Microsoft KB Archive/172698

= NTBACKUP - Verify Option Does Not Verify the Windows NT Registry Files. =

Article ID: 172698

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.5
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.5
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q172698



SYMPTOMS
When you use NTBackup.exe, the verify after backup option does not verify the files in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Config directory on your hard drive by comparing them to the files in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Config directory against those backed up to tape.



CAUSE
The verify operation for the files in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Config directory is skipped by design. This is because this directory contains the Windows NT registry and event log files which are always open and continuously changing when Windows NT is running. It is therefore, irrelevant to perform the compare and report discrepancies for these files in the backup log because they are open during the backup process and are bound to be different by the end of the backup process. For example, the event log may collect several event messages and the Windows NT registry is dynamically changing for many reasons (for example, passwords between computers, user passwords, and many other processes and programs that store information in the registry).



RESOLUTION
Even though no compare is performed, all open files in \%SystemRoot%\System32\Config directory are backed up to tape.

To ensure higher reliability of the backup data you can use a high-end tape drive with Error Correction Control (ECC). These drives actually verify the reliability of the data on the tape. Lower-end tape drives without ECC, typically IDE QIC157 drives or drives with only one Read/Write head, do not check for errors.

Keywords: kbinfo KB172698

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