Q153984: NTBackup Utility Unusable; Err Msg: "NTBackup Error"

Article: Q153984
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): 3.5 3.51
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbnetwork
Last Modified: 09-AUG-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51 
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SYMPTOMS
========

The NTBackup utility is unusable. The following error message may appear when
you try to start your backup procedure:

  NTBackup error

CAUSE
=====

This usually happens when the default rights in %Systemroot% or
%Systemroot%\System32 have been modified. Changing the rights in the
%Systemroot%\System32 directory to restrict access may render the utility
NTBackup unusable.

For example, the default rights in the %Systemroot%\System32 directory are as
follows:

  Administrators       Full Control
  Creator Owner        Full Control
  Everyone             Change
  Server Operators     Change
  System               Full Control

An administrator may want to change the rights of the group Everyone if users are
logging on to the console to perform various administration tasks (such as back
up system, check application log files, file maintenance, and so forth). After
modification, the rights are as follows:

  Administrators       Full Control
  Creator Owner        Full Control
  Everyone             Read (RX) (RX)
  Server Operators     Change
  System               Full Control

A user who performs nightly backups and who is only a member of the Backup
Operators group will not be able to back up the system. This is because NTBackup
creates its Backup.log file in the %Systemroot% directory (the default location)
and temp files(catalog files) created by NTBackup are created in the same
directory where NTbackup.exe is located. The Backup.log file can be moved to any
location on the hard disk by changing the default location in the Backup
Information dialog box in NTBackup, but the temp files created by the
application cannot be changed.

RESOLUTION
==========

There are three workarounds to this problem:

- Give the group Backup Operators Change rights to System32.

  -or-

- Give the group Everyone Change rights (RWXD) to System32.

  -or-

- Move NTbackup.exe to another directory on the hard disk, such as c:\backup,
  and assign appropriate rights.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 3.5x. We are
researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

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Keywords          : kbnetwork 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNT351search kbWinNT350search kbWinNTW350 kbWinNTW350search kbWinNTW351search kbWinNTW351 kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS351 kbWinNTS350 kbWinNTS351search kbWinNTS350search
Version           : 3.5 3.51

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