Backup problem

[Hans Näslund]

I am trying to use the backup function in Windows 2000 - but after some days
I get the error message "The fixed media is full. You cannot backup all of
the specified data to this disk device. The backup operation will stop."

This seems to be nonsense, because there is still 10 GB free space on the
backup disk. When this happens I have to create a new backup media and start
from the beginning - but after a week or so of daily backups the same error
message appears again.

Why is this, and what can I do to avoid it?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I am trying to use the backup function in Windows 2000 - but after some days
I get the error message "The fixed media is full. You cannot backup all of
the specified data to this disk device. The backup operation will stop."

This seems to be nonsense, because there is still 10 GB free space on the
backup disk. When this happens I have to create a new backup media and start
from the beginning - but after a week or so of daily backups the same error
message appears again.

Why is this, and what can I do to avoid it?

What file system do you use on your backup disk - NTFS or FAT32?
FAT32 files are limited to 4 GBytes . . .

 

[Hans Näslund]

Aha - so that's the reason! My file system is FAT32, and the backup quickly
grows to more than 4 GB. Can I change the file system on the external
backup disk while the computer itself has FAT32?

Or is there a way to keep the size of the backup file down?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

You can set the file system of each drive individually.
They are independent from each other. Simply open
a Command Prompt and type "convert /?".

 

[Enkidu]

You are appending to the backup file. You could create a new file
every time and rename it immediately afterwards with a batch file,
something like this:

a) backup.
b) locate the backupfile and rename to backup_<date>

Cheers,

Cliff

 

[Hans Näslund]

That would perhaps be the best solution. Is there a way to do this renaming
automatically?

 

[Enkidu]

Yes, create a batch file to do both the backup file and the rename.

Cheers,

Cliff

 

[Hans Näslund]

Thanks - but can you tell me what such a batch file would look like?

Hans

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Try this:

- Control Panel / Task Scheduler
- Look at the properties of your backup task. It contains a command line.
- Copy & paste this command line into a batch file of your choice,
e.g. into c:\tools\spara.bat.
- Check the parameter after the /F switch. It contains the name of your
backup file.
- Replace this name by a suitable variable. Below is an example.

@echo off
for /F %%a in ('echo %date%') do set dow=%%a
ntbackup . . . . . /F "e:\Backups\%dow%.bkf"

In this case, ntbackup will create a backup file
e:\Backups\sun.bkf on Sunday, e:\Backups\mon.bkf
on Monday etc.

 

[Hans Näslund]

Sorry...

I still don't understand how to do it...

Is

@echo off
for /F %%a in ('echo %date%') do set dow=%%a
ntbackup . . . . . /F "e:\Backups\%dow%.bkf"

the whole batch file? And exactly what should be inserted instead of . . .
.. . ? The whole command line? In my case that is

C:\WINNT\system32\NTBACKUP.EXE backup "@C:\Documents and Settings\Hans
Näslund\Lokala inställningar\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows
NT\NTBackup\data\Daglig säkerhetskopia.bks" /n "Medium skapat 2004-03-28 kl
17:37" /d "Säkerhetskopia skapad 2004-03-28 kl 17:37" /v:no /r:no /rs:no
/hcff /m copy /j "Backup.job" /l:s /f "E:\Backup.bkf"

Or only a part of this? Which part?

Hans

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Här har du den hela filen:

@echo off
for /F %%a in ('echo %date%') do set dow=%%a

C:\WINNT\system32\NTBACKUP.EXE backup "@C:\Documents and Settings\Hans
Näslund\Lokala inställningar\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows
NT\NTBackup\data\Daglig säkerhetskopia.bks" /n "Medium skapat 2004-03-28
kl 17:37"
/d "Säkerhetskopia skapad 2004-03-28 kl 17:37" /v:no /r:no /rs:no
/hcff /m copy /j "Backup.job" /l:s /f "E:\%dow%.bkf"

Obs: Den här långa raden börjar med "c:\winnt" och slutar med ".bkf"

 

[Hans Näslund]

Tyvärr... det fungerade inte ändå. Visserligen öppnas backupprogrammet, men
backupfilen byter inte namn.

(Jag försökte skicka detta direkt till dig, men fick tillbaka mitt mail med
meddelandet

"<[email protected]>: host smtp2.fly.com[209.237.226.186] said: 550 5.0.0
<[email protected]>... We don't accept mail from spammers (in reply to RCPT
TO
command")

Hans

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Modify the batch file as below, with my diagnostics included, then
run it in the foreground to see what's going on.

@echo off
for /F %%a in ('echo %date%') do set dow=%%a
echo Dagen är %dow%
pause

echo C:\WINNT\system32\NTBACKUP.EXE backup "@C:\Documents and Settings\Hans
Näslund\Lokala inställningar\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows
NT\NTBackup\data\Daglig säkerhetskopia.bks" /n "Medium skapat 2004-03-28
kl 17:37"
/d "Säkerhetskopia skapad 2004-03-28 kl 17:37" /v:no /r:no /rs:no
/hcff /m copy /j "Backup.job" /l:s /f "E:\%dow%.bkf"

Questions:
- What do you see on the screen for Dagen är ?
- What do you get when you run this command in a Command Prompt:
echo %date%
- What do you see for the very long line that starts with "c:\winnt"?
- Please attach your batch file to your reply.

My EMail address is ficticious. Spammers routinely harvest EMail
addresses from newsgroups, and I have no desire to receive
their junk mail.

Tyvärr... det fungerade inte ändå. Visserligen öppnas backupprogrammet, men
backupfilen byter inte namn.

(Jag försökte skicka detta direkt till dig, men fick tillbaka mitt mail med
meddelandet

"<[email protected]>: host smtp2.fly.com[209.237.226.186] said: 550 5.0.0
<[email protected]>... We don't accept mail from spammers (in reply to RCPT
TO
command")

Hans

Här har du den hela filen:

@echo off
for /F %%a in ('echo %date%') do set dow=%%a

C:\WINNT\system32\NTBACKUP.EXE backup "@C:\Documents and Settings\Hans
Näslund\Lokala inställningar\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows
NT\NTBackup\data\Daglig säkerhetskopia.bks" /n "Medium skapat 2004-03-28
kl 17:37"
/d "Säkerhetskopia skapad 2004-03-28 kl 17:37" /v:no /r:no /rs:no
/hcff /m copy /j "Backup.job" /l:s /f "E:\%dow%.bkf"

Obs: Den här långa raden börjar med "c:\winnt" och slutar med ".bkf"

..

. 2004-03-28
kl

 

[Enkidu]

Hans, I've sent you my backup script file but for the benefit of the
newsgroup, a batch file to do this would simply run the NTBackup
command and then the rename command. You will have to learn how to
write batch script files if you don't know already, or use something
like a Kikstart or Perl script to do the job.

A simple script would be two lines:

ntbackup backup "@C:\Program Files\Windows
NT\ntbackup\data\commandline.bks" /f "D:\backup.bkf" (plus a number
other possible parameters)

ren D:\backup.bkf D:\backup-%dtt%.bkf

(I'm not sure about the last command. I *think* it rename "backup.bkf"
to "backup-<date and time>.bkf" but I don't often write batch files. I
usually use perl)

A scipt that also renames log files can get very complicated, like the
one I sent you.

Cheers,

Cliff

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

You expressed some doubts about this line of code

ren D:\backup.bkf D:\backup-%dtt%.bkf

with justification. The command should be

ren D:\backup.bkf backup-%dtt%.bkf

And, of course, you must define the %dtt% variable
somewhere.

 

[Hans Näslund]

OK - I get the day, but no renaming of the backup file. My comments are
below.

Modify the batch file as below, with my diagnostics included, then
run it in the foreground to see what's going on.

- - -

Questions:
- What do you see on the screen for Dagen är ?

- I get the following:
"Dagen Sr må
Tryck på en valfri tanget för att fortsätta..."

- What do you get when you run this command in a Command Prompt:
echo %date%

- I get "må 2004-03-29"

- What do you see for the very long line that starts with "c:\winnt"?

- If the batch file is started from the command prompt, I see the long line,
where the final "E:\%dow%.bkf" is changed to "E:\må.bkf" - but the backup
file is still not renamed.

- Please attach your batch file to your reply.

Here it is (as in your suggestion):

@echo off
for /F %%a in ('echo %date%') do set dow=%%a
echo Dagen är %dow%
pause
echo C:\WINNT\system32\NTBACKUP.EXE backup "@C:\Documents and Settings\Hans
Näslund\Lokala inställningar\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows
NT\NTBackup\data\Daglig säkerhetskopia.bks" /n "Medium skapat 2004-03-28 kl
17:37" /d "Säkerhetskopia skapad 2004-03-28 kl 17:37" /v:no /r:no /rs:no
/hcff /m copy /j "Backup.job" /l:s /f "E:\%dow%.bkf"

BUT - on the other hand, this simple file works:

@echo off
for /F %%a in ('echo %date%') do set dow=%%a

ren E:\Backup.bkf Backup-%dow%.bkf

This one I can set to be performed automatically after the daily backup.

Regards,
Hans

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

OK - I get the day, but no renaming of the backup file. My comments are
below.


- - -

- I get the following:
"Dagen Sr må
Tryck på en valfri tanget för att fortsätta..."

- I get "må 2004-03-29"

- If the batch file is started from the command prompt, I see the long line,
where the final "E:\%dow%.bkf" is changed to "E:\må.bkf" - but the backup
file is still not renamed.


Here it is (as in your suggestion):

@echo off
for /F %%a in ('echo %date%') do set dow=%%a
echo Dagen är %dow%
pause
echo C:\WINNT\system32\NTBACKUP.EXE backup "@C:\Documents and Settings\Hans
Näslund\Lokala inställningar\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows
NT\NTBackup\data\Daglig säkerhetskopia.bks" /n "Medium skapat 2004-03-28 kl
17:37" /d "Säkerhetskopia skapad 2004-03-28 kl 17:37" /v:no /r:no /rs:no
/hcff /m copy /j "Backup.job" /l:s /f "E:\%dow%.bkf"

BUT - on the other hand, this simple file works:

@echo off
for /F %%a in ('echo %date%') do set dow=%%a

ren E:\Backup.bkf Backup-%dow%.bkf

This one I can set to be performed automatically after the daily backup.

Regards,
Hans

That's fine.

 

[Hans Näslund]

Ok, thanks! But I now realize that after a week Windows will probably stop
and ask me if I want to replace the already existing file with the same
name. I would like that to be done automatically. Can I add something to the
batch file to that effect?

Hans

news:[email protected]...

- - -

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Sure - try this:

@echo off
for /F %%a in ('echo %date%') do set dow=%%a
if exist E:\Backup-%dow%.bkf del E:\Backup-%dow%.bkf
c:\winnt\system32\ntbackup.exe . . .
ren E:\Backup.bkf Backup-%dow%.bkf

By the way, I tried your backup file on my own machine,
and it worked exactly as I had expected. There is something
strange happening on your machine . . .

Kl. är ett på morgonen här i Melbourne. Om du behöver
mer hjälp så måste du vänta till tisdag.