Support - Accounts - Client list is empty

Description:

When you go to the Backup for Workgroups Backup Server > Clients panel the list of Backup Client account is empty or missing. 

You may also find that the Backup Client report that they cannot login to the Backup Server.  This is due to their account is not present at the Backup Server.

Background:

Backup for Workgroups stores the list of Backup Client accounts in a database that is stored on the Backup Storage drive.  If the drive cannot be accessed or there is a problem with accessing the database file or there is a bad record in the database file, then the Backup Server cannot read the list of Backup Clients Accounts.

If you try to recreate an account when there is a problem with the database file or access to the database then you will receive an error such as "Error Creating Account" or "Out of disk space".  The error message of out of disk space is a general error indicating a failure to write to the database and may not actually indicate a disk space issue, this indicates the process of writing to the database file failed.

Solution:

DO NOT RETYPE THE CLIENT ACCOUNT LIST

The solution is to determine if the root issue is a problem accessing the database file or a problem with the contents of the database file.  If this is an access issue, then fixing the access to the file solves the problem.  If there is a problem with the database itself then repairing the file solves the problem.  Again the solution is to fix the root issue and not to retype the account list.

The first thing we need to do is find out where you are storing your backup data.

1. Go to the computer that is running the Backup for Workgroups Backup Server software.
2. Run Backup for Workgroups
3. Go to the Storage Panel.
4. Look at the list of folders being used in the Primary Storage Group.
5. Write down the list of locations used in your Primary Storage Group.
6. Close Backup for Workgroups

Backup for Workgroups is installed as a service and runs under the Local System account.  The next step is to make sure the Local System account has full access to the storage locations above.

Go to each of the Primary Storage Locations that are listed in Backup for Workgroups. This is the list you have jotted down previously.

Go to the parent directory of the first Storage Location. Right-click on the folder containing the primary storage location and select Properties.

Go to the Security tab and verify that the Local System Account has full access rights to the Primary Storage Location.  Usually the Local System Account is displayed as "SYSTEM" in all caps in the security panel.

Sometimes poorly designed security products will remove the Local System account from accessing USB drive.  This is because these security products assume that all USB drives are flash drive and the only use of a flash drive is to steal data, so they remove the Local System account from accessing USB Drives.  If the SYSTEM account is not listed as full access then grand full access to the SYSTEM account.

Repeat these steps for each Primary Storage Location to make sure the Local System Account has full access rights to each location.

Once you have corrected the rights situation, stop and restart the Backup for Workgroups Service.

1. At the computer running the Backup for Workgroups Backup Server, right click on My Computer and select Manage.
2. At the Computer Management windows, expand "Services and Application" and then highlight "Services".
3. Right click on the service named "Backup for Workgroups" and select Stop.
4. Repeat and choose Start.

Open Backup for Workgroups and go to the Clients panel and you should see your usual list of Clients populated in their usual spot.

If the list of Backup Client Accounts is not displayed, you may have to repair the database file that holds the list of Backup Client accounts.

NOTE:  Backup for Workgroups changed the database format that it uses as of version 4.4.  The database file created by this repair process is in the new database format and will work with all version of Backup for Workgroups from version 4.4 and higher.  If you are running Backup for Workgroups version 4.3 or older you will need to upgrade to the current version of Backup for Workgroups before you can run the repair process.

Step 1 - Stop the Backup for Workgroups Service

1. At the computer running the Backup for Workgroups Backup Server, right click on My Computer and select Manage.
2. At the Computer Management windows, expand "Services and Application" and then highlight "Services".
3. Right click on the service named "Backup for Workgroups" and select Stop.

Step 2 - Download and run the repair utility

Download the following file:

http://www.backup-for-workgroups.com/downloads/RebuildUserConfig.exe

Run this program it should display the path to the Primary Storage location - if it does not display this path, use the browse to select the path that is used as the primary backup storage path.

Press the Start button. It should complete almost instantly.

Start the Backup for Workgroups Service.  Repeat Step 1 and choose to Start the Backup for Workgroups service.

Open Backup for Workgroups and go to the Clients Panel.

When the rebuild utility recreates the client/user list it will reset their password to “password” and it will clear any add-ons you have selected. As a result, you will need to select each client name and press modify. At each client you will need to check/tick any add-ons you may have been using and you would also need to change their password to what they had been using.

If you do not know what the client password was, then enter a new password and save your changed. Then go to the Backup Client on the computers that you are backing up and go to Tools -> Preferences. On the Account Info screen enter the new password you assigned to that client.