Welcome to the BackupAssist Knowledge Base. This contains the solutions to common support issues.
This Knowledge Base primarily applies to BackupAssist version 3 or earlier. For newer versions of BackupAssist please visit http://kb.backupassist.com
General backup information
- Windows XP Home
- - ensuring that the Windows Backup Utility, NTBackup is installed.
- Backing up Files with specific permissions
- - how to ensure that files and folder with specific permissions are being backed up.
- Two Phase Backup Process
- - explains how BackupAssist uses a two phase backup process to backup your data
- Splitting Backup Jobs
- - explains how to split your backup job into two jobs on two tapes [when you run out of tape space]
- Network Drives
- - explains how to use Network Drives with BackupAssist - to backup data from the network drive, as well as backing up data to a network drive.
- Hard Drive Backup Strategies
- - explains how to implement different backup strategies that allow for limited file space storage.
- Restoring your data
- - how to restore data from a backup
- Excluding File Types
- - how to exclude certain file types from your backups
Troubleshooting backup problems
- Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 stops responding
- - The Microsoft Exchange Information Store service may stop responding when you try to back up your Exchange 2003 database files by using a program that uses the Volume Shadow Copy Service.
- Backup Time and System Performance
- - Using the /FU command to increase system performance during a backup on Windows 2003.
- Tape Drive Backup Errors
- - You experience problems when attempting to backup to your tape drive eg
#15050 and #15012 - Internal Errors
- - A growing list of internal error codes, what they mean and steps for troubleshooting them.
- BackupAssist services fail to start
- - eg.
the BackupAssist service fails to start and consequently your backup fails. - Exchange Backup Errors and Circular Logging
- - eg.
Error: Server\Microsoft Information Store\First Storage Group is not a valid drive, or you do not have access - Timeout Error
- - eg.
The BackupAssist Backup Executor has detected that the backup operation failed to complete within the timeout period... - Error on a request to MS_UpdateNtmsOmidInfo
- - eg.
The device reported an error on a request to MS_UpdateNtmsOmidInfo - No unused media was available
- - eg.
The operation was not performed because no unused media was available - Unable to assign desktop rights
- - the backup never runs, and you get a message in the event log -
Error #00103 - Unable to assign desktop rights to launch Backup - Media failed to mount
- - eg.
The requested media failed to mount. The operation was aborted. The operation was ended. - Selection file not found
- - eg.
The saved selection file "Files\BackupAssist\PhaseTwo-0.bks" cannot be found. - Invalid command line parameter P
- - eg
Invalid command line parameter '/P'. - NTBackup Failed
- The ntbackup process failed (return code -1073741819). Please examine the attached log file for an explanation.
- Hardware Failure
- Error: The device reported an error on a request to write data to media. Error reported: Hardware failure
- No log file found
- No log file could be found. This indicates that the backup did not run successfully.
- Error volume shadow copy
- - eg.
Error returned while creating the volume shadow copy:800423f2 - NTBACKUP Failures
- - eg.
the ntbackup process hangs and results in a backup timeout - DO_NOT_REMOVE_NtFrs_Preinstall_Directory Folder Error
- - eg.
Ntbackup.exe Generates an Error Message About the DO_NOT_REMOVE_NtFrs_Preinstall_Directory Folder
Troubleshooting restore problems
- Backup Device Error
- - eg.
You receive this error when you try to catalog or restore from a tape
General system problems
- SNAP and NAS errors
- - you cannot retrieve a file listing from a shared drive mapped on your SNAP server or backup to this share
- Invalid Picture
- - the error message Invalid Picture appears either from the BackupAssist service, or when a backup is executing
- Insert Office CD
- - you are prompted to insert the Microsoft Office CD when a backup runs
- RSM service has not started
- - you receive warning messages in the event log about the RSM service not having been started.
- Backup Errors with MailEssentials
- - MailEssentials? causes your backups to fail.
- Backup Errors with SNAP Servers
- - Difficulty backing up to or from a SNAP server.
Troubleshooting email problems
- How to troubleshoot email problems
- A step by step guide on troubleshooting email
- {{550 Your message does not conform to RFC2822 standard}}
- - you receive this error message when BackupAssist attempts to send report emails.
Troubleshooting SQL Server problems
- SQL Login Problems
- How to troubleshoot SQL Server login problems.
Information on different types of tape drives
Notes on:- Travan Drives and how to Retension Travan Tapes automatically using BackupAssist
- DLT Drives
- DAT Drives
- LTO Drives
- AIT Drives
Troubleshooting Backup User Identity issues
- Windows XP Authentication
- Important points if you're running Windows XP
REV Drive Backups
- Slow backup times to the REV Drive
- The backup to the REV drive is taking an excessive time to complete
- REV and Windows 2000
- How to get REV drive backups working with Windows 2000.
- Ejecting REV disks
- How to setup BackupAssist to eject REV disks after each backup.
- Troubleshooting REV drives
- Steps to use when troubleshooting REV drive issue.
Authenticating to remote machines
- Authenticating
- How to authenticate to remote machines so you can backup from/to networked machines that are not on the same domain, or that are running non-Windows OS (eg. Linux, BSD, Novell, etc)
Windows Services
- Starting and Stopping Windows Services
- How you can use BackupAssist to start/stop Windows Services before and after your backup jobs