ndh@stl.stc.co.uk (Neale D Hind ) (02/04/91)
PC-TOOLS v6.0 - Problem with PCBACKUP I am having trouble with the PCBACKUP program supplied as part of PC-TOOLS v6.0. The directory does not seem to get properly written to the last disk when, I assume, there is insufficient space on the final disk to which files have been written. Although PCBACKUP prompts for another disk and appears to write to it, the disk itself is totally blank when PCBACKUP finishes. For compare or restore, this means that the directory always needs to be rebuilt (a tedious task feeding in all the disks of the backup set to be read) before the compare/restore can commence. Anyone else had this problem? If so, is there a solution? (I haven't yet had any luck getting through to Central Points UK support). As part of the current PC-TOOLS v6.0 debate, with the exception of PCBACKUP, I too have continued with v4.30 rather than the v6.0 PCSHELL. ---- Neale D. Hind - (N.D.Hind@stl.stc.co.uk)
ESR@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU (Ed Russell) (02/05/91)
In reply to: >From: ndh@stl.stc.co.uk (Neale D Hind ) >Subject: PC-TOOLS v6.0 - Problem with PCBACKUP >Date: 4 Feb 91 13:20:37 GMT > >I am having trouble with the PCBACKUP program supplied as part of >PC-TOOLS v6.0. > >The directory does not seem to get properly written to the last disk >when, I assume, there is insufficient space on the final disk to which >files have been written. Although PCBACKUP prompts for another disk >and appears to write to it, the disk itself is totally blank when >PCBACKUP finishes. > >For compare or restore, this means that the directory always needs to be >rebuilt (a tedious task feeding in all the disks of the backup set to >be read) before the compare/restore can commence. I believe I saw this problem once also. I had to go through the process of rebuilding the index, as you mention, and writing it onto a separate disk, (which is an option at the end of the rebuild). I can't remember if I was able to do an incremental backup to that set afterwards or not. I think I just re-did a complete backup. I didn't explore the cause. I just wrote it off to another of those annoying little bugs that crops up from time to time -- similar to the one that causes the highlighted line in PC-Shell to blink when I return from certain applications on the menu. I went through five iterations of trying to get a fix for this and they could never reproduce the problem. Re the debate on PCTools versions, I didn't use 4.3. The first one I bought was 5.0 and I like 6.0 better. I have seen one other problem with version 6.0: Once in a while, the disk compress program reorders the order of my directories -- the directories themselves, not the files in the directories. I *think* this was caused by my having empty directories on the disk but I'm not sure of that. I have added a dummy file to all empty directories and haven't seen it again (yet) but I don't know if that is the solution or not. Anyone else seen this?
ho@hoss.unl.edu (Tiny Bubbles...) (02/05/91)
In <3997@stl.stc.co.uk> ndh@stl.stc.co.uk (Neale D Hind ) writes: >The directory does not seem to get properly written to the last disk >when, I assume, there is insufficient space on the final disk to which >files have been written. Although PCBACKUP prompts for another disk >and appears to write to it, the disk itself is totally blank when >PCBACKUP finishes. Totally blank as DIR reports, or totally blank as PCBDIR reports? PC Tools uses a proprietary data format which gives no results from a DOS DIR command. >For compare or restore, this means that the directory always needs to be >rebuilt (a tedious task feeding in all the disks of the backup set to >be read) before the compare/restore can commence. I take it you don't have the "save directory on hard drive" option set. I always use this option, and am *never* asked for the previous last disk. Obviously, this is useless if your whole drive goes kaput, but for one- and two-file restores, it's a great help and eliminates the last-disk problem. This, of course, doesn't really fix your problem. I haven't had it. I *have* had trouble with it saving the directory on the wrong disk; it seems to happen when I'm using both A: and B:, AND the backup data ends in the middle of the B: drive, AND I've stuck a disk into the A: drive. I get around it by not closing the door on the A: drive until I'm sure it needs it, if I'm getting near the end of a backup. Example: PCBACKUP reports 96% free and is writing to disk 33 in drive A. It asks for a disk in drive B. I put it in and close the door. I put the following disk in drive A *but I don't close the door*. If PCBACKUP asks for disk 34 in drive A (as it tends to do in this situation) I take the disk from drive B and slap it into A, replacing 35 which I had inserted previously. Clear as mud. Really, though, it's somewhat annoying but an easy work- around. PCBACKUP is so much better than DOS backup that the trouble is worth it, for me anyway. -- ... Michael Ho, University of Nebraska Internet: ho@hoss.unl.edu | "Mine... is the last voice that you will ever hear." Disclaimer: Views expressed within are purely personal and should not be applied to the Daily Nebraskan or any university department.
nxh@meaddata.com (Nobuya "Higgy" Higashiyama) (02/07/91)
I am currently experiencing a similar problem with PCBACKUP. I use a setup
file to back up a certain subdirectory at the end of each day, and kick off
PCBACKUP by supplying the setup name. Here's what happens:
1. Backup of actual files work fine. It uses up about 15 tracks to hold
the actual data.
2. In the process of writing the directory to disk, the disk drive grinds
three times, then a red error message box flashes.
3. It asks for another disk, even though I *know* that there's plenty of
space left in the first disk.
I was able to recreate this problem by running PCBACKUP interactively, and
I found that the red error message box says "Error while writing directory
data".
Anybody seen this problem?
Higgy
--
Nobuya "Higgy" Higashiyama | ____/|
Mead Data Central, Dayton, OH | \ o.O| Vote for Bill in '92!
nxh@meaddata.com (or) uunet!meaddata!nxh | =(_)=
*** Disclaimers are only for wimps! *** | U ACK! THPHTH!jmmaye@monsanto.com (Jim Mayer) (02/07/91)
> > I take it you don't have the "save directory on hard drive" option set. > I always use this option, and am *never* asked for the previous last disk. > Obviously, this is useless if your whole drive goes kaput, but for one- > and two-file restores, it's a great help and eliminates the last-disk > problem. > > This, of course, doesn't really fix your problem. I haven't had it. I > *have* had trouble with it saving the directory on the wrong disk; it > seems to happen when I'm using both A: and B:, AND the backup data ends > in the middle of the B: drive, AND I've stuck a disk into the A: drive. > I get around it by not closing the door on the A: drive until I'm sure it > needs it, if I'm getting near the end of a backup. > > Example: PCBACKUP reports 96% free and is writing to disk 33 in drive A. > It asks for a disk in drive B. I put it in and close the door. I put the > following disk in drive A *but I don't close the door*. If PCBACKUP > asks for disk 34 in drive A (as it tends to do in this situation) I take > the disk from drive B and slap it into A, replacing 35 which I had inserted > previously. > I had a similar problem with a very early copy of ver 6.0. I recently got tired of not getting the directory on the last disk and called Central Point. They promptly sent out a replacement at no cost. It is now a very nice program. Jim Mayer
mcastle@mcs213f.cs.umr.edu (Mike Castle {Nexus}) (02/07/91)
Another problem with PCBACKUP:
A friend of mine has stated having problems doing a restore with PCBACKUP when
running QEMM as a memory manager. Apparently PCBACKUP 'says' it has restored
with no errors, but the files end up being corrupted. When done again, WITHOUT
QEMM, the files really do restore properly.
Has anyone else noticed any similiar problems? I'm interested in purchasing
PCTOOLS, but don't want to be hassled with memory managers problems.
--
Mike Castle (Nexus) S087891@UMRVMA.UMR.EDU (preferred) | RN ate my
mcastle@mcs213k.cs.umr.edu (unix mail-YEACH!)| .newsrc!
Life is like a clock: You can work constantly, and be right | I am not
all the time, or not work at all, and be right twice a day. | happy :-<kusumoto@chsun1.uchicago.edu (Bob Kusumoto) (02/08/91)
I had a minor problem with an older version of QEMM once:
if I was using MS-DOS 3.3 and had the BUFFERS program in the autoexec.bat
file being loaded high, it would mess up any floppy disk. I assume this
could be a problem, esp if you're using an older version of the program.
then again, who knows?
Bob
--
Bob Kusumoto | I just come from the land of
Internet: kusumoto@chsun1.uchicago.edu | the sun/ from a war that must
Bitnet: kusumoto%chsun1@uchicago[.bitnet] | be won in the name of truth.
UUCP: ...!{oddjob,gargoyle}!chsun1!kusumoto | - New Order, "Love Vigilantes"