Hello,
The "Norton Backup Drive" on my PC does not contain any backup files. I see several backup files in another location, but am not able to access them. How can I "point" Norton Backup Drive to these files? OR move/copy the files to Norton Backup Drive?
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Jim
I tried your suggestion. At first, the window contained the message "No backup sets found". After clicking "Refresh all", it still says "No backup sets found". It seems like there should be a way to "Browse" for the backups... I can find severalof the 24 character named files in brackets.
Hi jaime41.
Can you tell us where the backup files that you see are held? What is the name of the directory they sit in, and where is it physically/logically on your system?
I have always viewed the "Norton Backup Drive" which is shown when I view My Computer in Explorer as a virtual space but now you have me wondering... ;-)
Can you go to N360; Backup; Manage Backup sets; and then select the "Where" tab. What choices if any does it show apart from you C drive? If more than one can you click next to it on the left to select it? Don't "Save Settings" after this just note what it says/does and then "Close".
One last question occurs - When were these backups made and was it with Norton 360 or something different?
I look forward to hearing back from you.
OK, here are the answers to your questions:
1. The backup files for my notebook PC (GWn) are on my network, on my desktop PC (HPd) in the following location: Public\Public Backups\GWn\N360_BACKUP. This folder contains 4 folders named w/ 24 character, hyphenated namesin brackets (Norton naming convention).
2. The "Norton Backup Drive" is only visible from an Admin user on my notebookPC.
3. Contents of "Where" tab: "Secure Online"; D: (Local Disk); C: (Windows); Z: (HP) This is allocated at boot time to \\HPd\Public\Public Backups\GWn; and E: (CD/DVD).
4. These files were created by Norton 360 Backup procedure; latest (and one I NEED) is from 9/25/2012.
I really appreciate your help with this...
Jim
Hello again jaime41.
Hope I can help but I am far from certain.
Just to check I have understood. You are trying to access the files on your laptop, the actual files are on the Desktop that is connected to the laptop by your network.
From what you say the location where they are stored is visible via the "Where", provided that the Z drive is actually being interpreted as you believe. This is why I asked about how the backups were done. Has anything changed since they were run?
If I were you I would set up a new backup set on my laptop and backup a single file or small folder to my Z drive, see where goes and then try to restore it.
Another thought is to copy the entire N360_BACKUP folder from the desktop to the root of the D or C drive and then see if Norton can read it. I recognise however that there may be size issues.
Have you looked at the size of the 4 folders? Are they what you would expect? Were you expecting there to be 4?
OK, here's where we are:
1. Yes, you understand my configuration.
2. The only thing that could have changed was possibly an update to Norton??? I do not remember making any changes myself; but could have and just not remember.
3. As you suggested, I allocated a new Default set and backed up some files to it successfully and restored 2 files successfully. Also, after allocating this new default set, I'm able to actually see the backed up files by using "Norton Backup Drive" and can restore files from there by clicking on them. I have never really understood the concept or terminology of "Default SET"... I'm beginning to understand that the "N360_BACKUP" folder is allocated by Norton and is possibly what it is looking for as the location for the "Default Set".
4. I have not yet tried what you suggest in paragraph 4. I have attached a "snip" of the 2 locations for the backups. I see that there is a folder named "5830DFDC..." on C:,dated today AND a folder named the same, but dated 9/25/2012 on Z:. The files I am wanting(Needing) to restore are from the 9/25/2012 version on Z:. Do you think it would work to copy this folder from Z: location to C: location without messing something up?
Again, Thank you for your help.
Jim
Hi Jim.
Is the new file that appeared today in the same physical N360_BACKUP folder as the file dated 9/25/2012? That is where I would expect it to be.
When you go to restore now what options are you offered when you choose Restore Files; View All; Refresh list?
I must admit I had not envisaged you doing your trial by creating a new Default Set as that was probably the name of the set you were looking for and this may now have confused N360. When I said create a new backup set I meant with a new name. If this has caused a problem I apologise for not making it clearer.
What I believe Norton looks for is N360_BACKUP folders in root directories and I wondered if the setup of your network was not recognising the folder as being a Norton backup folder - which is why I wanted to see where the new backup went.
I await the answers to my two questions above. I think you may have been trying to provide an answer in your para 4 but I do not understand it. Are you saying that a new N360_BACKUP folder has been created on your C drive and that a single file has appeared in it of the same date as your latest backup? Is this new file about the size you would expect for the backup that you have just done? If you go to manage backups and look at "Where" under the current Default Backup what does it say?
Do not move or copy any backup files or run any further backups until you have answered the above questions.
All the best.
Hello,
The "Norton Backup Drive" on my PC does not contain any backup files. I see several backup files in another location, but am not able to access them. How can I "point" Norton Backup Drive to these files? OR move/copy the files to Norton Backup Drive?
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Jim
1. The C:\N360_BACKUP folder properties say that the folder was created today (21 Feb) ~ 1 hr ago,so must be the latest from creating new Def Set per your request.
2. see attached: N360_1. Default Set on C: is only source shown in "Restore From". I am able to browse the files in the backup.
3. I am not clear on how to create a new Default Set with a new/different name.
I need to be gone for a while, so next reply will be later today.
Thank you.
Jim
Forgot to attach the file...
Sorry.
Thanks Jim, but what would have been more interesting was the screen after you press "View All" on the right of the "Default Set on C" and then you have hit the blue "Refresh List". You need to look at this. If it just finds the default on C then you may wish to proceed with the ideas below otherwise come back and tell us what it shows.
The following is what I would now try, but it comes with no guarantees. Whether you try it is entirely up to you.
Assuming that you have enough space on your C drive this is what I suggest.
Go to the N360_BACKUP folder on your C drive (there should be just one file in it) move that file to some other safe location where you can find it again.
Go to the N360_BACKUP folder on your PC (where the files you are trying to recover are located) and copy (N.B. COPY - not MOVE) all the files to the N360_BACKUP directory (now empty) on your C drive. If there is not enough space just copy the one with the most likely date.
Start up N360 backup and go to; Restore Files; View All; Refresh list, and tell us what you see. Should it appear that your lost files are there you may proceed with trying to restore the file you want but I would suggest that you take the option of restoring it to a new location.
If I forget telling you how to create a new and differently named backup set later on, remind me. But for now let us stick with the above.
Good luck.
OK,WOW! What a time we've had. Here's the answers to your last post:
1. I went back and went thru the steps of "Refreshing the List"; only the Default Set on C: showed up. Therefore, I proceddedto follow your suggested steps.
2a. I MOVED the file(folder) to another location.
2b. I then COPIED the backup folders from the Z: location to the N360_BACKUP folder on C: (one at a time) and observed the following: 1st - Copied folder named "5830..." into C:\N360_BACKUP and found 578 files. 2nd - Copied folder named "9124..." into C:\N360_BACKUP and found 988 files. 3rd - Copied folder named "5CA1..." into C:\N360_BACKUP and found 16,975 files.
2c. I was able to find an old copy of the files I was looking for and wasable to restore them.
I sincerely appreciate your help with this matter!
NOW... to the other topic. I did find the place where you specify the NEW NAME for your "Default Set", but do not have a good handle on the concept of "Default SET". Maybe you can enlighten me somewhat on this. In step 2b above I only copied the files ONE AT A TIME into C:\N360_BACKUP. I'm wondering what I would see if I copy more than one of them there? I'll try that and let you know.
Kind regards,
Jim
Hi jaime41.
So as I understand it you have now been able to retrieve the file you needed and all we have to do now it get you set up with a backup system that works a little easier in future.
Sorry if I ask questions that I have already asked but there is a lot above in this thread and I would like to keep it as simple as possible.
What seems to have happened, is that Norton has lost sight of the backup folder that used to work, why this has happened I do not know but something similar happened to me with a backup across the network and it was due to me excluding a an innocuous program from the startup menu. It turned out that without it, although I could see the relevant disk through windows explorer, Norton backup could not. What has happened in your case I cannot tell.
I think you need to try and set up a new backup. If you are willing try the following.
N360 - select Backup; Manage Backup Sets; - then select Create new backup set on the right. Then enter a suitable name for your new backup which might be "test set" or "backup from 21 Feb" or whatever you like. "Default set" just meant that, it was a default set up by the program nothing special other than it warns you that it might not do just what you want! Having entered the new name click OK. Then you should be back to the Manage backup sets screen with your new name in the drop down box. As at this stage we are just testing things, select the "When" tab and choose the "Manual schedule" option. This way it will only do things when you tell it to and not go off and do something unexpected. Once all is set up as you want the option "Automatic" is probably best. Next, and for the time being the most important, select the "Where" tab. Near the top centre of the next screen is a blue "Refresh list" hotspot. Click on this and see what is displayed in the box below. Let us know what it says and if it is more than "Secure online storage" and your "C" drive (I certainly hope it will be) try and post a screen shot here. At this point just "Save settings" and close down the N360 backup options until we can consider what you have found.
I await your reply.
OK,
I have set up a new backup set named "GWn Backup".
I selected it; specified "Manual" for the "When" tab; selected a few file types from C: on the "What" tab.
I did "Refresh the List" after setting up the new set (see attachment N360_3 for the results). "Secure Online..." above top entry is actually there.
Also see attachment N360_3a for Summary of setup.
Jim
Backing up files to the C drive really is not much of a backup. Your only protecting your files from accidental deletion and it's not going to help much for windows problems if your system won't boot and it's not going to help at all if your hard drive fails.
Now that you know how it all works you may want to try to get your original location working again. You can make a small new backup set to test it.
Verify that you really can see the Z drive in "Computer" or "My Computer".
Then you may need to play around with the file and folder permissions, understand that just because your administrative user account can access it doesn't necessarily mean 360 can.
From the desktop you can temporarily give your backup folder permissions for "everyone" to see if that helps.
If the mapped folder is accessible to everyone and it shows up in "computer" I see no reason why it would not also show up in the norton backup drive.
If worse comes to worse you may want to run a batch file or use another free program to copy the backup folder to the network drive once in a while so you at least have an offsite copy that is not on the C drive of the laptop.
Best of luck,
Dave
Hello again jaime41.
Dave is right backing up to the C drive is not really a sensible option. However from what I see, his statement "Now that you know how it all works" may not be correct....
What I wanted to see was a screen shot of the display just after you had opened the "Where" tab and refreshed the list. The summary of the "Manage backup set" screen shows me nothing new. Can you try and post a new screen shot of the "Where" tab after the "Refresh list" has been run? No need to keep posting the old ones. If you have problems with that, tell us what they are and tell us of all the locations that can be seen (using the slider on the right if necessary). You have told us that you can see the Secure Online backup and the summary screen shows the C drive but is there anything else there? There should be!
While you are thinking about that can you give us some idea about the size of the desired backup? If you have a set of folders that you want to back up - how large are they?
1. Yes, I agree that C: is not the perfect place for a backup file. A backup needs to be placed somewhere OFF of the computer.
2. The attachment named "N360_3" in my previous response was a screen shot of what you had requested (the Where tab after refreshing the list); it includes "SecureOnline" (not shown on screen shot), D:, C:, Z:, and E:. The Radio Button for C: was selected. I'm attaching it again for reference. If not what you were looking for, I'll be glad to try the whole thing again.
Jim
Hi Jim.
Yes that is exactly what I wanted in more sense than one. 
Sorry my misunderstanding led to me missing it the first time. For future reference it might be easier to post images in the message using the little tree icon on the tool bar of the message window. If you post a message with an image in it, it will take a while to appear in the forum as the Moderators need to check them as appropriate but then everyone can see them in the relevant message. However the system you are using works.
Now the great news appears to be - that Norton 360 can see your Z drive. So the next thing is to try a test backup onto that.
Open up Norton Backup and select Manage Backups. Ensure that the set selected in the drop down is the "GWn Backup" set and then select the "where" tab. Click on the left of "Z:(HP)" so that a dot appears on the left of that entry. Then go to the "What" tab and select a few test files for a backup. Best to make them different from the last ones you did a test with. You only need to do it with one file. Now that you have selected Where and What best to test by pressing the "Preview" button which should tell you that it is just going to back up the files you have selected (if it comes up with anything more try and post the screen shot). All appearing well select the "Run Backup" button at the bottom of the Manage Backup Sets window.
Assuming that reports a successful backup close the Manage Backup sets window. Go back to Norton 360 and Select Backup then "Restore Files". At the "Restore Files" screen select "View All" and then the blue Refresh List. A screen shot of what you see might be helpful, but hopefully you will see the "GWn Backup" listed. If it is then click to put a dot in the radio button to the left of it and click OK. Then back on the "Restore Files" screen use the "Files" section to find your backed up file and try to restore it. Hopefully that will work.
You may now close down the Norton Backup windows.
Using Explorer go to the Z drive and try to find a file created at the time that you made the above backup (it should reside in a "N360_BACKUP" folder). Tell us where you found it and how its location relates to the old backup files you previously had problems with.
I await your reply with interest.
I feel that we are definitely making progress. I hope you feel that as well. 
Thanks for the heads up on inserting pictures into the message; you learn something every day!
Here's the results...
... successfully setup the 1 file test to Z:
... image of Restore Files window (BEFORE refreshing list) / same after. [by trying to insert image via Tree icon - the PDF file type came up with "Error: Invalid file type" see N360_4 attached].
... image after successful restore [see attached N360_4a].
... image looking at the Z: drive [see attached N360_4b].
... "Gwn Backup on Z:" even showsup in "Norton Backup Drive"
In thinking about this whole situation; I'm thinking that Norton must have lost it's connection (catalog) to the backups I had done in the past. I could see the files using Windows Explorer, but Norton could not.
Jim
My apologies ... again! I forgot to attach screen shots:
N360_4 - Restore Files window (before Refreshing List)
N360_4a - Results of successful restore
N360_4b - looking at the Z: drive after restoring the file
Jim