> last night i found the following to work, its a mystery as to why
> but it works on all machines that i test.
>
> gbak -b -user ###### -password #######
> SERVER:Drive:\Path\File.fdb Drive:\Path\file.fbk
>
> the mystery is that it does not work if i dont have the SERVER
> qualifier in the Source path, no matter what i do, its not
> required in the target path for a back up, HOWEVER if i want to
> restore/create from a backup file then i must apply the following:
>
> gbak -r|-c -user ##### -password ###### Drive:\Path\File.fbk
> SERVER:Drive:\Path\File.fdb
>
> so the mystery continues with the SERVER needing to be stated in
> the TARGET path this time and irrelevant in the Source for the
> opposite operation.
>

when you backup you ask the server to attach to the database and gbak to
write the output to a path/filename
when you restore you ask gbak to open a path/filename and attach to the
server to write the output.
seems pretty straight formward to me.
Alan
PS. the SERVER declaration allows you to attach to one of possibly several
(more than one) server instances on the same server box.