About a year ago I bought an external 120GB hard drive so I could do occasional backups and run VPC images from it. Since, I've backed up and restored a number of times, as I rebuild my machine regularly. So when Vista RC1 was released I had to jump again. Ya - I'm a beta whore (Consultant - that is).
So, I backed up my Laptop using the external hard drive with the included Iomega Automatic Backup Pro (v 3.3..). The backup reported that it completed successfully. I tested the "successful" backup by restoring a file for good measure and then started the Vista install. I chose to do a full install which wipes out the OS, programs and all the data on the machine. No worries, I had a successful/tested backup. The install went as expected and I absolutely love Vista (with few exceptions).
The next day I went to restore my long-time security blanket, outlook personal folders (PSTs), but when I installed Iomega Automatic Backup Pro on my other machine (doesn't run on Vista) IAB didn't recognize the backup volume from the last backup. It failed to import the backup configuration. Needless to say, my heart dropped. The prior successful backup was from over two (ok three) months ago and you can imagine how important recent backups are. Argh... So like any other beta whore, I was too excited by the Vista Aero Glass and IIS 7 to fully think through my current reality. I thought to myself: I'll deal with it tomorrow.
A few days later (tonight) I finally got fed up as I needed something on that backup. I decided to leave the client early and go home where the IAB software and drive were and got on the phone with Iomega. I called the data recovery group listed on the Iomega support site and after telling me that their services were around $700 and would require me to send in the drive with no guarantees I was transferred (no given the phone number) to tech support.
Sidebar:
Okay - I'm confused. I can see all of the files that were backed-up on the drives file system. All of the backed-up files were compressed, manipulated in some proprietary way and renamed something like 00.<filename.ext>.IAB. This to me means that the backup worked but the index or backup configuration, as they call it, is corrupt. The backed-up files could surely be recovered with the right utility: something that understood the format and compression.
So I talked to the tech support guy, who was the typical - well you know: reading from the book. He had me delete the index/configuration files and then re-import the backup configs from the drive. Oh - and by the way it cost $25 for me to get any help at all. Steam spewing from my ears right now. So when the same error popped up while importing the backup configurations, he informed me that there were two options: 1) to talk to the "data recovery" group. You know: the $700 dollar, off-site, deal. Or 2) try the backup again without compression as compression could cause corruption. You could imagine my calm pleasant demeanor went into full affect.
Funny thing though, after scolding the tech support guy and getting no results I was so miffed that I could only stutter and complain in an effeminate tone. Boy – Iomega sucks! They’ll never get another cent from me.