Duplicate source showing up

[pwbimm]

Retrospect 8.2 (normal backup)

Mac OS X 10.5.8

Retrospect console on Mac Pro (Leopard) upstairs

Retrospect client on MacBook Pro (Leopard) downstairs

Both connected via Ethernet to Airport router

External hard drive for backup (File Media) connected to Mac Pro

 

Retrospect has started seeing _two_ volumes on the MacBook Pro instead of just the one internal hard drive:

 

" * Resolved container MacBook Pro to 2 volumes:

Macintosh HD on MacBook Pro

Macintosh HD on MacBook Pro"

 

There's nothing attached (e.g., external drive) to the MacBook Pro. Should I just trash that script and try creating a new one, or can this be fixed?

[Maser]

I'm assuming you mean that under "Sources" you see two hard disks for the client?

 

What does the "mount" command in Terminal show for the MacBook Pro?

 

and then do a:

 

cd /Volumes

 

and

 

ls -la

 

and post the above here.

 

 

What if you delete and readd the MBP as a client? Still seeing two sources?

 

(I've seen something similar happen if I use Carbon Copy Cloner to clone off the contents of a client HD, reformat the HD, then copy the contents back -- the "reformatted" drive shows up as a 2nd drive...)

[pwbimm]

I'm assuming you mean that under "Sources" you see two hard disks for the client?

 

What if you delete and readd the MBP as a client? Still seeing two sources?

 

Ah yes, you're right. Two (identical) volumes were shown under Sources. I deleted it and re-added the volume. Backup then worked correctly.

 

Glad a simple solution worked. Thanks for the tip! I should have thought of it...

[pwbimm]

Well, it looks like I spoke too soon. Deleting and re-adding the client hard drive works for a while, but Retrospect again is seeing two hard drives on the client. And after doing this a couple of times, Retrospect can no longer find the client at all.

 

I guess I'll try reinstalling the client app.

 

Sent my first tech support request to Roxio this morning. I'll be curious to see how (or maybe, if) they respond.

 

These problems started with version 8.2.

[Maser]

When you say "works for a while" -- what actions (if any) with that client make the two hard drives show up?

 

It's possible you have a corrupt config80.dat file.

 

Can you reproduce this with a clean config80.dat file?

[pwbimm]

When you say "works for a while" -- what actions (if any) with that client make the two hard drives show up?

 

That's what puzzles me -- I have no idea. I've been using Retrospect for over ten years but this is the first time I've ever seen this behavior.

 

It's possible you have a corrupt config80.dat file. Can you reproduce this with a clean config80.dat file?

 

You may be right. Now, when I click on Sources in the console, Retrospect hangs and I have to force quit.

 

Is this the correct procedure?

 

1. Quit console.

2. Stop Ret engine.

3. Delete the Config80.dat and Config80.bak files (currently in MacHD>Library>Application Support>Retrospect).

4. Restart engine.

5. Open console.

 

Thanks.

[Maser]

Those are the steps -- yes.

[Daniels]

Before doing this make sure to have your actual license code ready since Retrospect will ask for it when you launch the console. You will also have to recreate all your rules, scripts, and clients.

What I have done when I was going through a lot of corrupt config files was to write all my rules, clients, scripts, and license code on pieces of paper and place them with my upgrade CD so I could easily recreate them when needed.

[pwbimm]

Before doing this make sure to have your actual license code ready since Retrospect will ask for it when you launch the console. You will also have to recreate all your rules, scripts, and clients.

 

Following the procedure shown in a previous post, I can enter the license code and can click on the items in the console's left-hand column (Activities, Scripts, etc.), but any time I click on the Add button (to create a new script or add a new source), Retrospect hangs and I must force quit.

 

Should I completely uninstall Retrospect (on my Mac Pro) and the client (on my wife's MacBook Pro) and reinstall? Or could it just be a corrupt file?

 

I did not mention in previous posts: Retrospect 6.1 (with old license) has been installed on my wife's laptop for a long time. It also has the newest client installed. To the best of my knowledge, this has never created any problems on my end (running Ret 8.2 on my Mac Pro).

 

Thanks.

[Maser]

It *could* be a corrupt .plist file as a clean config80.dat file shouldn't cause any issues when you try to do something as simple as adding a script.

 

Can't hurt to try that, certainly.

[Daniels]

You need to uninstall both the console and engine by using the unistaller included with the console and then deleting the Retrospect folder from Application Support folder.

[pwbimm]

It *could* be a corrupt .plist file as a clean config80.dat file shouldn't cause any issues when you try to do something as simple as adding a script.

 

Can't hurt to try that, certainly.

 

Well, I thought erasing (in ~/Library/Preferences) was going to do the trick, as I was able to create scripts, backup, etc. But when I later reopened the console, it hung up when I click the Add button to create a new script.

 

Guess it's time to uninstall Ret, erase the backup volumes (on external hard drive), and create new scripts. Sigh...

 

Don't know if it's a coincidence, but it seems like all this pain started with Ret 8.2.

 

BTW, last 30 hours --

Retrospect Forum replies: 5

Roxio Tech Support replies: 0 (other than autoreply)

 

Forum wins again.

:-)

[pwbimm]

Uninstalled Ret and engine.

Restarted.

Reinstalled fresh copies.

Restarted.

Opened console and entered license code.

Clicked Add to add a source (client laptop) and Ret hangs.

Force quit and restart. Same thing happened.

Stop engine, delete config files, delete pref file, restart. Same thing happens.

 

Any idea what in the world is going on?

Any idea how to get Ret 8.1? I see versions 4, 5, and 6 in the archives but not 8.0 or 8.1.

[Maser]

Is the engine on the machine running the console?

 

You mentioned the console is running on a MacPro in the original post -- but not if that's where the engine is running. Assuming it is...

 

Since you have two Macs -- do you have the same problem if you install the engine/console on your MacBook Pro?

 

 

If not, what's different about the MacPro? Any extra cards installed? Something external hooked up? How much RAM? Some special software running on the MP that's not on the MBP?

 

A trick you could try (to possibly rule out hardware problems) -- you can boot the MBP in "target" mode and boot the MacPro from the MBP hard disk (assuming you have a firewire cable to connect the two...) See if doing that causes the same problem when you boot the MP hardware from the MBP OS.

 

If the engine/console works on the MBP, but not when you boot the same OS on the MP, then it might be a hardware issue.

 

Just a couple of thoughts as to how I'd approach this (not knowing anything about your systems...)

 

 

 

[Daniels]

Since the config files also contain any rules created what happens when you try to create a new rule or make a duplicate of an existing rule. If Retrospect crashes when this happens then it gives more indication that the config80.dat file is not accessible and Retrospect is crashing because it can not write to this file.

Also if the engine and console are on two separate computers make sure that you have remote access turned on on the engine computer and that you are logged in as an administrator for the engine computer when using the console.

I have definitely seen problems where a folder and/or file is created by either a local or remote user and another user can not access that folder and/or file even if they are a local administrator.

[pwbimm]

Is the engine on the machine running the console?

 

Yes, the engine and console are both on the Mac Pro.

 

Since you have two Macs -- do you have the same problem if you install the engine/console on your MacBook Pro?

 

Just tried it by installing console and engine on MacBook Pro, and client on Mac Pro. When it doesn't hang, it never finds the client (Mac Pro in this case).

 

If not, what's different about the MacPro? Any extra cards installed? Something external hooked up? How much RAM? Some special software running on the MP that's not on the MBP?

 

The Mac Pro has a PCIe card installed to provide two eSATA ports. But I used Retrospect successfully for a year with this card until I started having problems recently (with Ret 8.2).

 

Same deal with a Firewire audio interface -- I've been backup up for a year with it attached.

 

The Mac Pro has 9 GB of RAM. While running Ret, Mac Pro is running mundane stuff: Mail, Safari, iCal, Address Book, Word. Same on client.

 

A trick you could try (to possibly rule out hardware problems) -- you can boot the MBP in "target" mode and boot the MacPro from the MBP hard disk (assuming you have a firewire cable to connect the two...) See if doing that causes the same problem when you boot the MP hardware from the MBP OS.

 

If the engine/console works on the MBP, but not when you boot the same OS on the MP, then it might be a hardware issue.

 

Is this the same thing:

Booted Mac Pro from clone (on ext. hard drive) of MacBook Pro.

Opened console (engine running off MBP clone, of course) from MBP and clicked Add in Sources. Ret hung.

 

Executive Summary :-)

 

Completely replaced console and engine on both Mac Pro (Leopard, upstairs) and MacBook Pro (Leopard, downstairs).

Erased config and pref files (after stopping engine, etc.).

Sometimes Ret (Mac Pro) can find client (MacBook Pro) and sometimes not.

Sometimes Ret can backup client, but Ret _always_ eventually hangs when trying to add a source or script.

 

Completely flummoxed.

[CallMeDave]

Clicked Add to add a source (client laptop) and Ret hangs.

 

When, exactly, does it hang? When you click the giant candy sized "+" icon labeled "Add" in the Sources list? If so, it doesn't matter what your _intended_ source is.

 

Steve suggests:

it might be a hardware issue

 

Or a network issue.

 

 

Dave

[Maser]

Steve suggests:

it might be a hardware issue

 

Or a network issue.

 

 

Dave

 

 

 

Except he says he had the hang when he tried to add a new script as well.

[Daniels]

Have you tried creating a new rule and seeing if that crashes Retrospect?

[Maser]

Is this the same thing:

Booted Mac Pro from clone (on ext. hard drive) of MacBook Pro.

Opened console (engine running off MBP clone, of course) from MBP and clicked Add in Sources. Ret hung.

 

 

Sort of, but this could still mean that you have something (anti-virus software, for example) running on *both* systems.

 

Since you have an external drive, what I'd suggest would be to install a clean OS-only 10.5.8-with-all-updates-from-Software-Update system on the external drive. Boot the MP from that, install the engine/console on that and see if you can replicate the freezes.

 

 

If *that* freezes (and I would limit my testing to Scripts --> Add as you said that freezes the console, right?) then I'd start considering a hardware problem.

 

If that *doesn't* freeze -- then you might have to dig deeper to see what might be different from your running OSes vs. the clean-install OSes.

[Maser]

Or you *could* try the reverse from what you did (to maybe isolate a hardware issue): Clone your current MP setup to the external drive and boot the MBP with it.

 

Then clean install Retrospect 8.2 on that and see if you can replicate the crashes.

 

If the MP OS/Retrospect combo runs fine on the MBP -- then that would lend credence to it being some kind of problem with the MP hardware.

 

 

(Or even consider upgrading the MP to 10.6.4 and see what happens?)

[pwbimm]

When, exactly, does it hang? When you click the giant candy sized "+" icon labeled "Add" in the Sources list?

 

Yes, same as when I click + (Add) when trying to create a new script. Sometime it works, sometimes it hangs. Eventually, it _always_ hangs.

 

Steve suggests:

it might be a hardware issue

 

Or a network issue.

 

 

Dave

 

Yeah, I wondered about this. Like Ret is trying to contact something and can't do it. My network is pretty simple though: both computers are connected via Ethernet to an Airport router. No firewalls active.

[pwbimm]

Have you tried creating a new rule and seeing if that crashes Retrospect?

 

Sorry for being dense here, but you're referring to Scripts>Rules? Like pick a script and change "All Files" to "All Files Except Cache Files" (my usual selection)?

[pwbimm]

Except he says he had the hang when he tried to add a new script as well.

 

Yes, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Just tried it and it worked (no hang).

[pwbimm]

Have you tried creating a new rule and seeing if that crashes Retrospect?

 

Ah, I bet you're talking about Prefs>Rules. Yes, I just created a test rule, saved it, created a new script that included it. (Didn't actually run the script.)

 

Should I run a test script or did you just want to see if a new rule could be created and saved without crashing Ret?