We have a secure data center with two Windows 2003 Enterprise Servers. A DLT tape is attached to the production server and uses NTBackup to archive message log files.

Restoring log files to the production server is sometimes impractical because of disk space requirements. Therefore the ability to restore across the LAN to another computer is useful. We are able to restore to shared folders on LAN attached computers except for Windows XP Professional workstations.

Successful Restores To:

Shares on another Windows Enterprise Server 2003.

Shares to Windows 2000 Professional Workstations.

Unsuccessful Restores To:

Shares on Windows XP Professional Workstations.

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NTBackup successfully recreates the directory path on the Windows XP Shared directory (warnings logged) but the data files in those directories are not being copied. A synopsis (summary) of the error/warning messages found in the NTBackup log are as follows:

Unable to restore the folder "tape backup folder"

Warning: Unable to create "<sharepath>tape backup folder" - skipped.

Reason: Access is denied

(The folder "tape backup folder" and backup directory tree are actually created on the shared directory. As for Files: they are not being restored to the shared directory tree.)

Warning: Unable to create "<sharepath>\tape backup folder\filename.dat" - skipped.

Reason: Access is denied

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It is possible using the Windows File Explorer to copy files and directories to the Windows XP shared resource. But using NTBackup fails when specifying that same resource as an alternate restore path.

Mad Situation

On the Windows XP Professional Workstation operating in a workgroup, simple file sharing is enabled by default. For NTBackup to save to XP Professional Workstation, uncheck the standard file sharing permissions. Information on how to do this is in the following knowledge base article.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307874/

Control Panel -> Folder Options -> View

(___) Use simple file sharing (Recommended)

This box being checked prevents NTBackup from using XP Professional Workstation shared directories as an alternate location file restore path.

There appears to be something related to XP permissions that prevents NTBackup from restoring from a server to the XP workstation even though other programs operate successfully to manipulate XP Worstation shares.

Since I am not a Microsoft employee or engineer, there may be other ramifications to the above solution. This situation may need further study by Microsoft software design teams.