Hi guys,

Looking for some help. I got a main pc which is loaded with the MSS sfortware and i have access to all the files on my MSS. I also have a laptop which i would like to back up and access some files but then also have some files only seen by me.

Now i read the help topics on the MSS and it says i needed to load the software on the laptop, which i done but i can now access all the files regardless of what the MSS i have on my pc tells me. Also it has failed a back up 4 times now something about not reading the HDD. Which is very odd.

So what is the best way to add another laptop/PC to the MSS?

cheers

A few specifics would help: model of MSS, softweare levels for both HP and MS software on both MSS & client (PC). A copy (screenshot) of the actual error message. (You did set up the backup for the new client, right?) Are these scheduled backups or manual ones? Does anything show up in the backup -- in other words does it get started, run part way and fail, or does it fail immediately? (Look at the backups in the MSS and see if there are any entries for the laptop.)

You mention installing the client software; where/how did you load it? From the distribution disks of from the server itself? (If from the distribution disks re-do that from the server.)

You do NOT mention setting up the new client (laptop) in the MSS. Did you do that step? (And in the same area you can defing the access privileges for each of the Shared Folders. WHS will, at that time, set up a special folde in the name of the new user -- that is one place you can put files private to that user.)

Have you actually tested the laptop's hard disk drive? If not it certainly would not hurt to run CHKDSF /R on it. (Or, from the properties, Tools-->Error Checking (Check Now)-->Select BOTH check boxes. Be sure to test ALL the partitions/disks.

A bit more detail and I am sure we can help...

_________________
....JBick

EX475, 2 GB, LE-1640
PC1: Vista-->W7 Ultimate/32, (D-Drive RAID-5 Array)
PC2: Lenovo Laptop, Win XP Home SP3
2xLinksys WRT54G v1.1 and 2xNetGear GS105 Gbit switch

First we need more details.
What windows ins on the PC that does not work?
An Screen shot of the error message
The only way to ad a PC to the MSS is with the console software. You can access the files without the software but you won't be able to backup automatically. Depending on what Windows you have you can tell the PC to backup to a folder in the server.

Win XP: Start-Accessories-System Tools-Backup
Vista/Win 7:
1. Go to Task Scheduler (which you'll find in the Accessories\System Tools folder in the All Programs portion of your Start menu).
2. Click Create Task.
3. Go to the General tab.
4. Type a descriptive name, such as Scheduled Complete PC Backup.
5. If you want the task to run regardless of whether you're logged on, click Run whether user is logged on or not.
6. Click Run with highest privileges.
7. Go to the Triggers page.
8. Click New and then specify when and how often the scheduled backup will take place.
9. Go to the Actions page.
10. Click New.
11. Under Program/Script, type wbadmin.
12. In Add arguments (optional), type the following command, adjusting the target drive letter as necessary:

Start backup –allcritical –backupTarget:D: -quiet

If you want to include additional volumes that are not the system, boot, or Windows Recovery Environment volumes, use the following statement instead, substituting the appropriate drive letters (separated by commas) for E and F:

Start backup –allcritical –backupTarget:D: -include:E:,F: -quiet

Note that the command should always include the allcritical flag. Not having this flag risks excluding important system volumes from the backup, which would lead to failure during restore.
13. Configure any other task-related settings.
14. Click OK.


Hope this helps.

_________________
Freedom is not only to do what you love, but to love what you do.

Cubanblood: Are these command-line commands for the WHS backups or for the native Windows backups? I believe you are referring to the latter here?

I believe MrKennedy is having problems with the WHS backups -- VERY, VERY different...

(I have never seen the WHS backup mechanism documented as a command line process before -- if it were we'd probably be able to get more flexibility in the scheduling of it!)

_________________
....JBick

EX475, 2 GB, LE-1640
PC1: Vista-->W7 Ultimate/32, (D-Drive RAID-5 Array)
PC2: Lenovo Laptop, Win XP Home SP3
2xLinksys WRT54G v1.1 and 2xNetGear GS105 Gbit switch

That's the native windows backup above.

Here's the commandline arguments for the WHS backup on the client PC if you want to create a Scheduled Task to backup a laptop, for example (thanks to Kevin Royalty for this tip).

_________________
Alex Kuretz
Remote Notification: Monitoring and alerting for your Home Server via email, Twitter, text message, RSS, push notifications, and on your Mac desktop
Have you tried our Add-Ins?

Had not seen that one! Thanks, Alex!

I believe this will result in an EXTRA backup of the client rather than replacing the schedule of the normal backup, right?

_________________
....JBick

EX475, 2 GB, LE-1640
PC1: Vista-->W7 Ultimate/32, (D-Drive RAID-5 Array)
PC2: Lenovo Laptop, Win XP Home SP3
2xLinksys WRT54G v1.1 and 2xNetGear GS105 Gbit switch

Yup, just a manual invocation.

_________________
Alex Kuretz
Remote Notification: Monitoring and alerting for your Home Server via email, Twitter, text message, RSS, push notifications, and on your Mac desktop
Have you tried our Add-Ins?

MrKennedy: As the original poster here, did we answer your questions? I had expected to hear back from you!

Hopefully the response from cubanblood did not confuse things.

_________________
....JBick

EX475, 2 GB, LE-1640
PC1: Vista-->W7 Ultimate/32, (D-Drive RAID-5 Array)
PC2: Lenovo Laptop, Win XP Home SP3
2xLinksys WRT54G v1.1 and 2xNetGear GS105 Gbit switch