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WHS Backup Error, but says "backed up" for the system! RRS feed

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    The server console states that a computer system is backed up.  It has the green icon and states "backed up".   When I click the computer to view the backups the LAST 3 backups did not work!   Status is FAILED.    "The computer failed to take a snapshot of the volume for backup".   No backups for 3 days.  WTF?

    OK, I know how to fix the snapshot problem.  Chkdsk /f/r

    BUT WHY does the WHS console not notifiy me of the backup problem?   It should state that the computer was not backed up.  
    I'm up to date with patches, updated, and running power pack #2.

    Any ideas why the server software is doing this?
    Monday, February 22, 2010 12:58 AM

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    You asked "Why doesn't the software warn you if a backup fails for a non-critical reason?" I answered you: it doesn't do so because the product team didn't consider that to be a situation that merited a warning. There is a threshold after which it does become worth a warning: if a PC hasn't backed up for 5 days, you'll get a warning.

    If you feel differently, you should submit a product suggestion on Connect to that effect (after searching for any that might already be there; I'm pretty sure you'll find some).

    You can also follow the instructions I've posted here for how to modify the registry on your server to change the threshold to a lower value. I strongly suggest you not set it to 24 hours or less, unless you really want a daily warning for every computer in your house. Be aware that this is an unsupported adjustment; it's possible that some future update will cause this to stop working, or that it will cause unanticipated issues.
    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Monday, February 22, 2010 3:45 AM
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    One missed backup (or even three) isn't critical; there are numerous things that can result in a backup failing that aren't really problems. If your home computer fails to back up for a week, that's considered to be a problem.
    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Monday, February 22, 2010 1:17 AM
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    I'm sorry Ken but not to make this a debate, I do have to disagree with you.  Perhaps my data is a little more important than yours.   The point of my question still remains that WHS says the system is backed up from the last backup run, but when you click the computer you actually see the last 3 times (days) it didn't backup.  In perspective, what if I backed up once a week, or once a month.   Would you still find that "acceptable" to find that your server didn't backup a system for weeks or months and never indicated a problem to you.  Quite the opposite, it states the system is backed up, which is misleading and obviously a programming flaw.

    Now we would be talking weeks or months (that you find acceptable) to be without a backup.

    If I tell a backup routine to backup every night because I have critical data that needs to be backed up, then missing one backup does become an issue.   Missing 3 days is a huge issue should something go wrong and a restore is needed.  It becomes even worse if ones backup schedule is set for weekly or monthly.

    WHS is reporting that the system is backed up when its actually 3 days out of date with errors without any indication of a problem.  That is not acceptable.   I should not have to sign into the WHS Console every day and have to double click each computer to make sure it actually backed up.   "Backed Up" should mean sucessfully backed up.   if there is an error, it should state "Backup Error" or something of that nature.
    Monday, February 22, 2010 1:55 AM
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    You asked "Why doesn't the software warn you if a backup fails for a non-critical reason?" I answered you: it doesn't do so because the product team didn't consider that to be a situation that merited a warning. There is a threshold after which it does become worth a warning: if a PC hasn't backed up for 5 days, you'll get a warning.

    If you feel differently, you should submit a product suggestion on Connect to that effect (after searching for any that might already be there; I'm pretty sure you'll find some).

    You can also follow the instructions I've posted here for how to modify the registry on your server to change the threshold to a lower value. I strongly suggest you not set it to 24 hours or less, unless you really want a daily warning for every computer in your house. Be aware that this is an unsupported adjustment; it's possible that some future update will cause this to stop working, or that it will cause unanticipated issues.
    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Monday, February 22, 2010 3:45 AM
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    Thanks Ken, I will give the registry hack a try.   

    If a backup fails for any reason, I would consider that worthy of a notification.   I've never seen a backup program state a system is backed up, but to find that the last 3 backups did not actually occur due to failure.  

    Yes, its not as critical as a hard drive failing on the server or something, but it still is a failure on a programmed job.   I again thank you for your assistance!

    Monday, February 22, 2010 8:19 PM
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    Before you dig in too much there :), consider that most users of Windows Home Server are not you and I. They're people with little technical knowledge, who bought their server at Best Buy or a similar store. The "error" you're seeing happens occasionally even on a healthy file system (I can count on getting it once or twice a month, for example), and Microsoft chose not to unduly alarm those people for an issue that might not even exist. Honestly, I think Microsoft made the right decision...
    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Monday, February 22, 2010 8:30 PM
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    Understood!   I built my own and probably should have used 2000 Server, but I liked the way WHS easily worked with all my other systems and the automated backups.  WHS seemed to do everything I needed for quite a bit less cost than 2000 (or newer) Server w/10 user license.

    I have a Dell SC1425 Rackmount dual 3.4ghz Xeon with 3TB online storage.   I'm definately not the typical home user...   alas my frustration when it said it did something, but didn't.   That would never fly on a 2000 server in the corporate world which I'm used to.   So please accept my apologies for sounding so harsh about the situation.
    Tuesday, February 23, 2010 1:35 AM