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    Greetings,

    I'm trying to backup my shared folders and my WHS backup onto a USB drive using the xcopy command.

    I did some 'tests' with xcopy using a simple copy of some misc data, and here's what I found:

    I can xcopy from c:\ to c:\, and also to c:\ to d:\

    I can xcopy from c:\ to e:\

    (example code: XCopy c:\"admin scripts" e:\"admin scripts")

    I can not copy anything from d:\ to any target. For some reason it can't find the d:\ drive or path when using the xcopy. I get the error: "The system can not find the path specified."


    Ideas?? Everything tells me it should work, but wonder what's going on. Something with the WHS dynamic (??) file structure? Oh, the BDBB add-in works fine, so if xcopy is somehow integrated into that, it's working fine there.

    This one is beyond me.
    Thursday, July 9, 2009 2:44 PM

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    You can use the Server backup feature that's built into Windows Home Server to back up the shares. You'll find more information about this in the Console Help, under the topic Home Server Backup.

    As for the backup database, by design it's essentially sacrificial, since it's not duplicated (it would typically consume too much space in the storage pool if it were) and damage to/loss of any file in the database has a high probability of destroying the whole database. However, if you want to back it up anyway, you can follow the instructions in the Home Computer Backup and Restore technical brief. Or you could install the BDBB (Backup DataBase Backup) add-in, which effectively automates that procedure, as you've done.
    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Thursday, July 9, 2009 3:15 PM
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    Xcopy issue: Not really; at a guess it uses low-level API calls that the Drive Extender file system filter driver doesn't intercept, and so it can't get at the data. But it's been a really long time since I had access to Windows source code, and I don't remember what xcopy looks like internally (if I ever looked at it)...

    I use robocopy for my automated backups.
    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)

    Xcopy has been deprecated in later OS's as robocopy is now inbox ;) I don't see this being fixed.
    Lara Jones [MSFT] | Program Manager
    Community Support and Beta | Windows Home Server Team
    Windows Home Server Team Blog
    Connect Windows Home Server
    Windows Home Server
    Thursday, July 9, 2009 3:44 PM
    Moderator
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    Hi Lara,

    Is there a reason why xcopy can't find the d:\ drive, when I try to copy files from d:\ to e:\?

    Jason

    The shares should be accessed using the path \\<servername>\<sharename>\

    The Windows Home Server Technical Brief for Drive Extender states:

    If you want to access files in shared folders, always access them through the shared folder name (\\server\SharedFolderName or \\localhost\SharedFolderName). If you browse the file system through administrator's desktop, you will discover multiple places where you might think your data is stored, but your data is likely stored elsewhere. Accessing \\server\SharedFolderName or \\localhost\SharedFolderName from the administrator’s desktop ensures that you will find your file without a performance issue .

    Normally a bug would be encouraged, but xcopy has been replaced in later versions of Windows Server so no fix would be checked in for this. 

    Thanks.
    Lara Jones [MSFT] | Program Manager
    Community Support and Beta | Windows Home Server Team
    Windows Home Server Team Blog
    Connect Windows Home Server
    Windows Home Server
    Thursday, July 9, 2009 7:40 PM
    Moderator

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  • Question
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    You can use the Server backup feature that's built into Windows Home Server to back up the shares. You'll find more information about this in the Console Help, under the topic Home Server Backup.

    As for the backup database, by design it's essentially sacrificial, since it's not duplicated (it would typically consume too much space in the storage pool if it were) and damage to/loss of any file in the database has a high probability of destroying the whole database. However, if you want to back it up anyway, you can follow the instructions in the Home Computer Backup and Restore technical brief. Or you could install the BDBB (Backup DataBase Backup) add-in, which effectively automates that procedure, as you've done.
    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Thursday, July 9, 2009 3:15 PM
    Moderator
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    Hi Ken,

    Thanks much for your response...much appreciated.

    I've been creating WHS Home Server Backups, as you've suggested, and also have been using the BDBB add-in, so I'm well covered there with manual backups. Just wanting to create an automated daily backup, in addition to the manual ones created by the other two programs, so I things will be well covered between the manual ones.

    Any idea why I can't copy from D:\ to the USB drive using xcopy?

    Jason
    Thursday, July 9, 2009 3:32 PM
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    Xcopy issue: Not really; at a guess it uses low-level API calls that the Drive Extender file system filter driver doesn't intercept, and so it can't get at the data. But it's been a really long time since I had access to Windows source code, and I don't remember what xcopy looks like internally (if I ever looked at it)...

    I use robocopy for my automated backups.
    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Thursday, July 9, 2009 3:36 PM
    Moderator
  • Question
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    Xcopy issue: Not really; at a guess it uses low-level API calls that the Drive Extender file system filter driver doesn't intercept, and so it can't get at the data. But it's been a really long time since I had access to Windows source code, and I don't remember what xcopy looks like internally (if I ever looked at it)...

    I use robocopy for my automated backups.
    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)

    Xcopy has been deprecated in later OS's as robocopy is now inbox ;) I don't see this being fixed.
    Lara Jones [MSFT] | Program Manager
    Community Support and Beta | Windows Home Server Team
    Windows Home Server Team Blog
    Connect Windows Home Server
    Windows Home Server
    Thursday, July 9, 2009 3:44 PM
    Moderator
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    Hi Lara,

    Is there a reason why xcopy can't find the d:\ drive, when I try to copy files from d:\ to e:\?

    Jason
    Thursday, July 9, 2009 5:24 PM
  • Question
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    Hi Lara,

    Is there a reason why xcopy can't find the d:\ drive, when I try to copy files from d:\ to e:\?

    Jason

    The shares should be accessed using the path \\<servername>\<sharename>\

    The Windows Home Server Technical Brief for Drive Extender states:

    If you want to access files in shared folders, always access them through the shared folder name (\\server\SharedFolderName or \\localhost\SharedFolderName). If you browse the file system through administrator's desktop, you will discover multiple places where you might think your data is stored, but your data is likely stored elsewhere. Accessing \\server\SharedFolderName or \\localhost\SharedFolderName from the administrator’s desktop ensures that you will find your file without a performance issue .

    Normally a bug would be encouraged, but xcopy has been replaced in later versions of Windows Server so no fix would be checked in for this. 

    Thanks.
    Lara Jones [MSFT] | Program Manager
    Community Support and Beta | Windows Home Server Team
    Windows Home Server Team Blog
    Connect Windows Home Server
    Windows Home Server
    Thursday, July 9, 2009 7:40 PM
    Moderator