Networking an external hard drive

So I have one of those fancy routers with a USB port for what they call the "Ready Share" function. Sounds great, right?

Not so much. I hooked up a 2 TB hdd to it and now I can save files there, but the real reason for doing this was to do backups. I like the idea of the system image automatically updating to an external source. The problem is I keep getting this error, "The version does not support this version of the file format. (0xC03A0005)"

What the ...???? Apparently, Windows 8.1 doesn't like image backups to external sources. Has anyone tackled this PITA?

Can you say Mac?

I can't say MAC cause I tried time machine and have up.

JPR - please consider this. If you backup to a local hard drive and disaster should befall the location (office / home) you might as well have not backed up at all. I suggest a cloud backup. Several of the packages offer a local copy as well (Best of both worlds). Your data is scrambled around a key you can control before it leaves the building. If it gets hijacked along the way, it is useless without the key.

Adillo303 said:

I can't say MAC cause I tried time machine and have up.

JPR - please consider this. If you backup to a local hard drive and disaster should befall the location (office / home) you might as well have not backed up at all. I suggest a cloud backup. Several of the packages offer a local copy as well (Best of both worlds). Your data is scrambled around a key you can control before it leaves the building. If it gets hijacked along the way, it is useless without the key.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I know. I just hate it when I can't get things to work properly, so I want to figure this out.

I think it will come down to the make of router and how you configure that along with the hdd.

Galvatron said:

I think it will come down to the make of router and how you configure that along with the hdd.

Click to expand...

It's a Netgear WNDR 3400v2 router with a Cavalry 2 TB external HDD. It apparently has something to do with virtual hard drives (.vhd) and Windows 8x not playing nice with each other (Windows 7 and earlier don't have the issue).

Have a read through this as i think it way just have what your looking for.....

https://social.technet.microsoft.co...he-file-format-0xc03a0005?forum=windowsbackup

Galvatron said:

Have a read through this as i think it way just have what your looking for.....

https://social.technet.microsoft.co...he-file-format-0xc03a0005?forum=windowsbackup

Click to expand...

Thanks, G, but I've already seen that. I'm not running Windows Server, nor am I using Samba.

read this..might help if we are on the same wave lengths.

1-Create a VHD via Disk Management in windows
2-locate the location of the new VHD in the location you need to backup into.
3-check mark on make the VHD expandable to increase the performance
4-After creating the VHD its attached to your windows and will act as a normal harddisk you can specify the backup to

Galvatron said:

read this..might help if we are on the same wave lengths.

1-Create a VHD via Disk Management in windows
2-locate the location of the new VHD in the location you need to backup into.
3-check mark on make the VHD expandable to increase the performance
4-After creating the VHD its attached to your windows and will act as a normal harddisk you can specify the backup to

Click to expand...

Thanks, G. I'll give that a try after I format this thing. At 2 TB, it should only take a day or two.

At that speed it will still be quicker than my internet,my isp is pissing me off these past few days.

Well, it actually took 76 hours to format the thing. Given that slow of a data transfer rate (USB's the only option), I scrapped the idea of using it as a media server. I still have it hooked up as a file history back up device.

My buddy just gave me an old(er) NAS. At 320 GB, it will hold a lot of movies ripped from library DVD's (averaging about 1G in size). I set up a homegroup and now I can play movies on any DLNA device in the house -- just grab the tablet, right click on the movie in the NAS and select the player I want to use, be it xBox, bluray player or smart TV. I wish I could get the devices to see the NAS on the network so I don't have to use the tablet as an interface though. That would be even awesomer!