Troubleshooting Server File and Folder Restore Errors

Updated: March 30, 2011

Applies To: Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials

There are no backups available

Description

A valid server backup could not be found for one of the following reasons:

  • The server backup hard disk drive is not attached to the server.

  • The first backup is not complete.

  • Server backup is not configured.

Solution

To restore your files and folders, do one of the following:

To verify that a backup hard disk drive is properly connected to the server

  1. Open the Dashboard.

  2. Click Server Folders and Hard Drives, and then click Hard Drives.

  3. Ensure that a hard disk drive for backup is listed in server storage.

  4. If a backup hard disk drive is not listed, verify that the backup hard disk drive is physically connected to the server, turned on, and functioning properly.

To verify that a valid backup is available

  1. Open the Dashboard.

  2. Click Computers and Backup.

  3. Verify that the Backup status for the server is Successful.

To verify that backup is configured on the server

  1. Open the Dashboard.

  2. Click Computers and Backup.

  3. If the server backup is not configured or has been disabled, the Backup status for the server is Not set up.

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Unable to connect to the backup provider

Description

The wizard cannot connect to the backup provider.

Resolution

Make sure that the Windows Server Server Backup Service is running.

To start backup services on the server

  1. On the server, click Start, and click Administrative Tools, and then click Services.

  2. Scroll down to and click Windows Server Server Backup Service. If the status of the service is not Started, right-click the service, and then click Start.

  3. Close Services.

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Unable to open the backup information

Description

The wizard cannot open the backup information.

Resolution

When a backup has an unsuccessful status, no part of backup succeeded and there is no data available for you to restore. Make sure that you did not select a backup with a status of Unsuccessful.

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Unable to find the original location for files that are being restored

Description

The wizard cannot find the original location for files that you want to restore.

Resolution

One or more data hard drives may not be connected to the server. For each of the hard drives that are not available, the following steps may help you resolve the issue:

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The restore failed OR An unexpected error occurred

Description

The restore operation was not successful.

Solution

When a backup has an unsuccessful status, no part of backup succeeded and there is no data available for you to restore.

When a backup has an incomplete status, the backup started and ran but was not completely successful. There may be some data available for you to restore, but not all the items specified in the backup configuration were backed up.

Check the backup properties to determine which items were not backed up.

To review backup properties

  1. Open the Windows SBS 2011 Essentials Dashboard, and then click Computers and Backup.

  2. Click the server, and then click View the server properties in the Tasks pane.

  3. Click the backup that did not complete successfully, and then click View details.

  4. In the Backup Details dialog box, a green check is displayed in the status of every hard disk that was backed up successfully.

For each of the hard disks that were not backed up successfully, the following steps may help you resolve the issue:

  1. Make sure that the hard disk is connected to the computer, turned on, and functioning properly.

  2. Run chkdsk to determine if there are errors on the hard disk. For information about running chkdsk, see CHKDSK (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=206562).

  3. Make sure that the server was not shutdown while backup was running.

  4. Backup requires some additional disk space on the server to run. There should be at least 10% available disk space on all hard disks that are installed on the server. Check the disk space on the server hard drives to make sure that there is enough for backup to run.

  5. Check alerts on the server for any alerts that may indicate that there is not enough disk space on the server for backup to complete successfully. Follow the instructions in the alert to fix the issue.Run

  6. vssadmin in a command prompt to troubleshoot Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) issues. For information about vssadmin, see VSSADMIN (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=94332).

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There is not enough free space available at the restore location you selected.

Description

There is not enough free space available on the hard drive that you selected to restore the files or folders.

Solution

To restore files or folders, do one of the following:

  • Delete unwanted or unneeded files or folders from the selected location to make enough free space.

  • Restore the files or folders to another location.

  • Select fewer files and folders to restore.

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