Message "Secondary Backup Failed" (Desktop)

Message "Secondary Backup Failed" (Desktop)


What is the message?

Every night, Visual Matrix is programmed to do two backups, one before your audit, one after.
Each backup is programmed to go to two locations:
- on the main drive: C:\ImageTech\VisualMatrix\Shared\Backup
- on a secondary external drive. To see how to set up this secondary backup, follow those instructions.
The message means that the secondary drive has not been found.

Causes of a Secondary Backup Failure

Secondary backup failures usually happen because Visual Matrix can’t access the external drive where the second copy of the nightly backup is supposed to go. Below are the most common reasons this occurs:

The External Drive Is Not Connected
If the secondary drive is unplugged, powered off, or the USB cable is loose, the system can’t write the backup.
Common scenario: The cable gets bumped during cleaning or maintenance.

The Drive Letter Has Changed
Windows sometimes assigns a new drive letter when an external drive is unplugged and reconnected.
Example: The drive was originally E: but is now showing as F: — Visual Matrix will try to back up to the old letter and fail.

The Drive Is Full
If the external drive has no available storage space, the system cannot create a new backup file.
Tip: Check for old or unnecessary files that need to be cleared out.

The Drive Is Not Formatted or Has File System Errors
A drive that’s corrupted or formatted incorrectly (e.g., exFAT instead of NTFS) can prevent the backup from completing.
Indicator: Windows may take a long time to open the drive or ask to run a scan.

The Drive Is a USB Flash Drive (Not Recommended)
Flash drives are prone to failure, have limited write-cycle durability, and may disconnect intermittently.
Result: Unstable performance leads to inconsistent backup results.

Permissions or Security Software Is Blocking Access
Antivirus or endpoint security tools can block Visual Matrix from writing files to external devices.
Check: Security logs or alerts around the time the backup runs.

The Drive Goes to Sleep or Powers Down
Some external drives automatically enter a power-saving mode after periods of inactivity.
Effect: When the backup tries to run, the drive isn’t awake and available.

How to resolve the issue?

Make sure that the secondary drive is set up correctly.
Notes
USB keys are not advised for those backups.

How to know backups are happening successfully?

Check that the backups are all there
Go to C:\ImageTech\VisualMatrix\Shared\Backup.
If all backups are done successfully, you should have the following:
- 14 backups dated on the 7 previous days:
      - Monday: VM_Mon_Pre.dbk and VM_Mon_Post.dbk
      - Tuesday: VM_Tue_Pre.dbk and VM_Tue_Post.dbk
      - Wednesday: VM_Wed_Pre.dbk and VM_Wed_Post.dbk
      - Thursday: VM_Thu_Pre.dbk and VM_Thu_Post.dbk
      - Friday: VM_Fri_Pre.dbk and VM_Fri_Post.dbk
      - Saturday: VM_Sat_Pre.dbk and VM_Sat_Post.dbk
      - Sunday: VM_Sun_Pre.dbk and VM_Sun_Post.dbk
- One monthly backup dated on the last day of each month: the name of the backup file will have ME in the file name
- One yearly backup dated on the last day of each year: the name of the backup file will have YE in the file name.

If one of the daily backups is dated more than 7 days old, this backup may be corrupted.
Delete the backup(s) to let Visual Matrix recreate some new ones during the next audits.
Any other backup file can be kept or deleted.

Do a backup test
Go to Front Office > Supervisor > System Maint > Backup (on the left).
Run a backup.
Once completed, the backup should be in the primary and the secondary locations.
Warning
It is very important NOT to change the location of the primary backup, as if there is an issue with your server, this is the first place our technicians will look for backups.

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