~/Library items missing when backing up

zaggle · #1 November 2nd, 2005, 10:11 PM

Hello

I am running a powerbook G4 with 10.4.3 (totally uptodate)
and a superdrive. 1.67GHz, 512MB RAM

I wanted to back up my user folder. However, on burning
the CD, an error (-43) arose, indicating that some items
could not be located. The burning application stopped
at this point and unfortunately renders even RW CDs useless
aty this point (i.e. if you reinsert the drive fails to access it).

In looking harder, I find that the folder causing the trouble
is the ~/Library folder (i.e. the one in my home directory).

I found also it's nothing to do with the burning process.
For example, when I tried to drag and drop it to my
USB stick it also failed with a similar error. In this
case the eror was

"One or more items can't be copied. Do you want to skip
tyhem and copy the remaining items"

I found I could use "cp -r" from the command line and
copy the folder to my USB stick but that doesn't help
me with the burning problem.

I am guessing the problem is something to do with
symbolic links and missing files that are being pointed
to.

Can anybody help me with this ? I would really like
to just drop the whole of my user folder onto CD
or DVD and not mess about with subfolders.

Is there a utility that can find the body items so that
I might be able to repair them ?

thanks
Zag

ecirtap · #2 November 2nd, 2005, 11:16 PM

Unless I am totally mistaken, since OS X saw the
light of day, it is *no longer possible* to simply
copy OS-related stuff around or burn it onto CDR.

You will have to use a tool like CopyCloner (free,
can be found through Versiontracker.com),
SilverKeeper (free) or SuperDuper (commercial,
but highly acclaimed) to back up your System
Folder.

If you want to burn the stuff onto CDR, it is pro-
bably best to first make a Disk Image of the
folders you want to backup, and then burn.

Hope this helps.

patRice
silverknuckle.com
tattoo-source.com

ecirtap · #3 November 2nd, 2005, 11:17 PM

Oops - sorry: I meant to say System AND Home folder/s
(which both contain Library folders).

nigelh · #4 November 24th, 2005, 06:38 AM

Just to say that I've seen the exact same problem myself. I mean, what could be a more obvious use for a burn folder than to make an optical disk backup of the whole of /Users? Especially if you have a Superdrive!

But, some research turned up that you can only do this if logged in as root user (suggesting that it's somehow a permissions thing?), but that's contrary to what I need for this machine, as it's going to be used by people who don't know Mac and don't really know anything about system management and so on, but DO need a neat and simple way to make backups of their own data. But, I won't want to be giving them root access - lest I make a rod for my own back every time they screw the system up!

Must admit, when I was trying this I was using DVD-RWs, and found that simply going into Disk Utility and erasing them made them perfectly re-usable, so you might care to try that, zaggle, and recover a few coasters! Warning, it can take quite a while for Disk Utility to 'accept' the disc and display it in the drive list - just be patient.

Anyway, for my problem, I'm already off down the CarbonCopyCloner route, as ecirtap has suggested, which, IIRC, will at least enable the backup process to be rather more automated.

But, let me finish up with a bit more info. You can't burn the entire Library folder, using burn folder, because it throws up the -43 file not found error. So, then I tried dragging all of the folders IN ~/Library into a burn folder. Sure enough, again the same error. Attempting to track down the location of the precise file causing the problem, I then tried again using the first half of the folders in ~/Library - and no problem. Yeah, I thought, so the 'bad' file is in the second half of the folders! So, I tried them. Guess what, no problem!

That's right - I can burn one half of the folders in ~/Library using a burn folder, or I can burn the other half, but try burning all of them at the same time and up comes the -43 error!

Strange? Or what?

(BTW - no, it's not anything to do with the hidden (dotted) files - as the 'tech' at AppleCare has said......)

But, it's not just down to the total size of the burn folder contents either, as I've proven by successfully burning a copy of my Music folder - which is already MUCH bigger than ~/Library!

Anyone got new thoughts?

Nigel

bobw · #5 November 24th, 2005, 09:28 AM

Quote:

(BTW - no, it's not anything to do with the hidden (dotted) files - as the 'tech' at AppleCare has said......)

What makes you think this?

This is exactly why programs like CarbonCopyCloner and SuperDuper were written.

nigelh · #6 November 24th, 2005, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobw

What makes you think this?

This is exactly why programs like CarbonCopyCloner and SuperDuper were written.

Hi Bob,

Because I have successfully burned every one of the folders within ~/Library - it just won't burn them all at the same time!

Nigel

bobw · #7 November 24th, 2005, 09:45 AM

Doubtful you were successful in burning each folder individually. There will be files missing.

nigelh · #8 November 24th, 2005, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobw

Doubtful you were successful in burning each folder individually. There will be files missing.

No, I didn't say I burned them individually - but I did burn half of them, and then burned the other half.

Also, can I just note that Carbon Copy Cloner is a great application, BUT it will not work using an optical disk as the destination volume, so it doesn't serve exactly the same purpose as the burn folder function in Finder.

Nigel