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Common Issues

A Destination Is Unavailable​

Reconnect the drive or check the network share, credentials, and write permissions. Use Test connection after changing network settings.

Scheduled network backups allow up to three minutes for a destination to become available. If it remains unreachable, review the report. A missing backup file and disconnected storage are different conditions; reconnect storage before removing an entry.

A Scheduled Backup Did Not Run​

Check that the plan is enabled, its start and end dates include the current date, and the background service is available and compatible with the application. Review the planned and actual run times in the report.

Enable catching up missed runs if needed. For a sleeping PC, enable wake-to-run in the schedule and allow Windows wake timers. This does not start a shut-down PC or wake it from hibernation.

For drive-triggered backups, keep the notification-area application running, connect the expected drive, and wait for the configured delay. A different drive with the same letter may not match the saved identity.

If the plan asks for its encryption password again, enter the original password on its properties page. A scheduled encrypted backup cannot run without the stored password.

A Full Backup Ran Instead Of An Incremental Backup​

Check the report's explanation. The plan may be starting a new weekly or monthly chain, its sources may have changed, or the previous version may be unavailable or unsuitable. A one-time full-backup request also starts a new chain without changing future plan settings.

The Second Copy Failed​

A Second copy missing warning does not invalidate a completed primary backup. Reconnect the second destination, check credentials and free space, then select Retry copy.

For S3 or WebDAV, also check the endpoint, bucket or folder, region, and permissions. Uploads use the computer's proxy settings, which may differ from those used by the interactive connection test. Keep the computer connected while an upload finishes.

A VHD/VHDX Backup Cannot Start​

The source must be exclusively accessible, the destination must be on a different physical disk, and the source cannot contain the running Windows installation. Close programs using the source or choose the O&O DiskImage format for a live backup. Read the specific reason on the plan page.

A Backup Stops After A Snapshot Or Read Error​

A lost or overflowing shadow copy means the original consistent snapshot can no longer be read. Unattended backups stop; an interactive run may ask whether to continue. Read the prompt carefully before accepting a backup without that snapshot.

Source read failures also stop the backup. Review the report, check the source disk, and create and validate another backup after resolving the cause.

A Backup Cannot Be Mounted​

File-backup containers cannot be mounted as drives. Restore their files through the restore workflow.

For supported images, check whether the backup is already mounted, whether a drive letter is available, and whether Windows automount or storage policies prevent mounting. Review the detailed error and logs. Do not change Windows storage policies without understanding their effect.

A Restore Target Is Rejected​

Check the minimum target size and, for virtual disks, sector-size compatibility. The target cannot be the disk holding the source image or the running Windows installation. Move the backup to a separate disk or network share if its location cannot be identified, or restart into recovery for a system restore.

The Backup Drive Is Full Or A File Cannot Be Deleted​

Review history settings and permanent keeps. Required chain files remain even if they are old. Choose a shorter history or a larger destination, and use the application's deletion workflow.

Unmount a backup before deleting it and close applications using the file. Deletion errors identify the affected file and, where possible, the application holding it open.

A Password Is Not Accepted​

Use the original password, checking capitalization and keyboard layout. Re-entering a password for an existing plan does not change it. Encrypted backups cannot be restored without the correct password.

Reports Are Missing​

Check report generation in the plan's After the backup options or, for new plans, under Settings > Defaults for new backups > After the backup. Deleted reports cannot be recreated merely by reconnecting their backup files.

The Recovery Environment Is Unavailable​

Follow the reason shown under Recovery and rebuild the environment if requested. Use startup media if local recovery cannot start. For license checks, try a wired network connection. After a failed recovery operation, look for saved logs beside the backup.