Symantec Backup Exec 10D fails on System State

[pmollica]

Symantec Backup Exec 10d fails on system state backup on MS Windows Small Business Server 2003.

After troubleshooting the problem with Symantec 2nd Tier Support, we determined that re-installing Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 fixes the problem. Apparently, there are a couple of corrupted files in the System32 folder, one of which is plugin.ocx which cause the problem. Running SFC did not fix it, it said it couldn't overwrite the files in question. Symantec rep says he's seen dozens of them, and the only thing in common was the original install was done from an Nlite CD.

Any help appreciated!

[bonestonne]

fixing that will be no easy solution.

one option would be putting in the windows server install CD, and 'exploring' it, going into the System32 folder, and manually replacing the original files. reason you have trouble with nLite is because you can remove things, and some programs are tied together, removing one thing can remove a part of another, so that may have caused the problem.

nLiting a server edition of windows for use as a server computer isn't something i see as safe, because this sort of problem comes up.

not to mention Symantec isn't the most reliable of companies either.

if manually copying the files doesn't work, the best thing to do is back up the system and install the full version of server. i know it doesn't sound like much of a solution, but then theres a much lower risk of the problem occuring again.

[pmollica]

Thanks, perhaps I wasn't clear. I solved the immediate problem by re-installing service pack 1. Now my backup is working fine. And since I didn't remove anything when I created the Nlite image, what I'm trying to determine is what exactly is being corrupted and why when installing from the Nlite image CD. Symantec says every one of these they've seen was from an NLite install. Seems like a bug in NLite, perhaps?

[MrRaines]

I also didn't remove anything in my nLite build - only added things (namely hotfix pack and RAID/SCSI adapter drivers).

I did different builds to isolate the problem and found out that integrating hotfixes didn't give rise to the problem, but integrating drivers did - so this is the area of nLite that is causing the issue (if indeed it's an nLite issue).

[pmollica]

Follow up information: I reviewed my System Log on the affected machine. System File Checker when it ran complained about not being able to replace plugin.ocx in the System32 folder. However, when I run a search for that file now, it only shows up on C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386. It does not show up in any other place on the Hard drive. I did some research on that file, and it appears to be some sort of shim for Internet Explorer compatibility. On my next install (this week), if I have the same problem, I will simply delete that file and see if the error goes away prior to reinstalling the Service Pack 1.

[MrRaines]

Please let me know how you get on with this! I am very interested.

[MrRaines]

Pmollica

Did you ever test this?

Regards

MrRaines