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Q172698: NTBACKUP - Verify Option Does Not Verify WinNT Registry Files

Article: Q172698
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): WinNT:3.5,3.51,4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbtool
Last Modified: 10-AUG-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0 
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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.
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Keywords          : kbtool 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT351search kbWinNT350search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTW350 kbWinNTW350search kbWinNTW351search kbWinNTW351 kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400 kbWinNTS351 kbWinNTS350 kbWinNTS351search kbWinNTS350search
Version           : WinNT:3.5,3.51,4.0
Issue type        : kbinfo

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