Desktop Backup: Supporting and Troubleshooting

Overview

This page is provided to assist Neighborhood IT and unit IT staff in supporting their users’ use of Desktop Backup. While advanced users may find this information useful, some of the actions can only be taken with admin permissions to CrashPlan.

Basic Troubleshooting

Follow the steps below to determine if the user is experiencing a true performance issue or if it is a backup issue.

Performance Issues

Too much network activity

Within the CrashPlan PROe client interface, select the Settings tab, and then the Network tab.
Underneath WAN (in the WAN section), there are two options to check:
- Limit Sending Rate When Away To
- Limit Sending Rate When Present To
Be sure these are both set to None.

Too much CPU consumption slowing down computer

Within the CrashPlan PROe client interface, click the Settings tab, and then the General tab.
You will find two settings related to CPU consumption and their default settings.
- When user is away use up to: 80 percent CPU
- When user is present use up to: 20 percent CPU
Adjust these settings to further reduce the amount of CPU the service is allowed to use. It is recommended you reduce “When user is present use up to:” to 5 or 10 percent.

Backup Issues

Within the CrashPlan PROe client interface, select the Destinations tab, and then the Cloud tab.
Click Information Graphic (little i in a circle). This shows the actual transfer speed. If it is anything above 1 megabit per second, this is expected performance. The amount of data to backup determines how long the backup takes to complete. It is not uncommon for a backup to take 24 hours or more the first time. Some can take several hours or days.

Note: It's not unusual to see "Backup running - x minutes remaining." Since backups are run frequently, it's not unusual to see that the backup is running every time you check. This does not mean that the backup is not completing.

Common Errors

Unable to connect to backup engine: This error is often seen when a user has a large number of files selected for backup. To resolve this error, increase the amount of memory Java is allowed to use for the CrashPlan client. See Adjusting CrashPlan Settings for Memory Usage with Large Backups for more information.
Unable to sign in: This error is seen when the user’s account has been provisioned but they cannot login. To resolve this error: Confirm the user is signing in with only their uniqname. umroot\uniqname or [email protected] will not work. If the user is using only their uniqname and still not able to sign in, it’s possible that the Active Directory and Kerberos Passwords are not synced. To sync the passwords, visit UMICH Account Management.

Restore From Drive Failure or Move to New Computer

CrashPlan does not do a bare metal restore, but can be used to move data files from one backed up computer to a new computer or hard drive.

Install OS and Applications.
Install the CrashPlan Client.
Restore the files you wish to keep in their original location.
Note: Restore the most important critical files for the user first (e.g. Documents). Once an initial restore has been completed, finish restoring the rest of the data the user would like backed up.
Click adopt under Backup > Continue Backup.
Select the old device from the next window.
Note: If the adopt link does not display, follow these troubleshooting steps.

Blocking Devices

You can prevent further backing up of a device (for example if a device has been stolen) and still retain the data previously backed up by having the device blocked. Blocking is a non-destructive action that prevents access to CrashPlan. A blocked user or device cannot sign in.

Request that a device be blocked by contacting the ITS Service Center. Include as much information as you have about the device, including the user’s uniqname, the device name, and device GUID (if you happen to know it).

Deactivating Devices

Deactivating is a destructive action that removes a device, user, organization, or plan from your Code42 environment. An active user can sign in again to a deactivated device, but a deactivated user cannot sign in.

To request a device deactivation:

Determine the GUID of the device
1. Have the user sign into the CrashPlan client.
2. Double click the CrashPlan PROe logo at the upper right. A CLI window will appear.
3. Type guid, and then press Enter.
Note: An alternative to using the client is to locate the device in the web console. The GUID is listed under the machine name near the top, to the left of the user name.
Submit a deactivation request using the Desktop Backup Request form.

Deprovisioning Users

Deprovisioning a user removes the user’s account from the CrashPlan server and stops backup of all devices assigned to the user. It also stops billing for that user account.

Submit a request through the Desktop Backup Request form site.
Uninstall the client from the computer.
Note: The data in deprovisioned accounts will be removed from the cloud in 30 days. If you need the data removed immediately, please include that in your request.

Tracking Backups

CrashPlan Web Reporting

Note: This requires an account that has been given administrator permissions. Request access through the ITS Service Center.

To use the CrashPlan Web Console to support your users:

Login to CrashPlan
Select devices or users from the left panel.
Click the gear icon located near the top of the page.
Select Export All to export the report to a CSV file for review.

CrashPlan Admin Tool

Note: This requires an account that has been given administrator permissions. Request access through the ITS Service Center.

Use the CrashPlan Admin Tool to monitor your unit’s Desktop Backup Accounts. If you are an IT admin for a unit subscribing to the Desktop Backup Service, you may download the tool here. Once you access the tool, you will find documentation on how to use it in the Help section.