Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Amazing automator is not automating

I have the auto-backup running in the taskbar, set to backup every day at 12a.m. But when I look at the secondary backup location (external hard drive) it shows no backups made for days at a time. When I open Amazing Backup and do "back up now", I can see it add a new .enc file right away.

running Vista.

Check if the drive you are backing up is filled. Delete old .enc files if so.

If not, restart.

Cheers.

250G usb drive: less than 10G is used.

Thanks, I will try the restart.

Peter,

How big is the file you are backing up?

We had this problem at the office,
1)make sure the hard drive isn't full (this happened a couple times), and
2) make sure the hard drive your sending it to is shared, had this happen as well. In properties make sure you can write to that drive as well as view it.
Hope that helps,
Maranda

the automator has been flaky, I have gone to checking the server daily to make sure the back ups are made, and it is very inconsistent that they are done.

Oh, and there is plenty of space and they are saved to 2 separate locations.

thanks to all,

file is a little under 170M.
I rechecked after restart and definitely no automatic backups are being made to the secondary location.

I just checked the AmazingCharts folder itself and the PRIMARY backup "in situ" is not being done automatically either.

(by the way, it's not "in sito" with an "o" as it is spelled in the backup utility user interface)

I don't know why this helps, but I have read somewhere about right clicking on it and using the Run As and make sure it is run as an administrator.

I'll try it. thanks.

Well, it was a nice thought. I ran Amazing Automator "as administrator" but no back up was made to the primary (AC folder) or secondary (USB drive) locations.

If it's working for most everyone else, then I guess it's working, and just something up in my system...if only I could figure that out. Hmmm...........

My IT man says I should try to run the automator in compatibility mode for XP; sometimes that will resolve strange behavior.

Peter,

So, I am a little confused -- nothing new for me.

1. Is Amazing Backup working, and it is just Amazing Automator that is not.
2. Are you backing up to an external driver on the computer which has the Amazing Charts folder? If so, then it shouldn't need to be shared. The computer should see it as just another drive.

Personally, I do not know why there needs to be two programs for a backup. It seems very confusing and odd to have a program called Amazing Automator to schedule the backup. This should all be in the same program -- the backup program like all other backup programs.

The backup program should NOT, by default, make a backup to the AC folder itself. That makes no sense. First, the weakest backup you could ever have would go like this: back up to same computer on a separate internal drive, back up to the same computer on the same drive but a different partition, back up to the same computer on the same drive and partition and, finally, back up to the same computer and the same actual folder. One should have complete control over where to put the backup. Many users probably don't even realize it is backing up there and then wonder one day why their C: drive is 40GBs with no room left.

I agree, why backup to the AC folder? and yet...that's what it does. The backups are automatically going to AC folder under the subfolder "BACKUP"; that part is not an option as far as I can tell.The option comes in where ELSE you choose to make an additional backup, so I have chosen a USB external hard drive (yes, on the computer with the AC folder). Yeah, I also agree, it shouldn't therefore need to be shared.

When I run Amazing Backup and hit "backup now", it works. It appears as if the automator is not working and amazing backup is working, based upon that observation alone. I heartily agree also, it's weird to have two programs to do that. It's like the programmers built them as separate modules of one program and just never integrated them, maybe to keep things more simple for them, but I have no idea really.

The latest thing I tried--and the whole security/permissions thing is rather confusing to me--is check permissions on Automator. It lists owner as "Dr. Peter [Suave]", rather than "Administrators" which was the other option in the permissions list. So, I thought "maybe that's why it won't work with 'run as Administrator'." I changed owner to 'administators' and now waiting to see whether that causes an auto-backup at the stroke of 12 (or will my coach turn into a pumpkin instead...).

Ah, it is a puzzlement.

Is the automator working for anyone or is everyone just not using it???

Still nothing for me.

It sounds obvious, but I wonder whether any other automated windows process is set for midnight and may be overriding the automator....hmmmm again.

I found two automated processes set for 12:00a.m.: system restore, and one relevant to "windows customer experience improvement program". I chose a different time for system restore, and disabled the customer molestation improvement process.

Maybe this will be the key to problems with automator.

We have subscribed to AC Offsite backup and recently it has stopped working. I suspect since several of us are now having problems that the problem might reside with AC -- either the program or offsite backup?

Oh G-d, dysfunction of offsite backup? I can't believe it's the offsite which is problematic. That would be a real condemnation of the service.

Try manual backup ("backup now") to offsite backup--if that works it'll answer that question.

Peter,

The amazing automator simply does not work. The Backup Program does but not on schedule since the AA does not work.

I have three ideas for you

1. Do what I do, which is to run it manually every night before you go home. You simply open it and click backup, and then you know it is done.

2. Purchase a backup program that backs up your entire computer including your Amazing Charts. You can also set it to back up just the databases or the folder or all three. You would need SQL Addon to do this. Sure, it more money, but MUCH more powerful.

3. I am working on a script which would automate the whole process. Give me some time.

This has to be fixed. My recommendation to AC, would be to overhaul the whole thing. Put it one program. Get ride of the ability to back up three places. Do you realize that if you use offsite backup, you could be backing up to five different places at one time. That's crazy. It should have offsite and one other location.

I will choose option number one.

What language are you writing the script in?

Just a plain old batch file.

Taking out the old model T for a spin, eh? I used to write some batch now and then. I wouldn't even know where to find the commands anymore.

I miss the old machines which would boot straight into programming mode.

I finally made it work. Don't ask me how. There is no way it was the one thing I did, so we will hold back on that one.

I know this is what you have been doing. But, I opened Amazing Automator on the System Tray. Opened Amazing Backup and clicked on schedule backup. It was set for the same time. Make sure both Turn on autobackups are on and then close. Go ahead and set the time for like 10:00 PM, so you can trial it.

I have done as you say and waiting for the stroke of ten.

Do you have AC running when the automator is scheduled to run?

You shouldn't have to. It's just copying the folder. Has nothing to do with AC running or not. Granted then the databases may be stopped, but it should work either way.

You did it Bert!

I don't know how or why, but it worked. Wonder if it will continue to work now.

Thanks

Knowing AC, probably not, lol.

If you know what we did differently, let me know. I wonder if we didn't have both boxes checked?

Just make sure the automator is always in the system tray.

Not to question AC headquarters, but wouldn't Amazing Scheduler have made more sense?

And, of course, I just finished the script.

I can tell you for certain,

I've always had automator in system tray, and I've always had both boxes checked.

The only thing I can think of is that normally I quit automator from the system tray before running the AC backup (since scheduling backups turns on automator anyway). THIS time, as you said, I ran AC backup (and "schedule") with automator running in the tray.

The other difference: normally once I go to the trouble of running AC backup, I do a "backup now", whereas this time I ran the "schedule backups" in AC backup and closed out without backing up "now."

So the solution must be in one of those two things.

I would agree.

Anyway, my script works, I am just tinkering with it. Right now it overwrites everything. I have to add a date and time so one can use it and make multiple backups.

It's funny though. I wrote a script once before when there was no backup and it was almost impossible for people to be comfortable copying and pasting it into a text file such as backup.txt and renaming it backup.bat and running it. Not making fun of anyone, just some are worried about trying new things.

Sounds easy enough and comfortable for me.

Many docs in particular seem to have a phobia about tinkering with their computers unless, like you, I, and a few others here, they have a strong tech background.

I have a degree in electrical engineering and a fair amount of programming experience, so futzing under the hood doesn't spook me.

So, Peter, do you drink beer? Don't tell me you don't drink...I will be disappointed.

Sure. I can put back a few brewskies.

Well, here's a Heineken for you. I'm heading home. I have a few in the fridge. Trying to add a damned time stamp to my script is proving a bit more difficult than I thought. But, it's the only way to have multiple backups.

Kind of ironic. Use AC's backup and you get multiple unwanted backups on your server that you don't want but get multiple on the server. Use my script and you get NO backups on the server but only one so far on the backup drive.

I'm impressed; didn't know that so much could be done with batch commands.

You might try rewriting the script in VBscript in which time-stamp may be easier to pull off.

Good thought.

Mine works at best intermittently as well. I just checked and it has been working for the past few days, but I would be interested in the batch file if you are willing to make it public, maybe it will be more reliable. Hope AC Central is monitoring this.

Yeah, I added the timestamp which allows for multiple backups. Just trying to add the switches to tweak it. I think I may be able to add a maintenance file to it so it allows one to delete after five or six or how many days. I have been testing it. It is rock solid right now but, of course, will be as is.

Of course, you can schedule it via the Windows Task Scheduler, which has been working rather well for, what, ten years or more.

Will definitely post it though.

aren't the backups encrypted versions of the database?

The backups are compressed and encrypted backups of the six databases (.mdf and .ldf), the _Data001 folder and illustrations. Basically, everything essential.