Leopard 10.5.4 Doesn't Unmount DVD+RW Backup Set for Retrospect

[elvinc]

I'm running Leopard 10.5.4 on a Dual 1.8 GHz G5 Power Mac tower and using the built-in SuperDrive to backup to DVD+RW. I can run backups, but usually after an iteration or two - one of the backups won't run because the Finder doesn't release/unmount the Backup Set DVD for Retrospect to use. Retrospect (from my memory) - doesn't recognize the disk but at the same time won't let me eject it - it tells me to unmount it first in the Finder. Trying to eject the Backup Set DVD from the Finder says that it is in use and cannot be ejected.

 

Later - after this problem pops up - another symptom seems to be on occasion when I got to use Devices to check on the media, it will take a long time "scanning devices".

 

In the end...I have restart my machine almost each time I want to run an unattended/attended backup.

 

 

 

[Mayoff]

What about the eject button under configure>Devices? Does that eject the disk?

[CallMeDave]

...one of the backups won't run because the Finder doesn't release/unmount the Backup Set DVD for Retrospect to use. Retrospect (from my memory) - doesn't recognize the disk but at the same time won't let me eject it - it tells me to unmount it first in the Finder. Trying to eject the Backup Set DVD from the Finder says that it is in use and cannot be ejected.

 

When you say "from my memory" does that mean that the behavior you report above may not be an accurate indication of what you're doing and what you're seeing?

 

Could you perhaps get to a place where the problem occurs, and then note specifically what's going on? It's difficult for us to comment when there is uncertainty as to the symptoms.

 

I'd like to know the specific wording of a Retrospect error that refers to unmounting a CD/DVD; since Retrospect doesn't treat Members of a CD/DVD Backup Set as something that should be mounted (as it does with a Removable Disk Backup Set), this bit sounds important.

[elvinc]

Sorry about the ambiguity. I didn't do screenshots of the last occurence so I don't remember what Retrospect thought of my DVD-Backup Set when I went to Devices. I think it said unknown.

 

At that point the disk won't eject through Devices page eject button, nor via the eject key on the keyboard (I'm guessing the same would have happened if I dragged to trash). In either case, both thought that someone else was using the disc and refused to eject.

 

I'll be sure to screenshot next time and follow up with specifics. I expect that the error will reproduce itself tomorrow.

 

I've restarted the machine and run a backup, ejected the disc both ways, and quit Retrospect and restarted it without reproducing the problem. I feel that this is associated with an automated run.

 

Will fill in more details tomorrow likely.

 

 

 

 

[CallMeDave]

Remember that the only reason you are able to see a member of a Retrospect CD/DVD Backup Set on the Desktop of your Macintosh is through the presence of the file system plugin (kext) file that is installed in an Easy Install of Retrospect. These volumes do not have a file system that is recognized in a stock install of OS X.

 

If you were to uninstall that plug-in, your DVD would not show up on the Desktop at all; the only way you'd be able to interact with it would be through the Eject button in the Devices window (and through the keyboard eject key WHEN RETROSPECT IS NOT RUNNING).

 

- When the keyboard does not eject your disk, is Retrospect running? That would be expected (although unfortunate and universally despised) behavior.

 

- What is the make/model/firmware/driver (as reported in the Scan Devices window) of the optical disk burner being used?

 

- Do you have the same problems with write-once media (DVD+R), instead of RW media?

[elvinc]

I did get it to repeat at 5pm when my backup script runs.

 

When the script runs, it displays the Backup Set dialog with my Backup Set DVD as "Unknown" and non-writeable. I am not able to eject the disc from the Retrospect dialog. (I can't from the Finder either because the Finder says it is in use.

 

My only escape at this point is to stop the script. At this point I'm still not able to eject the CD from the Finder, even with Retrospect closed.

 

I did notice that it took a long time to scan devices when the script started, and when I revisited Devices after aborting the script, it also took a long time. (This does not happen after a reboot...in that case, the drive comes up rather quickly, and my DVD is recognized as a legitimate Backup Set...only after the autoscript has run do I encounter this problem).

 

I have used Retrospect with Tiger on this machine without a problem using DVD+RW media. I can also confirm that after a fresh restart, I can conduct backups as many as I want, quit Retrospect, start it back up again, not encounter the problem until the autoscript is called (while Retrospect is not running).

 

Let me restart and get you the driver info since I can't access it now due to this problem.

 

 

 

 

[elvinc]

Device Status off the Device menu shows:

ID: ATAPI-A:0:0

SONY DVD RW DW-U21A

Version: AADB

Driver: SONY DVD RW (5.13)

 

I guess I could try just leaving Retrospect running all the time in the background. (Not the first time I had to do this for a Retrospect/Mac OS incompatibility).

 

 

 

[CallMeDave]

At this point I'm still not able to eject the CD from the Finder, even with Retrospect closed.

 

 

When you're in this situation, try entering this into Terminal:

 

lsof | grep /Volumes/

 

(if you have lots of mounted volumes other then / you might want to expand the above to be more specific such as):

 

lsof | grep /Volumes/NameOfMountedDVD/

 

That should show what process has open files on the DVD (although perhaps Russ can suggest a more effective/efficient command for this...)

 

Not the first time I had to do this for a Retrospect/Mac OS incompatibility

 

Well, we know what version of Mac OS you're using, but you haven't disclosed what version of Retrospect is in use, nor what version of the RDU is loading alongside.

[elvinc]

Sorry I missed that. Running 6.1.230. RDU is 6.1.15.100.