Microsoft KB Archive/320471

= Cannot Use a CD-RW Drive as a Backup Device in Windows 2000 =

Article ID: 320471

Article Last Modified on 3/1/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition

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This article was previously published under Q320471



SYMPTOMS
When you select the backup device in the Backup tool (Ntbackup.exe), you cannot select a compact disc-recordable (CD-R), compact disc-rewritable (CD-RW), or digital video disc-recordable (DVD-R) device.



CAUSE
Ntbackup.exe does not support backing up to CD-R, CD-RW, or DVD-R drives because Removable Storage Management cannot recognize CD-R, CD-RW, or DVD-R drives as backup pool media (although you can add these media types in Removable Storage Management).



RESOLUTION
To overcome this limitation, use Backup to back up your data to a file. Then, use the software that was included with your CD-R, CD-RW, or DVD-R drive to burn the file on the disc.

Back Up Data to a File

 * 1) Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Backup.
 * 2) Click the Backup tab. When the Job menu appears, click New.
 * 3) Select the files and folders that you want to back up by clicking to select the check box to the left of a file or folder.
 * 4) In the Backup destination box, click File.
 * 5) Type a path and file name for the backup file, or click Browse to find an existing file. Make sure to specify a drive with enough space to store your backup file.
 * 6) To specify backup options (such as the backup type and the log file type), click Options on the Tools menu. When you have finished selecting backup options, click OK.
 * 7) Click Start Backup, and then make any appropriate changes in the Backup Job Information dialog box.
 * 8) If you want to set advanced backup options such as data verification or hardware compression, click Advanced. When you have finished setting the advanced backup options, click OK.
 * 9) Click Start Backup to start the backup operation.

Burn the Backup File to a Disc
After the backup file is created, use the software that was included with your CD-R, CD-RW, or DVD-R drive to burn a copy of the backup file to the appropriate disc.



MORE INFORMATION
You can use the Windows 2000 Backup tool to back up and restore data on volumes that use either the FAT file system or the NTFS file system. However, if you back up data from an NTFS volume in Windows 2000, Microsoft recommends that you restore the data to an NTFS volume in Windows 2000. If you do not, you might lose data and some file and folder features. For example, permissions, Encrypting File System (EFS) settings, disk quota information, mounted drive information, and Remote Storage information is lost if you back up data from an NTFS volume in Windows 2000 and then restore it to a FAT volume or an NTFS volume in Microsoft Windows NT 4.0.