XP differential backup question

[David]

Hi

I would like to run the XP backup command on my home PC
from a batch file (largely to manage that my backup and
defrag cmds run sequentially: I use Norton speed disk to
put the backup files at the end of the disk after the
backup completes). I have two disks and I plan to run a
full backup on Saturday with: ntbackup backup systemstate
c:\ /m normal /f "f:\backup\fullbackup.bkf" /v:yes and
differential backups Sunday-Friday with ntbackup backup
systemstate c:\ /m
differential /f "f:\backup\diffbackup.bkf" /v:yes

I have two related queries:

1) How can I see what files are in a backup.bkf file? I
am keen to check that the differential backup has worked
as planned but I can not see via restore how to peek into
the backup datafile to view which files it contains.

2) How do you create a backup selection file (.bks file)?

These queries are linked in that via the backup GUI I can
see that files such as restore points are ignored. I
would like to ensure that the command line does the same,
but I can not view the contents of the backup.bkf file to
check this out. I think having two .bks files (one each
for the full and differential backups) would be my best
option, but I not can see how to create these in the
backup GUI.

Thanks.

David

[Roger Abell [MVP]]

When you are within the UI for Ntbackup, not within any of=20
the wizards, and are in the Restore tab, under Tools there is=20
a command to catalogue a backup. This also can be triggered=20
just be trying to do a restore. After the backup is catalogued=20
then the tree of files is visible/checkable.

If you use the UI to define a scheduled job you will find that=20
a bks file is dropped into=20
Documents and Settings\<account>\Local Settings\Application =
Data\Microsoft\Windows NT\NTBackup\data

It is just as easy, if not more so, to schedule your backups=20
using the UI rather than trying to cmdline program them.

--=20
Roger=20

"David" > wrote in message =
...
> Hi
>=20
> I would like to run the XP backup command on my home PC=20
> from a batch file (largely to manage that my backup and=20
> defrag cmds run sequentially: I use Norton speed disk to=20
> put the backup files at the end of the disk after the=20
> backup completes). I have two disks and I plan to run a=20
> full backup on Saturday with: ntbackup backup systemstate=20
> c:\ /m normal /f "f:\backup\fullbackup.bkf" /v:yes and=20
> differential backups Sunday-Friday with ntbackup backup=20
> systemstate c:\ /m=20
> differential /f "f:\backup\diffbackup.bkf" /v:yes=20
>=20
> I have two related queries:
>=20
> 1) How can I see what files are in a backup.bkf file? I=20
> am keen to check that the differential backup has worked=20
> as planned but I can not see via restore how to peek into=20
> the backup datafile to view which files it contains.
>=20
> 2) How do you create a backup selection file (.bks file)?=20
>=20
> These queries are linked in that via the backup GUI I can=20
> see that files such as restore points are ignored. I=20
> would like to ensure that the command line does the same,=20
> but I can not view the contents of the backup.bkf file to=20
> check this out. I think having two .bks files (one each=20
> for the full and differential backups) would be my best=20
> option, but I not can see how to create these in the=20
> backup GUI.
>=20
> Thanks.
>=20
> David

[David]

Many thanks Roger, this answers my query perfectly.

I can now see that the differential backup works and I
can create backup selection files. When I schedule a
backup via the GUI it even gives the full command syntax
in the scheduler which I can copy for my batch file. I
wish to use batch files rather than schedule them
directly in Ntbackup as I want to manage dependencies. I
have two drives C: & F: and backup c to f and vice versa.
This protects me from failure of a single disk. I don't
want both backups running at the same time so I was going
to write a batch file to run them in sequence. Can the
scheduler be configured to run job z when job y has
finished? If I just set different times then it is
possible that one will still be running when the other
starts.

Do you know of a good third party tool that supports
writing backups to multiple CDs? Ntbackup can not span
across multiple CDs and I would also like to write a
backup to CD in case of a disaster which resulted in the
loss of both disks. I looked at LIUtilities's WinBackup
which looked good until I realized it did not support
incremental backups.

Many thanks

David
>-----Original Message-----
>When you are within the UI for Ntbackup, not within any
of
>the wizards, and are in the Restore tab, under Tools
there is
>a command to catalogue a backup. This also can be
triggered
>just be trying to do a restore. After the backup is
catalogued
>then the tree of files is visible/checkable.
>
>If you use the UI to define a scheduled job you will
find that
>a bks file is dropped into
>Documents and Settings\<account>\Local
Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows
NT\NTBackup\data
>
>It is just as easy, if not more so, to schedule your
backups
>using the UI rather than trying to cmdline program them.
>
>--
>Roger
>
>"David" > wrote in message
...
>> Hi
>>
>> I would like to run the XP backup command on my home
PC
>> from a batch file (largely to manage that my backup
and
>> defrag cmds run sequentially: I use Norton speed disk
to
>> put the backup files at the end of the disk after the
>> backup completes). I have two disks and I plan to run
a
>> full backup on Saturday with: ntbackup backup
systemstate
>> c:\ /m normal /f "f:\backup\fullbackup.bkf" /v:yes and
>> differential backups Sunday-Friday with ntbackup
backup
>> systemstate c:\ /m
>> differential /f "f:\backup\diffbackup.bkf" /v:yes
>>
>> I have two related queries:
>>
>> 1) How can I see what files are in a backup.bkf file?
I
>> am keen to check that the differential backup has
worked
>> as planned but I can not see via restore how to peek
into
>> the backup datafile to view which files it contains.
>>
>> 2) How do you create a backup selection file (.bks
file)?
>>
>> These queries are linked in that via the backup GUI I
can
>> see that files such as restore points are ignored. I
>> would like to ensure that the command line does the
same,
>> but I can not view the contents of the backup.bkf file
to
>> check this out. I think having two .bks files (one
each
>> for the full and differential backups) would be my
best
>> option, but I not can see how to create these in the
>> backup GUI.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> David
>.
>