Symantec System Recovery wil not run scheduled incrementals

[SimonTandem]

System Recovery, Version 7.0.5.29755, but having this problem with 8.0 and 8.5, running on Windows Small Business Server 2003 SP2 or R2 in all cases.

The back up job is defined and runs fine for a few days, normally until just after the Sunday Base Image runs, and then.... nothing.

The incremental back ups do not happen. Nothing is logged. The job doesn't fail, it just doesn't happen! Nothing in the Windows or SRS event logs.

The Home Page of the SRS software gives me a big green tick telling me the server is "Backed Up" but also states I have "not yet defined and run a file and folder backup".

If I try and use the "define backup" wizard it will not allow me to create a new incremental backup for the servers drives as one already exists.

I have tried deleting the existing back up job, clearing the backup destination drive, and re-creating from scratch, and the same process occurs... runs for a few days and then seems to lose all scheduling. If I try to modify the schedule it is there, submits ok, but still does nothing. I have uninstalled and re-installed 7.0.5.29755 from scratch, as I read that using a full file version may cure some problems associated with using a version that has been Live Updated.

We use SRS across maybe 20-25 servers and I would estimate 8-10 have problems with SRS just stopping, again, across versions 7.0 - 8.5. In fact the only ones we do not have any problems with are those that are running version 6.5.

Any ideas??

Update: I am logged onto the console session of one of our servers while typing this and the backup has just run as scheduled, but the Home Page stills states I have not yet "defined and run a file and folder back up".. I wonder if the next scheduled incremental will run when I log off the console session?

[AndrewPBG]

I've seen this happen once on a 2003 server. It turned out to be that the COM+ system was damaged. Microsoft's KB315296 has the details on flushing and reinstalling COM+, but don't be surprised if a few programs need to be reinstalled afterwards as well - BESR at the very least. You may as well dump your C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Symantec\Backup Exec System Recovery folder while you're at it, just to be sure.

As a cheesy workaround, it ought to be possible to set your backup task to trigger upon a program's execution (defined by .exe name). Create an executable that launches, sleeps for ten seconds, and exits, and then use Windows' Task Scheduler to make it run at the desired times.

Regarding the message about the files and folder backup, click on the Status tab, click on "Files and Folders" under the list of drives, click "Customize Status Reporting", and set it to either Errors Only or No Status.