Backup flaw found in new Windows

Microsoft is working to solve an incompatibility issue that prevents backups made with Windows Server 2003 from being read on previous versions of Windows. The software giant's latest operating system saves data to tape using a slightly different format than earlier versions of Windows, a Microsoft representative said Thursday. While older tapes can be read by Windows Server 2003, the opposite isn't true for the new OS. A patch will be finished soon, a company representative told CNET News.com.

The issue affects only the backup utility called NTBackup.exe, which is included with the Windows operating systems. Third-party backup software apparently is not affected, said Brian Bergin, president of Boone, N.C.-based technology consultancy Terabyte Computers, who was the first to identify the issue.

Bergin said the issue is still serious, however. He initially had urged his clients to use the NTBackup program for guarding data, because it had worked well and came free with the server software. But the discovery of the flaw, originally reported by Computer Reseller News, has tempered his enthusiasm.

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