Problems getting the Vista backup program to create backups correctly

[Robert Miles]

For the last few weeks, all my attempts to create a backup
on DVDs have failed, almost always the second time the
backup program needs to format a new DVD to write
the backup to. It then says that I need to do a full backup
instead - but asking for a full backup instead gives the
same result.

Something about a problem with the backup catalog -
don't have the error message on the screen to copy it.

This started about the time I turned on the automatic file
backup option; now both of my computers give this result
any time I try a backup, even though I've turned off
automatic file backup on one of them and plan to try it on
the other one also. On the one where it's turned off, the
error message mentions that automatic file backup is
configured but turned off.

One of my computers is using 32-bit Vista Home Premium
SP2; the other is using 64-bit Vista Home Premium SP2.

Another event about the time the problem started - on one
of my machines, I started a full backup, but then ran out
of DVDs to use before the backup finished and it took a
few days to get any more. I MAY have made an attempt
to continue on a different type of DVD (forgot whether I
started on DVD-RW or DVD+RW, but then I continued
on the other of these types if I found one).

Is there any way to reverse the configuration of automatic
file backup to see if this will help?

Or can you recommend some other way to fix the problem?

Robert Miles

 

[Robert Miles]

For the last few weeks, all my attempts to create a backup
on DVDs have failed, almost always the second time the
backup program needs to format a new DVD to write
the backup to. It then says that I need to do a full backup
instead - but asking for a full backup instead gives the
same result.

Something about a problem with the backup catalog -
don't have the error message on the screen to copy it.

This started about the time I turned on the automatic file
backup option; now both of my computers give this result
any time I try a backup, even though I've turned off
automatic file backup on one of them and plan to try it on
the other one also. On the one where it's turned off, the
error message mentions that automatic file backup is
configured but turned off.

One of my computers is using 32-bit Vista Home Premium
SP2; the other is using 64-bit Vista Home Premium SP2.

Another event about the time the problem started - on one
of my machines, I started a full backup, but then ran out
of DVDs to use before the backup finished and it took a
few days to get any more. I MAY have made an attempt
to continue on a different type of DVD (forgot whether I
started on DVD-RW or DVD+RW, but then I continued
on the other of these types if I found one).

Is there any way to reverse the configuration of automatic
file backup to see if this will help?

Or can you recommend some other way to fix the problem?

Robert Miles

The backup on my other computer just ran into the error, so
now I have its error message on the screen:

The backup did not complete successfully.

(a red bar)

An error occurred. The following information might help you
resolve the error:

There is a problem with the backup catalog. Restore from a
different backup or create new, full backup. (0x810000E4)


This was after requesting a full backup, on my 32-bit machine
which still has automatic file backup enabled. I've made so
many changes in the weeks since I had a successful backup
that I'm very reluctant to blindly restore everything from that
backup.

Can you suggest how to restore just the old backup catalog,
and not all the other files changed since then?

I just turned off automatic file backup on that machine, but
don't expect that to solve the problem since it didn't on this
64-bit machine.

Robert Miles

 

[On Request]

This may not be a good answer but....when I first got my Vista system two
years ago I tried doing backups to DVD's; never could make it work and had
problems similar to yours. My solution: I bought an external hard drive for
about $60 and have auto backup set up to use that external drive. This
avoided all the problems with DVD backup destination. And no need to have
to be on hand to keep putting blank DVD's in the DVD drive. Give that a
try; best $60 I ever spent.