Windows Thread, Invalid drive Error during Install in Technical; I am trying to reinstall Veritas drivers for our tape drive, after a number of problems.
I click on tapeinst.exe ...
I am trying to reinstall Veritas drivers for our tape drive, after a number of problems.
I click on tapeinst.exe in the Backup Exec folder on the server, and it looks like it is going to begin, then I get the following Windows error:
Error 1327: Invalid Drive S:\
I have had a look on the net, and it looks possible that when the program was installed the first time it was done through a mapped or renamed or possibly an external drive, that no longer exists. One solution posted was to map the problem drive to the place where the install program is.
However, we use drive S: for all our redirected user home folders. If I log onto the server and map drive S: to where the install program is, won't I cause chaos with user folders???
That error looks like it's from Windows Installer.
When Windows Installer runs, it verifies the existence of certain Windows 'special folders', such as My Documents and the like. The paths to these special folders are all stored in the registry at the following location;
By default, all the values are set to %USERPROFILE%\......, but if you are using roaming profiles and the like, maybe one of them is pointing to S:\... If that's the case, you have a simple choice;
1 - Revert the registry entries which reference the S: drive to the appropriate location under %USERPROFILE% or
2 - Map the appropriate drives so that all the paths mentioned in the registry actually exist.
I attach a registry fragment which should reset the User Shell Folder values to the defaults (from an XP laptop anyway).
Once you've done one of these, the installer should run OK.
Thanks but I forgot to say that I am running the driver install program on the server, logged in as administrator, which doesn't have redirected folders (only the teachers and pupils have these). However, I could look at the registry entry on the server to see if there are any strange redirections, I suppose.
My original question still stands: if my user folders are redirected to S: and i then meddle with S:, albeit temporarily while I do the install, won't I cause storage chaos for the users??
I think I am getting out of my depth here.... Further help appreciated....
If you are logged on to the server as Administrator, then mapping an S: drive will have no effect whatsoever on any other users.
Drive mappings are 'per-user' settings anyway so a manual mapping would only affect the user account you are using on the machine you are using.
I would say that it would be worth checking the contents of the registry key that I mentioned. If nothing else, it will remove it from suspicion.
Another way forward would be to ramp up the Windows Installer logging level and run the installer again. The resulting log should give a better indication of where the problem is.
Thank you. I am more reassured. I will check the registry entry, but have no idea how to ramp up the logging on Installer or even where to find the log... (I can find the log for BackupExec, though it didn't seem very helpful). I'm a primary school techie learning as I go along the hard way mostly...!
Do the drivers included with the OS or from the drive vendor not work then? I've yet to see any issue/performance difference using those with Backup Exec.. and of course they work with Removable Storage/NTBackup unlike the Veritas ones.
Everything was running fine up until about a month ago when our server and UPS unexpectedly shut down. That caused the server to stop seeing the Standalone tape drive, also connected to the UPS. I eventually got the backups running again, but something still isn't right, as it is very slow. I have various instructions for troubleshooting on the software side (which I need to eliminate before I assume it is hardware related), but they involve either a software repair (backup exec) or updating VERITAS drivers. Neither option works at the moment as I get the same Invalid drive error.
Right, I have finally had a chance to look at the registry settings for User Shell Folders on the server (as suggested above). The only one that is redirected is the Favorites, to drive S:, which it is possible I did by accident when trying to redirect these for the users....(hangs head in shame..)
This being the server, and me being a one-person outfit with no back up except you very helpful people, I need a very foolproof way of setting this bit of the registry back to the default. I am a bit nervous of using the registry frag. It might be best just to edit this one bit of the key. But what is the default setting for this? Would it be %USERPROFILE%\Favorites?
you could try and change the favourites drive letter to any other driver letter that you dont use aside from S: obviously and see if that helps.
Considering the server was shutdown abruptly last time ..... just as a thought shut it down leave it off for a min or two and turn it back on to allow the scsi bus to clear ( assuming your tape drive is connected on the scsi bus.
Had this when I was working at the kingswood school and shutting it down and starting it back up cleared the scsi bus which helped.
Not sure if that will help with your invalid drive issue though.
Short of that prolly re install the drivers as above.
Many thanks, and sorry I have been a bit slow to get back to this.
Before I go ahead and edit the registry key back to the default, is there any possibility I am going to cause major problems by doing so? Bearing in mind this is our server and domain controller. Sorry, but I am on my own here and I don't want to screw things up!
Many thanks, and sorry I have been a bit slow to get back to this.
Before I go ahead and edit the registry key back to the default, is there any possibility I am going to cause major problems by doing so? Bearing in mind this is our server and domain controller. Sorry, but I am on my own here and I don't want to screw things up!
Backing up the registry before editing is always good advice. Having said that, I'm sure most techs will happily make minor changes like this when they are confident that they are not dabbling in areas they don't understand. I think that this registry edit will probably be harmless, but then I don't know what software you have on your server.
You can use regedit itself to 'export' the key you want to edit. If it all goes pear shaped you can then 'import' the registry fragment you exported to repair the damage.
Backing up the registry before editing is always good advice. Having said that, I'm sure most techs will happily make minor changes like this when they are confident that they are not dabbling in areas they don't understand. I think that this registry edit will probably be harmless, but then I don't know what software you have on your server.
You can use regedit itself to 'export' the key you want to edit. If it all goes pear shaped you can then 'import' the registry fragment you exported to repair the damage.
Better safe than sorry, especially where I'm concerned! I've backed up individual keys before and found this very very useful, but a full backup of the registry hasn't been done before and may as well be done now.
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Originally Posted by ajbritton 
always make backups of your registry before you edit it 
