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Cant restore with .RDB files!


evan42781

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i am using express 6.5. the back up is stored on an external hard drive. I am trying to restore these files to a computer running xp. I did a total system restore of xp laptop with the hard drive disconnected. then reinstalled retrospect, connected the external hard drive. Like the other user explains. these are rdb files that retrospect says don't exsist. I have tried everything that is listed on this thread so far with no luck. even copied the files directly to the xp laptop. There are two different folders with rdb files one is Backup Set C, the other labeles Sunday A. About to lose my head.

 

Thanks for clarifying. I do not have Express 6.5 (only 7.6), but I do have access to an old copy of Single Server 6.5, so will try to install that onto an old XP machine and see if I can replicate the problem.

 

So far I have tried to do so using a Windows 7 machine and Express 7.6, and all seems to work fine (no problems rebuilding an old catalog from disk), but a lot could have changed between XP/6.5 and W7/7.6.

 

Just to be sure: when you select "Repair Catalog", are you choosing the "Recreate from disks" option? You must choose this if your backup set is RDB-based, and not one of the other options such as "Repair file backup set".

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  • 2 weeks later...

Obviously Retrospect has no idea as to the opening of .rdb files in its program otherwise there would not be the 100's of failed inquiries!!

 

You aren't supposed to open the RDB files directly. You're supposed to use them as part of a Backup Set, through the use of a Catalog file. Have you tried re-building a catalog, using Tools -> Repair Catalog -> "Recreate from disks"?

 

Still no luck and its been since July 12. ANYBODY I wonder if the Dantz developers/programmers have ever read about these problems, or if they even care. It's not like they could lose their family pictures and videos!!!!

 

I would like to try helping you, even though I do not work for Retrospect.

 

I installed Windows XP and Retrospect 6.5 onto a secondary computer, to try and replicate your problem, but I cannot. If I discard the catalog and move the RDB files around, I am still able to re-build the catalog from whatever location I move them to, then access and restore the contents.

 

I know you said you have "tried everything", but could you please specifically confirm you have tried these exact steps:

 

(1) In Retrospect, click "Tools", then "Repair Catalog".

 

(2) Choose "Recreate from disks", then click OK.

 

(3) Click "All disks".

 

(4) Click the drive where the RDB files are stored, then click "Browse".

 

(5) Find the folder which contains the RDB files. Click it once so it is highlighted (do not double-click it), then click "Select".

 

(6) A list of one or more Backup Set names should appear. Click the one you wish to re-build, then click OK.

 

(7) You will be asked if there are more disks in the same backup set. The answer will be "No", unless you used multiple drives for your backups.

 

(8) You will be asked where to save the catalog to. Generally, the default location for catalog files will be selected, and it is fine to save here.

 

If these steps do not work, please tell us which step gives you problems, and exactly what goes wrong.

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  • 1 month later...

to Cygnis

 

Yes, your instructions do work. I found a 6 year old external drive with a Retrospect backup on it, 10 minutes of Googling turned up your reply.

 

I used the current freebie version of Retrospect, no telling what version was used in 2006.

 

Thanx muchly.

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  • 1 month later...

I am pretty sure that the user problem is that the Restore Wizard will offer to recreate the Backup Set, but only from rbf and rbc files.

 

Selecting "Tools" or "Backup Sets" at the top level menu will work with rdb files according to the instructions above. This recreated backup set can then be used within the Restore Wizard.

 

Before anyone jumps in with 'thats what we said, stupid', ask yourself, which option would you pick first to restore your data to a new machine?

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  • 1 year later...

Dear Retrospect

 

When choosing a backup solution I would ignore Retrospect just because your file store is closed.

 

Many IT officers will make the same decision. We need to get as much of our data back - independent of the support from the vendor. Look at Retrospects recent past to see why this is a very real requirement.

 

Regards

A

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Dear Retrospect

 

When choosing a backup solution I would ignore Retrospect just because your file store is closed.

 

Many IT officers will make the same decision. We need to get as much of our data back - independent of the support from the vendor. Look at Retrospects recent past to see why this is a very real requirement.

 

Regards

A

 

I am not sure why this is coming up in a thread from 2012 for Retrospect Express.

 

If you do not want to use the Retrospect data format, you can always use the Duplicate or Copy feature in Retrospect. This copies the data in the native file format. 

 

>>Many IT officers will make the same decision

 

1000's of IT managers are using Retrospect. Using a custom data format for backup is pretty common.  Backup Exec and other software vendors do the same thing. I believe that even the Microsoft backup tool included with Windows uses it's own custom data format. 

 

Backup sets exist so that you can restore data from any prior backup date while still doing incremental backup. It allows for compression and encryption. It also allows Retrospect to track data from multiple computers all within a single place while doing file level deduplication. 

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