Time remaining changes?

Question

When copying a large file from one hard drive to another, the time remaining fluctuates constantly. It can jump from 3min-4min-1min-9min..... really random. Why is that?

The file I'm copying is a video file. I'm using XP pro.

Answer 1

There are many different steps required to copy from one medium to another. In the bad old days, you had to type commands into the console or into an executable script file. Then you got messages which told you which step was being executed and each minute you got the message repeated to make certain that you knew it was still working on that step. Nowadays, computers are so much faster that you normally do not get any messages. You must be working on something big enough that you get an abbreviated version of the old fashioned message which does not include information about what step is being executed. In the bad old days, it took my DEC PDP 11-70 (vintage 1973) ten minutes to do a disk-to-disk copy of 80 MEG.

Answer 2

There are many different steps required to copy from one medium to another. In the bad old days, you had to type commands into the console or into an executable script file. Then you got messages which told you which step was being executed and each minute you got the message repeated to make certain that you knew it was still working on that step. Nowadays, computers are so much faster that you normally do not get any messages. You must be working on something big enough that you get an abbreviated version of the old fashioned message which does not include information about what step is being executed. In the bad old days, it took my DEC PDP 11-70 (vintage 1973) ten minutes to do a disk-to-disk copy of 80 MEG.

Source(s):

System analyst

Answer 3

Sounds like a progrmam setting from one unit to the other or the format in which the file is being transfered to hoe it is being rec'd