%BACKUP-E-BADDIR, Directory device:[dir] has invalid format

[Timothy P. Baker]

Any way to get rid of this directory? I tried analyze/repair and del 'dir'.dir;* to no avail.
Is image backup to another disk - then INITIALIZE the only route?

[Volker Halle · Accepted solution]

Timothy,

did you try SET FILE/NODIR ?!

Be careful, all files with directory entries in that .DIR file will then be lost. Use ANAL/DISK/REPAIR to recover (files will show up in [SYSLOST])

Volker.

[Volker Halle]

HELP/MESS BADDIR is your friend ;-)

Volker.

[Uwe Zessin]

That got me thinking...

HELP (me out of this) /MESS

A very appropriate command ;-)

[Jan van den Ende]

Timothy,

can you acess any file _IN_ that dir?
My guess is you can not, but I want to make sure first.

If you can, you should also be able to RENAME the contents away.

If you cannot, then Volkers' way is all that is left to you: SET FILE /NODIR. Now you should be able to DELETE the .DIR file.
ANA/DISK/ REPAIR will collect your lost files, and you should be able to delete them, or re-create the directory and move your files ther, as appropiate for you

[Jan van den Ende]

Timothy,

Let me start with welcoming you to the VMS forum!

Now, can you acess any file _IN_ that dir?
My guess is you can not, but I want to make sure first.

If you can, you should also be able to RENAME the contents away.

If you cannot, then Volkers' way is all that is left to you: SET FILE /NODIR. Now you should be able to DELETE the .DIR file.
ANA/DISK/ REPAIR will collect your lost files, and you should be able to delete them, or re-create the directory and move your files there, as appropiate for you.

Success!

Proost.

Have one on me.

Jan

[Timothy P. Baker]

Looks like SET FILE/NODIR is my only avenue.
The HELP SET FILE/NODIR says use with extreme caution, but gives no EXAMPLEs.
Is it: $set file/nodir dev:[dir.subdir] ?

[Uwe Zessin]

It is:
$set file/nodir dev:[dir]subdir.dir;1

[Timothy P. Baker]

Thanks guys. No longer will I fear the unknown!
HA...
SET FILE/NODIR dev:[dir.subdir]subsubdir.dir;
worked. I was able to delete the offending dir.

[Ian Miller.]

Timothy, welcome to the VMS forum.
See
http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/helptips.do?#33
for how to award points to answers.

[Robert_Boyd]

You may want to try using DFU to have a look at the volume that contained the corrupted directory file.

DFU makes it relatively easy to check out things when there are "anomalies" like that.
There are other freeware tools available to help out too. DFU is one that I think every system manager should have for situations just like the one you had.

[Ian Miller.]

DFU is highly recommended. The latest version is here
http://h71000.www7.hp.com/freeware/freeware70/dfu/

and on the FREEWARE CDs included with VMS V8.2
Earlier versions are on Freeware V6
http://h71000.www7.hp.com/freeware/freeware60/dfu/

and freeware V5
http://h71000.www7.hp.com/freeware/freeware50/dfu027a/