NTBackup on Server 2003

[stevensux]

I am trying to use Server 2003's built-in backup program to backup our network of ~100 user's workstations. The problem is I am unable to select files to back up through the hidden admin shares on each workstation. I can browse these shares just fine through explorer but ntbackup will not display any admin shares in the selection tree. Oddly Server 2000 will work just fine but I need it to work on Server 2003. The Server 2003 server is not an active directory domain controller - does it need to be? The 2000 server is not a domain controller and again it works fine. I've noticed that the ntbackup registry settings for 2000 and 2003 are identical and using the 2000 ntbackup executable does not fix the problem.

Thanks for any help!
Doug

 

[sabrinaduncan]

Are you saying that you want to back up every workstation? Why not put all that stuff on a server?

 

[stevensux]

Put it all on a server? Some things are already on a server. Some things are designed to be installed on the user's machine and need to be backed up. Other things the user's create on thier local machine at random. I just want the ability to browse the network and choose what to backup from each workstation. Server 2000 allows this - why doesn't Server 2003? Anyone know?

 

[hannahsh]

I dont agree - I have just tried it.

Map client shared folder to backup first
Choose backup - not restore of course
wonder through the network places to the correct client share
select backup device - not file
start backup

bingo done.

It worked fine

 

[stevensux]

Map 100 network drives? And some of those workstations have more than one drive! I know that I CAN map the admin shares and then browse them but that seems like a work-around. I was hoping there was a policy that needed to be changed or a registry edit.

 

[HKIT]

Hi stevensux,
I have got exactly the same problem. By adding the workstations to the domain via the wizard (not just "change" to the domain in control panel/system/computer name) I managed to get access to the administrative shares (e.g. C$) on the workstations. I can also see them when managing the workstation through Active Directory, but still in NTBACKUP they are not visible. My current workaround is to have them in the server's network places via the "add network place" wizard, but this has the disadvantage that starting network places needs a long time if some workstations are not online.
I suspect that a tricky security setting is the cause, but up to now I could not figure out which one.

 

[VasjaB]

Have you tried to edit BKS file manually? I think you can enter something like this in BKS file

\\COMPUTER1\\C$
\\COMPUTER2\\C$
\\COMPUTER3\\C$
\\COMPUTER4\\C$
...

 

[bysza]

Editing *.bks file is not that trivial.
Directories paths are stored as unicode, divided by charicters 0xD 0x0 0xA 0x0.
I was able to do manual editing with hex editor.
Dodn't try to use unicode editors, but my viewer got confused.
NTbackup lacks manual directory adding feature.
I have written a small .net (c#) program that deals with this issue. It allows to edit bks file maually and save it.
At least ntbackup is not complaining about invalid entries.
If you want, I can mail source code to you, but it's not top programming. I found the ntbackup problem yesterday and I had only 4h to cope with it, so don't expect art.