If a BackupOnShutdown backup failed or skipped files, read the summary and Details before retrying. A failed, cancelled, or incomplete Back up & shut down run keeps the PC on so you can resolve the problem. Choosing Back up alone also leaves it on; if a complete backup wasn't followed by shutdown, check for a shutdown error in Details.
What does the dashboard status mean?
The dashboard separates a backup that isn't set up, one that isn't included, a finished run, and a problem. These are the lines you're most likely to see:
- No backup set up yet. means nothing has been configured.
- No backup is included. Open one to include it. means Include when I click Back up is off on every backup. Open a backup and turn that on if you want the main buttons to run it. The badge Not included means the same thing, and it is not a drive failure.
- Not backed up yet. means that backup has never finished successfully.
- The last-backup date tells you when a run completed. Time to back up. is a reminder to start another backup, not an automatic schedule.
- Failed, or The last backup did not finish. Try again., means the last run did not finish.
- Some files were skipped, or The last backup skipped some files., means some files could not be read. Other files may still have been saved.
Open the backup and look at each location, because a date on one of them doesn't mean every location got a new version. An extra drive that isn't connected is marked Not plugged in and skipped, and shutdown can still go ahead if every included backup completed at another location without failures or unreadable files. If no location can be reached, the app stops before the backup and says Backup drive is not plugged in.
What should I check first?
Read the summary heading before you close it. Backup finished, with a few problems still needs a look, even though part of the run completed, while The backup did not finish means the requested run did not complete successfully. Some locations may already have saved a new version, so check each location rather than assuming nothing was written. When there are errors, Details lists them, so note the backup name, the location, and the error text.
For Backup drive is not plugged in, reconnect the external drive or the network folder and check in File Explorer that the same path is there and that you can write to it. Don't point the backup at a new empty folder in place of the missing drive. The backup-location guide shows how to check the path.
If a selected folder was moved, renamed, or disconnected, make it available again or update the backup's folder list before retrying. If files were skipped because they were in use, save and close that program, or follow the steps for open files on Windows. Starting the app as administrator can include those files, though it still can't make every file readable.
What does Password needed mean?
Password needed means the backup is protected and the password isn't saved on this computer, so enter the backup password to continue. It is not your license key, and it isn't your Windows password either.
If the location was created with a different password from the one the app has now, the password guide explains the choices. Erasing the location and starting over deletes the saved versions, so it is not how you recover a password you've forgotten.
What if a part of the app is missing?
Something is missing comes with "A part of BackupOnShutdown is missing. Please install the app again." The app needs the backup engine it ships with. Download the installer from the download page and install it again.
Keep the backup location and your saved password, because reinstalling the app does not delete the files on the backup drive. If security software removed a component, have that checked rather than deleting or moving those files.
How is cancellation different from a failure?
Cancel stops the run on purpose, and the app then says Backup cancelled. That doesn't prove every selected file reached every location. Wait until the activity has stopped before you unplug a drive or start again.
Resolve the reported issue, then use Back up for the retry so you can read the summary before shutting down. Repeating the run without reconnecting the drive or correcting the password is unlikely to help.
What should I send to support?
If it still fails, email office@spqrk.net with the app version, your Windows version, whether the location is an external drive or a network folder, and the text from Details. Take private filenames out if you need to, and don't send passwords or license keys.
Don't delete files inside the backup location as a first step. They can belong to versions you still need, or to a run that hasn't stopped. Leave the location as it is, stop experimenting, and describe the error so the next step can match it.
If you need the installer again, download BackupOnShutdown. The trial is 14 days, with no account or card.