Backup Utility on Windows XP Pro will not respond when clicked

[Guest]

When I click on Start--Programs--Accessories--System Tools--Backup, the
Backup Utility will not open. I get about 2 seconds of the hour glass, and
then nothing.

I recently upgraded from Windows 2000 Pro by installing Windows XP via CD,
and then Windows XP Pro SP2 via download from the Mircrosoft XP site. The
Backup Utility always worked fine with Windows2000 Pro, but will not work
once I upgraded to XP Pro.

The ntbackup.exe files are shown on the computer:

ntbackup.chm C:\WINN\Help (This file repeated 3 times w/different
icons)
NTBACKUP.EXE -003F2417.pf C:\WINN\Prefetch
NTBACKUP.EXE - 2C362AB4.pf ditto
ntbackup.exe C:\WINN\system 32
ntbackup.exe C:\WINN\ServicePatchFiles\i386

I obtained a copy of the ntbackup.msi off the web , and tried to install it,
but got this message:

"A network error occurdred while attempting to read from the file.
C:\Documents and Settings\------\Desktop\ntbackup(1).msi"

This is the same file I used to load Windows Backup Utility on my wife's new
Dell Computer with XP Home Edition.

Anybody got any ideas as to what I can do to get the Windows Backup Utility
to open on my computer?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

When I click on Start--Programs--Accessories--System Tools--Backup, the
Backup Utility will not open. I get about 2 seconds of the hour glass, and
then nothing.

I recently upgraded from Windows 2000 Pro by installing Windows XP via CD,
and then Windows XP Pro SP2 via download from the Mircrosoft XP site. The
Backup Utility always worked fine with Windows2000 Pro, but will not work
once I upgraded to XP Pro.

The ntbackup.exe files are shown on the computer:

ntbackup.chm C:\WINN\Help (This file repeated 3 times w/different
icons)
NTBACKUP.EXE -003F2417.pf C:\WINN\Prefetch
NTBACKUP.EXE - 2C362AB4.pf ditto
ntbackup.exe C:\WINN\system 32
ntbackup.exe C:\WINN\ServicePatchFiles\i386

I obtained a copy of the ntbackup.msi off the web , and tried to install it,
but got this message:

"A network error occurdred while attempting to read from the file.
C:\Documents and Settings\------\Desktop\ntbackup(1).msi"

This is the same file I used to load Windows Backup Utility on my wife's new
Dell Computer with XP Home Edition.

Anybody got any ideas as to what I can do to get the Windows Backup Utility
to open on my computer?

Instead of clicking the shortcut for ntbackup, try this:

- Click Start / Run / cmd {OK}
- Type this command:
%SystemRoot%\system32\ntbackup.exe {Enter}

If nothing happens, type this command:

tasklist | find /i "ntbackup" {Enter}

Do you get a hit for ntbackup.exe? If so then ntbackup is
already up and running.

I note that Windows appears to be installed in c:\WINN. This
is rather unusual - it's usually c:\WinNT for a Win2000 system.
While at the Command Prompt, type this command to confirm
the folder name:

set system {Enter}

 

[Christopher Kurtis Koeber]

Have you tried running 'ntbackup' by going to Start -> run and then typing
it in? Also, as usual, check to see if you are running the latest updates
from Windows Update.
Regards,
Christopher Koeber

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

No, it does not.

My OS is XP Pro ServicePack 2. Windows 2000 Pro is what I had on the
computer before I did the upgrade.

Does this information change the commands you listed?

Thanks

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

The command I gave you was

tasklist | find /i "ntbackup" {Enter}

It consists of two components:

tasklist.exe

You can run this command by itself. It lists all active
processes. If ntbackup.exe is currently active then it
will show up in the list. Does it on your PC?

To save you a visual inspection, you can "pipe" the
output from "tasklist.exe" into "find.exe". This is what
the vertical bar does. Find.exe will then display only
those lines that contain the string "ntbackup".

 

[Guest]

I ran the command tasklist.exe. ntbackup.exe does not show up on the list of
active processes on my PC.

Where in the world do you find the perpendicular bar character on the
keyboard??

Thanks,

 

[Rock]

I ran the command tasklist.exe. ntbackup.exe does not show up on the list
of
active processes on my PC.

Where in the world do you find the perpendicular bar character on the
keyboard??

Shift backslash key (right under Backspace)

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

On my keyboard it is Shift + \ (backslash).

About your main problem: Are you saying that if you
type this command:

c:\windows\system32\ntbackup.exe {Enter}

from a Command Prompt then nothing happens and
ntbackup.exe is not visible under tasklist.exe?

Did you check the Applications log of the Event Viewer?

If you draw a blank on both of the above then your Windows
installation is damaged. You should consider one of these
options:
- Perform a clean installation of WinXP.
- Use a different tool for backing up your files. Xcopy.exe
or xxcopy.exe (downloadable) will perform very nicely
in many cases.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Rock; I found it! Never, ever used that before!

 

[Guest]

Pegasus,

Yep, that is correct. And I guess I already had a strong suspicion there
was a corruption that occurred when I upgraded my W2000Pro to WinXP(via CD),
and then downloaded WinXP SP2 from MS site. So far, this Backup Utility is
the only problem (unsovable, I mean) I've had since the upgrade installation.

So I'm going to take you advice and get a 3rd party BU software! I don't
want to go thru a clean installation now.

Thanks for all your help and patience!