agwolfenden Posted January 4, 2003 Report Share Posted January 4, 2003 This is the setup I used to have: 1) 400 MHz G4 with Apple internal DVD-RAM drive (Matshita LF-D211A) 2) External Lacie CD Writer (FireWire & USB 1 interfaces) (which I never used with Retrospect) With Retrospect 5.0.236 and 5.0.238 backing up to DVD-RAM worked fine. I know I used this combination with 10.2.1 and 10.2.2 but am not sure if I ever used it with 10.2.3. Then I switched to an 800 MHz 12.1" iBook. Since this already had a CD writer, my external CD writer was no longer needed. So I removed the drive from the external CD writer & installed it in the G4. The DVD-RAM drive which was in the G4 I put in the external drive enclosure. This allows me to connect the DVD-RAM drive to my iBook via FireWire. When backing up to the DVD-RAM drive, everything works okay so long as the operation does not involve disc swapping. However once disc swapping is involved, the following happens: 1) Disc 1 is written to OK and ejected 2) Disc 2 is erased, the data written to it OK and ejected 3) Retrospect begins the verification process and asks me to reinsert disc 1. This I do. The disc appears on the desktop, but Retrospect does not see it. I have no alternative but to tell Retrospect that I don't have the disc, so Retrospect asks for disc 2. I eject disc 1 & insert disc 2. Disc 2 appears on the desktop, but yet again Retrospect does not see it. So again I have to pretend to Retrospect that I don't have the disc. The net result is that the data is backed up but not verified. Apart from Retrospect the FireWire-ised DVD-RAM works fine. With the Mac OS X install CD in the DVD-RAM drive I am even able to boot the iBook from it. The iBook is running 10.2.3. I have never tried a backup with this hardware combination using 10.2.2. Hence I am unsure as to whether the problem is caused by 10.2.3 or the fact that the DVD-RAM drive is now connected by FireWire. Initially I was using the Driver Update that came with Retrospect 5.0.238, but have since upgraded to Driver Update version 3.3.104. This did not help (In fact I doubt any of Dantz drivers are used when writing to a DVD-RAM disc. I think everything is done via File Manager calls & hence the OS' driver for the DVD-RAM drive is used) As I have been writing this, a potential work round had dawned on me, which others might find useful. My first full backup does not fill one side of a DVD-RAM disc. The disc is only filled on a subsequent incremental backup. So when I start the incremental backup, which I think is going to fill the disc, I could lie to Retrospect and say the disc is unavailable. Retrospect would automatically ask for a new disc & hence there would be no disc swapping involved when adding a new disc to the backup set. I have not actually tried this, but I think it stands a fair chance of working. I know that other users have had problems with DVD-RAM discs (I am not sure that they are exactly the same as the problems I have been having though). Are these problems being actively investigated? Any idea when a fix might come? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyJ Posted January 6, 2003 Report Share Posted January 6, 2003 In reply to: The disc appears on the desktop, but Retrospect does not see it. We are currently investigating these issues. The current workaround is to stop the backup, log out, and log back in. Retrospect will then be able to see the second side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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