Langmeier Backup

Langmeier Backup offers the option “Eject media at the end of backup” under Options > Global settings > Program behavior.

This feature allows you to automatically eject backup media—such as USB drives, external hard disks, or tapes—once the backup process is complete. This can help ensure the safety of your data and prevent accidental overwriting or disconnection issues.

However, there is a specific scenario in which an external drive cannot be ejected at the end of the backup. This occurs when an external hard disk is incorrectly recognized by Windows as an internal drive.

In the image above, both drives highlighted in yellow are external devices. The upper drive is displayed as an internal medium, while the lower one is correctly identified as external. As a result, only the lower drive can be ejected automatically after the backup. The upper drive cannot be ejected because it is mistakenly recognized as an internal hard disk.

Unfortunately, there is little you can do to resolve this issue, as it depends on the hardware manufacturer to set the correct device properties. Nevertheless, there is a potential workaround. A forum post references the BootIt tool from Lexar, which may help in some cases. You can download this tool from the linked page.

With BootIt, you can select the affected external hard disk and use the “Flip Removable Bit” function. This may prompt Windows to recognize the drive as removable rather than internal.

After disconnecting and reconnecting the external hard disk, the status may change. However, please note that this solution only works with certain devices. Still, it may be worth trying if you encounter this issue.

Format the external hard disk to “exFAT”

Another possible solution is to format the external hard disk using the exFAT file system. This format offers several advantages over NTFS and FAT32, but it also comes with some limitations.

Advantages of exFAT:

• Unlike NTFS, exFAT does not enforce complex security permissions, making file management simpler.
• exFAT supports files larger than the 4 GB limit imposed by FAT32, allowing you to store very large files (up to 512 terabytes).
• exFAT supports Access Control Lists (ACLs), enabling you to restrict file access to specific users.
• It also supports certain transactional operations that are not possible with FAT32.

Disadvantages of exFAT:

• You cannot install Windows 7, Vista, or Server 2008 on an exFAT-formatted drive.
• Older operating systems, such as Windows Server 2000, cannot access exFAT partitions.
• Support for exFAT on non-Windows operating systems is currently limited or unavailable.

In summary, if you need to store large files and do not require compatibility with older systems, exFAT can be a practical choice for external drives. However, always ensure that your devices and operating systems support exFAT before reformatting your drive.

If you have further questions or need assistance with Langmeier Backup, please feel free to contact our support team.

Look it up further: Langmeier Backup, external hard disk, FAT32, NTFS

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