Cheers
Was this helpful.... then how about a simple Tick of Approval?

Mac Backup Software

It's a good idea to regularly back up all important files on your computer to an external source to prevent data loss. Your iTunes music, videos and other digital downloads are stored in separate files within the iTunes folder. However, if you consolidate them into a single folder, it's easier to back them up to an external hard drive.

Launch iTunes. Go to the program's Preferences menu. Click the "Advanced" tab. Check the box next to "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library" and click "OK." Click "File." Select "Library" and then "Organize Library." Check the box next to "Consolidate Files" and click "OK." Close iTunes. Connect your external hard drive to your computer. Find the iTunes media folder on your computer's hard drive. Drag the folder to the icon for your external drive to copy your iTunes media.

Back up your iTunes library by copying to an external hard drive http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751

Determine how much space you need. The first step in backing up your hard drive is to figure out how much space you will need to back up all of your files. You can do this in a couple of ways. Find out how large the hard drive is on your computer first to see if you can back up the whole thing. Click on "My Computer," right-click the "C" drive and select "Properties." This shows the approximate of your hard drive, how much space is actually taken, plus the space used by your operating system. If your hard drive is manageable (the space actually taken), back up the whole thing. Your second option is to create a file called "Backup" and copy all of your important files into it. Right-click on the folder once everything is copied over and choose "Properties" to find out the of the folder. This is how much space you will need to back up your important files only. Choose a backup method. Choose either an external hard drive, data disks (CDs, for example) or use an online backup service. There are advantages and disadvantages to all. An external drive is convenient because you can plug it into other computers and immediately transfer or copy files without needing the Internet or having to worry at all about security. However you have to carry the drive with you and always face the remote possibility that both your computer and the hard drive would break. Data disks provide the same advantages and disadvantages as external hard drives: portability, but the possibility of theft or breakage. You can also use an online backup service. These services range in price depending on the amount of storage. The advantage of an online service is that you can access your files from anywhere there is Internet, and it is generally cheaper, especially for small amounts of service. Also, you don't need to carry or store another piece of equipment. The disadvantage is your backup is stored on the service's external server, so security is a potential issue. Back up your files.
Once you have chosen your method of backup, do not forget the most important step: back up your files. For external media, go into "My Computer" and double-click the "C" drive to open it. Select all the files if backing up your entire hard drive, or select your "Backup" folder if just backing up your important files. Holding your "CTRL" key, drag your selected files to your back up source, either your external hard drive or data disk drive. Release your mouse button and "CTRL" key and allow the files to be copied onto your backup media. Hope this helps.

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Determine how much space you need.

The first step in backing up your hard drive is to figure out how much space you will need to back up all of your files.

You can do this in a couple of ways.

Find out how large the hard drive is on your computer first to see if you can back up the whole thing. Click on "My Computer," right-click the "C" drive and select "Properties."

This shows the approximate size of your hard drive, how much space is actually taken, plus the space used by your operating system.

If your hard drive size is manageable (the space actually taken), back up the whole thing.

Your second option is to create a file called "Backup" and copy all of your important files into it.

Right-click on the folder once everything is copied over and choose "Properties" to find out the size of the folder.

This is how much space you will need to back up your important files only.

Choose a backup method. Choose either an external hard drive, data disks (CDs, for example) or use an online backup service.

There are advantages and disadvantages to all.

An external drive is convenient because you can plug it into other computers and immediately transfer or copy files without needing the Internet or having to worry at all about security.

However you have to carry the drive with you and always face the remote possibility that both your computer and the hard drive would break.

Data disks provide the same advantages and disadvantages as external hard drives: portability, but the possibility of theft or breakage.

You can also use an online backup service.

These services range in price depending on the amount of storage.

The advantage of an online service is that you can access your files from anywhere there is Internet, and it is generally cheaper, especially for small amounts of service.

Also, you don't need to carry or store another piece of equipment.

The disadvantage is your backup is stored on the service's external server, so security is a potential issue.

Back up your files. Once you have chosen your method of backup, do not forget the most important step: back up your files.

For external media, go into "My Computer" and double-click the "C" drive to open it.

Select all the files if backing up your entire hard drive, or select your "Backup" folder if just backing up your important files.

Holding your "CTRL" key, drag your selected files to your back up source, either your external hard drive or data disk drive.

Release your mouse button and "CTRL" key and allow the files to be copied onto your backup media.

hope this helps

If you are trying to recover a key of an already installed program on your computer there are freeware keyfinders on the internet

http://download.cnet.com/%7Bvalue=http://www.download.com/keyfinder-thing/3000-2094_4-10491989.html

Finding lost application install keys is quick and simple with this handy executable, a complete rewrite of a well-received earlier version. Keyfinder Thing's simple, easy-to-understand interface has Wizard-like efficiency. This application quickly scans your system registry for 90 supported software titles and displays product names and icons in the result window. Single-button clicks copy all keys to either a text or HTML file.

http://download.cnet.com/product-key-finder/3000-2094_4-10694022.html Product Key Finder is a single function utility that executes in a GUI, but displays a Command window result. You merely double-click it to display the 25 character Microsoft Windows Product Key.

then store it away for safe keeping not on your computer

you should not need to buy any software to back your data on a hard drive

Determine how much space you need.

The first step in backing up your hard drive is to figure out how much space you will need to back up all of your files.

You can do this in a couple of ways.

Find out how large the hard drive is on your computer first to see if you can back up the whole thing. Click on "My Computer," right-click the "C" drive and select "Properties."

This shows the approximate size of your hard drive, how much space is actually taken, plus the space used by your operating system.

If your hard drive size is manageable (the space actually taken), back up the whole thing.

Your second option is to create a file called "Backup" and copy all of your important files into it.

Right-click on the folder once everything is copied over and choose "Properties" to find out the size of the folder.

This is how much space you will need to back up your important files only.

Choose a backup method. Choose either an external hard drive, data disks (CDs, for example) or use an online backup service.

There are advantages and disadvantages to all.

An external drive is convenient because you can plug it into other computers and immediately transfer or copy files without needing the Internet or having to worry at all about security.

However you have to carry the drive with you and always face the remote possibility that both your computer and the hard drive would break.

Data disks provide the same advantages and disadvantages as external hard drives: portability, but the possibility of theft or breakage.

You can also use an online backup service.

These services range in price depending on the amount of storage.

The advantage of an online service is that you can access your files from anywhere there is Internet, and it is generally cheaper, especially for small amounts of service.

Also, you don't need to carry or store another piece of equipment.

The disadvantage is your backup is stored on the service's external server, so security is a potential issue.

Back up your files. Once you have chosen your method of backup, do not forget the most important step: back up your files.

For external media, go into "My Computer" and double-click the "C" drive to open it.

Select all the files if backing up your entire hard drive, or select your "Backup" folder if just backing up your important files.

Holding your "CTRL" key, drag your selected files to your back up source, either your external hard drive or data disk drive.

Release your mouse button and "CTRL" key and allow the files to be copied onto your backup media.

hope this helps

Determine how much space you need.

The first step in backing up your hard drive is to figure out how much space you will need to back up all of your files.

You can do this in a couple of ways.

Find out how large the hard drive is on your computer first to see if you can back up the whole thing. Click on "My Computer," right-click the "C" drive and select "Properties."

This shows the approximate size of your hard drive, how much space is actually taken, plus the space used by your operating system.

If your hard drive size is manageable (the space actually taken), back up the whole thing.

Your second option is to create a file called "Backup" and copy all of your important files into it.

Right-click on the folder once everything is copied over and choose "Properties" to find out the size of the folder.

This is how much space you will need to back up your important files only.

Choose a backup method. Choose either an external hard drive, data disks (CDs, for example) or use an online backup service.

There are advantages and disadvantages to all.

An external drive is convenient because you can plug it into other computers and immediately transfer or copy files without needing the Internet or having to worry at all about security.

However you have to carry the drive with you and always face the remote possibility that both your computer and the hard drive would break.

Data disks provide the same advantages and disadvantages as external hard drives: portability, but the possibility of theft or breakage.

You can also use an online backup service.

These services range in price depending on the amount of storage.

The advantage of an online service is that you can access your files from anywhere there is Internet, and it is generally cheaper, especially for small amounts of service.

Also, you don't need to carry or store another piece of equipment.

The disadvantage is your backup is stored on the service's external server, so security is a potential issue.

Back up your files. Once you have chosen your method of backup, do not forget the most important step: back up your files.

For external media, go into "My Computer" and double-click the "C" drive to open it.

Select all the files if backing up your entire hard drive, or select your "Backup" folder if just backing up your important files.

Holding your "CTRL" key, drag your selected files to your back up source, either your external hard drive or data disk drive.

Release your mouse button and "CTRL" key and allow the files to be copied onto your backup media.

hope this helps

format driver, but chose NTFS for file system

1 ***** the size of files you need for taking the backup. Files having graphics, sound and videos occupy more space than a simple text file.

2 Plan the future requirements and consider the space needed accordingly.

3 Choose an external drive of 20 GB or above to store huge data backups.

4 Get an external hard drive and connecting cables to attach the drive to your computer.

5 Select the data you want for backup. Organize the data into folders and sub-folders for easy find. Financial data, digital photos and music can form priority data for backup.

6 Connect the drive to your computer. Use the drag and drop options for taking the backup.

7 Remove the drive after properly ejecting by right clicking on the task bar on the desktop.

8 Keep the external drive away from the place where you have your computer when done. If your computer gets damaged due to any unforeseen reason, you will have your entire data safe in the external hard drive. It minimizes the risk of data loss.

You have a varity of option to do your backup depending on the type of backup you want to do.
1 Documents and folders
To backup your document and folders you can just copy the Documents and folders to the external drive.
You could also use the backuo feature of the Operating system you have like windows backup to backup your documents and folders.
2 System backup of your system.
You can not use a copy accross to do the complete backup of your system. You can use the windows backup to do this or a third party backup software.
Windows Back for Windows 7.
Click on Start ----- Controll Panel ----- System and Security ------- Set up Backup ------ Select where you want to save your backup ( the external Drive you connected to your system) in the box ------ Next ----- Choose the files or drive you want to backup and click next ------- Review your backup settings and save settings and run back.

This will save your files to the external drive you added to your system.

did you try to drag and drop the file? Open the external drive folder and see if you see the file. Open the flash drive folder. Keep them both on reduced windows ..then drag and drop the file from the external to the flash drive folder.