KenK wrote:


I use NTBACKUP, which comes with XP. Had to restore once and it worked
fine.

Something in these changes caused a problem. Kept getting backup ap errors
I didn't understand and no matter what choice I chose they kept returning.

Need to find a way to stop Kaspersky from interferring with the backup
without disconnecting the internet connection.

I finally got the backup to run and it seemed to go well. As usual, no
verify or other errors.

Takes me about 1 1/2 hours.

As far as I know, NTBACKUP uses VSS like modern backup programs do.
Kaspersky could listen to the "quiesce" request if they wanted to,
and VSS gives programs ten seconds to put themselves in safe,
consistent states for a shadow copy to be prepared. This basically
means Kaspersky has to be designed to be "compatible" with VSS.
Once the shadow copy is frozen, Kaspersky can pick right up where
it left off, as if nothing happened.

*******

You can actually run NTBACKUP offline. Using BartPE, you can make
a CD using WinXP installer files. Somebody made a plugin for BartPE with
NTBACKUP version 5 files in it. You can then boot the BartPE disc,
and start an NTBACKUP from there. And the OS will be backed up,
without Kaspersky or other programs being able to interfere.

My records show this as a possible source (I grabbed this around 2011 or so).

nt5backup.cab stsanford_com_bartpe

Here's an example of an ntbackup running from the BartPE CD.

https://s15.postimg.cc/ea3fw1g1n/bartpe_ntbackup5.gif

I was able to delete C: , then restore from the backup.
And C: booted.

The only thing a bit screwy about ntbackup, seems to be
the file folder dates are stamped with the current date,
rather than their original dates.

The BartPE doesn't actually support VSS, so you have to
tick the box in the custom backup in NTBackup to disable
VSS. And then the CD-based offline backup works fine.
Such as it is. (Because it's being done from the CD, a
program like Kaspersky couldn't get in the way.) None of the
files on C: can be busy at that point, because C: isn't running.
That's why VSS isn't needed and a fallback method
can be used.

Having the folder dates screwed up, would annoy me,
so I wouldn't be using that method. I can see why it happens
though, with a more-or-less file-by-file approach. The
interface doesn't hint at a "cluster level" backup and
restore. A person designing a file by file program, has
to take extra care to correct the dates after a file/folder
is restored. Most likely, this is a side effect of VSS not
being available in BartPE, and then the less preferred copy
method didn't have the work put into it.

*******

My WinXP here is on a FAT32 partition, and I can make
a backup clone copy with nothing more than Robocopy XP026.
But, I need to run the backup from a second OS partition,
so that C: is quiescent. All the dates are OK on those.
Robocopy is a Microsoft utility you download. Robocopy is
a "built-in" on modern Windows OSes, Windows 10 included.

Paul