Windows Server 2012 fails to read backup off 3TB Seagate

[Sackerybalkin]

Hello,

I am currently using Windows server backup to make my backups and it won't find my backup file on a seagate 3TB drive which uses 4k architecture. Would installing backup assist allow me to use this backup? I am at wits end as I am going to have to redo my entire domain if I can't access this backup. Please advise if backup assist will work or any workarounds you may know of?

[TimN]

Hi,

It's Tim from BackupAssist.

BackupAssist will use the Windows backup engine to run an image backup.

To verify how many backups are on your backup destination, run the command below from an elevated command-line prompt:

wbadmin get versions -backupTarget:X: (Where X is the drive letter assigned to the backup destination)

This will list the image backups available on the backup destination.

I hope this helps.

Tim

[DavidVavich]

Sackerybalkin,
The issue is that the drive has a 4096 byte sector size. Windows server backup is not designed to run on 4k architecture disks. Some 4k disks do support 512 byte sector emulation mode (or 512e).

A Google search for "technet 4k disk windows server backup" will get you to the conversations.
Some TechNet forum users have taken it upon themselves to start listing drives they know work in the thread about the issue.

To answer your question "Would installing backup assist allow me to use this backup?" - No, it will not.
Tim actually said that but "BackupAssist will use the Windows backup engine to run an image backup." didn't seem as clear to me as "no".

The workaround I used was to copy the backup using a Windows 7 Professional computer from my (also Seagate) 3TB drive to a 320gb usb drive and then restore from the 320gb drive to the server. The TechNet forums also list some larger drives that work if your backup is larger than that.

Hope this helps!
~David