Backup on shutdown

[renowden]

Hi - this may be related to the IPC problem in a separate thread but I will describe it here because the setup is entirely different.

Machine is Win8.1 and is infrequently used - but when it is it is intense (as a video projection server) so I didn't want to interrupt it with anything that might slow it down.

Se we set up Backup4all so that it ran as admin at shutdown. The usage of the machine is as a limited user.

First of all I seemed to spot that the process didn't get started at shutdown but at sign-out time from the admin account.

Secondly, nothing seems to happen at all when the limited user shuts down.

I expected it to work something like windows update which triggers and says don't switch off until it is finished. I haven't had a chance to look at the logs yet to see if it even tries.

Really my question is - is this supposed to work the way we are doing it? If it is, then why the odd behaviour?

[You cannot make another post so soon after your last. pita. How soon is too soon? ]

[Adrian (Softland)]

Hi,

We made some changes in the latest release which also correct some bugs for backup at shutdown.
Please install version 5.3.704 of Backup4all.

If the limited used can shutdown the computer, Backup4all should run at shutdown.

[renowden]

Thanks - I have installed 5.3 on the machine and it certainly does do a backup now. It is very hard to tell if it is working correctly in a short time because it doesn't do much if there is nothing more to backup.

What I have observed is that sign-out from the admin account returns straight back to the metro tiled screen as if it has failed. But observing the NAS server over my shoulder revealed that there was activity so it was doing something and, sure enough, in due course it did sign out. This is very confusing for users and indeed, on the last attempt, I thought the sign-out had failed at which time I tried it again and it complained that the b4... program was still running and did I want to force it to close. The average user will, I believe, say yes!

As yet, I haven't discovered if it does the same thing - or anything - at shutdown from a limited account

[renowden]

I can now confirm that shutdown from a limited user account does nothing. Backup4All is not triggered. Is this supposed to work?

[Adrian (Softland)]

Hi,

We tested here using the latest release of Backup4all 5.3.704 and the backup at system shutdown is executed even from a limited account, followed by the computer shutdown.

[renowden]

Support wrote:
> Hi,
>
> We tested here using the latest release of Backup4all 5.3.704 and the backup at system
> shutdown is executed even from a limited account, followed by the computer shutdown.

Hi - I have come to the conclusion that we are both right, just that we have a different understanding of what the feature does/should do. I will walk you through what I did with comments on the way. (this was with the latest version 5.3.723)

Default Windows 8.1 system with multiple accounts - one admin, one or more standard (limited) users.

Login to admin account and open Backup4all console.

Set up a job with required backup parameters - all of C:\Users\ to NAS, Smart backup.

Go to Scheduler ==> Job Shutdown Background Backup Default. Show main application off.
--- It doesn't allow me to set user/password (more later)

Close console.

Sign off of that account.
--- Windows goes back to the Metro Screen (the one with the tiles). This is a PROBLEM as it is not at all clear that anything is happening - it looks like the sign off has failed.
--- However by observing the NAS I can see that the backup has started. This is a PROBLEM of terminology. This is "run at sign off" not "run at shutdown"

When the backup finishes then Windows goes to the Rainbow screen (no users logged in).

Login to a standard account.

Do normal work.

Shutdown computer.

No backup starts. The PROBLEM of understanding here is that I expected it to work like the scheduled backup (which is in the same menu) and that it would run whoever was logged in. It seems that it only happens when the originating user that set the job up signs off. I can see now that that would be the case as when I set up the job there was no way I could specify an account/password to run it as.

Now you could say that I should set up a job under the standard account(s) to do a backup at sign off (shut down) from there. But that does not achieve the objective as that account doesn't have access to all the files on the system like the admin account does.

Similarly I can't set it up as a scheduled run (like my others) as the work done on that system must not be delayed or hindered by backup activity.