BA800: BackupWrite unknown stream error¶
| Error code | Product | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| BA800 | BackupAssist ER | BackupAssist ER v1 and later |
Description¶
BackupWrite unknown stream error
Resolution¶
If your backup destination is not formatted with NTFS, the following information may assist. If the destination is formatted with NTFS, contact BackupAssist ER support.
Only an NTFS formatted destination can correctly hold NTFS attributes.
If you require these attributes, you can use a backup destination that is NTFS formatted or format the current destination to NTFS.
What is NTFS?¶
NTFS (New Technology File System) is the standard file system of Windows Server
Can I backup to non-NTFS devices?¶
Yes, you can. However, if you do so, the following information will not be copied on the files you are backing up: NTFS security data (access control lists and owner/group information); extended attributes (originally designed for compatibility with OS/2, but now rarely used); alternative data streams (extra data that can be attached to files); reparse points (e.g. symbolic links, mount points, etc); and other file metadata. This information will not be recovered if your backup device is not formatted with NTFS.
So what does this mean?¶
Very few applications actually use NTFS extended attributes – in fact, we’re unaware of any applications that use this feature. Alternative data streams are mainly used by viruses, Trojans and malware – so it’s probably a good thing that these are not backed up. So the main disadvantage of backing up to a non-NTFS device is losing security information. However, if such security settings and rules are documented (e.g. the “Accounting” folder is only accessible to individuals within the management team) then they should be easy to reproduce.
What types of destinations generally come in a non-NTFS format?¶
There are a few different hardware devices available that are formatted with a different file system to NTFS. Such devices include, but are not limited to:
- Most commercially available NAS devices
- USB hard drives
Is it possible to convert a hardware device to NTFS?¶
BackupAssist ER is compatible with destinations formatted using the NTFS or ReFS file system format.
For devices that do support NTFS, it is easy to convert them from non-NTFS to NTFS using the convert command in Windows.
From a Windows command prompt (Start Menu > Run > cmd) type the following:
convert f: /FS:NTFS (Where f: is the drive letter of the device you want to convert to NTFS)
You can also type convert /? for further help using the convert command.
To learn more see the Microsoft resource, NTFS formatting.
| Last updated | Created | Further assistance |
|---|---|---|
| 19th Mar 2015 | 15th Dec 2008 | BackupAssist ER Support page |