Create Backup in ZIP

[orizaba]

Windows 7 Pro

PTE 8.0.4

Making a project which will be near 1 hour long.

Lots of JPEG and converted AVI, some PNG files, one MP3 long audio track, some MP3 comments and own's slide audio.

Each time I add a "chapter" to the project I create respective PTE Backup in Zip.

So far, so good. Last time I created a zip backup it was 3,71 GB containing 116 files

Today I created another zip backup: 4,42 GB with around 135 files.

When I tried to extract this last backup (WinZip 12.1) came an error: "Start of central directory not found; zip file corrupt; possible cause: file transfer error".

I tried to google on this subject but only saw something about a 4 GB limit to Zip files on WinZip, as well as some coments on a poor reliability of WinZip with long and heavy files.

Problem is that I deleted my ".pte" file after having made the zip backup.

When I tried to unzip this backup... NOTHING! And I lost part of my project!

I am now running "EASEUS DATA RECOVERY WIZARD PROFESSIONAL 7.5" on my working computer, trying to recover the deleted files, including my last ".pte" file. But I will have to wait some 5 hours to end the process and see final result, it's not sure.

In this meantime I wonder if some member had already this problem with PTE BACKUP IN ZIP concerning this 4 GB file limit or poor reliability of WinZip.

Anyway, what could be an alternative for me to backup my several PTE files, each time bigger and bigger?

Thanks,

Jose

[davegee]

Template does exactly the same job without zipping it.

http://docs.picturestoexe.com/en/techniques/templates

I don't know if the same file size restriction applies - I don't think so?

Try it?

DG

[nobeefstu]

Jose,

What is your Windows OS ?

Have you tried to unzip using the Windows unzip function since your Winzip has issues unzipping ?

Windows Vista and newer OS (not XP) implement the ZIP64 format which improves on the limitations of regular 4G ZIP file size.

* Since the original file was zipped without limitations/messages ... it should be possible to unzip with Windows unzip function even thought Winzip cannot. If the zip file is actually corrupt ... thats a different problem and wont matter what file size it is.

* Try 7Zip program to unzip the file. I can zip and unzip 5G zip files on Win XP/32 with no problem.

[Igor]

ZIP archive can't be larger than 4 GB:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zip_(file_format)#Limits

Limits

The minimum size of a .ZIP file is 22 bytes.

The maximum size for both the archive file and the individual files inside it is 4,294,967,295 bytes (2³²−1 bytes, or 4 GiB minus 1 byte) for standard .ZIP, and 18,446,744,073,709,551,615 bytes (2⁶⁴−1 bytes, or 16 EiB minus 1 byte) for ZIP64.

[orizaba]

Thanks to all of you for your help.

First of all, I could recover all my deleted files, including my last PTE file (using EASEUS), so I didn't loose nothing!!!

I tried "Template solution" and it worked fine, no limitations (4,50 GB with 129 files, all is there), so I hope I will use this solution for the future.

Before I asked for your help I tried "7Zip" and Windows unzip function but they didn't work neither.

According to Igor, since I use Windows 7 Pro 64-bit, I will have a try with ZIP64 (till 16 GB archive).

Thanks again

Jose

[orizaba]

ZIP archive can't be larger than 4 GB:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zip_(file_format)#Limits

Just to confirm (?) that in actual PTE 32-bit native, ZIP archive can't be larger than 4 GB.

In fact, I installed WinZip 64-bit v18.5 (on my Windows 7 Pro 64-bit) and verified that a 4,42 GB Zip Backup of my PTE project could not still be open or extracted (Error: Central directory not found).

Is this because it was not compressed using a Zip 64-bit version?

Otherwise, why this happens?

Despite this inconvenience can be overpassed using "Template mode", is this because PTE is not 64-bit native?

No news about this...?

Regards,

Jose

[nobeefstu]

Jose,

I can only suspect PTE's zip components/extension libraries donot include/support the Zip64 format extensions. This Zip64 format extention set allows more than the standard zip limitation of the 4GB file size. The Zip64 format extention is basically an instruction set that can be used in both 32bit and 64bit applications ... so its not a requirement to have/use 64bit Windows applications exclusively.

Maybe its possible for Igor to update PTE's zip components/extension libraries to support the Zip64 format extensions ... being that nowadays backup zips are increasingly larger with the inclusion/use of video files.

*Please note that the Zip64 format cannot be understood by Win XP built-in zip file handling and some other third party zip tools to unzip the archive.

FYI

Increased Zip File Capacity - WinZip Computing Knowledgebase

http://kb.winzip.com/kb/entry/259/

* You may want to try fixing the produced backup zip with WinZips commandline tools since your version of WinZip supports the Zip64 format extension. Maybe the rebuilt zip will add the additional file headers to properly unzip the file.

Methods to try fixing invalid Zip files with the command line add-on - WinZip Computing Knowledgebase

http://kb.winzip.com/kb/entry/126

[orizaba]

Nobeefstu,

Yes, I think you are right, problem must be PTE's zip components/extension libraries to support the Zip64 format extensions.

Which, may I say, should be expected, as Igor seems not to care too much to 64-bit.

In fact, this is in line with the dramatic delay to produce a PTE 64-bit native version.

You refer that "nowadays backup zips are increasingly larger with the inclusion/use of video files", and I should add that PTE itself (with all its amazing capabilities) is dramaticaly missing a 64-bit native version, mainly since standard video was introduced, not to mention actual current use of 1920x1080 video, even 4K, which turns the making of a normal project an enormous and anoying problem.

Thanks for your information.

Jose

[orizaba]

By the way,

When creating a template from the show (PTE 8.0.4) I can not find any indication (numeric or graphic) of the creation progress.

I must be carefully watching the hard drive blinking led in order to "guess" when template creation is completed. What a primitive and dangerous method...!

Am I missing something?

Thanks,

Jose

[davegee]

Jose,

I have always assumed that the Template is written (immediately) to the Clipboard and then written to the Target Folder in my Templates Folder.

I have never had a problem - even with large Templates.

The test would be to hit the "Create Template" (Ctrl+T) and then immediately close the programme.

If you lose any information you would know that caution is required in this process. Presumably you will will have saved the Project before hitting Ctrl+T.

DG

[orizaba]

DG,

I did not try your sugested test but in the meantime I saw that there is a foot note (when Create Template finish) saying that "Template is saved".

Ok, not so bad... Anyhow, a progression scale should be more convenient.

A 5 GB template takes around 4 minutes to be created and I don't think that it can be "immediately" written to the Clipboard, do you?

Jose

[davegee]

Forgive me Jose, my suggestion was more hypothesis than known facts.

My idea of a large Template would be less than one gb and I have never tried anything on the scale that you are trying.

I am glad that Templates work for you - they have always worked for me.

DG