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Event ID 546 — Backup Operations

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008

You can use the Windows Server Backup snap-in or the wbadmin command to create and manage backups to protect your operating system, volumes, files, and application data. Backups can be saved to single or multiple disks, DVDs, removable media, or remote shared folders. They can also be scheduled to run automatically or manually.

However, system state backup is only available for the command line and is not available in the Windows Server Backup snap-in user interface. Also, you cannot configure a scheduled backup to create system state backups—but you can script the wbadmin start systemstatebackup command to run backups on a schedule.

In addition, you can use the Local Group Policy Editor snap-in (Gpedit.msc) to allow or disallow certain types of backups or backup locations. Policy settings for Windows Server Backup are located at: Local Computer Policy\Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Backup\Server.

Event Details

Product: Windows Operating System
ID: 546
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Backup
Version: 6.0
Symbolic Name: ADMIN_BACKUP_FAILED_DID_NOT_START_EVENT
Message: Backup attempted at '%1' failed to start, error code '%2'.

Resolve

Review event details for why backup failed to start

If a backup fails to start, review the details for the applicable events to find out why the backup operation failed. Then re-run the backup.

To do this, follow these general steps:

  1. Find the applicable events in Event Viewer, and then review the details for those events to find out why the backup operation failed. For more information, see "Review event details in Event Viewer."
  2. Confirm that the location to perform the backup to is online.
  3. After resolving any errors that you find in performing the steps above, re-run another backup. For more information, see "Peform a backup using the command line."

To perform these procedures, you must have membership in Backup Operators or Administrators, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

Review event details in Event Viewer

To review event details for a backup in Event Viewer:

  1. Open Event Viewer. Click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Event Viewer.
  2. In the left pane, double-click Applications and Service Logs, double-click Microsoft, double-click Windows, double-click Backup, and then click Operational.
  3. Look at the error code mentioned in the event details to find out why the backup failed to start.

Perform a backup using the command line

Make sure that the backup storage location specified by -backupTarget is online.

Note: If the backup operation that failed was a scheduled backup, you can use wbadmin start backup with no parameters. This will run a backup using the settings for the scheduled backup.

To perform a one-time backup:

  1. Open an elevated Command Prompt window. Click Start, point to All Programs, click Accessories, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.

  2. At the prompt, type: wbadmin start backup. Use parameters, as needed. (To view the parameters and help for this command, at a command line, type: wbadmin start backup /?).

    For example, to create a backup that will be stored on drive f, of volumes e:, d:\mountpoint, and \\?\Volume{cc566d14-4410-11d9-9d93-806e6f6e6963}, type: wbadmin start backup -backupTarget:f: -include:e:,d:\mountpoint,\\?\Volume{cc566d14-44a0-11d9-9d93-806e6f6e6963}\.

Verify

To verify that backup operations are running, or will run, successfully, you should do one or more of the following, as needed:

  • For any backup operations that you have run, look for Event ID 4, which indicates that the operation completed successfully with no errors.
  • Verify that no other backup or recovery operations are running so that you can start an operation.
  • Verify that you have enabled a scheduled backup, and is configured correctly.
  • Verify that the location where you plan to store your backups is available and online.

To perform these procedures, you must have membership in Backup Operators or Administrators, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

Verify the backup completed with no errors

To verify that a backup operation completed with no errors:

  1. Open Event Viewer. Click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Event Viewer.
  2. In the left pane, double-click Applications and Service Logs, double-click Microsoft, double-click Windows, double-click Backup, and then click Operational.
  3. In the Event ID column, look for event 4. ** **
  4. For this event, confirm that the value in the Source column is Backup.

Verify another operation is not running

To verify that another backup or recovery operation is not running:

  1. Open an elevated Command Prompt window. Click Start, point to All Programs, click Accessories, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.
  2. At the prompt, type: wbadmin get status.
  3. If the command output indicates that no operation is running, then you can start a backup.

Verify scheduled backup is enabled

To verify that a scheduled backup is enabled:

  1. Open an elevated Command Prompt window. Click Start, point to All Programs, click Accessories, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.
  2. At the prompt, type: wbadmin enable backup.
  3. If the command output shows a schedule, then a scheduled backup is enabled.
  4. Confirm that the schedule contains the correct parameters.

Verify storage location is online

To verify that a disk used to store backups is online:

  1. For the computer that contains the storage disk, open Disk Management. Click Start, click Run, and then type: diskmgmt.msc.
  2. Click View, click Top, and then click Disk List.
  3. For the disk that contains the volume that you will use to store backups, confirm that the value in the Status column is Online.

Backup Operations

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