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Can't add new Favourite Folder or Script V.13.5


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I am trying to add a new Favourite Folder on my Retrospect Server HD (Local disk) and then a new script to copy this folder to a client machine – but it fails consistently.

 

I can add the Favourite Folder but when I try to add a new script the window goes blank and the sidebar shows Retrospect searching for the server. When the Server reappears with the usual headings the Favourite Folder is no longer available. 

 

I've tried to create different scripts - backup, copy etc - and the same thing happens.

 

I have shut down Retrospect and restarted the Mac (OS10.12.1) but the same behaviour returns. Is there a preferences file I should delete – preferably without losing all of my sources and scripts etc?

 

Thanks

 

Roger

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Over a week ago, at the request of Retrospect Support, I did something somewhat similar to what toshy is trying to do—as detailed in the second paragraph of this post.  Afterward my test Backup script using the Favorite Folder worked fine.  I am running Retrospect Mac 13.5.0 (317), a late test build provided by Retrospect Support, under OS X 10.10.5.

 

There are three differences that I can see: (1) The script I created using the Favorite Folder is a Backup script whose destination is a currently-not-in-use Media Set, whereas it sounds as if toshy's script is in some attempts a Copy script whose destination is a client and is in other attempts a Backup script whose destination is a client.  (2) My Favorite Folder is on a non-boot drive on my Mac Pro "backup server" (Retrospect Support wanted a Favorite Folder of around 50MB size, and I didn't have one on my boot drive), whereas toshy's Favorite Folder is on his boot drive.  (3) I created my Favorite Folder using the Sources category in the Console, and then separately created my Backup script using the Scripts category; it's possible toshy used the capability—which I didn't know about until just now—of the Backup Assistant to create a Favorite Folder in the process of creating a Backup script. 

 

My first group of suggestions to toshy comes under the heading of "be sure your brain is fully engaged":  (1) Make sure you don't have more than one item on your Retrospect Server local boot HD with the same name—probably some variant of "Macintosh HD", including both the boot drive and your Favorite Folder's name.   About 1.75 years ago, when I was re-establishing my use of Retrospect with my inherited Mac Pro as the new "backup server", I inadvertently ended up with two drives named "Macintosh HD"; OS X 10.10.x was fine with it, but Retrospect 12.0 wasn't—with rather the same symptoms you are describing as noted in the second paragraph of the OP of this thread.  (2) AFAIK you can't do a Backup whose destination is a client machine drive—as opposed to a Media Set on that drive—which is also a Source (under the disclosure triangle for the client machine in Sources); first try setting up your script as a Backup to a Media Set, which could be a separate drive on the client machine.

 

My next group of suggestion to toshy comes under the heading of "voodoo to avoid a possible Retrospect bug": (1)  Once you've ruled out the problems outlined in the previous paragraph, make sure you create your Favorite Folder using the Sources category in the Console, and then separately create your Backup script using the Scripts category in the Console.  (2) Try manually copying the contents of your Favorite Folder to a Favorite Folder on another drive mounted locally to your "backup server", and then setup your script with that Favorite Folder as the script source. 

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Thanks David. I don't know if your situation is similar to mine from your description  - let me add some detail.

 

I can add a Favourite Folder to any of my local drives, none of which have duplicate names. Both local hard drives already have favourite folders that are used by other scripts. My problem comes when I try to add a new script to use that newfolder – either using the File/New/New Script menu option or the +Add option on the console. The dialog box opens to name the script and choose the type of script and i fill in the options: then, when I click Add, the window closes and the console reverts to searching the server for a retrospect engine. This behaviour happens whatever kind of script I close; I do not reach the stage of choosing sources or destinations etc. I am not trying to Backup to a client drive, I want to Copy to a client drive - my introduction of Backup was just to illustrate that the 'crash' happened whatever kind of script I tried to create.

 

I have twenty or so scripts or favourite folders – I know how to make and use them (although I have made some stupid mistakes over the last twenty years of using Retrospect) and I have checked that this behaviour is consistent whether creating a favourite folder on a local or a client machine, namely, that I can create such folders but when I go to create a new script to use them (or even to create a new backup script) Retrospect closes down and when it reopens the newly added Favourite Folders are gone.

 

II have to say that this is the first time that I have tried to add a script or a favourite folder since upgrading to v13 (now 13.5) but all my other processes developed in previous versions have worked perfectly. I was hoping that a forum contributor might recognise this behaviour and attribute it to a corrupt preference file. Just about the only thing I haven't tried is stopping the Engine to see if that clears the problem. Will do this now but would still be grateful for any suggestions or pointers to whom to contact at Retrospect if this is a bug.

 

Thanks

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I have successfully achieved what toshy was trying to do per the second paragraph of post #3.  My software configuration is per the last sentence of the first paragraph of post #2.  The creation of my new Favorite Folder on my Mac Pro "backup server" boot disk went OK, creating the Copy script using it went OK, and the Copy script ran OK just now.  

 

BTW, my new Favorite Folder  is "Retrospect12.5 ConfigFiles".  It contains what the name says, since Retrospect Support advised me about the test build "This build is based off of version 13.5, so we should make a copy of your config files before hand to make reverting back to 12.5 easier if need be.  First head to System Preferences > Retrospect and stop your Retrospect engine.  Next navigate to /Library/application support/Retrospect and make a copy of your Config80.dat and configs.xml.  Afterwards you can install the build."  

 

I hope toshy made the same copies before installing Retrospect Mac 13.5—or has an old backup of them, because my not-very-knowledgeable advice to him at this point is to reinstall Retrospect Mac 13.5—preferably after copying back his 12.5 config files per the above paragraph.  Lennart Thelander might be able to give advice on a preference file to delete, but I do not have the years of experience with modern Retrospect that Lennart does.

 

If toshy can't do that, or that doesn't fix the problem, I would suggest that he contact Retrospect Tech Support.  He can do that by going to http://www.retrospect.com/en/support/phone, and either clicking the "Sending us an email" button or phoning a number listed below the button.  Given the way toshy spells "Favourite", I suspect he is located in Canada or Europe (toshy, how about putting your location in your profile?)—so he should choose the appropriate number if phoning.  Note that clicking the button will present toshy with a form to fill out, and note that the issue description in that form is IME best limited to about 2000 bytes.

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Here's an afterthought for toshy.  I remember that installing the test build Retrospect Mac 13.5.0 (317) over 12.5 was more traumatic than I thought it would be, especially in regard to getting the new licensing code accepted.  When I got that sorted out, the installer asked for my server address—which I had not written down.  127.0.0.1 floated up to my conscious mind, and that has worked ever since.

 

127.0.0.1 will not work for toshy, unless—like me—he runs his Console on the same machine as his Engine (I have the Desktop Edition, so I have no choice).  However, given his problem symptoms, he should make sure he's got the correct server address entered into his copy of 13.5.

 

He should also try creating a script that does not use a Favorite Folder, just to see if that works.

 

Good luck, toshy!

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Thanks again.

 

On a machine on a different network I was able to create new scripts and favourite folders so I assumed that the misbehaving application must ne corrupted. I ran the uninstaller, downloaded a new copy of 13.5 and now all is well. 

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