Tech Line
System State Debate
Need to know exactly what’s included in a System State backup? Here’s how to find out.
Chris: I’m in the middle of an argument with a co-worker about the contents of the System State. We both need to know exactly what files are backed up with the System State, but can’t seem to find any online documents that have this information. Is there an easy way to get this?
-- Jeff
Jeff: Actually you’re in luck. There are a couple of ways to get this information. I once consulted a psychic to learn more about the System State. I thought that if psychics could solve murders, they should be able to tell me more about the System State. During the consultation, all the psychic could tell me was that she was having visions of .dll and .sys files. I needed more detail, and was told that to find the answer “I must look into the logs.” With this prediction, she was right on.
Tech Help—Just An
E-Mail Away |
| Got a Windows, Exchange or virtualization
question or need troubleshooting help? Or maybe you want a
better explanation than provided in the manuals? Describe
your dilemma in an e-mail to the MCPmag.com editors at mailto:[email protected];
the best questions get answered in this column and garner
the questioner with a nifty MCPmag.com baseball-style cap.
When you send your questions, please include your full first
and last name, location, certifications (if any) with your
message. (If you prefer to remain anonymous, specify this
in your message, but submit the requested information for
verification purposes.) |
|
|
Most enterprise-class, back-up products log each file name as it’s successfully backed up. They usually log failed files, too. For example, CommVault’s Galaxy backup software logs System State backup content to a file named w2dbbackup.log. Since there are numerous different back-up products out there, the one common denominator that we all have is Windows Backup.
If you use Windows Backup to back up just the System State on one of your computers, the backup will create a log file that lists each file in which a backup was attempted in the <user profile folder>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows NT\NTBackup\data folder. For example, if you logged on as the local administrator, the back-up log would be saved to C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows NT\NTBackup\data. The log file will be named similar to backup01.log. The number appended to the word “backup” in the log file will increase with each back-up run by the user account. If you see a bunch of backupxx.log files listed, in Windows Explorer select “Details” from the View menu and then click the “Modified” column in the right pane of the windows to sort the files. The most recently modified log file will have a list of all backed up System State files. This should settle your argument.
Microsoft does provide some guidance on the System State. For a general description of the System State files, read the TechNet article, <>System State Data. For specific information on System State content, the backup log file is the perfect predictor. I’ve also learned my lesson with psychics. The next time I consult a psychic, I’ll ask her a question more related to my personal life, like “When will fibre channel reach the 10Gbps bandwidth plateau?”