Mapped lan drive wont backup?

[jtsnow]

Im trying to run a backup of a few computers on my home LAN to a external
drive on my main computer.

I mapped another computers drive to Z on my computer.

Norton Ghost only sees the main computer local drives.
Also the Windows backup utility does not see the mapped drive or any network
drives for that matter.
Windows explorer does see the mapped drive correctly as Z.

What do I need to do to back up network files on my small home LAN to one
drive on the main computer?

Any tips appreciated.

thanks !

 

[J. Clarke]

Im trying to run a backup of a few computers on my home LAN to a external
drive on my main computer.

I mapped another computers drive to Z on my computer.

Norton Ghost only sees the main computer local drives.

Ghost makes image copies of local drives--to do that it has to have access
to the raw data.

Also the Windows backup utility does not see the mapped drive or any
network drives for that matter.
Windows explorer does see the mapped drive correctly as Z.

What do I need to do to back up network files on my small home LAN to one
drive on the main computer?

What operating system are you running? I just checked the Windows XP backup
utility and it sees all my network shares just fine.

 

[CJT]

Im trying to run a backup of a few computers on my home LAN to a external
drive on my main computer.

I mapped another computers drive to Z on my computer.

Norton Ghost only sees the main computer local drives.
Also the Windows backup utility does not see the mapped drive or any network
drives for that matter.
Windows explorer does see the mapped drive correctly as Z.

What do I need to do to back up network files on my small home LAN to one
drive on the main computer?

Any tips appreciated.

thanks !

I think the devil is in the details. Certain versions of Ghost and the
Windows backup utility will do what you want -- others will not.

For instance, I think the Enterprise versions of Ghost, and perhaps the
newer personal versions will, but the older ones will not. And I think
the server versions of Windows will, but (particularly older) desktop
versions won't.

It's never been important to me, so I haven't researched it carefully.
But I've noticed that e.g. W2K Professional's backup will do that, but
W98SE's won't (as I recall). And the version of Ghost I have won't,
but Symantec's web site lists it as a feature of some of the other
versions (again as I recall).

The basic concept is that they want (more of) your money. If you're
trying to do something more than the minimum it takes to get that item
checked off on the feature list, then expect to pay for it. And things
change over time.

 

[jtsnow]

ok..thank you for that. I can see the mapped drive now in the XP windows
backup utility. Network must have had to resync or something. But cant see
all the files, ie, not the files in the programs folder show up..its
empty...the biggest folder. Norton Ghost still doesnt see it so I guess I
have a version that doesnt work on network.

Is there a backup program that will back up an image from a network drive
like GHost does locally? Or do I just have to back up files like the
Windows XP backup utility does.

thanks again

 

[J. Clarke]

ok..thank you for that. I can see the mapped drive now in the XP windows
backup utility. Network must have had to resync or something. But cant
see all the files, ie, not the files in the programs folder show up..its
empty...the biggest folder.

Are the permissions set for the account that you are using such that you are
allowed to see the files in that folder?

Norton Ghost still doesnt see it so I guess I
have a version that doesnt work on network.

There is no version of Ghost that can back up a network share. That is not
its purpose. Its purpose is to make an exact image of the data on a drive,
sector by sector, without regard to the content. It needs to access the
disk controller in order to function and network shares do not allow that.

It can send that image to a network share, or it can restore an image from a
network share, but it can't go the other way.

Is there a backup program that will back up an image from a network drive
like GHost does locally?

There are none that can do it without having a component running on the
machine that you are trying to image. The only product I'm aware of that
does that is Novell Zenworks and you need a Netware server running in order
to use that. Symanetec's LiveImage products may do the same--I haven't
played with them enough to know.

Or do I just have to back up files like the
Windows XP backup utility does.

Or install Ghost on the machine you want to back up.

 

[Irwin]

I just ran a test using my favorite backup program, Backup MyPC. It
does just what you asked. I created a folder on one of my network
drives, populated it with some files, then launched the program. It
backed up the network folder to my local hard drive, and verified the
contents as OK. It is a backup program, not an imaging program, but it
does work as advertised. And it isn't even a new version, I don't
believe.

IMF

 

[CWatters]

There is no version of Ghost that can back up a network share.

Won't the latest version of Ghost based on NTI Drive Image do it?

 

[Irwin]

I just ran a test using my favorite backup program, Backup MyPC. It
does just what you asked. I created a folder on one of my network
drives, populated it with some files, then launched the program. It
backed up the network folder to my local hard drive, and verified the
contents as OK. It is a backup program, not an imaging program, but it
does work as advertised. And it isn't even a new version, I don't
believe.

IMF

 

[J. Clarke]

I just ran a test using my favorite backup program, Backup MyPC. It
does just what you asked. I created a folder on one of my network
drives, populated it with some files, then launched the program. It
backed up the network folder to my local hard drive, and verified the
contents as OK. It is a backup program, not an imaging program, but it
does work as advertised. And it isn't even a new version, I don't
believe.

Uh, BackupMyPC is Windows Backup with a few bells and whistles added. Or,
more precisely, Windows Backup is BackupMyPC with a few bells and whistles
removed. If you will check the history you'll find that BackupMyPC is the
single-user version of BackupExec, that was spun off to Stomp by Veritas.
If you check Help/About on Windows 2K/XP backup you'll see that it has a
Veritas copyright. If you compare the two side by side you'll find a
remarkable resemblance.

And it doesn't produce an image, which means that disaster recovery is a
larger hassle than it needs to be.

 

[J. Clarke]

Won't the latest version of Ghost based on NTI Drive Image do it?

"NTI Drive Image"? What is that? Is that anything like PowerQuest
DriveImage?

And no, DriveImage has never had the capability to image a network share
remotely without having some component installed on the machine being
imaged.

To image a drive low-level access is needed, and no network operating system
provides that level of access to shares.

 

[Irwin]

NTI made several products, including the CD burning software that came
with a CD burner I bought once. They also made NTI Backup Now!, which
was like Backup MyPC but supposedly optimized for CD-RW but it was
buggy. It was primarily a backup product but also had an Image module
which I never could get to work.

I have never used the windows backup, but I did know about the Veritas
and Stomp connection. I started with Backup Exec many years ago, and
the whole product line has been very reliable.

IMF

 

[J. Clarke]

NTI made several products,> including the CD burning software that came
with a CD burner I bought once. They also made NTI Backup Now!, which
was like Backup MyPC but supposedly optimized for CD-RW but it was
buggy. It was primarily a backup product but also had an Image module
which I never could get to work.

You say "made". NTI seems to still be making them--at least they have a Web
site up and will take orders.

I believe you may have NTI confused with PowerQuest--Symantec bought out
PowerQuest, the makers of Partition Magic and Drive Image, a while back and
merged the PowerQuest technology into Ghost.

 

[CWatters]

"NTI Drive Image"? What is that? Is that anything like PowerQuest
DriveImage?

Sorry yes that's what I meant.

And no, DriveImage has never had the capability to image a network share
remotely without having some component installed on the machine being
imaged.

Oh well.