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Backup Failed - Can't find central backup device RRS feed

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    I have 3 machines in my OneCare circle.  One is setup as the hub PC and has the central backup on it (500 GB USB external hard drive.).  The hub PC backs up to the drive just fine.  One of the other machines in the circle backs up through the hub PC over our home wireless network just fine.  (It is actually hardwired to the router, but the hub PC is connected to the router over wireless.) The third machine, however, is unable to backup through the hub PC.  Is is also connected to the router via wireless.  Attempts to back it up bring about the message:

    "OneCare can't find the backup device.  Please check your backup device and network connection, and then click 'Start backup'."

    The backup device is on and the hub and second machine can use it.  The hub PC registers the OneCare details regarding the state of the third machine, including the fact it is overdue for backup, so I don't believe there is any network connection fault involved?

    The hub PC is a one year old Vaio laptop running Vista Ultimate.
    The second machine (the one that finds the central backup device) is a clone desktop machine running XP Home Edition.  The one that is not working fully is a three-year-old basic Averatec laptop also running XP Home Edition.
    The router network is managed by Cisco Network Magic Pro 5.1.

    What do I look for next?

    Thanks,

    Nick
    • Edited by Unclenick Sunday, July 12, 2009 4:22 PM
    Sunday, July 12, 2009 4:18 PM

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    Personally, I'd start over on the backup plan and make the PC that is wired to the router be the Hub hosting the backup drive. Going wireless to the router and wireless to the hub is asking for communications issues and latency.
    However, that is not likely to be the cause of your problem. It is possible that it is a permissions problem, though that would seem strange, given the fact that the other machine in your Circle can backup to the drive just fine.
    Leaving the configuration as is, with the drive not relocated to the wireed machine, try turning off backup for the machine having the problem, saving the plan, then turning it back on for that machine. If that fails, you have two main choices.
    1. Contact support for some assistance - 

    How to reach support (FAQ) - http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/onecareinstallandactivate/thread/30400b52-7f26-4ba0-bc18-17e305329d90
    2. Leave backup disabled for that PC for now and seek an alternative backup solution for all of your PCs. Although your current subscription will be supported through its end of term, it will not be able to be renewed as OneCare is at end of life. The replacement antivirus product (free) will not include backup or Circle management functions.

    Manually copy the important files from the PC having the problem to the external drive over the network using Windows Explorer until you find a solution in either case.

    One last thought - you mention that the network is managed by Network Magic. Can you browse the network from the Averatec machine and see the external drive connected to the Hub? I wonder if Network Magic is actually the problem and that the XP Home machine may not have File and printer Sharing enabled or the OneCare firewall sees the network as Public and not Home/Work. If it is the latter case, change the network to Home or Work from the Firewall settings in OneCare on the Averatec machine.
    -steve

    Microsoft MVP Windows Live / Windows Live OneCare, Live Mesh, & MS Security Essentials Forums Moderator
    Sunday, July 12, 2009 4:47 PM
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    Personally, I'd start over on the backup plan and make the PC that is wired to the router be the Hub hosting the backup drive. Going wireless to the router and wireless to the hub is asking for communications issues and latency.
    However, that is not likely to be the cause of your problem. It is possible that it is a permissions problem, though that would seem strange, given the fact that the other machine in your Circle can backup to the drive just fine.
    Leaving the configuration as is, with the drive not relocated to the wireed machine, try turning off backup for the machine having the problem, saving the plan, then turning it back on for that machine. If that fails, you have two main choices.
    1. Contact support for some assistance - 

    How to reach support (FAQ) - http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/onecareinstallandactivate/thread/30400b52-7f26-4ba0-bc18-17e305329d90
    2. Leave backup disabled for that PC for now and seek an alternative backup solution for all of your PCs. Although your current subscription will be supported through its end of term, it will not be able to be renewed as OneCare is at end of life. The replacement antivirus product (free) will not include backup or Circle management functions.

    Manually copy the important files from the PC having the problem to the external drive over the network using Windows Explorer until you find a solution in either case.

    One last thought - you mention that the network is managed by Network Magic. Can you browse the network from the Averatec machine and see the external drive connected to the Hub? I wonder if Network Magic is actually the problem and that the XP Home machine may not have File and printer Sharing enabled or the OneCare firewall sees the network as Public and not Home/Work. If it is the latter case, change the network to Home or Work from the Firewall settings in OneCare on the Averatec machine.
    -steve

    Microsoft MVP Windows Live / Windows Live OneCare, Live Mesh, & MS Security Essentials Forums Moderator
    Sunday, July 12, 2009 4:47 PM
    Moderator
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    Were you ever able to perform a backup on the third computer? If not I suspect a configuration issue and suggest contacting support for help. How to reach support - http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/onecareinstallandactivate/thread/30400b52-7f26-4ba0-bc18-17e305329d90
    Jim - MVP Windows Live - Forum Moderator - Live One Care - Live Mesh - Microsoft Security Essentials
    Sunday, July 12, 2009 4:49 PM
    Moderator
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    Thanks for the suggestions, guys.  I had to go out of town last night so I won't be able to get to the troubled machine to try them out until next week.

    The third machine has in fact been backed up by plugging the backup drive directly into it and changing it from central backup to local.  I was just trying to simplify that.  Regarding OneCare EOL, I wasn't aware of that and am sorry to hear of it, since OneCare seems to be a convenient solution that doesn't interrupt you as frequently as as the other products I've tried do (Zone Alarm's security suite, Webroot's security suite, AVG's security suite) and doesn't slow the machine down the way the Norton products did when I had them long ago.

    Full support, then, will end with the subscription, but will it be able to continue updating its definitions, and if so for how long?

    Thanks,
    Nick
    Monday, July 13, 2009 2:18 PM
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    When your subscription finally expires, signature updates will cease and the program will drop into reduced functionality mode. There may be a grace period, but all support for OneCare will end at the end of 2010.
    -steve
    Microsoft MVP Windows Live / Windows Live OneCare, Live Mesh, & MS Security Essentials Forums Moderator
    Monday, July 13, 2009 4:59 PM
    Moderator