backup folder does not exist error when using network drive

[Mountainman]

I have been using an older version of this plug-in on HomeSeer to do backups to my network drive. It has worked fine for a long time.

I just installed the latest version, 1.0.30.0, under HomeSeer Pro and can not configure the destination backup folder. I am using the exact same parameter that continues to work on my old HomeSeer system, but I get this error:

The following validation error has occurred:
Backup folder does not exist!

If I run an event anyway to do a backup and configure the destination folder to the same folder, I get this error:

ERROR: X:\HomeSeer backups was not accessible!!

I can configure a local drive destination such as C:\scratch. The machine clearly has access to this network drive as I can read/write files to it.

Is this a bug in the latest plug-in?

[nightwalker]

I assume that your HomeSeer server has access to the destination drive, meaning you can read and write to that drive from the HomeSeer server.

I've been using this for a very long time for backups, and now using the new version, although if i'm reading this right I use it reversed from the way you do. I am backing up network folders on other machines to a backup drive that resides on my HomeSeer server.

I did not configure a destination drive in the plug-in (I change once in a while where that drive is) but i did specify a destination in my events that run the backup.

If it helps you i can run a quick event to a destination other than on the HomeSeer server and make sure it works.

EDIT:

I just ran a quick test while reading posts on here. You're right, the plug-in doesn't seem to like the destination drive out on the network, It does just great when it's backing up from the network to HS but not the other way around.

Suggest you put in a help ticket on Blades site, I'm sure it was an oversight.

[Mountainman]

Yes, my HS machine definitely has read/write access to this network drive. I created another directory on the drive to test it again (X:\scratch). I get the same error.

It would be helpful if you could try it. You don't actually need to do a backup. Just change the destination drive parameter to something valid for your network and see if BLBackup complains when it examines your input.

Thanks.

[Mountainman]

Thanks for verifying this! I will make this request to him.

[Blade]

I use a UNC path as my destination drive in BLBackup with no issue
I use this for my destination drive in Options

\\Tower\disk1\Backups\SystemBackups

No issues

[nightwalker]

Seems I picked a drive that didn't have write access to test with.

After using one that did have full access, things went just fine and it worked as I'd expected. I do use the UNC path as Bob suggested.

[Mountainman]

Does it work for you if you use a mapped drive letter like

X:\scratch

?

Is the other machine a Windows server or a Windows machine sharing files in a workgroup?

What OS are you using to run HS? I am using Win 7 x64.

[Mountainman]

I can't get it to work with either a drive letter mapping or a UNC.

If I type this same UNC into an Explorer window, the directory appears and I can read/write files. What type of software call/API is being used to verify and access the UNC that is entered, Bob?

[Blade]

I am using a vb.net call to do it that comes built in to vb.net

[Mountainman]

I have it working now. I was running HomeSeer with an account with administrative privileges because HS won't work without it, but it wasn't the account used to logon so the drive mapping didn't follow. Hopefully HS3 will work without having to run as an administrator so these sorts of problem can be avoided.

Thanks for looking into it.