To Boots and Bear:
I cannot seem to find my posting from February requesting help with a new problem doing incremental backup, that seemed related as "version/dating" problem similar to the OLD MS-Word "permissions" bug [[which trashed the word file that was open while the security update downloaded - user no longer had "permissions" to re-write the .doc to the C: drive - because the security version number or timestamp was different.]]
A nice fellow in Chennai has just told me that the "database Upgrade" that downloaded 03-26-2009 probably prevented me from doing a normal incremental CD backup of 1100 files, even though it estimated 12 minutes, it spat out disc 7 of the set, that it had just requested and told me "The disc in your drive contains data. Please replace it with a blank recordable disc." So it decided not to do the incremental, and wanted to write all 7 discs (for 22,000 files) again. He has found a patch-around for external hard drives, but not for CDs and DVDs. It did this too me in February too, which he attributed to operating system updates.
When I found this "expiration" wake, I was disappointed, since we had worked so hard to get it all running right. Seems like a short life-cycle. I had been counting on OneCare to be available in the future, so I could selectively read my CDs into my next machine. And OneCare seems to use a proprietary format that initiates the Restore function when I insert the CD. I guess I will have to budget the extra time to do full backups more often, and use a "vanilla" writer so any software (even "My Computer" from the main menu) can read my archived discs as necessary.
A warning to amateurs who rely on a single backup copy of all their files over on an external drive: by the time you realize that you, your kids, or a "permissions bug" has deleted or ruined a file, you may have written over the backup too. You need to keep permanent offline copies in a file cabinet on CD, DVD, BlueRay, or {ick!) Tape. Then you can find last November's archive copy and restore it. You need an offsite backup too, if there are vital business documents - in case of fire or flood.
The incremental backups saved me from data loss due to the "permissions" bug back when OneCare was new!
Eirik Thorvaldsson
