no disc storage device

[caslon540]

 

hi all, new user here. i have a imac g5 ver 10.4. retrospect backup ver 6.1. i go through all the steps to backup but i get a error message: "sorry--no disc storage device found" can somebody tell me what i'm doing wrong? i was able to backup once but i can't do it again! thanks, bill

[waltr]

hi bill,

 

the first time you backed up to the external drive (just guessing here, but it seems plausable), did you do a 'File' backup? that's usually a good way to do it.

 

now it sounds like you are trying to do a 'Removable Disk' (nods to dave) backup. if you do this, you know that Retrospect will *erase* the drive, correct? any data you have on the external will be gone--just so you know.

 

so to do the 'Removable Disk' backup, you need to go to 'Special->Preferences->Media Handling' and check the box that says, 'Use hard drives as removable disks'. now you can do the 'Removable Disk' backup and pick the drive.

 

with the above info, you may want to just do a 'File' backup to the disk so you can use the rest of the drive for other purposes. HTH.

[caslon540]

hi waltr--i'm trying to backup some files on my harddrive notably my documents, itunes, iphoto library and so forth. i'm trying to put them on separate dvds. why? i don't know, just to be more efficient and easier to access i guess rather than take up so much time to back up the whole harddrive at once. thought this ''piece meal'' approach would lessen my learning curve. i just want to backup onto cds or dvds, i don't have an external drive, just a optical cd-dvd drive, whatever works! can you ''spell'' the directions out for me? thanks for your quick reply. bill

[waltr]

hi bill,

 

ah, a horse of a different color.

 

i know you have an iMac. can you go to 'Configure->Devices' and see the burner? if you don't see it, click on 'Device Status' and see if it shows up in the next window. if you do see it, post the info from the window (and which window it's showing in--possibly both).

 

if you don't see it, post that info, and describe what you see.

[caslon540]

hi waltr, clicking ''configure", clicking "devices", i get a line that says: "no backup devices found" everything is grayed out but the button "rescan" when clicking this i get a brief flash of "scanning devices" and it goes off the screen.

thanks, bill

[CallMeDave]

Quote:

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clicking ''configure", clicking "devices", i get a line that says: "no backup devices found"

 

---

 

Make sure no other program has already loaded its own device drivers for your burner. For example, if you launch Toast before launching Retrospect, the former will be able to see/use the drive while the latter will not.

 

You might try restarting the machine, then launching Retrospect right away. Then check Configure->Devices and see if you can see the burner.

 

Dave

[waltr]

hi bill,

 

also, what model iMac? if you go to the System Profiler (Apple Menu->About this Mac->More Info), what does it say when you click on 'Disc Burning', under 'Hardware'?

[caslon540]

hi waltr,

 

i have a imac g5. i copied and pasted this from your suggested idea. greek to me! thanks, bill

 

MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-845:

 

Firmware Revision: DBN9

Interconnect: ATAPI

Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipped/Supported)

Cache: 2048 KB

Reads DVD: Yes

CD-Write: -R, -RW

DVD-Write: -R, -RW, +R, +RW, +R DL

Burn Underrun Protection CD: Yes

Burn Underrun Protection DVD: Yes

Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, DVD-DAO

Media: No

[CallMeDave]

- Did you try restarting the iMac before launching Retrospect?

 

- What changed from when it worked and now? New software? New settings?

 

- Does Disk Burning work from the Finder?

. From the Finder's File menu, select "New Burn Folder"

. Drag some files into this new folder

. Click on the "Burn" button

 

- Do you get a dialog box about inserting a blank disk?

. (don't watse, although it might be helpful to at some point confirm that the burner does in fact burn)

[caslon540]

hi dave, thanks for your reply. i have had retrospect for about a year now but never got around to learning it until i had to replace some major parts, such as: power supply, logic board, optical drive (thankfully i had purchased an extended warranty). after that i thought i better learn to backup in case of harddrive failure. in the last month i have burned approx. 40 dvds using disk utility and disk image. i have also burned cds using itunes. i don't know what i did right the first time when i had a successful burn. i backed up my file "documents". i just burned a disc using finder and following your instructions i selected "new burn folder" then had to drag my cd on top of the new burn folder this made the "burn folder" active. i clicked it and made a successful burn that was verified. yes, i opened it up and my files were backed up there!

thanks for trying with me, any more suggestions?

 

bill