Jump to content

will new backup set overwrite old?


Recommended Posts

Hi everyone,

 

I just switched all the computers on a network (the backup server and all the clients) but am using the same external hard drives in a daisy chain to back them up. The external HD's have a backup set (backup set 1) from all the previous computers, but I would like to start a completely new backup set (backup set 2) for the new computers without restoring the files from the old computers to the new - all the projects stored on the old ones have since been completed.

 

My question is whether it is possible or not to use the same HD's for a new backup set (2) without overwriting the old data? There are three HD's - 2 500GB and 1 2TB - of which one 500 is full and the other 500 has maybe 30 GB used up. It would be a waste not to use the remaining 470GB, but I cannot risk losing any data stored on it already.

 

Will creating a new backup set overwrite the old one on the HD's? If I change the new computers' names will I be able to back them up on the same backup set, not overwrite the old ones, and would these new names require new licenses or would they already be covered by the same ones the old computers used?

 

 

Thanks in advance, please let me know if you need more info.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You omit critical information.

 

What type of a backup set is "backup set 1"?

 

What type of a backup set is "new backup set (2)"?

 

What version of Retrospect (x.x.x) are you running?

 

As long as you only have one copy of Retrospect running, and if your configuration was supported before and you simply changed the names, renaming should not introduce license issues.

 

Russ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My apologies.

 

Backup set 1 is on a removable disk.

 

Backup set 2 does not exist yet, but will also be on a removable disk.

 

Currently, I am using v. 6.1.230.

 

As for changing the names, when I switched from the old to new retrospect server computers I could not find the retrospect preferences. I know they should have been stored in the preferences folder in the library, but I could not locate it anywhere (which is one of the reasons I decided to start anew). Any idea where it might be or how I can find it?

 

I hope that cleared a few things up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Backup set 2 does not exist yet, but will also be on a removable disk.

When you create a new removable disk backup set, Retrospect will wipe the entire volume, so you'll need to start with a new disk.

 

As for changing the names, when I switched from the old to new retrospect server computers I could not find the retrospect preferences....Any idea where it might be or how I can find it?

At /Library/Preferences/Retrospect. (This is the Library at the root level of your boot volume.) The file you need is called "Retro.Config."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all the tips; I definitely do NOT want to overwrite part of the old backup set. The problem still is that I cannot find the retro.config file. I've looked in the folder and it comes up as empty, which is weird because retrospect *was* working before the switch.

 

Any chance the file might be hidden or invisible? How would I get it to show if this is the case? Any other ideas as to why it might be missing?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all the tips; I definitely do NOT want to overwrite part of the old backup set. The problem still is that I cannot find the retro.config file. I've looked in the folder and it comes up as empty, which is weird because retrospect *was* working before the switch.

 

Any chance the file might be hidden or invisible? How would I get it to show if this is the case? Any other ideas as to why it might be missing?

I'm convinced that you are looking in the wrong place.

 

Please type the following command in Terminal, and post the results:

ls -al /Library/Preferences/Retrospect

 

I suggest that you copy this line and paste it into Terminal so that you don't make typing mistakes. Post the result. The entire result.

 

Russ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's what the terminal brought up:

 

[Dandelion:~] jkathryn% ls -al /Library/Preferences/Retrospect

total 12784

drwxrwxr-x 22 jkathryn admin 748 Dec 31 22:12 .

drwxrwxr-x 49 root admin 1666 Dec 31 22:12 ..

-rw-rw-r-- 1 jkathryn admin 6148 Dec 3 2004 .DS_Store

-rw-rw---- 1 jkathryn admin 4664 Aug 25 2009 Backup Report

-rwsrwxr-x 1 root admin 65800 Sep 19 2005 LaunchRetroHlper

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 5339896 Dec 31 22:13 Operations Log

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 54040 Feb 4 2005 Retro.Config (5.0)

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 117980 Dec 31 22:12 Retro.Config (6.0)

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 388964 Dec 14 2004 Retro.Icons (5.0)

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 497860 Aug 11 2009 Retro.Icons (6.0)

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 4529 Aug 4 2009 RetroConfig.tmp

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 1524 Jun 7 2005 Retrospect.error.log.becb5003

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 1304 Jun 9 2005 Retrospect.error.log.becdea2d

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 1304 Jun 16 2005 Retrospect.error.log.bed6f984

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 1450 Aug 5 2005 Retrospect.error.log.bf193009

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 1305 Aug 25 2005 Retrospect.error.log.bf33496a

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 1451 Sep 6 2005 Retrospect.error.log.bf4338df

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 1305 Sep 19 2005 Retrospect.error.log.bf543d1a

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 1451 Sep 20 2005 Retrospect.error.log.bf55c0a4

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 1983 Sep 28 2005 Retrospect.error.log.bf60267d

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 1967 Oct 11 2005 Retrospect.error.log.bf71770b

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 582 Dec 31 22:12 retrorunfile

[Dandelion:~] jkathryn%

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's what the terminal brought up:

 

[Dandelion:~] jkathryn% ls -al /Library/Preferences/Retrospect

total 12784

drwxrwxr-x 22 jkathryn admin 748 Dec 31 22:12 .

drwxrwxr-x 49 root admin 1666 Dec 31 22:12 ..

-rw-rw-r-- 1 jkathryn admin 6148 Dec 3 2004 .DS_Store

-rw-rw---- 1 jkathryn admin 4664 Aug 25 2009 Backup Report

-rwsrwxr-x 1 root admin 65800 Sep 19 2005 LaunchRetroHlper

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 5339896 Dec 31 22:13 Operations Log

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 54040 Feb 4 2005 Retro.Config (5.0)

[color:red]-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 117980 Dec 31 22:12 Retro.Config (6.0) <=======<<<<<[/color]

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 388964 Dec 14 2004 Retro.Icons (5.0)

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 497860 Aug 11 2009 Retro.Icons (6.0)

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 4529 Aug 4 2009 RetroConfig.tmp

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 1524 Jun 7 2005 Retrospect.error.log.becb5003

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 1304 Jun 9 2005 Retrospect.error.log.becdea2d

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 1304 Jun 16 2005 Retrospect.error.log.bed6f984

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 1450 Aug 5 2005 Retrospect.error.log.bf193009

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 1305 Aug 25 2005 Retrospect.error.log.bf33496a

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 1451 Sep 6 2005 Retrospect.error.log.bf4338df

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 1305 Sep 19 2005 Retrospect.error.log.bf543d1a

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 1451 Sep 20 2005 Retrospect.error.log.bf55c0a4

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 1983 Sep 28 2005 Retrospect.error.log.bf60267d

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 1967 Oct 11 2005 Retrospect.error.log.bf71770b

-rw-rw---- 1 root admin 582 Dec 31 22:12 retrorunfile

[Dandelion:~] jkathryn%

Yep. It's there, just as suspected.

 

I believe that you were looking in your home directory, not in /Library/Preferences/Retrospect at the root level of your startup volume.

 

Russ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now I believe I just copy this over into the same folder on the new computer, correct?

Well, it's slightly more involved than that.

 

For details, see page 162 ("Moving Retrospect" to a new computer) of the

Retrospect 6.0/6.1 for Macintosh Users Guide

 

Wow. Documentation. What a concept. A User's Guide for Retrospect 8 would be nice...

 

Russ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...