SYMPTOMS

You get the following error from Genie Backup Manager (GBM) when trying to run a backup job:

“Failed performing a DoBackup Command, FAILED BACKUP.”

 

CAUSE

This message occurs when GBM is unable to create the backup file/folder. There can be many causes of this message and therefore there could be many things to check to resolve this problem.

 

RESOLUTION

The resolution could be divided according to the cause of each problem:

  1. Long backup path
    • If you are backing up to a network drive, GBM cannot predict the file path of that drive, and therefore if the file path is more than 260; the maximum path length Windows allows files to be created with, and therefore GBM reports it was unable to create the file in the specific destination. The correct solution for this to make sure that your backup destination along with the backup filename does not exceed 259 characters.
  2. FAT32 file size limitation
    • FAT32 File System has a 4 GB file size limitation; meaning that windows will not allow you to create files larger than 4 GB on FAT32 drives. So, if your backup is larger than 4 GB and you are backing up to a FAT32 file system, please check this article.
  3. Temporary folder
    • If your backup destination has limited file space, make sure that the temp folder “TempGS” is not created on the backup destination. To force GBM to use a specific temp folder, Open GBM software → ToolsGlobal PreferencesGeneral → Under Temporary files and folders, select the Use the following temporary location option → Browse for a local drive with the largest amount of empty space (Must be NTFS drive) → OK.
  4. System files
    • If you are interested in backing up your C: drive, please do not do this using a regular backup job, as this will cause plenty of issues, due to the rapidly changing Windows system files, that are always locked and used by the operating system. Instead, please create a Disaster Recovery Job. Please refer to the following articles for more information about this option:
      – Walkthrough: Creating Disaster Recovery Using Genie Backup Manager
      Disaster Recovery Strategies

APPLIES TO: Genie Backup Manager (GBM).