Retrospect 6.1.126 for Mac

[stanlee]

I am using Retrospect 6.1.126 and created a 7 day rotating backup -- on the first day's backup all the files I wanted were backed up to my external hard drive, about 80 GB. On day 2 instead of just backing up the modified files as in a normal backup, all the old files were backed up again, another 80 or so GB. On day 3 the same thing. I now have 267 GB on the external hard drive, at that rate the external HD will be filled in another few days.

 

How can I change the 7 day rotating backup to copy all files on day 1 and on all subsequent days to only copy modified files as in a normal backup?

 

Thanks - Stan

 

[CallMeDave]

I ... created a 7 day rotating backup

 

You'll have to describe more completely exactly how you have setup retrospect to work. Including what Type of Backup Set you are using, what your Script looks like, how, if at all, you have modified the programs Preferences from their Default state, etc.

 

The behavior you're asking for is what most of us enjoy when using the program, so you'll have to help us understand what you might be doing wrong.

 

 

Dave

[stanlee]

Dave - Thank you for your response. When I created the backup I carefully followed the 5 Day Rotation Script as found in the Mac Video Tutorials and extended it to 7 days http://www.emcinsignia.com/supportupdates/macvideo/

 

If you need any more specific info let me know. - Stan

[twickland]

Stan:

 

No offense, but you can't have "carefully followed" the tutorial because the tutorial creates a script for rotating among 5 tape backup sets. You have already said that your backup set(s) is/are on a disk volume. If, for example, you created 5 (or 7) File Backup sets on your hard drive volume, you will indeed have exactly that many complete backups in your first week before Retrospect gets around to performing its incremental backups to each backup set.

 

In short, we do need more info about your specific setup, including the type of backup set used, as Dave asked above.

 

Incidentally, the reason one would want to create multiple backup sets is so that you can have copies on physically different pieces of media, which enables you to keep them in separate locations in the event of a fire, etc., and provides redundancy in case one piece of media becomes damaged. Multiple backup sets on the same physical device gains you no real redundancy while simply taking up capacity, and is not what you would want to do.

[stanlee]

Twickland - I realize now that the redundancy I thought I had, with the multiple backup sets, was not there. Thank you for pointing it out to me.

 

I will create a single backup set and I think it will solve my problem. If I run into any difficulty I will get back to you.

 

Thank you all for your assistance. - Stan

 

[CallMeDave]

I will create a single backup set and I think it will solve my problem.

Well, except then you won't have _any_ redundancy, not even illusionary!