Multiple Backup Datasets on a Single Physical Drive

[rewells]

I am using Retrospect 6.0 with Windows ME. For quite a while I have been backing up my C: drive onto an external F: device using Retrospect. I just upgraded my system to XP, and I now want to establish a second backup dataset on that same device so I can start over without destroying the old dataset. I define the new dataset. Later it asks me to select a disk to add as storage for this new dataset. If I select the same physical disk that I was previously using I get a warning "All data on Drive F will be erased". Obviously I don't want that to happen since I don't want to lose my old backup dataset. I thought I could put more than one dataset on a single physical device? Am I wrong or what? If not wrong, how do I do it? Thx for your help.

[awnews]

Are you by chance using a Disk backup set? Even though it has some advantages, the Disk backup set has the annoying limitation (need to fix this Dantz!) that it won't let you specify a specific directory for the destination but instead only targets the root of the dest. drive. If you instead specify a File (preferred) or Duplicate for the new backup set, it will let you specify a folder so that you can include multiple backup sets on a drive.

 

You could also try moving the data from the old Disk backup set somewhere else to save it then start a new Disk backup set at the old location, this time saying "OK" to the "All data on Drive F will be erased" message.

[rewells]

Thx for your reply. No, I'm using the File backup. Unfortunately, I don't have room elsewhere to move the original backup dataset to. Any other ideas? Or do you think this is a basic limitation of the product?

[awnews]

I think you're not doing what you think you're doing. The fact that you said "it asks me to select a disk to add as storage" suggests something other than a File backup (e.g. a Disk backup) since a File backup will just want you to specify a dest. location (disk & directory) and a file name (*.rbf). Is this Retro Pro or an Express product? Did you give the new backup File set the same or different name as the old set? If you did a copy of the script, are you sure you changed the Destination and create a new File backup dest (name and/or location)? This is like saving a Word doc--it just saves to a really big file. It doesn't erase anything (unless you overwrite an old file with the name). I save multiple (File) backup sets to the same or different directories and have never seen a warning message asking me if I wanted to erase anything.