Invalid Drive Specification

[Stevens]

I have a desktop running Windows XP Pro sp3. There is an internal CD/RW
drive installed on it assigned as D:. If I put a blank CD in the drive and
copy and paste to D: all is well. The files get copied to D: with no
problem. But if I use the Windows Backup to try and backup files to D: it
doesn not recognize D:. It tells me D:\filename is an invalid path. If I
try and use XCOPY I get the message D:, invalid drive specification. It's
like D: doesn't exist. If I put a CD with data on it in the drive I am able
to see the files using Explorer. Explorer shows D: in the directory tree.
It's only when I use Windows backup or XCOPY that it can't find D: I have
had XCOPY backing up files to D: for over a year now and just recently this
started.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Mike Stevens

 

[John John (MVP)]

It's because you are using 'Drag & Drop' (Packet Writting) software to
copy and paste your files to the CD, these kind of software programs are
made to run with Explorer.exe or with other GUI applications but tools
like NTBackUp and the command line utilities do not use the third party
Packet Writing software, they cannot write directly to the CD, you would
need to backup to a disk location then burn the backup from the disk
location to CD.

As for Packet Writing you really *don't* want to use this kind of
software! Files that are written with packet writing software are very
prone to being lost or inaccessible when you most need them!

In theory packet writing looks like a really good idea but in practice
it has a very bad track record, files made with this type of software
are only guaranteed to be accessible with the same model of cd writer as
the one that they were made on, not a very good thing if you want to
retrieve the files on a different computer, or if your older drive fails
and you cannot find and exact replacement for the obsolete drive, all of
a sudden the files that you made a few years ago and that you thought
to be safe and sound may be lost or difficult to retrieve. A very bad
thing indeed, stay away from packet writing software!

John

 

[db ´¯`·.. >]

when you save normal files to a
cd, they are already files that are
located on the hard disk and they
also have filenames, sizes, etc..

thus they can be copied or
moved onto a cd or dvd or
any location.

however, the backup system
"creates" a backup file.

until all the data is backup'd
the file is not finalized, it cannot
be copied or moved into a different
location, cd or dvd.


simply stated, after the backup
file is created on the hard drive,
you can then relocate it to the
cd, like any other file.

then if you need to use that
backup file to restore, you would
have to copy the file off the cd
onto the hard drive and then
initiate the restore.

in conclusion, the cd or dvd
media cannot be used as
a backup location by the
backup making program.

--------------
further, there are other considerations
to be taken into account with standard
backups.

the ol backup method creates one
giant backup file which is too big
to transfer onto a cd or even a dvd.

therefore, backups are best created
and stored on a hard drive, either in
a separate partition or slaved drive
or shared drive, that is if you can
manage to connect two computers
together with a network cable.

incidentally, there are other types of
backups other than the traditional
backup like drive images.

for example you can use a program
like "drive image xml" and it will create
images of the data.

what the program above provides is
also the ability to make images that
fit onto individual cd.

however, like the ol backup method
drive images must also first be made
on a disk, then transferred onto a cd
or dvd.

my suggestion is that until you find
which methodology works best
for you and your system, use your
cd to store copies of your regular
files, docs, pics, favorites, etc...

people sometimes forget that a
straight copy of non system files
are also backup files.
--------------

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces

 

[Stevens]

Why does XCOPY not work? I have been using XCOPY to backup select files to
my CD/RW for over a year and just recently it quit working giving me the
'invalid drive specification' message. This is really what the problem is.
I tried using Windows backup just to see if that would work, which it
doesn't. However on my home pc when I attempt to create a Windows backup to
my CD/RW, D: it does get past the backup device window.

 

[Stevens]

Why does XCOPY not work? I have been using XCOPY to backup select files to
my CD/RW for over a year and just recently it quit working giving me the
'invalid drive specification' message. This is really what the problem is.
I tried using Windows backup just to see if that would work, which it
doesn't. However on my home pc when I attempt to create a Windows backup to
my CD/RW, D: it does get past the backup device window.

 

[John John (MVP)]

I may be mistaken but as far as I know Windows XP cannot natively write
directly to CDs, if this was working for you then I can only guess that
your third party burner software enabled this for you. I was under the
impression that Xcopy.exe would not directly use packet writing but I
may be wrong.

John

 

[db ´¯`·.. >]

unfortunately, I cannot
provide you with an
answer regarding the
xcopy command, since
I very rarely use it.

perhaps, I use it once
every three years, but
never experienced an
issue.

hopefully, since xcopy
no longer proves a viable
methodology for you, you
will find an alternate method
to ensure a reliable backup.

you might want to lookup
that command at microsoft.com
and or wiki.
--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces

Why does XCOPY not work? I have been using XCOPY to backup select files to
my CD/RW for over a year and just recently it quit working giving me the
'invalid drive specification' message. This is really what the problem is.
I tried using Windows backup just to see if that would work, which it
doesn't. However on my home pc when I attempt to create a Windows backup to
my CD/RW, D: it does get past the backup device window.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Why does XCOPY not work? I have been using XCOPY to backup select files to
my CD/RW for over a year

Then you had third-party CD-burning software installed that permitted
you to do this. Windows can *not* do this by itself.

and just recently it quit working giving me the
'invalid drive specification' message.

Either you have uninstalled the software that let you do this, or if
you didn't purposely uninstall it, then something is wrong with it.