Using Retrospect with Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2

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If you are using Retrospect to back up networked Windows XP computers, and you are planning to upgrade to Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), you need to adjust the settings on your Retrospect backup computer and the Retrospect client computers. If you do not perform backups of network Windows XP computers, your backups will not be affected by SP2 and you do not need to take any action.

When you install Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), the service pack automatically enables a firewall on the computer running SP2. This firewall can interfere with the execution of backups from a Retrospect client computer to a Retrospect backup computer. To ensure that your Retrospect backups continue to work smoothly, please follow the procedures described in this document.

If you disable the firewall, you do not need to complete the procedures in this document; however, Microsoft recommends that you keep the firewall in place to provide greater security for your computer.

Retrospect 7

If you install Retrospect 7.x or the Retrospect 7.x Client software on a PC running Service Pack 2, the install process will open the necessary network ports. No additional action should be required.

Retrospect 6.5 and earlier

Preparing for the Installation

Before installing SP2 on any computer, it is recommended that you perform a backup and prepare a disaster recovery (DR) CD for the computer. If you encounter a problem during the installation, you can use the DR CDs to restore your computers to a point in time prior to the installation of SP2.

Using Retrospect and SP2 on a Client Computer

To ensure that your Retrospect client computers can be backed up with SP2 installed, perform the following procedure on each client computer.

To adjust settings on a Retrospect client computer

1. After the SP2 installation is complete, click Start on the taskbar, and then click Control Panel .
2. Click Security Center.
3. Click Windows Firewall. By default, the On (Recommended) radio button is selected. If not, please select this button.
4. Click the Exceptions tab.
5. Click Add Port.
6. In the Name field, type: Retrospect (TCP)
7. In the Port Number field, type: 497
8. Select the TCP radio button if it is not already selected by default.
9. Click OK. Retrospect (TCP) should appear with a check box selected in the Program and Services window.
10. Select Add Port .
11. In the Name field, type: Retrospect (UDP)
12. In the Port Number field, type: 497
13. Select the UDP radio button.
14. Click OK . Retrospect (UDP) should appear with a check box selected in the Program and Services window.

Using Retrospect and SP2 on a Backup Computer

After performing the preceding steps on each of your Retrospect client computers, you need to perform additional procedures on your backup computer if it is running SP2. If your client computers are being backed up to a computer that is not running SP2, you do not need to perform this procedure.

To adjust settings on a Retrospect backup computer running SP2

1. After the SP2 installation is complete, click Start on the taskbar, and then click Control Panel .
2. Click Security Center .
3. Click Windows Firewall. By default, the On (Recommended) radio button is selected. If not, please select this button.
4. Click the Exceptions tab.
5. Click Add Port.
6. In the Name field, type: Retrospect (TCP)
7. In the Port Number field, type: 497
8. Select the TCP radio button if it is not already selected by default.
9. Click OK. The Program and Services windows should display an entry for Retrospect (TCP) with a check box selected.
10. Select Add Port .
11. In the Name field, type: Retrospect (UDP)
12. In the Port Number field, type: 497
13. Select the UDP radio button.
14. Click OK . Retrospect (UDP) should appear with a check box selected in the Program and Services window.
15. Select Add Program .
16. Select the Retrospect application from the list.
17. Click OK to close the Add Program dialog box. If Retrospect does not appear on the list of applications, click Browse to locate Retrospect and add it to the list. You can locate Retrospect at the following path: C:\Program Files\Dantz\Retrospect\Retrospect.exe
18. After you close the Add Program dialog box, the following three new entries are displayed on the Exceptions tab of the Windows Firewall settings:
    • Retrospect (TCP)   
    • Retrospect (UDP)
    • The Retrospect application

Make sure that the check boxes next to all three entries are selected.

1. Click OK to return to theSecurityCenter.

Preparing New Backup Data

After installing SP2, perform a backup of all your computers. This ensures that you can perform alive restoreof your SP2 computers or create a disaster recovery CD for them.

Performing a Live Restore*

A _live restore_operation restores the entire computer including the operating system and its settings, applications and their settings, and all user files and folders to a prior point in time. Because computers running Windows XP, Windows XP with Service Pack 1 (SP1), and Windows XP with SP2 have different operating system characteristics, you cannot use a backup created while a computer was running a particular service pack level to perform a live restore after you have installed a different service pack on that computer.

For example, if you create a backup from a computer running SP1 and you later install SP2 on that computer, you cannot use the original backup (created with SP1) to perform a live restore of the computer while it is running SP2. Similarly, if you create a backup from a computer running Windows XP (without a service pack), and you later install SP1 on that computer, you cannot use the original backup to perform a live restore of the computer while it is running SP1.

If you need to roll back your computer to a point in time when it was running a different service pack level, install WindowsXP from the installation CD, then install the appropriate Windows XP service pack, then install Retrospect, and then perform the live restore.

Creating a Disaster Recovery CD (DR CD)

Use Retrospect’s Disaster Recovery wizard to create a DR CD in case you need to do a bare metal restore of your computer to Windows XP with SP2. The wizard prompts you to insert a Windows XP installation CD, which must be at the SP2 level. If your Windows XP installation CD is not at the SP2 level, you need to create a Windows XP with SP2 installation CD.

Last Update: February 14, 2012