antonio montagnani wrote: > If I copy from my internal HD to my external USB HD a large number of > files (i.e. my photo archive, let me say 2000 files) not all files are > transferred. > Of course the backup is not reliable.....and I have to transfer by > sets of 40 files . How do you copy the files -- with a command line, or through a graphical user interface (which?) Immediately after you've copied the files, are they visible on the USB drive? Do you power off the computer then remove the hard drive, do you carefully unmount the hard drive and wait for all activity lights on the drive to stop, or do you just yank the drive's cable? As if you just yank the drive, yes, that's thoroughly expected behaviour in any operating system. Hope this helps, James. -- E-mail: james@ | Which do you consider was the stronger swimmer, aprilcottage.co.uk | (a) The Spanish Armadillo, | (b) The Great Seal? | -- '1066 and All That'