1TB copy NTFS external disk

Support
,
1

Hi
I keep all my files on a ‘Main’ external HDD - its NTFS as I have to dual boot with Win 10 because of work

The other day I stooopidly overwrote the data disk with a swap partition (DOH!)
Luckily, I keep a backup on another ‘Backup’ NTFS HDD

So I copied my 1TB of files from the Backup HDD to my Main HDD (both NTFS) using
cp -pr <SOURCE> <DEST>

It took days

So, Question No. 1, please:
The next time I copy a lot of data from one NTFS HDD to another, is it going to be a lot quicker to do this in windows, than it was in Linux, since NTFS is a Microsoft format?

Question No. 2:
I then had to copy my files from the ‘Main’ NTFS external HDD to a third HDD, but EXT4 this time, for something completely unrelated (getting Nextcloud ubuntu appliance on a RPI going again)
This was far far quicker - a few hours

So, if I change my backup HDD to EXT4, will it be:
(a) quicker to copy from EXT4 backup to NTFS HDD in linux than from NTFS to NTFS in WINDOWS?
(b) quicker to copy from EXT4 backup to NTFS HDD in linux than from NTFS to NTFS in LINUX?

Thanks

2

Copying to a NTFS driver always will be slower because of the package ntfs-3g,this is a driver in userspace,EXT4 is more faster because is in the kernel and is native.

Luckily there is a now a NTFS in the kernel thanks to Paragon Software,so now the copying and reading will be alot faster.

https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=NTFS3-For-Linux-5.15

So answering your questions

Yes,until you have the NTFS driver in the Linux kernel (you can infact obtain that driver now with custom kernel like Liquorix or Xanmod but that too bleeding edge and not supported in Manjaro)

It will be slower,your best bet is to keep your HDD to NTFS and copying files in Windows until you have the proper NTFS kernel driver.

1 Like
3

I would try to copy the whole partition using dd, assumed that the partition is almost full, the sequential reading and writing should speed up on old school hdds

1 Like
4

Thanks!
Answered my query very succinctly!

5

Approx 1 TB on 2 TB HDD’s, so about half full

6

dd will copy all 2tb as it does’nt know about the filesystem. So in this case i think you would not gain much time, if at all

7

I can perhaps reduce the partition size to be closer to the size of the filesystem (and put a separate partition in the free space If I like)?
In any case, thanks, I learned something new

Best of all I can be more careful and not have to reinstate my backups!

8

If you want cross-platform, why not Samgsung’s exFAT? It’s simpler, has no FAT32 limitations, and should be fast for copies and reads.

:point_right: Make sure you install exfatprogs. If exfat-utils is installed, remove it first, then install exfatprogs. :point_left:

I’ve been very happy with it for external drives.

Ever since Linux kernel 5.7, it’s been merged into mainline kernel development and continues to see active development and improvements. :+1:

As we have been expecting the new Samsung-developed file-system driver for Microsoft’s exFAT has successfully landed into the Linux 5.7 kernel to replace the existing exFAT driver added in Linux 5.4 last year after Microsoft published the file-system specifications and gave their blessing to have the support mainlined in the Linux kernel.

This new exFAT driver from Samsung is a much newer version of the driver compared to the original exFAT driver that for the past several cycles has been part of the staging area. That existing driver is on a much older (years older) implementation compared to the current Samsung driver now part of the proper file-system area. This is the same driver that Samsung is shipping by the millions across their Android product portfolio and Samsung will continue to upstream their improvements to the Linux kernel.

3 Likes
9

This topic was automatically closed 2 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.