WHS Backup failures

F

Forceman

[H]F Junkie
Joined
Aug 7, 2005
Messages
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I've been having a problem with my WHS for a while now, and I'm finally at my wit's end. Pretty much everytime one of my clients runs a backup, I get a Backup Service error message on my WHS box. It says the backup completes (most times) but I have my doubts. I repaired the backup database, and it said it was repaired, but whenever I try to run clean-up it fails at about 22% with a Backup Service error (the same one). I tried googling for help, but didn't find anything useful. Finally yesterday I manually deleted all the backups (after removing the clients) but it still won't complete a backup. Anyone seen anything like this? I'd re-install the OS, but I'm worried about data loss. I'm also considering tanking the WHS install and just going with FreeNAS or something instead.

I tried to run system file checker on the WHS box, but it is asking me for a SP2 disc, which I don't have (it wouldn't take my WHS install disc, or a Server 2003 SP2 install disc). I also ran chkdsk on the server, and it found and corrected errors, but still no joy.

Anyone have any ideas I can try?
 
My failed backups were caused by errors on my local drive that a simple checkdisk didn't find. I had to run the checkdisk after reboot method.

chkdsk /r /f

It should say "I can't do the whole thing, next time you reboot..i'll do the whole thing". It took a long time, but my backup has been flawless since.
 
[LYL]Homer;1036299151 said:
I don't have an answer for this specific issue, but have you tried the official WHS forums? I've found them very helpful at times just researching stuff and response has been really helpful the couple of times I've posted there.

http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en/category/windowshomeserver
Click to expand...

I found some ideas there, but nothing I tried worked. I'll look around there some more.

Trepidati0n said:
My failed backups were caused by errors on my local drive that a simple checkdisk didn't find. I had to run the checkdisk after reboot method.

chkdsk /r /f

It should say "I can't do the whole thing, next time you reboot..i'll do the whole thing". It took a long time, but my backup has been flawless since.
Click to expand...

I ran a chkdsk using a batch file I found on the previously mentioned Microsoft forums, but I don't think it forced a reboot, so I'll try that tonight.

How hard/risky is it to migrate to a new OS drive - I've been toying with the idea of using a small capacity hard drive for just the OS, instead of one of my high-capacity storage drives.
 
WHS partitions your disk into the System Partition, and then whatever else is left. The tombstone data on the "whatever else is left" portion could have issues with the cloning, I haven't tried yet. And, unless it's a drive of the same size, I'd say the endeavor is RISKY, at best. Also, the minimum install disk for WHS is 76-80GB or something. going to a smaller disk would also require you to move your secondary partition, non destructively to another disk. Your best bet would be to rebuild on the new disk, and do a recovery reload, with all the of the original disks attached. depending on the size of your data set on the existing drives, this rebuild could take in the order of days for multi-terabyte drives.
 
If you're thinking of going to WHSv2 Vail eventually iirc the minimum OS disk size is 160gb.
 
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