BACKUP program

[Xavier]

Using Windows XP Professional, when trying to backup with
the option "only the System State data" on a 16X/10X/40X
CD-RW drive, the BACKUP program writes 191 files (out of
2421 files it must back up) and then it seems to go into
a "loop", i.e.:

(1)the writing on the CD seems to stop (no more light
blinking on the drive),

(2)no other activity is shown EXCEPT: (a) the "elapsed-
time-counter" which shows the passage of time (I cancelled
it after some 14 hours!!), and (b) the increase on
the "estimated-completion-duration-counter" which
increased from initially about one hour to over 7 days!!!

As a result, XP won't backup using the option "only the
System State data" provided by the "Backup and Restore
Wizard", under the "Advanced Mode" link.

By the way, the CD has a capacity of 535MB, and the 191
files written (which took a few minutes) have taken a
pittance of only 168KB --so there is plenty of room
available!

Any ideas from Microsoft or anybody else that may be of
help?
Thanks,
Xavier

 

[*Vanguard*]

Using Windows XP Professional, when trying to backup with
the option "only the System State data" on a 16X/10X/40X
CD-RW drive, the BACKUP program writes 191 files (out of
2421 files it must back up) and then it seems to go into
a "loop", i.e.:

(1)the writing on the CD seems to stop (no more light
blinking on the drive),

(2)no other activity is shown EXCEPT: (a) the "elapsed-
time-counter" which shows the passage of time (I cancelled
it after some 14 hours!!), and (b) the increase on
the "estimated-completion-duration-counter" which
increased from initially about one hour to over 7 days!!!

As a result, XP won't backup using the option "only the
System State data" provided by the "Backup and Restore
Wizard", under the "Advanced Mode" link.

By the way, the CD has a capacity of 535MB, and the 191
files written (which took a few minutes) have taken a
pittance of only 168KB --so there is plenty of room
available!

Any ideas from Microsoft or anybody else that may be of
help?
Thanks,
Xavier

The backup program included in NT-based versions of Windows is a
crippled version of Veritas Backup Exec Desktop (which got sold off to
Stomp Inc. and is now called Backup MyPC). It does not support CDFS;
i.e., it doesn't support CD-R[W] media. It supports tape devices and
output to file (but not files on CDFS which is a different installable
file system).

Normally you would not even be able to select the CD drive for saving
the files. My guess is that you are using a UDF writer, like Roxio's
DirectCD or Ahead's InCD, to perform packet writing to the CD-RW media.
Those are installable file systems that provide UDF support (which
Windows XP does not have) and makes the CD-RW media look like a big
floppy.

If you want to use CD-R[W] media, you will need to use a non-crippled
backup program that supports it. Or, backup to file and then copy the
backup files to the CD-R[W] media (but you'll probably have to first
perform a manual copy back to the hard drive when you do a restore from
those files).

Windows Backup Does Not Back Up to CD-R, CD-RW, or DVD-R Devices
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=315255

 

[Xavier]

Thank you "*Vanguard*" <[email protected]> for
your helpful response! Yes, I was using Roxio's DirectCD
to format the CD.

I imagine that means that unless Windows-XP-Removable-
Storage-Management is changed/replaced (?) there are no
good backup programs for Windows XP Professional that will
use CD/RW media!

Thanks!

-----Original Message-----

Using Windows XP Professional, when trying to backup with
the option "only the System State data" on a 16X/10X/40X
CD-RW drive, the BACKUP program writes 191 files (out of
2421 files it must back up) and then it seems to go into
a "loop", i.e.:

(1)the writing on the CD seems to stop (no more light
blinking on the drive),

(2)no other activity is shown EXCEPT: (a) the "elapsed-
time-counter" which shows the passage of time (I cancelled
it after some 14 hours!!), and (b) the increase on
the "estimated-completion-duration-counter" which
increased from initially about one hour to over 7 days!!!

As a result, XP won't backup using the option "only the
System State data" provided by the "Backup and Restore
Wizard", under the "Advanced Mode" link.

By the way, the CD has a capacity of 535MB, and the 191
files written (which took a few minutes) have taken a
pittance of only 168KB --so there is plenty of room
available!

Any ideas from Microsoft or anybody else that may be of
help?
Thanks,
Xavier

The backup program included in NT-based versions of Windows is a
crippled version of Veritas Backup Exec Desktop (which got sold off to
Stomp Inc. and is now called Backup MyPC). It does not support CDFS;
i.e., it doesn't support CD-R[W] media. It supports tape devices and
output to file (but not files on CDFS which is a different installable
file system).

Normally you would not even be able to select the CD drive for saving
the files. My guess is that you are using a UDF writer, like Roxio's
DirectCD or Ahead's InCD, to perform packet writing to the CD-RW media.
Those are installable file systems that provide UDF support (which
Windows XP does not have) and makes the CD-RW media look like a big
floppy.

If you want to use CD-R[W] media, you will need to use a non-crippled
backup program that supports it. Or, backup to file and then copy the
backup files to the CD-R[W] media (but you'll probably have to first
perform a manual copy back to the hard drive when you do a restore from
those files).

Windows Backup Does Not Back Up to CD-R, CD-RW, or DVD-R Devices
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=315255


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[*Vanguard*]

Thank you "*Vanguard*" <[email protected]> for
your helpful response! Yes, I was using Roxio's DirectCD
to format the CD.

I imagine that means that unless Windows-XP-Removable-
Storage-Management is changed/replaced (?) there are no
good backup programs for Windows XP Professional that will
use CD/RW media!

As I mentioned, non-crippled 3rd party backup software DOES support
backups to CD-R[W] media. Just because you can't get it for free
doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. Backup MyPC does support CD-R[W]
and DVD-R[W] media. However, once you format a CD-R[W] for use under
UDF (Universal Data Format) when using something like DirectCD then only
other UDF-compatible software can also access the files on that media.
There are compatibility issues even between different UDF software so
you may find a UDF-formatted CD-R on one system is not readable on a
different UDF-enabled system but using different UDF software. I
suspect (but do not know) if Backup MyPC will support UDF writing or if
it assumes the default of CDFS (compact disc file system) which all CD
burning software also supports (Nero, Easy CD, etc.).