Specific MD5 error remains

[MrPete]

I started backing up to a new drive.

 

Out of 300k+ files, two generated an MD5 error:

 

Generated MD5 digest for file ... does not match stored MD5 digest.

 

The documentation says this kind of error will cause Retrospect to store the file again in a later backup.

 

Three backups in a row get this same error on the same two files. To me, that suggests the files are NOT being re-backed up.

 

Any suggestions? This sounds like a subtle defect in Retrospect.

 

If it is an equipment error, there's no reason the exact same files, in their stored version, would always be the ones getting generated-MD5 mismatches.

 

[Mayoff]

If 2 files reported the error, then something is preventing those 2 files from being successfully backed up. Retrospect is doing exactly what it should do. Would you rather your backup software NOT tell you when something doesn't look right? MD5 is a math calculation for the file. 1+1 isn't equaling 2, it might be 1.99999 instead.

 

Try switching to thorough verification to see if the byte by byte verify reports a more detailed error.

[MrPete]

Wellll.... it's nothing in my system.

 

I wonder if it could relate to file names or the length of the path or something like that.

 

I ran more backups w/ byte-compare, same error, now with error -1129 listed (which is not in the KB nor help file AFAIK.)

 

The files are fine (tif - fully usable).

I made a copy of the files without trouble.

Did binary compare - no problem.

Backed up the copies - no problem.

 

(And since we use the default of only backing up one copy of the file, that was enough to make the error disappear.)

 

So: we have not really resolved the issue. I found a workaround but would love to really resolve things like this...

 

 

[Mayoff]

What is the exact error in the log when the byte for byte verify?

[MrPete]

An error occurred during the verification step. The MD5 digest for the file "F:\FAMILY ALBUMS\Karin\2 Preschool\1987 Karin in bathing suit 2.tif" did not match, error -1129 (MD5 digest mismatch)

 

[Mayoff]

Do you see any additional errors in the Windows Event Logs? If you duplicating this file within Windows and backup the copy of the file, does it also report the error?

[MrPete]

Sorry, I guess I was not clear enough before. As I noted in my 10/11 6:48pm reply:

 

* No other errors were or are being generated

 

* I was able to open and copy the file without any errors. A non-Retrospect binary compare was successful.

 

* Re-running a backup did backup the copy, without any error. And since the copy is a duplicate, it no longer attempts to backup the original, and therefore no longer reports an error.

 

Two questions:

 

1) Are you actually asking about non-Retrospect logs, i.e. Windows ctrl panel/admin event log? If so, I'll go look this evening.

 

2) Is there a way to retest the original file backup without wrecking our overall backup?

 

My thought on #2: I did the backup-the-copy using a *.tif filter that only looked at the folder tree in question. Perhaps I can delete that session, thus deleting the copy-backup from the backup set, and restoring the problem?

 

Whatever the trouble is, I'm hoping that I can replicate the problem. Much easier to debug that way

 

 

[vitouso]

Hi Austin. Seems I have same issue starting about 2 weeks ago. There is one file which always generate this error. I can normally work with that file, delete it, copy it again. If I created copy of this file with different name, it generated error for booth - original and copy. No other file is causing any troubles, just one.

 

In case you are interesed, you may take a look at that file here:

 

http://rfeftp.rferl.org/GetFile.asp?FNEC=D90C8FEA5DB25F6BDC1A6EF83489F2429EDA41B31D4E9D0D71CC3497E12F84F461843565F955408B164F9300D6AB0FE2BC6382482AF659319567CAD202AEB663EC3520FF5D47FC76A2EF1DE48DF1

 

Regards Ondrej