Need help - Error 102: “Trouble Communicating”

[macwino]

I posted about this problem last week but did not receive an on point response from Dantz. I’m reposting this week in the hope that someone from Dantz will respond again. I’ll try and state the nature of the problem more clearly this time around so that Dantz’s response can be more on point.

 

I am running system 10.2.4 with Retrospect 5.0.238 using dual LaCie 120GB external Firewire hard drives for backup. I have two backup sets for my Mac. One is called TiBook Backup Set 1 and the other is called TiBook Backup Set 2. They are File Backup Sets and both use the same backup script. File Backup Set 1 is stored on a 120 GB LaCie External Firewire hard drive named Backup 1. File Backup Set 2 is stored on an identical drive that is named Backup 2. I keep one drive onsite and one offsite. Each day I backup to the one onsite. Each week, I rotate the backup drives so that the one that is onsite is now offsite and the one that's offsite is now onsite. I never had a problem with this process. It was set up correctly and worked flawlessly.

 

All of the sudden, last week, when I tried to do my daily backup, I got a message, after all of the files had been scanned, that there was an "Error 102 - Trouble Communicating." Now, I can no longer use Retrospect to backup to or restore from that LaCie external hard drive. The hard drive is connected and working. It appears on my desktop, and I can move files to and from it from the desktop. So the Firewire connection is good. Also, just to be sure, I tried using several different Firewire cables, including a new one, and it made no difference. I still get the error. I then went to my offsite location and retrieved my other LaCie external Firewire hard drive and tried to backup to the File Backup Set that is stored on that drive. I got the very same error as I got with my other hard drive. So one specific hard drive would not seem to be the problem. The problem exists with both of my hard drives.

 

Yes, I know one could conclude that perhaps the problem is that my LaCie external Firewire drives for some reason don’t work with Retrospect. But I don’t think this is the case for two reasons:

 

First, the backups and restores worked perfectly with both drives for several weeks. Why, all of the sudden, should there be a problem with not just one – but both drives?

 

Second, and more importantly, the LaCie external Firewire drives continue to work just fine for backups and restores to File Backup Sets involving my Windows machine. Specifically, the two LaCie hard drives also contain File Backup Sets for a Windows machine that is backed up from my Mac over a network. Retrospect gives no "Error 102 - Trouble Communicating" when backing up or restoring to or from these File Backup Sets for the Windows machine. It is only with the File Backup Sets for the Mac machine that I encounter the problem.

 

So there is no misunderstanding, let me state again that these file backup sets for the Windows machine - which work fine - are stored on the very same hard drives as the file backup sets for the Mac that Retrospect has trouble communicating with. All backups and restores – whether for the Mac or the Windows machine - are done with the Mac running Retrospect and with the LaCie hard drives connected to the Mac. Retrospect has had no trouble communicating with File Backup Sets created for backing up files on the Windows machine over my network. But it has suddenly had trouble communicating with File Backup Sets created for backing up files that are on the Mac.

 

Finally, let me put a few other issues to rest. First, the size of the file backup sets is not an issue, as an old Dantz knowledge base article suggests might be the problem. The sets for the Windows machine are 5 times the size of the sets for the Mac, and they work just fine. And none come anywhere near approaching the 1 TB limit for an HFS+ disc. The Mac file backup sets are about 8 GB with a 92 MB catalog and the Windows backup sets are about 35 GB with a 34 MB catalog.

 

Second, the LaCie hard drives are not partitioned. All of the File Backup Sets, whether for the Mac or the Windows machine, are Mac-formatted File Backup Sets created from Retrospect running on the Mac and stored on an HFS+ formatted hard drive formatted by and connected to the Mac.

 

And third, there have been no changes to my system that might account for this problem suddenly arising. Indeed, there have been no changes at all. Again, I am running system 10.2.4 with Retrospect 5.0.238.

 

If you require any further information, please let me know.

 

[Mayoff]

What happens with a file backup set saved to the internal hard disk? Do you get the same error message?

 

What happens if the Firewire drive is attached to a different Macintosh?

[CallMeDave]

Some trouble shooting suggestions:

 

Isolate the Source:

- Do you get the error if you attempt to backup a small data folder defined as a volume?

 

 

 

Isolate the Destination:

- Do you get the error if you attempt to backup local Mac data to the File Backup Set you've been using for your Windows clients?

 

- Do you get the error if you attempt to backup a Windows client to the File Backup Set that has been giving you the error?

 

- Have you created a new File Backup Set to test?

[macwino]

Mayoff, I don't have access to a second Mac so I can't try that alternative. I did try, however, to create a new File Backup Set on my Mac's internal hard drive and also on my two external LaCie hard drives. I am able to write to all of these file backup sets without any problem. I just can't write or read from the File Backup Sets that are described in my original post.

 

Also, I tried out some of the suggestions posted by CallMeDave. I tried backing up some Windows machine data to the troublesome Mac backup file sets and got the Error 102 message.

 

So the problem may be with these two file backup sets. But how can that be? How could both of them have been corrupted when they are kept on separate external hard drives, in separate locations, and are written to at different times with overlapping but necessarily different data? Also, how can I rely on the program if this can happen? Sure, it seems I can still create new backup file sets. But the backup date on the existing sets appears lost forever. So what caused this problem and what can I do to prevent it from occurring again?

 

Thanks for the prompt reply and I look forward to your follow-up.

[Mayoff]

Sounds like corrupt backup sets. Did you "fill" the disk while writing to them at any point? A -34 error could result in a corruption. Also unplugging the disk without dismounting it first could also cause damage.

 

I would suggest running some disk diagnostics on the drives just for safety sake.

[CallMeDave]

I've got it.

 

 

 

If the Data portion of a separated Backup File is missing, Retrospect reports the Error 102 (Trouble Communicating).

 

 

 

Retrospect separates Data/Catalog information in File Backup Sets when necessary. Both the files ("foo" and "foo.cat") need to be in the same place for Retrospect to access the Backup Set.

 

 

 

So the problem may be with these two file backup sets. But how can that be? How could both of them have been corrupted when they are kept on separate external hard drives, in separate locations, and are written to at different times with overlapping but necessarily different data?

 

 

 

Because you moved one of the files but not the other.

 

 

 

Dave

[macwino]

Mayoff, I don't know what you mean by "fill" the disk while writing to a backup set. I've never seen this message. Nor do I recall ever encountering a -34 error.

 

Unplugging the disk - more likely to be pushing the power button off - without dismounting is a possibility, but it isn't likely to have occurred with with both external drives. Moreover, if this had occurred with one of the drives, it had no adverse effect with the Windows file backup sets, and in no curcumstances would have occurred in the course of a backup.

 

CallMeDave, an intriguing idea but it would seem not supported by the facts. As I indicated in my original post, there are .cat files for all of my file backup sets, both for the Mac data and the Windows data. I have a folder on the external drive for the Mac backup and another folder for the Windows backup. In each folder is the backup file itself as well as the associated .cat file. So I don't think I've messed up here. Moreover, I never moved any of these files since they were created.

 

The test file backup files I created at your and MayOff's suggestion do not have .cat files associated with them. I suppose that is because these test backups were considerably smaller than my actual backup files and I assume a .cat file isn't generated until a backup set get to a certain size.

[CallMeDave]

>>As I indicated in my original post, there are .cat files for all of my file backup sets,

>>both for the Mac data and the Windows data.

 

Actually, the text string ".cat" is not found anyplace in your original thread started 4/14, and only shows in your second thread when I suggested it.

 

 

>>I have a folder on the external drive for the Mac backup and another folder for the

>>Windows backup. In each folder is the backup file itself as well as the associated .cat file.

>>So I don't think I've messed up here. Moreover, I never moved any of these files since

>>they were created.

 

OK, that's good.

 

Did you rename any of them?

 

If the Mac backup folder contains only two files, are they named "foo" and "foo.cat"?

 

Try forgetting the Backup Sets from Retrospect, and re adding them.

 

Try Tools->Repair->Repair Existing.

 

 

 

>>The test file backup files I created at your and MayOff's suggestion do not have .cat files

>>associated with them. I suppose that is because these test backups were considerably

>>smaller than my actual backup files and I assume a .cat file isn't generated until a backup

>>set get to a certain size.

 

Mostly true. Retrospect splits the files before it actually starts to backup files, so it must use some sort of rules about how large it expects the Backup Set to become.

 

You can separate File Backup Sets in the Options tab of Configure->Backup Sets. Try separating your test file and see if it still works...

 

dave

 

[macwino]

Dave, EUREKA! You fixed the problem. See below for full details.

 

>>I have a folder on the external drive for the Mac backup and another folder for the

>>Windows backup. In each folder is the backup file itself as well as the associated .cat file.

>>So I don't think I've messed up here. Moreover, I never moved any of these files since

>>they were created.

 

>OK, that's good.

 

>Did you rename any of them?

 

No.

 

>If the Mac backup folder contains only two files, are they named "foo" and "foo.cat"?

 

You're getting too techie for me, I think. I assume that "foo" and "foo.cat" are generic references like programmers use. When I created the File Backup Sets, I named one TiBook Backup Set 1 and the other TiBook Backup Set 2. With this naming convention, the catalog files were automatically named "TiBook Backup Set 1.cat" and "TiBook Backup Set 2.cat." So I suppose the answer to your question is, yes, they are named in accordance with the convention you are using.

 

>Try forgetting the Backup Sets from Retrospect, and re adding them.

 

I gave this a try. It made no difference. I still could not backup or restore from the sets.

 

>Try Tools->Repair->Repair Existing.

 

This seems to have done the trick. I can both backup and restore from the repaired set. I will try the other defective set later today. Right now, I'm encountering yet another anomaly that has tied up Retrospect on my machines since last night. After finally being able to do an incremental backup for the Mac to the connected external hard drive, I decided to quickly do an incremental backup of the Windows machine while I was at it. This should have taken about 15-30 minutes. For some reason, the program is doing a full backup. (This may be the wrong technical term, but it is backing up all of the files, not just the new or changed files. I can't tell yet whether it is adding these files to the existing set or whether it is recreating the set from scratch. I can't determine this until the backup is completed, which can take about 24 hours over my network. So until this is done, I can't say if your fix repairs the Mac file backup set on the other drive as well, although I am very optimistic.

 

>>The test file backup files I created at your and MayOff's suggestion do not have .cat files

>>associated with them. I suppose that is because these test backups were considerably

>>smaller than my actual backup files and I assume a .cat file isn't generated until a backup

>>set get to a certain size.

 

>Mostly true. Retrospect splits the files before it actually starts to backup files, so it must use some sort of >rules about how large it expects the Backup Set to become.

 

>You can separate File Backup Sets in the Options tab of Configure->Backup Sets. Try separating your test >file and see if it still works...

 

Yes, it still works fine.

 

Dave, thanks so very much for your assistance, and for sticking with me. I know this is very much a trial and error process and your willingness to keep trying is very much appreciated.