Ntbackup not function properly

[hon123456]

Dear all,

I am using ntbackup to backup . What I want is if my windows
is crashed, then I can reinstall a new windows and then dump out the
backup from
backup file created by ntbackup and can run all the application
installed before.

I have done a experiment like that, I backup all the drive c:
d: and system state. Then I reinstall a new windows, and dump out all
the things from the backup file. I am using the same PC to do this
experiment. After I dump out
the backup file, the result is not successful, many application cannot
be run,
the application complains some file(like dll) are missing.

I believe those file was not backup during the backup process.
So, the
question is how can I backup all the files properly and I can run all
the appliction after re-dump the backup file. Or maybe I should use
other powerful third party backup software, like arcserve?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Lucvdv]

experiment. After I dump out
the backup file, the result is not successful, many application cannot
be run,
the application complains some file(like dll) are missing.

When you create a backup, a log file is created in
C:\Documents and Settings
\{username}
\Local Settings
\Application Data
\Microsoft
\Windows NT
\NTBackup
\data

Backup cycles through 10 log files, re-using the oldest every time.

Examining the *.log files may give you an idea what went wrong.


Normally the system will try to back up using a "shadow copy", and AFAIK
there will be no skipped files if that succeeds. If a shadow copy can't be
used for some reason, the system cannot backup any files that are in use.


On my system, I have to stop a few non-MS services that prevent the use of
a shadow copy. I created batch files that stop them, run backup, and then
start them again.
The culprits in my case are MySQL and 3 services that belong to VMWare.


I use the BIOS auto power-on timer on my mainboard to boot the machine up
at 7 AM every day, the batch file is started by the task scheduler at 7:05,
and when I arrive at work my daily incremental backup is finished.
As a bonus, I can log on immediately without having to wait for the system
to boot up

A similar scheduled batch file runs a full backup every Saturday, and then
shuts the system down through Andrej Budja's shutdown.exe.

A third batch file just shuts the system down on Sunday.


http://www.budja.com/shutdown/
MS's own shutdown.exe won't work if it is started through task scheduler, I
kept both versions and renamed Andrej's version to shutdown2.exe.


The only problem I once had: I had to restore the system state because
something started to act up, and despite no skipped files in the backup, my
display driver didn't work anymore. Reinstalled it and everything was back
to normal.

 

[hon123456]

Dear Lucvdv,

Really thanks for your help.

Can I have a copy of your batch file cause I want to learn the batch file.

And would you mind to tell me what is the command of task scheduler, if
there is a command for task scheduler. and where can I find the
documentation about task scheduler in XP? Can I just type "task scheduler"
in windows help to get the documentation?

As I know, there is a command "AT" , how to use "AT" with task scheduler
comaand.

 

[Lucvdv]

Dear Lucvdv,

Really thanks for your help.

Can I have a copy of your batch file cause I want to learn the batch file.

Actually there are 5, one for each day, just differing in the filename the
backup is stored in. I included one below, but you'll have to adjust
several things before it's of any use to you.

And would you mind to tell me what is the command of task scheduler, if
there is a command for task scheduler. and where can I find the
documentation about task scheduler in XP? Can I just type "task scheduler"
in windows help to get the documentation?

'Scheduled tasks' is a subfolder of control panel.



I include the batch file as a quote, that way it's easier to tell what
belongs on the same line. Everything that doesn't begin with ">" is a
continuation of the previous line.

The services being stopped and started are for my system, this will almost
certainly be different for you.

There's a reference to a file "incremental.bks": this is a settings file
created by backup.

I created this by first creating a backup schedule from within the backup
application, then copying the command line from the scheduled task it
created, adjusted it for 5 different target files, added the net start/net
stop lines, deleted the original schedule (in scheduled tasks) and added
new ones for each day.

 

[hon123456]

Dear Lucvdv,

Thanks for your response.

I got two question to ask.

First, can I generate the backup command line automatically in
windows, that means I do not need to type the command line by myself.

Second, how to set the shadow copy option in ntbackup graphical
interface, is it in the Tools->opion or it is on other menu.

Thanks.

 

[hon123456]

Dear Lucvdv,
Sorry to ask again as I am not familiar with ntbackup.

The question is how I can I find out whether the shadow copy is
function properly ?

And how to find out what service is the culprit for stopping the
shadow copy.?

Thanks.

 

[Lucvdv]

Dear Lucvdv,
Sorry to ask again as I am not familiar with ntbackup.

The question is how I can I find out whether the shadow copy is
function properly ?

By examining the .log files backup created.

And how to find out what service is the culprit for stopping the
shadow copy.?

IIRC, by looking in the event log for messages added while backup was
running (I don't remember exactly if it was in the system log or the
application log, but the services were named in the messages).

 

[Lucvdv]

Dear Lucvdv,

Thanks for your response.

I got two question to ask.

First, can I generate the backup command line automatically in
windows, that means I do not need to type the command line by myself.

I'll repeat:

That scheduled task can be found in the "Scheduled Tasks" subfolder of
control panel.

Second, how to set the shadow copy option in ntbackup graphical
interface, is it in the Tools->opion or it is on other menu.

AFAIK it is on by default. I don't know where you can change it.