Problem Verifying DVD Backup -- Error -100

[jalperin]

I created a backup job and backed up photo files to 14 DVD+R's. When the job began the verification step, it stopped after trying to verify DVD #3 with an error: error-100 (device rejected command). It didn't try to verify any other DVD's. Does that mean the DVD is bad? Do I have to do the whole job over (and burn another 14 DVD's)? Or is it possible that it's having a problem communicating with the DVD drive?

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[natew]

Hi

 

I would start by running a verify operation from the tools menu in Retrospect. If you get more errors then the disc or the drive may be having trouble.

 

What is the make and model of your drive as listed in configure->devices->Environment?

 

Thanks

Nate

[jalperin]

Thanks for the reply. I did start a Verify, and it errored out on Disk #3 again. The DVD drive doesn't report a name or model, just "DVDRW" and "IDE 1004" in the Environment tab. Also, looks like it has a Custom Configuration set up. In any event, it was NOT a brand name.

 

Do you think I need to buy a new, brand-name DVD writer? If so, any suggestions on something that will work well with Retrospect?

 

Alternatively, is there any way to try re-writing just this member of my backup set? Or is there any way to view the snapshot and try to select a file to restore from this DVD#3. (All I see is filenames, not which DVD they're stored on.)

 

Thanks!

[Hofstede]

You can go into the properties for the backup set (under Configure->Backup sets). Then in the members section select the bad DVD and set it's properties to "This member is lost or damaged". Then if you run the backup job again Retrospect will backup the files that where on that member again.

 

Marc

[jalperin]

Thanks, that's very helpful. I also figured out how to try to verify the rest of the DVD's: Just begin Tools -->Verify and when it asks for the DVD's which have already been checked (i.e. DVD#1-3), tell it that they're missing. It will skip and go on to next one.

[natew]

Hi

 

Remember to set the discs as found again in configure->backup sets.

 

Thanks

Nate

[jalperin]

More problems. Ugh!

 

 

 

I marked the two DVD's which wouldn't verify as "Missing" in Configure --> Backup Sets --> Properties --> Members, then tried to run my backup script as "Normal" backup. From what I understand, this should cause Retrospect to recreate the "missing" DVD's (as well as backup any new changes since last backup).

 

 

 

Here's what happened:

 

 

 

First, Activity Monitor begins to scan for about a second, then abruptly stops the scan and shows both Remaining and Completed as 0 files, Zero kb. Error log shows: Can't use Open File Backup option, error -1017 (insufficient permissions).

 

 

 

Meanwhile, even though it appears that no backup is taking place, the Executing tab on Activity Monitor still shows "Pause" and "Stop" button as active, status message at bottom of screen says "One execution running", and Windows Task Manager shows Retrospect as using 100% CPU.

 

 

 

If I try to exit the "running" job by clicking "Stop" button, it asks me to confirm, but never exits. The only way I've found to exit is to kill the Retrospect.exe task from Task Manager.

 

 

 

I've looked through Windows Event Viewer log and see errors related to VSS service:

 

 

 

*** Volume Shadow Copy Service error: An internal inconsistency was detected in trying to contact shadow copy service writers. Please check to see that the Event Service and Volume Shadow Copy Service are operating properly.

 

 

 

*** Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Shadow Copy writer ContentIndexingService called routine RegQueryValueExW which failed with status 0x80070002 (converted to 0x800423f4).

 

 

 

So, to try to eliminate Open File problem, I changed the job temporarily to remove the request to backup Open Files. Now I don't get the Open File error, but I still have the problem of it not rebuilding the "missing" DVD's and instead using 100% of CPU doing nothing.

 

 

 

Any ideas how to proceed? (I've rebooted Windows to no avail.) Oh, and all the volumes I'm trying to backup are NTFS.

 

 

 

Thanks.

[natew]

Hi

 

Is Retrospect erasing the disc when the CPU goes to 100%? What other burning programs are installed on the machine? Try disabling them and then doing the backup.

 

Thanks

Nate

[jalperin]

It's a write-once DVD, so no, Retrospect is not erasing. Also, the DVD isn't even mounted in the computer.

[natew]

Hi

 

Can you try something please?

 

Create a disk backup set and save it on a hard drive. Then run a small backup to that disk backup set. Does CPU usage still spike when you try to run the small test backup?

 

Thanks

Nate

[jalperin]

Nate, thanks so much for continuing to help!

 

I have a couple of existing jobs which use disk backup sets. CPU usage does NOT go to 100%. The job which backs up my local C: drive runs great EXCEPT that it gives me the Can't backup open files error. The rest of the job executes just fine with no cpu overload. The Event Viewer log shows the VSS errors.

 

Seems like the problem is only with the DVD-based backup job. Also, I should say that for the problematic DVD backup job, there aren't any new or changed files for it to backup (I don't think). All it should have to do is to recreate the "missing" DVD's.

 

Thanks again.

 

--Jeff

[jalperin]

Another clue:

 

I told Retrospect that I had "found" the two DVD members which I had previously marked as missing. Then I ran the script again. Other than the usual Open File Backup error, it ran fine -- no CPU at 100%, no hanging.

 

So, the problem definitely seems related to the "missing" DVD members. When I have the members marked missing, I should be running the script in "Normal" mode, right?

[natew]

Hi

 

This is really strange.

Yes, you want to run in normal mode. That tells Retrospect that anything that was on those two disks is no longer in the backup.

 

It sounds like a corrupt catalog...

 

Try another catalog rebuild using just the last member of the backup set. It should end pretty quickly and you will have a complete catalog for all discs. Then set the damaged members missing again.

 

Thanks

nate

[jalperin]

Tried the catalog rebuild which was successful, but when I reset members as missing and tried to run the job -- same problem.

 

I watched it a little more carefully, and here's what I saw. First it very quickly (couple of seconds) counts up the number of files, displaying them in the "Remaining" slot. Then suddenly it resets "Remaining" to ) files, zero KB. After it does this, CPU goes to 100%. Status at bottom of Retrospect window says "One execution running . . ." and little red squares are animated. Also, next to job name (just above Source and Destination) it says "Preparing to execute . . ."

 

Weird!

[natew]

Hi

 

Very wierd.

 

Can you try a test backup of a subvolume (folder) that contains one new or changed file?

 

Thanks

Nate

[jalperin]

I added a small file to one of the folders being backed up by the job. Then I ran the job. Same problem.

[natew]

Hi

 

I mean change the source volume to a single folder instead of the entire drive. Does the error occur when you use a different soruce volume?

 

Thanks

Nate

[jalperin]

Same problem, even when changing source directory so it points to a single folder instead of the whole drive.

[natew]

Hi

 

Thanks for running that test.

 

There are two other things we should try now but they will require some setup/ time.

 

1)Rebuild the catalog file starting on disk #2 and skipping disc #3. Or just rebuild the catalog from disc #1 and skip any members you see as suspect.

 

2)Delete or rename your Retrospect preference files. This will set your Retrospect settings back to defaults but it will also eliminate any corruption. The preferences files are configxx.dat and configxx.bak. They are located at C:\documents and settings\all users\application data\Retrospect\

 

Thanks

Nate