Windows Backup File: can't read

Last year, I installed ntbackup from my Windows XP Home CD and backed up the
entire drive and system data on my new Dell X1. I recently had to wipe my
system and reinstall XP Home; I also installed ntbackup. My laptop now
thinks the DVD holding my 3GB backup file is an empty disk. Even more
bizarre: another laptop running XP Pro "sees" the backup file, while a
desktop running XP Pro does not: it also sees a "blank" disc. Thanks for any
help/advice you can provide.

pdxrain wrote:
> Last year, I installed ntbackup from my Windows XP Home CD and backed
> up the entire drive and system data on my new Dell X1. I recently
> had to wipe my system and reinstall XP Home; I also installed
> ntbackup. My laptop now thinks the DVD holding my 3GB backup file is
> an empty disk. Even more bizarre: another laptop running XP Pro
> "sees" the backup file, while a desktop running XP Pro does not: it
> also sees a "blank" disc. Thanks for any help/advice you can provide.

It sounds like you forgot to completely close the DVD for reading on all
other players. It will only be readable on systems that have the same
application that created the DVD or that can at least read that UDF format.
So, it's not the machines as much as it is what created the DVD.
Assuming the one machine that can read it has a writer, use that CD to
create another DVD that contains your backup, and then be sure to properly
Close the DVD afterwards; then it should be readable anywhere.
BEFORE doing ANYTHING though, use that computer to copy the backup file to
the hard drive so you have a copy of it for safekeeping, just in case ... .

Actualy, if it's readable, it might just be a case of using that computer
to "Close" the DVD so it can not be written to again. BEFORE YOU DO THAT
THOUGH, copy the file onto the hard drive first, so you have a copy of it
handy in case your DVD becomes trashed.

HTH

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